Des Moines

$81+ Cheap flights from Chicago (CHI) to Des Moines (DSM)

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a Cheapflights user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight departing on 3/10. Fares are subject to change and may not be available on all flights or dates of travel.
CHI — DSM
Jan 26 — Feb 21
We work with more than 300 partners to bring you better travel deals

Find cheap flights from Chicago to Des Moines with Cheapflights

1. Tell us where you want to go
Enter your travel information like dates, passengers, trip type (one-way or round trip), and preferred cabin class then click “Find deals”
2. Select your favorite providers
We find the providers serving your travel needs. Choose up to four travel providers to compare side-by-side for flights, hotels, or car rentals.
3. Compare prices and book
Review each provider’s pricing and select the best option for you! Book through your favorite provider’s website for a seamless experience.

The best prices from Chicago to Des Moines are usually found in October or November, booked 19 days in advance, depart on a Friday or Saturday and return on a Thursday

Cheap flight deals from Chicago to Des Moines

Discover tips and strategies to find the most affordable flight options for your journey from Chicago (CHI) to Des Moines (DSM). Learn about various techniques such as flexible date searches, comparing prices across and setting up price alerts. Use these methods to find the cheapest flights available for your travel needs. Data last updated January 21, 2025.

Most accurate provider

FlightHub
3 stars

Most trusted provider

FlightHub
3 stars

Round-trip from

$189
(American Airlines)

One-way from

$81
(Frontier)

Popular in

March

Cheapest in

October

Average price

$378
Provider with most accurate pricing for Chicago (CHI)-Des Moines flight deals.
Provider most trusted by Cheapflights users for Chicago (CHI)-Des Moines flights.
From Chicago (CHI) to Des Moines
One-way flight from Chicago (CHI) to Des Moines
High demand for flights, 1% potential price rise
Best time to find cheap flights, 2% potential price drop
Average for round-trip flights in January 2025

Find flight deals from Chicago to Des Moines

Cheapest flights from Chicago to Des Moines
Explore the most affordable flight options available from Chicago to Des Moines. Find the lowest fares from popular airlines and budget airlines, with prices last updated on January 21, 2025.

This American Airlines deal was found by Cheapflights users on 1/20. Clicking the “Pick Dates” button in this card will allow you to select your dates and further customize your flight criteria. From there, click “Find deals”, make sure American Airlines is selected, and click “Compare selected” under the list of providers to see comparable flight deals.
Thu 2/1310:11 amORD - DSM
Nonstop1h 23mAmerican Airlines
Sun 2/164:00 pmDSM - ORD
Nonstop1h 33mAmerican Airlines
Deal found 1/20$189
This Delta deal was found by Cheapflights users on 1/20. Clicking the “Pick Dates” button in this card will allow you to select your dates and further customize your flight criteria. From there, click “Find deals”, make sure Delta is selected, and click “Compare selected” under the list of providers to see comparable flight deals.
Thu 2/1312:15 pmORD - DSM
1 stop4h 15mDelta
Mon 2/1710:32 amDSM - ORD
1 stop5h 41mDelta
Deal found 1/20$209
This Delta deal was found by Cheapflights users on 1/20. Clicking the “Pick Dates” button in this card will allow you to select your dates and further customize your flight criteria. From there, click “Find deals”, make sure Delta is selected, and click “Compare selected” under the list of providers to see comparable flight deals.
Thu 2/1310:19 amMDW - DSM
1 stop6h 11mDelta
Mon 2/1712:15 pmDSM - MDW
1 stop5h 28mDelta
Deal found 1/20$209
This Southwest deal was found by Cheapflights users on 1/20. Clicking the “Pick Dates” button in this card will allow you to select your dates and further customize your flight criteria. From there, click “Find deals”, make sure Southwest is selected, and click “Compare selected” under the list of providers to see comparable flight deals.
Thu 2/2712:15 pmORD - DSM
1 stop9h 55mSouthwest
Sat 3/15:30 amDSM - ORD
2 stops9h 50mSouthwest
Deal found 1/20$214
This Southwest deal was found by Cheapflights users on 1/20. Clicking the “Pick Dates” button in this card will allow you to select your dates and further customize your flight criteria. From there, click “Find deals”, make sure Southwest is selected, and click “Compare selected” under the list of providers to see comparable flight deals.
Thu 2/275:25 amMDW - DSM
1 stop5h 20mSouthwest
Sat 3/15:30 amDSM - MDW
1 stop4h 40mSouthwest
Deal found 1/20$214
This Mytrip deal was found by Cheapflights users on 1/20. Clicking the “Pick Dates” button in this card will allow you to select your dates and further customize your flight criteria. From there, click “Find deals”, make sure Mytrip is selected, and click “Compare selected” under the list of providers to see comparable flight deals.
Mon 3/35:15 amORD - DSM
2 stops18h 10mMultiple Airlines
Mon 3/101:32 pmDSM - ORD
2 stops18h 12mMultiple Airlines
Deal found 1/20$324
This United Airlines deal was found by Cheapflights users on 1/20. Clicking the “Pick Dates” button in this card will allow you to select your dates and further customize your flight criteria. From there, click “Find deals”, make sure United Airlines is selected, and click “Compare selected” under the list of providers to see comparable flight deals.
Tue 3/44:00 pmORD - DSM
Nonstop1h 31mUnited Airlines
Tue 3/115:11 pmDSM - ORD
1 stop16h 22mUnited Airlines
Deal found 1/20$352

Find flights from Chicago to Des Moines within your budget

Customize your flight search to find flights from Chicago to Des Moines that fit within your specific budget. Explore options based on user searches and filter the results based on your desired price range. Find flights that match your budget for a cost-effective journey. Over the last 7 days, Cheapflights users made 2,558,603 searches. Data last updated January 21, 2025.

Fly from

Any airport

Fly to

Any airport

Route

Depart

Return

Price

ChicagoDes Moines

ORD - DSM

ORDDSM

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Thu 2/13

10:11 am-11:34 am

Nonstop1h 23m

Des Moines

Sun 2/16

4:00 pm-5:33 pm

Nonstop1h 33m

$189

ChicagoDes Moines

ORD - DSM

ORDDSM

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Sun 2/2

8:20 pm-9:52 pm

Nonstop1h 32m

Des Moines

Sun 2/9

8:00 am-9:35 am

Nonstop1h 35m

$194

ChicagoDes Moines

ORD - DSM

ORDDSM

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Thu 2/13

12:15 pm-4:30 pm

1 stop4h 15m

Des Moines

Sun 2/16

12:25 pm-4:13 pm

1 stop3h 48m

$209

ChicagoDes Moines

MDW - DSM

MDWDSM

Chicago Midway

Thu 2/13

10:19 am-4:30 pm

1 stop6h 11m

Des Moines

Sun 2/16

12:25 pm-4:09 pm

1 stop3h 44m

$209

ChicagoDes Moines

ORD - DSM

ORDDSM

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Thu 2/27

12:15 pm-10:10 pm

1 stop9h 55m

Des Moines

Sat 3/1

5:30 am-3:20 pm

2 stops9h 50m

$214

ChicagoDes Moines

MDW - DSM

MDWDSM

Chicago Midway

Thu 2/27

5:25 am-10:45 am

1 stop5h 20m

Des Moines

Sat 3/1

5:30 am-10:10 am

1 stop4h 40m

$214

ChicagoDes Moines

ORD - DSM

ORDDSM

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Fri 1/31

5:50 am-6:22 pm

2 stops12h 32m

Des Moines

Sun 2/2

3:35 pm-9:34 am

2 stops17h 59m

$323

ChicagoDes Moines

ORD - DSM

ORDDSM

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Wed 3/12

6:45 am-7:17 pm

1 stop12h 32m

Des Moines

Fri 3/14

6:57 pm-1:08 pm

1 stop18h 11m

$620

ChicagoDes Moines

ORD - DSM

ORDDSM

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Mon 3/10

6:30 am-7:17 pm

1 stop12h 47m

$81

ChicagoDes Moines

ORD - DSM

ORDDSM

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Wed 2/19

12:15 pm-7:00 pm

1 stop6h 45m

$105

Flights are sorted by cheapest round-trip flights first.

Deals found on 1/20

Showing 1-10 of 16 results
1
2

Compare providers for flights from Chicago to Des Moines

Provider information is updated monthly. Please note that these providers often have deals for this flight, but the availability may vary on a day-by-day basis on Cheapflights.
Use the table below to compare price accuracy, trust ratings, and cancellation policies for each provider offering flight deals from Chicago to Des Moines in January.
ProviderPrice AccuracyTrust Score*
ExpediaPrice Accuracy1 starTrust Score*3 stars
FlightHubPrice Accuracy3 starsTrust Score*3 stars
eDreamsPrice Accuracy3 starsTrust Score*3 stars

*The Trust Score is based on feedback from users after their booking experience. It measures overall satisfaction, helping us identify issues like hidden fees, problems during the ticketing process, and the quality of customer service. This score is our best indicator of the provider's quality and reliability.

  • Most accurate provider: When it comes to deals on Chicago-Des Moines flights, users find the pricing of FlightHub to be most consistent on Cheapflights vs. FlightHub Users can find the same prices on Chicago-Des Moines flight deals on Cheapflights vs. FlightHub >95% of the time. Price accuracy is based on data collected from Chicago-Des Moines flight searches over the past month and is updated monthly.
  • Most trusted provider: When it comes to deals on Chicago-Des Moines flights, Cheapflights users trust FlightHub the most. FlightHub has received a user feedback score of 3 out of 3 stars (3 being the best), meaning they have been trusted the most by Cheapflights users looking for Chicago-Des Moines flight deals. Provider user feedback score is based on Cheapflights searches over the past month and is updated monthly.

Best time to book a flight from Chicago to Des Moines

Have a flexible travel schedule? Discover the best time to fly to Des Moines from Chicago with our price prediction graph.
Estimated round-trip price
Rates are based on past data. Find the cheapest month and day to book your flight based on your travel requirements, then search for cheap deals.

Travel insights for flights from Chicago to Des Moines

Get recent, data-driven insights about flights from Chicago to Des Moines including ideal travel times, pricing trends, and more.

How far ahead should I book a flight from Chicago to Des Moines?

Use this chart to determine the optimal time to book a round-trip flight from Chicago to Des Moines. Price data was last updated on January 17, 2025.

The price you pay for your flight from Chicago to Des Moines may vary depending on when you book. For the best chance of a lower fare, look to book 19 days in advance of your trip. Fares are likely to increase a fortnight or so before your departure date.

What is the cheapest month to book a flight from Chicago to Des Moines?

Currently, August is the cheapest month in which you can book a flight from Chicago to Des Moines (average of $336). Flying from Chicago to Des Moines in June is currently the most expensive (average of $422). There are several factors that can impact the price of a flight, so comparing airlines, departure airports and flight times can provide users with more options.

What is the cheapest time of day to fly from CHI to DSM?

Find hourly flight availability from Chicago to Des Moines. Discover flight options and departure times throughout the day, allowing you to choose a departure time that suits your schedule. Data last updated January 21, 2025.

It’s optimal to fly from Chicago to Des Moines in the evening. By choosing this option you can save up to 23% on the cost of your flight, compared to a flight in the afternoon.

What is the cheapest day to fly from Chicago to Des Moines?

Use this chart to determine the cheapest time to fly round-trip from Chicago to Des Moines. Price data was last updated on December 16, 2024.

Travelers seeking maximum savings on their Chicago to Des Moines flight should consider departing on Monday evenings when fares are most often at their lowest. Monday afternoons flights should be avoided if possible as fares are typically the most expensive at this time.

Weekly flight availability from Chicago to Des Moines

Explore weekly flight availability from Chicago to Des Moines. Discover flights operating on different days of the week, giving you the flexibility to choose a travel day that best fits your plans. Compare info to find the most convenient option for your journey. Data last updated January 21, 2025.

The most flights from CHI to DSM are scheduled on a Wednesday (31 on average). You will have fewer flight options on Saturday, which is when the least amount of flights are scheduled (19 on average).

Rainfall in Des Moines by month

Plan your trip to Des Moines by taking into account the average rainfall totals by month.

In terms of precipitation, rainfall in Des Moines ranges from 1.0 - 4.9 inches per month. June is typically the wettest month, when rainfall can reach 4.9 in. January is typically the driest time to visit Des Moines when rainfall is around 1.0 in.

Temperature in Des Moines by month

Plan your trip to Des Moines by taking into account the average temperature totals by month.

If weather is an important factor for your trip to Des Moines, use this chart to help with planning. For those seeking warmer temperatures, July is the ideal time of year to visit, when temperatures reach an average of 77.0 F. Travelers looking to avoid the cold should look outside of January, when temperatures are typically at their lowest (around 23.0 F).

Reviews of airlines servicing Des Moines

Get insights into the airlines that provide service to Des Moines. Read reviews, discover amenities, and learn about the overall travel experience offered by airlines. Use this information to make informed decisions when choosing an airline for your flight to Des Moines. Reviews last updated January 21, 2025.
Read reviews from past customers who have flown Delta, United Airlines and Southwest from Chicago to Des Moines. Reviews also offer insight into each airline's entertainment options, comfort, food, crew/service, and boarding process.
8.1
Very good
4,659 reviews

Boarding

8.2

Comfort

8.1

Crew

8.7

Food

7.2

Entertainment

7.7

Overall

8.1

Reviews

1 / 10

We BARELY made the connection and when we got onboard we were treated like disobedient children who should have arrived earlier because we had to ask other passengers to move so we could sit with our kids. The flight attendants on the first flight were nice but the second one, they were snippy and fairly rude.

8.1
Very good
4,659 reviews
8.1
Very good
4,659 reviews

Boarding

8.2

Comfort

8.1

Crew

8.7

Food

7.2

Entertainment

7.7

Overall

8.1

Reviews

1 / 10

We BARELY made the connection and when we got onboard we were treated like disobedient children who should have arrived earlier because we had to ask other passengers to move so we could sit with our kids. The flight attendants on the first flight were nice but the second one, they were snippy and fairly rude.

8.0
Very good
8,521 reviews
8.1
Very good
4,659 reviews

Boarding

8.2

Comfort

8.1

Crew

8.7

Food

7.2

Entertainment

7.7

Overall

8.1

Reviews

1 / 10

We BARELY made the connection and when we got onboard we were treated like disobedient children who should have arrived earlier because we had to ask other passengers to move so we could sit with our kids. The flight attendants on the first flight were nice but the second one, they were snippy and fairly rude.

7.4
Good
8,982 reviews
8.1
Very good
4,659 reviews

Boarding

8.2

Comfort

8.1

Crew

8.7

Food

7.2

Entertainment

7.7

Overall

8.1

Reviews

1 / 10

We BARELY made the connection and when we got onboard we were treated like disobedient children who should have arrived earlier because we had to ask other passengers to move so we could sit with our kids. The flight attendants on the first flight were nice but the second one, they were snippy and fairly rude.

7.2
Good
10,000 reviews
8.1
Very good
4,659 reviews

Boarding

8.2

Comfort

8.1

Crew

8.7

Food

7.2

Entertainment

7.7

Overall

8.1

Reviews

1 / 10

We BARELY made the connection and when we got onboard we were treated like disobedient children who should have arrived earlier because we had to ask other passengers to move so we could sit with our kids. The flight attendants on the first flight were nice but the second one, they were snippy and fairly rude.

6.1
Okay
3,440 reviews
8.1
Very good
4,659 reviews

Boarding

8.2

Comfort

8.1

Crew

8.7

Food

7.2

Entertainment

7.7

Overall

8.1

Reviews

1 / 10

We BARELY made the connection and when we got onboard we were treated like disobedient children who should have arrived earlier because we had to ask other passengers to move so we could sit with our kids. The flight attendants on the first flight were nice but the second one, they were snippy and fairly rude.

Related info for your journey

Find useful and relevant information for your journey from Chicago to Des Moines. Access travel guides, tips, and recommendations to enhance your travel experience. Get information about local attractions, weather, transportation options, and more.
  • What airport do you fly into for flights to Des Moines from Chicago?

    For a flight from Chicago to Des Moines, you will be flying into Des Moines. Des Moines (DSM) is just 3.6 mi from the center of the city. Des Moines is the only Des Moines airport and it handles 28 inbound flights from Chicago per day. 2 airlines have flights to Des Moines from Chicago on a regular basis.

  • What are the cheapest airlines flying from Chicago to Des Moines round-trip?

    Cheapflights users have booked flights from Chicago to Des Moines round-trip from $189. Other airlines that can offer you cheap pricing are United Airlines, from $194, and Delta, from $209. You may be able to fly from Chicago to Des Moines for 40% less than the average price by searching for these airlines.

  • What are the cheapest airlines to fly from Chicago to Des Moines one-way?

    $81 is the cheapest one-way deal found within the past few days, from Frontier. You may also be able to find cheap deals on Southwest and American Airlines, with prices starting from $105 and $213, respectively.

  • What are the most reliable airlines from Chicago to Des Moines?

    Looking for the most reliable airlines to get you to your destination on time? Our data shows these are most likely to get you from Chicago to Des Moines on time: Republic Airways (87%), Copa Airlines (83%), Avianca (83%).

  • What are the cheapest flights from Chicago to Des Moines?

    The cheapest flight price from Chicago to Des Moines is $169. On average you can expect to pay $296. The most popular route, (Chicago O'Hare Intl - Des Moines), can usually be booked for $189.

  • Can I find deals for flights from Chicago to Des Moines that include hotel bookings?

    Yes. In addition to deals on Chicago to Des Moines flights, Cheapflights offers vacation packages that include both flights and hotel.

  • How can I find direct flights from Chicago to Des Moines?

    After entering your origin and destination, apply the non-stop filter on the search result page to find direct flights from Chicago to Des Moines.

  • Can I find deals for business class flights from Chicago to Des Moines?

    Yes. Cheapflights offers flight deals from Chicago to Des Moines by cabin class. In addition to browsing deals, you can also filter by cabin class on the search results page after making a search.

  • What is the cheapest month to book a flight from Chicago to Des Moines?

    Currently, August is the cheapest month in which you can book a flight from Chicago to Des Moines (average of $336). Flying from Chicago to Des Moines in June is currently the most expensive (average of $422). There are several factors that can impact the price of a flight, so comparing airlines, departure airports and flight times can provide users with more options.

See more FAQs

Traveling to a place near Chicago?

Book flights to Chicago if you plan to visit one of these locations
Ames
Altoona
Johnston
Boone
West Des Moines

Browse thousands of different options on Cheapflights for your next trip

Toggle through the tabs below to find thousands of options on Cheapflights for your next trip.

Top 2 airlines flying from Chicago to Des Moines

Discover the top 2 airlines that operate flights from Chicago to Des Moines. Compare their services, reliability, and customer satisfaction ratings to choose the airline that best suits your travel preferences and needs. Over the last 7 days, Cheapflights users made 2,558,603 searches. Data last updated January 21, 2025.
AirlineCheapestAverageFlexibilityOn-time
American AirlinesCheapest$179Average$311FlexibilityNo cancel feeOn-time71%
United AirlinesCheapest$189Average$340FlexibilityNo cancel feeOn-time69%
100% Free
Cheapflights is completely free to use, so you can start saving the moment you arrive.
Book with Flexibility
Our users can plan ahead with confidence and find flights with no change fees
Travel Smart
Millions of people come to us for their flight needs every year. We help make travel planning easy by providing useful insights and data-driven graphs that can inform your decisions.