DSM to ORD flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Des Moines International Airport to Chicago O'Hare International Airport · 299 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at DSM or ORD right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from Des Moines (DSM) to Chicago (ORD) arrived on time 74% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 4.1% were cancelled, and 11% arrived an hour or more late.
- American Airlines was the most punctual airline here (85% on time); SkyWest Airlines was the least (67%).
- Departures scheduled around 5am did best (89% on time); around 7pm did worst (52%).
- Tuesday was the most reliable day to fly (78% on time) and Monday the least (71%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was late-arriving aircraft (32%).
Which airline is most on time from DSM to ORD?
Ranked by on-time arrival rate. Regional airlines fly under their partner's brand (e.g. SkyWest for Delta Connection or United Express).
| Airline | On time | Cancelled | Avg delay | 1 hr+ late | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines | 85% | 5.2% | 22 min | 6.8% | 232 |
| Republic AirwaysRegional airline operating flights for American Eagle, Delta Connection and United Express. | 79% | 4.5% | 21 min | 9.5% | 581 |
| Envoy AirRegional airline operating American Eagle flights. | 76% | 3.2% | 18 min | 8.4% | 495 |
| United Airlines | 75% | 1.9% | 22 min | 8.5% | 989 |
| SkyWest AirlinesRegional airline operating flights for United Express, Delta Connection, American Eagle and Alaska. | 67% | 6.1% | 38 min | 15.4% | 1,113 |
| PSA AirlinesRegional airline operating American Eagle flights. | 0% | 0.0% | 184 min | 100.0% | 1 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 5am89%238 flights
- 6am86%257 flights
- 7am80%155 flights
- 8am83%489 flights
- 9am85%96 flights
- 10am75%87 flights
- 11am73%395 flights
- 12pm70%59 flights
- 1pm79%342 flights
- 2pm82%103 flights
- 3pm68%362 flights
- 4pm57%47 flights
- 5pm68%103 flights
- 6pm55%401 flights
- 7pm52%157 flights
- 8pm69%117 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday71%6.0% cancelled
- Tuesday78%2.3% cancelled
- Wednesday74%2.8% cancelled
- Thursday75%2.4% cancelled
- Friday72%5.1% cancelled
- Saturday77%5.5% cancelled
- Sunday71%4.8% cancelled
On-time trend by month
Why flights are late
Share of delay minutes by cause, as reported by airlines to the DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft32%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)28%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion26%
- Extreme weather14%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather79%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion17%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)4%
- Security0%
DSM to ORD: common questions
- How often are DSM to ORD flights on time?
- 74% of flights arrived less than 15 minutes late in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, compared with 78% for all US flights.
- How often are flights from Des Moines to Chicago cancelled?
- 4.1% of scheduled flights were cancelled (141 of 3,411).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 26 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 97 min behind schedule on average, and 10.8% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at DSM?
- Flights on this route spent 18 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: ORD to DSM — 71% on time
More flights from Des Moines
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: DSM → ORD, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.