Need help booking?
Unpublished phone-only deals available
DSM to UGN: distance & flight time
Des Moines (Des Moines International Airport) → Chicago (Waukegan National Airport)
304 mi
489 km · 264 nm
1h 16m
estimated nonstop flight time
Same time
time difference · heading east
See live DSM→UGN fares Phone-only fares on this route — call free
Flight time details
304 miles nonstop takes roughly 1h 16m 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
- UGN — Waukegan National 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 UGN
- ORD · Chicago O'Hare International Airport31 mi away
- ENW · Kenosha Regional Airport12 mi away
- PWK · Chicago Executive Airport21 mi away
- RAC · John H Batten Airport24 mi away
Frequently asked questions
How far is DSM from UGN?
The flight distance from Des Moines (DSM) to Chicago (UGN) is 304 miles (489 km, 264 nautical miles), measured along the great-circle route airlines actually fly.
How long is the flight from DSM to UGN?
A nonstop flight takes about 1h 16m 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 UGN?
Compare live fares online, then call CheapoTrav — our agents have unpublished consolidator fares on DSM–UGN that never appear on search engines, with no booking fees.