Nonstop flight route between Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States and Des Moines, Iowa, United States:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from GFK to DSM:
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- About this route
- GFK Airport Information
- DSM Airport Information
- Facts about GFK
- Facts about DSM
- Map of Nearest Airports to GFK
- List of Nearest Airports to GFK
- Map of Furthest Airports from GFK
- List of Furthest Airports from GFK
- Map of Nearest Airports to DSM
- List of Nearest Airports to DSM
- Map of Furthest Airports from DSM
- List of Furthest Airports from DSM
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Grand Forks International Airport (GFK), Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States and Des Moines International Airport (DSM), Des Moines, Iowa, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 475 miles (or 765 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 Grand Forks International Airport and Des Moines International Airport, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | GFK / KGFK |
Airport Name: | Grand Forks International Airport |
Location: | Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 47°56'57"N by 97°10'33"W |
Operator/Owner: | Grand Forks Regional Airport Authority |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 845 feet (258 meters) |
# of Runways: | 4 |
View all routes: | Routes from GFK |
More Information: | GFK Maps & Info |
Arrival 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 |
Facts about Grand Forks International Airport (GFK):
- One option was to keep the terminal as is.
- Grand Forks International Airport (GFK) has 4 runways.
- The now closed original passenger terminal at GFK was built in 1964.
- The airport, sometimes called Mark Andrews International Airport after Mark Andrews, a former U.S.
- The closest airport to Grand Forks International Airport (GFK) is Grand Forks Air Force Base (RDR), which is located only 10 miles (17 kilometers) W of GFK.
- KGFK is a non-hub, primary commercial service airport.
- The furthest airport from Grand Forks International Airport (GFK) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 10,514 miles (16,921 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
- Because of Grand Forks International Airport's relatively low elevation of 845 feet, planes can take off or land at Grand Forks 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.
- GFK Flight Support, the fixed base operator at the airport, completed construction of a new $4.5 million facility in Fall 2008.
- The new passenger terminal, designed by JLG Architects, is a two story building, with Delta and Allegiant ticketing counters, baggage claim carousel, and several rental car agencies.
Facts about Des Moines International Airport (DSM):
- The Des Moines Terminal has 2 concourses.
- Interior renovation work began in 2009 on the airport and concluded in 2010.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- On December 18, 2010, a small red Beechcraft Bonanza crashed while performing an emergency landing at DSM.
- This airport is in in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015, which called it a primary commercial service airport.