Route · ORD → DSM · 2020–2025 BTS data
Chicago to Des Moines
The ORD–DSM corridor (Chicago, IL → Des Moines, IA) runs ahead of the national average, served by 37 carriers across roughly 299 miles.
Data updated 2026-06-13
- 79.6%
- On-time
- +0.6 pts
- vs US avg
- 72 min
- Delay when late
- 12,645
- Flights
Cancelled
2.1%
Best Month
Feb 2024 91%
Worst Month
Jun 2024 58%
Distance
299 mi
Carriers
37
Monthly Performance
Recent 24 months of route data.
| Period | Flights | Delayed | Cancelled | Diverted | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2025 | 273 | 104 | 9 | 1 | YX,OH,MQ,UA,OO |
| Nov 2025 | 270 | 52 | 24 | 0 | OO,UA,MQ,AA,YX |
| Oct 2025 | 297 | 77 | 1 | 0 | AA,OO,UA,YX |
| Sep 2025 | 264 | 49 | 1 | 0 | MQ,UA,OO,YX,AA |
| Aug 2025 | 293 | 88 | 11 | 1 | AA,OO,YX,MQ,UA |
| Jul 2025 | 294 | 101 | 18 | 0 | AA,OO,UA,YX |
| Jun 2025 | 282 | 93 | 3 | 1 | AA,OO,UA,YX,MQ |
| May 2025 | 268 | 57 | 0 | 1 | AA,OO,UA,YX,MQ |
| Apr 2025 | 228 | 43 | 2 | 1 | MQ,OO,UA,YX |
| Mar 2025 | 202 | 53 | 6 | 1 | YX,OO,UA,MQ |
| Feb 2025 | 132 | 24 | 1 | 0 | OO,UA,YX,MQ |
| Jan 2025 | 157 | 29 | 0 | 0 | OO,UA,YX,MQ |
| Dec 2024 | 131 | 26 | 1 | 0 | MQ,OO,UA,YX |
| Nov 2024 | 165 | 30 | 0 | 0 | OO,YX,UA,MQ,AA |
| Oct 2024 | 200 | 29 | 0 | 0 | UA,MQ,OO,YX,AA |
| Sep 2024 | 197 | 31 | 1 | 0 | YX,OO,UA,AA,MQ |
| Aug 2024 | 203 | 61 | 1 | 1 | AA,MQ,YX,OO,UA |
| Jul 2024 | 155 | 49 | 8 | 2 | MQ,OO,UA,YX |
| Jun 2024 | 140 | 59 | 0 | 2 | AA,MQ,OO,UA |
| May 2024 | 142 | 49 | 3 | 3 | AA,MQ,YX,OO,UA |
| Apr 2024 | 174 | 35 | 0 | 0 | AA,MQ,OO,UA,YX |
| Mar 2024 | 144 | 16 | 0 | 0 | AA,MQ,YX,OO,UA |
| Feb 2024 | 139 | 12 | 0 | 0 | AA,MQ,OO,UA,YX |
| Jan 2024 | 155 | 44 | 13 | 0 | MQ,YX,UA |
Cancellation Rate
2.1%
103 of 4,905 flights
Diversion Rate
0.3%
14 of 4,905 flights
Explore origin & destination
On-time and delay data for the airports this route connects.
ORD - Chicago
Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Chicago, IL.
Origin airport →DSM - Des Moines
Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Des Moines, IA.
Destination airport →Compare the two airports
See ORD and DSM side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.
Open comparison tool →Similar routes
Other BTS-tracked routes with comparable performance or trip length to ORD–DSM.
Routes with a similar on-time rate
What the Data Says About ORD to DSM
12,645 tracked flights put the ORD to DSM pairing (Chicago to Des Moines) at a 79.6% on-time rate, squarely in line with the wider network. Delays that do occur run 71.8 minutes on average. Across the 299-mile route and its 37 carriers, the trailing 24 months show 2.1% cancelled and 0.3% diverted (4,905 flights sampled).
The monthly split is wide on this route: Feb 2024 posted the strongest performance at 91% on-time, while Jun 2024 came in at just 58% - a 34-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Flight Guides
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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.
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.