Need help booking?
Unpublished phone-only deals available
PAO to DSM: distance & flight time
Palo Alto (Palo Alto Airport of Santa Clara County) → Des Moines (Des Moines International Airport)
1,536 mi
2,471 km · 1,334 nm
3h 29m
estimated nonstop flight time
+2h
time difference · heading east
See live PAO→DSM fares Phone-only fares on this route — call free
Flight time details
1,536 miles nonstop takes roughly 3h 29m gate to gate, flying east. Add 45–90 minutes per connection if there's no nonstop service. Remember to factor the 2-hour time gain when reading arrival times on your ticket.
The two airports
- PAO — Palo Alto Airport of Santa Clara County · Palo Alto, 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 PAO
- SFO · San Francisco International Airport18 mi away
- NUQ · Moffett Federal Airfield5 mi away
- SQL · San Carlos Airport8 mi away
- SJC · Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport12 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 PAO from DSM?
The flight distance from Palo Alto (PAO) to Des Moines (DSM) is 1,536 miles (2,471 km, 1,334 nautical miles), measured along the great-circle route airlines actually fly.
How long is the flight from PAO to DSM?
A nonstop flight takes about 3h 29m 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 time difference between Palo Alto and Des Moines?
Des Moines is 2 hours ahead of Palo Alto.
What is the cheapest way to fly from PAO to DSM?
Compare live fares online, then call CheapoTrav — our agents have unpublished consolidator fares on PAO–DSM that never appear on search engines, with no booking fees.