ORD to DSM flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Chicago O'Hare International Airport to Des Moines International Airport · 299 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at ORD 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 (ORD) to Des Moines (DSM) arrived on time 71% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 3.8% were cancelled, and 11% arrived an hour or more late.
- Republic Airways was the most punctual airline here (76% on time); American Airlines was the least (63%).
- Departures scheduled around 10am did best (86% on time); around 10pm did worst (53%).
- Tuesday was the most reliable day to fly (79% on time) and Monday the least (66%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was late-arriving aircraft (45%).
Which airline is most on time from ORD 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republic AirwaysRegional airline operating flights for American Eagle, Delta Connection and United Express. | 76% | 4.1% | 17 min | 9.7% | 582 |
| Envoy AirRegional airline operating American Eagle flights. | 75% | 3.2% | 17 min | 8.4% | 496 |
| United Airlines | 74% | 1.8% | 19 min | 9.8% | 990 |
| SkyWest AirlinesRegional airline operating flights for United Express, Delta Connection, American Eagle and Alaska. | 66% | 5.4% | 27 min | 13.7% | 1,113 |
| American Airlines | 63% | 4.3% | 46 min | 18.6% | 231 |
| PSA AirlinesRegional airline operating American Eagle flights. | 0% | 0.0% | 176 min | 100.0% | 1 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 6am82%146 flights
- 7am76%145 flights
- 8am83%114 flights
- 9am77%346 flights
- 10am86%145 flights
- 11am79%254 flights
- 12pm85%239 flights
- 1pm79%213 flights
- 2pm73%116 flights
- 3pm67%80 flights
- 4pm60%454 flights
- 5pm66%196 flights
- 6pm72%112 flights
- 7pm63%104 flights
- 8pm66%334 flights
- 9pm58%134 flights
- 10pm53%252 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday66%5.1% cancelled
- Tuesday79%2.9% cancelled
- Wednesday75%2.3% cancelled
- Thursday69%2.6% cancelled
- Friday71%4.8% cancelled
- Saturday71%3.6% cancelled
- Sunday69%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 aircraft45%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)27%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion18%
- Extreme weather10%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather78%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion20%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)2%
- Security0%
ORD to DSM: common questions
- How often are ORD to DSM flights on time?
- 71% 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?
- 3.8% of scheduled flights were cancelled (128 of 3,413).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 23 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 75 min behind schedule on average, and 11.4% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at ORD?
- Flights on this route spent 28 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: DSM to ORD — 74% 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: ORD → DSM, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.