MDW to DSM flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Chicago Midway International Airport to Des Moines International Airport · 306 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at MDW or DSM right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from Chicago (MDW) to Des Moines (DSM) arrived on time 72% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 1.4% were cancelled, and 10% arrived an hour or more late.
- Southwest Airlines is the only airline reporting nonstop flights on this route.
- Departures scheduled around 10am did best (88% on time); around 10pm did worst (43%).
- Wednesday was the most reliable day to fly (81% on time) and Thursday the least (63%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was late-arriving aircraft (54%).
Which airline is most on time from MDW to DSM?
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Airlines | 72% | 1.4% | 19 min | 10.2% | 290 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 10am88%148 flights
- 8pm78%27 flights
- 9pm52%74 flights
- 10pm43%39 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday76%0.0% cancelled
- Tuesday74%0.0% cancelled
- Wednesday81%0.0% cancelled
- Thursday63%4.5% cancelled
- Friday64%0.0% cancelled
- Saturday79%0.0% cancelled
- Sunday68%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 aircraft54%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)30%
- Extreme weather8%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion7%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather100%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)0%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion0%
- Security0%
MDW to DSM: common questions
- How often are MDW to DSM flights on time?
- 72% 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 Chicago to Des Moines cancelled?
- 1.4% of scheduled flights were cancelled (4 of 290).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 19 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 64 min behind schedule on average, and 10.2% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at MDW?
- Flights on this route spent 16 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: DSM to MDW — 81% on time
More flights from Chicago
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: MDW → DSM, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.