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Route · DEN → DSM · 2020–2025 BTS data

Denver to Des Moines

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), DEN to DSM (Denver to Des Moines) ranks #876 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

78.7%
On-time
-0.3 pts
vs US avg
66 min
Delay when late
12,367
Flights
#876 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

0.9%

Best Month

Oct 2025 88%

Worst Month

Jun 2024 68%

Distance

589 mi

Carriers

21

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 167 29 0 0 WN,F9,UA,OO
Nov 2025 164 23 4 1 OO,UA,F9,WN
Oct 2025 198 23 0 0 OO,UA,WN,F9
Sep 2025 223 35 0 0 UA,WN,OO,F9
Aug 2025 227 58 1 0 OO,WN,F9,UA
Jul 2025 223 71 1 2 OO,UA,WN,F9
Jun 2025 215 66 1 0 OO,UA,WN,F9
May 2025 190 59 2 1 OO,UA,WN,F9
Apr 2025 160 39 1 0 F9,OO,UA,WN
Mar 2025 171 30 5 0 OO,UA,WN,F9
Feb 2025 145 20 1 0 OO,UA,WN,F9
Jan 2025 157 33 0 0 OO,UA,WN,F9
Dec 2024 166 27 1 1 F9,OO,UA,WN
Nov 2024 171 28 0 0 OO,UA,WN,F9
Oct 2024 186 26 0 0 UA,OO,WN,F9
Sep 2024 206 29 0 0 WN,OO,UA,F9
Aug 2024 213 57 2 0 F9,WN,OO,UA
Jul 2024 212 56 3 1 F9,OO,UA,WN
Jun 2024 205 66 0 0 F9,OO,UA,WN
May 2024 204 57 2 2 F9,OO,UA,WN
Apr 2024 196 41 1 0 F9,OO,UA,WN
Mar 2024 196 42 1 0 F9,OO,UA,WN
Feb 2024 174 43 1 0 OO,UA,WN
Jan 2024 188 52 15 0 F9,WN,OO,UA

DEN–DSM seasonal on-time pattern

Best: November (85.4%) · weakest: July (69.9%)

65%70%75%80%85%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 79.6%

Strongest calendar month

November

85.4% on-time · ~161 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

October

~195 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

69.9% on-time · ~190 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

0.9%

42 of 4,557 flights

Diversion Rate

0.2%

8 of 4,557 flights

Explore origin & destination

On-time and delay data for the airports this route connects.

DEN - Denver

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Denver, CO.

DEN on-time profile

DSM - Des Moines

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Des Moines, IA.

DSM on-time profile

Compare the two airports

See DEN and DSM side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.

Compare DEN vs DSM

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among DEN departures

From DEN, this corridor sits with 133 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 168 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (8 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 27 below 75%). Destination: Des Moines · fleet on-time rank #3598 of 4927.

What the Data Says About DEN to DSM

12,367 tracked flights put the DEN to DSM pairing (Denver to Des Moines) at a 78.7% on-time rate, squarely in line with the wider network. Delays that do occur run 66.1 minutes on average. Across the 589-mile route and its 21 carriers, the trailing 24 months show 0.9% cancelled and 0.2% diverted (4,557 flights sampled).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Oct 2025 posted the strongest performance at 88% on-time, while Jun 2024 came in at just 68% - a 21-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, DEN–DSM peaks in November at 85.4% on-time while October carries the heaviest traffic (~195 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 69.9%, a 15.5-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does DEN to DSM rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, DEN to DSM ranks #876 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1). That ordinal matches our busiest-routes listing (total_flights DESC). See /methodology#corpus-placement for the exact sort basis.
How often are flights delayed from DEN to DSM? ▼
Flights from Denver to Des Moines have a 78.7% on-time rate based on 12,367 flights. The average delay is 66.1 minutes. The best recent month was Oct 2025 with 88% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for DEN to DSM? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 0.9% of flights on this route were cancelled (42 of 4,557 flights) and 0.2% were diverted.
How far is the flight from DEN to DSM? ▼
The flight distance from Denver (DEN) to Des Moines (DSM) is approximately 589 miles. This route is served by 21 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from DEN to DSM? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Oct 2025 (88% on-time). The worst was Jun 2024 (68% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

DEN Airport

Denver
DSM Airport

Des Moines
Data source

Data Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), On-Time Performance Data. Statistics reflect cumulative performance across all available reporting periods.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Using DEN–DSM data

DEN–DSM is mid-pack at 78.7% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.

  • Compare DEN and DSM airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. DEN airport
  • If your dates flex, November (85.4% on-time) beats July (69.9%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 78.7% on-time rate; compare before you commit to this pairing. Similar routes

On-time rate reflects the BTS historical average across all reporting carriers on this origin–destination pair, not any single flight or booking recommendation.

Data sourced from U.S. Department of Transportation Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) On-Time Performance data. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainFlights

Every figure on PlainFlights is rendered directly from BTS On-Time Performance data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page aggregates this specific route's on-time performance and monthly trend, live from the dataset. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.