Need help booking?
Unpublished phone-only deals available
DSM to ORD: distance & flight time
Des Moines (Des Moines International Airport) → Chicago (Chicago O'Hare International Airport)
298 mi
480 km · 259 nm
1h 15m
estimated nonstop flight time
Same time
time difference · heading east
See live DSM→ORD fares Phone-only fares on this route — call free
Flight time details
298 miles nonstop takes roughly 1h 15m gate to gate, flying east. Add 45–90 minutes per connection if there's no nonstop service. Both airports share the same local time, so schedules read exactly as flown.
The two airports
- DSM — Des Moines International Airport · Des Moines, United States
- ORD — Chicago O'Hare International Airport · Chicago, United States
Distances are great-circle ("as the crow flies") — the same basis airlines use for frequent-flyer miles.
Alternate airports can cut this fare
Flying from or into a nearby airport is the #1 trick our agents use to beat online prices. Call and we'll compare every combination on one call.
Near DSM
- OTM · Ottumwa Regional Airport70 mi away
- FOD · Fort Dodge Regional Airport75 mi away
- ALO · Waterloo Regional Airport96 mi away
- CID · The Eastern Iowa Airport104 mi away
Near ORD
- PWK · Chicago Executive Airport9 mi away
- MDW · Chicago Midway International Airport15 mi away
- CGX · Chicago Meigs Airport17 mi away
- DPA · Dupage Airport18 mi away
Frequently asked questions
How far is DSM from ORD?
The flight distance from Des Moines (DSM) to Chicago (ORD) is 298 miles (480 km, 259 nautical miles), measured along the great-circle route airlines actually fly.
How long is the flight from DSM to ORD?
A nonstop flight takes about 1h 15m gate to gate. Actual time varies with winds, routing and season — eastbound transatlantic flights, for example, are usually faster than the return.
What is the cheapest way to fly from DSM to ORD?
Compare live fares online, then call CheapoTrav — our agents have unpublished consolidator fares on DSM–ORD that never appear on search engines, with no booking fees.