Nonstop flight route between Des Moines, Iowa, United States and Los Angeles, California, United States:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from DSM to LAX:
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- About this route
- DSM Airport Information
- LAX Airport Information
- Facts about DSM
- Facts about LAX
- Map of Nearest Airports to DSM
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- List of Furthest Airports from DSM
- Map of Nearest Airports to LAX
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- List of Furthest Airports from LAX
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Des Moines International Airport (DSM), Des Moines, Iowa, United States and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Los Angeles, California, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 1,444 miles (or 2,324 kilometers).
A Great Circle is the shortest distance between 2 points on a sphere. Because most world maps are flat (but the Earth is round), the route of the shortest distance between 2 points on the Earth will often appear curved when viewed on a flat map, especially for long distances. If you were to simply draw a straight line on a flat map and measure a very long distance, it would likely be much further than if you were to lay a string between those two points on a globe. Because of the relatively short distance between Des Moines International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | DSM / KDSM |
Airport Name: | Des Moines International Airport |
Location: | Des Moines, Iowa, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 41°32'2"N by 93°39'47"W |
Area Served: | Des Moines, Iowa |
Operator/Owner: | City of Des Moines |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 958 feet (292 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from DSM |
More Information: | DSM Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | LAX / KLAX |
Airport Name: | Los Angeles International Airport |
Location: | Los Angeles, California, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 33°56'33"N by 118°24'29"W |
Area Served: | Greater Los Angeles metropolitan area |
Operator/Owner: | City of Los Angeles |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 126 feet (38 meters) |
# of Runways: | 4 |
View all routes: | Routes from LAX |
More Information: | LAX Maps & Info |
Facts about Des Moines International Airport (DSM):
- The furthest airport from Des Moines International Airport (DSM) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 10,789 miles (17,363 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
- Because of Des Moines International Airport's relatively low elevation of 958 feet, planes can take off or land at Des Moines International Airport at a lower air speed than at airports located at a higher elevation. This is because the air density is higher closer to sea level than it would otherwise be at higher elevations.
- Des Moines International Airport (DSM) has 2 runways.
- The closest airport to Des Moines International Airport (DSM) is Ankeny Regional Airport (IKV), which is located only 12 miles (19 kilometers) NNE of DSM.
- Interior renovation work began in 2009 on the airport and concluded in 2010.
- The airport hosts the Des Moines Air National Guard Base and 132d Fighter Wing of the Iowa Air National Guard.
- The Des Moines Terminal has 2 concourses.
- As of March 2014, Delta Air Lines handled of DSM passengers, followed by United Airlines, American Airlines, US Airways, Southwest Airlines, Allegiant Airlines, and Frontier Airlines.
Facts about Los Angeles International Airport (LAX):
- Because of Los Angeles International Airport's relatively low elevation of 126 feet, planes can take off or land at Los Angeles International Airport at a lower air speed than at airports located at a higher elevation. This is because the air density is higher closer to sea level than it would otherwise be at higher elevations.
- Los Angeles International Airport handled 66,667,619 passengers last year.
- The closest airport to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is Hawthorne Municipal Airport (HHR), which is located only 4 miles (7 kilometers) ESE of LAX.
- LAX has nine passenger terminals arranged in the shape of the letter U or a horseshoe.
- The furthest airport from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE), which is located 11,487 miles (18,487 kilometers) away in Saint-Pierre, Réunion.
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) has 4 runways.
- Today, LAX is in the midst of a $4.11 billion renovation and improvement program to expand and rehabilitate the Tom Bradley International Terminal to accommodate the next generation of larger aircraft, as well as handle the growing number of flights to and from the Southern California region, and to develop the Central Terminal Area of the airport to include streamlined passenger processing, public transportation and updated central utility plants.
- The airport closed again on January 17, 1994 after the Northridge earthquake.
- Mines Field did not extend west of Sepulveda Boulevard.