Nonstop flight route between Chicago, Illinois, United States and Des Moines, Iowa, United States:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from ORD to DSM:
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- About this route
- ORD Airport Information
- DSM Airport Information
- Facts about ORD
- Facts about DSM
- Map of Nearest Airports to ORD
- List of Nearest Airports to ORD
- Map of Furthest Airports from ORD
- List of Furthest Airports from ORD
- 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 Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD), Chicago, Illinois, United States and Des Moines International Airport (DSM), Des Moines, Iowa, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 298 miles (or 480 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 Chicago O'Hare 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: | ORD / KORD |
Airport Name: | Chicago O'Hare International Airport |
Location: | Chicago, Illinois, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 41°58'42"N by 87°54'16"W |
Area Served: | Chicago, Illinois, United States |
Operator/Owner: | City of Chicago |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 668 feet (204 meters) |
# of Runways: | 8 |
View all routes: | Routes from ORD |
More Information: | ORD 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 Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD):
- Delta moved from Terminal 3 to Terminal 2 in 2009 in order to align its operations with merger partner Northwest Airlines.
- The closest airport to Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) is Chicago Executive Airport (PWK), which is located only 9 miles (15 kilometers) N of ORD.
- Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) has 8 runways.
- During this era international flights used Terminal 1.
- The airport was constructed in 1942–43 as a manufacturing plant for Douglas C-54s during World War II.
- A$80 million renovation of Concourse G in Terminal 3 designed by Teng & Associates, Inc.
- O'Hare has four numbered passenger terminals with nine lettered concourses and a total of 182 aircraft gates.
- In 1945, the facility was chosen by the city of Chicago as the site for a facility to meet future aviation demands.
- In the 1980s, after deregulation, TWA replaced Chicago with St.
- The furthest airport from Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,071 miles (17,817 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
- Because of Chicago O'Hare International Airport's relatively low elevation of 668 feet, planes can take off or land at Chicago O'Hare 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.
Facts about Des Moines International Airport (DSM):
- In 2011, the City of Des Moines transferred control from the city to the Des Moines Airport Authority.
- On March 13, 2008, an Atlanta-bound ASA flight was delayed more than five hours when a mouse was discovered shortly before take-off from DSM.
- 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.
- Des Moines International Airport is a civil-military public airport three miles southwest of Des Moines, in Polk County, Iowa.
- 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.