MDW → DSMChicago to Des Moines

live

Direct flights from Chicago (MDW) to Des Moines (DSM): 16 nonstop departures observed each week across 1 airline. 93% of the last 14 tracked flights arrived within 15 minutes of schedule. The median arrival is 8 minutes early. No cancellations were recorded across the 14 tracked flights. The nonstop covers 492 km, an estimated 1 hour 8 minutes in the air. Measured by Pro Flight Search from live flight boards at Chicago and Des Moines. Updated 4 November 2026 at 06:36 UTC.

Today, MDW → DSM

Wed 4 Nov · local times
  1. 10:05 WN457Southwest Airlines On scheduleGate B20 ·
  2. 20:40 WN2172Southwest Airlines Sched 20:40Departure not confirmed by the board ·

Checked MDW board 00:36 · DSM board 22:48

MDW Chicago smooth · +0
DSM Des Moines smooth · +0
492 km · ~1h 08m est.
dep bank 09:45–21:5016x weekly
Runs reliable · 1 airline · 16x weekly · nonstop
93% on time

of the last 14 tracked MDW → DSM flights arrived within 15 minutes

Median arrival delay is −8 min. 0 of 14 tracked legs cancelled in the sample. Will a delayed flight be cancelled? →

Median arrival−8 minacross the last 14 arrivals
Flight time~1h 08mestimated from route distance
Weekly departures16x1 direct airline on the leg
Cancelled0.0%recent route rate · 0 of 14

The week

scheduled departures · origin local time
06121824
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Sun
Southwest Airlines

Each mark is a scheduled departure at its origin-local time, observed operating in the last 7 days. Today is highlighted.

Who flies it

observed on the boards · 7 days
Southwest AirlinesWN93% on time

Flights WN649 09:45 Mo Th Fr · WN1833 10:05 Tu We · WN457 10:05 Mo Tu Su · WN2172 21:35 Mo Tu Su

History

operated legs · board outcomes
11-03WN2172dep +2 → arr−4
11-03WN457dep +6 → arr+8
11-02WN2172dep +50 → arr+28
11-02WN457dep +18 → arr+3
11-01WN2172dep +18 → arr+3
11-01WN457dep +23 → arr+4
10-31WN1172dep +5 → arr−8
10-31WN3312dep −8 → arr−24
10-30WN4569dep −10 → arr−17
10-30WN649dep +0 → arr−23
10-29WN4569dep −4 → arr−20
10-29WN649dep −2 → arr−24
10-28WN1833dep −8 → arr−35
10-28WN4569dep −7 → arr−36

Actual board outcomes rather than schedules, paired departure and arrival per flight and day.

Full board history, day by day →

Airports right now

live boards
MDWChicago +0 min smooth 🌤 overcast · SSW 18 kt Full MDW delay board →
DSMDes Moines +0 min smooth 🌫 overcast · W 14 kt Full DSM delay board →

Weather lens

Conditions are tightest at MDW and DSM: a 42% chance of a 15+ minute delay. In this weather, the more delayed of the two airports is typically about +13 min. Both figures come from the two airports' delay records in similar weather. See live delays → · Weather risk by airport →

How the Chicago to Des Moines route actually runs

Pro Flight Search records official board updates for nonstop MDW to DSM flights through the day: schedules, estimates, gate pushes and actual departures. The verdict above comes from operated flights, so it reflects what this route does rather than what the timetable promises.

Planning around a delay? Live airport delays · Weather delay risk map · Will a delayed flight be cancelled? · Do planes make up time in the air? · How we measure

Cite this data

Journalists, bloggers, and researchers may cite this page with attribution and a link to Pro Flight Search.

Suggested citation

Pro Flight Search: Chicago (MDW) to Des Moines (DSM) route reliability, measured from operated flights on official airport boards.

Canonical URL
https://proflightsearch.com/search-flights/MDW-DSM
How we measure this →

MDW to DSM questions

Is MDW–DSM running on time right now?

Mostly on schedule. Both endpoints currently score the same, route health score 75/100. The airports section above carries the live status and delay window at both ends.

Morning or evening flight on MDW–DSM?

Operators schedule morning departures around 09:45 and evening departures around 21:35 from MDW. Earlier flights typically land before destination-airport delays accumulate later in the day; check the DSM delay card to confirm conditions when you'd arrive.

How long is the flight from MDW to DSM?

Great-circle distance is 492 km. With typical jet cruise speed plus taxi, climb and descent, expect roughly 65–72 min gate-to-gate on this route.

How often does MDW–DSM fly?

Southwest Airlines runs the route with about 16 flights a week (sun, mon, tue, wed, thu, fri). Since one carrier owns the route, a single disruption tends to ripple through the day.