Route · DSM → STL · 2020–2025 BTS data
Des Moines to St. Louis
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), DSM to STL (Des Moines to St. Louis) ranks #3036 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).
Data updated 2026-06-13
- 89.2%
- On-time
- +10.2 pts
- vs US avg
- 62 min
- Delay when late
- 3,685
- Flights
- #3036 of 4927
- Corpus placement
Cancelled
1.0%
Best Month
Sep 2024 98%
Worst Month
Jan 2024 74%
Distance
259 mi
Carriers
1
Monthly Performance
Recent 24 months of route data.
| Period | Flights | Delayed | Cancelled | Diverted | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2025 | 60 | 8 | 1 | 0 | WN |
| Nov 2025 | 56 | 6 | 2 | 0 | WN |
| Oct 2025 | 57 | 3 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Sep 2025 | 56 | 6 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Aug 2025 | 56 | 10 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Jul 2025 | 57 | 3 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Jun 2025 | 56 | 7 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| May 2025 | 56 | 8 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Apr 2025 | 56 | 9 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Mar 2025 | 57 | 6 | 2 | 0 | WN |
| Feb 2025 | 52 | 7 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Jan 2025 | 59 | 7 | 2 | 0 | WN |
| Dec 2024 | 60 | 8 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Nov 2024 | 56 | 5 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Oct 2024 | 57 | 8 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Sep 2024 | 55 | 1 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Aug 2024 | 57 | 3 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Jul 2024 | 58 | 14 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Jun 2024 | 55 | 5 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| May 2024 | 58 | 10 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Apr 2024 | 56 | 8 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Mar 2024 | 57 | 8 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Feb 2024 | 54 | 6 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Jan 2024 | 58 | 15 | 6 | 0 | WN |
DSM–STL seasonal on-time pattern
Best: November (92.6%) · weakest: December (85.4%)
Strongest calendar month
November
92.6% on-time · ~52 flights/mo
Busiest calendar month
June
~56 flights/mo avg
Weakest calendar month
December
85.4% on-time · ~53 flights/mo
Cancellation Rate
1.0%
13 of 1,359 flights
Diversion Rate
0.0%
0 of 1,359 flights
Explore origin & destination
On-time and delay data for the airports this route connects.
DSM - Des Moines
Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Des Moines, IA.
DSM on-time profileSTL - St. Louis
Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for St. Louis, MO.
STL on-time profileCompare the two airports
See DSM and STL side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.
Compare DSM vs STLOrigin-hub reliability standing
Among DSM's stronger departures
DSM → STL posts a 89.2% on-time rate, landing in the ≥85% band with 6 of 13 BTS-tracked routes leaving Des Moines. The same hub also shows 7 mid-band and 0 challenged departures · fleet-wide on-time rank #220 of 4927 (highest on-time = #1).
Similar routes
Other BTS-tracked routes with comparable performance or trip length to DSM–STL.
Routes with a similar on-time rate
What the Data Says About DSM to STL
Des Moines to St. Louis (DSM to STL) is one of the more dependable pairings in the BTS On-Time Performance dataset: a 89.2% on-time rate across 3,685 flights, with delays that do happen averaging 61.6 minutes. The corridor runs roughly 259 miles and is served by 1 carrier. Over the most recent 24 months, 13 of 1,359 flights were cancelled (1.0%) and 0 diverted (0.0%).
The monthly split is wide on this route: Sep 2024 posted the strongest performance at 98% on-time, while Jan 2024 came in at just 74% - a 24-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.
On the multi-year calendar, DSM–STL peaks in November at 92.6% on-time while June carries the heaviest traffic (~56 flights per month) ; the softest month is December at 85.4%, a 7.2-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does DSM to STL rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
How often are flights delayed from DSM to STL? ▼
What is the cancellation rate for DSM to STL? ▼
How far is the flight from DSM to STL? ▼
When is the best time to fly from DSM to STL? ▼
Airports on this route
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 DSM–STL data
DSM–STL runs 10.2 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.
- Compare DSM and STL airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. DSM airport
- If your dates flex, November (92.6% on-time) beats December (85.4%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
- 4 other routes post a similar 89.2% 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.
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.