PDX to DSM flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Portland International Airport to Des Moines International Airport · 1,471 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at PDX or DSM right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from Portland (PDX) to Des Moines (DSM) arrived on time 68% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 0% were cancelled, and 9% arrived an hour or more late.
- Allegiant Air is the only airline reporting nonstop flights on this route.
- Departures scheduled around 9am did best (100% on time); around 5pm did worst (52%).
- Tuesday was the most reliable day to fly (70% on time) and Sunday the least (65%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was late-arriving aircraft (72%).
Which airline is most on time from PDX 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allegiant Air | 68% | 0.0% | 21 min | 8.9% | 56 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 9am100%16 flights
- 5pm52%25 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Tuesday70%0.0% cancelled
- Thursday70%0.0% cancelled
- Sunday65%0.0% 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 aircraft72%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion21%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)7%
- Extreme weather0%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
No cancellation causes recorded in this period.
PDX to DSM: common questions
- How often are PDX to DSM flights on time?
- 68% 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 Portland to Des Moines cancelled?
- 0.0% of scheduled flights were cancelled (0 of 56).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 21 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 59 min behind schedule on average, and 8.9% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at PDX?
- Flights on this route spent 19 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: DSM to PDX — 70% on time
More flights from Portland
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: PDX → DSM, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.