Need help booking?
Unpublished phone-only deals available
MLI to DSM: distance & flight time
Moline (Quad City International Airport) → Des Moines (Des Moines International Airport)
163 mi
263 km · 142 nm
54m
estimated nonstop flight time
Same time
time difference · heading west
See live MLI→DSM fares Phone-only fares on this route — call free
Flight time details
163 miles nonstop takes roughly 54m gate to gate, flying west. 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
- MLI — Quad City International Airport · Moline, United States
- DSM — Des Moines International Airport · Des Moines, 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 MLI
- CWI · Clinton Municipal Airport28 mi away
- GBG · Galesburg Municipal Airport35 mi away
- IOW · Iowa City Municipal Airport55 mi away
- BRL · Southeast Iowa Regional Airport56 mi away
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
Frequently asked questions
How far is MLI from DSM?
The flight distance from Moline (MLI) to Des Moines (DSM) is 163 miles (263 km, 142 nautical miles), measured along the great-circle route airlines actually fly.
How long is the flight from MLI to DSM?
A nonstop flight takes about 54m 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 MLI to DSM?
Compare live fares online, then call CheapoTrav — our agents have unpublished consolidator fares on MLI–DSM that never appear on search engines, with no booking fees.