Nonstop flight route between Van Nuys, California, United States and Des Moines, Iowa, United States:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from VNY to DSM:
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- About this route
- VNY Airport Information
- DSM Airport Information
- Facts about VNY
- Facts about DSM
- Map of Nearest Airports to VNY
- List of Nearest Airports to VNY
- Map of Furthest Airports from VNY
- List of Furthest Airports from VNY
- 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 Van Nuys Airport (VNY), Van Nuys, California, United States and Des Moines International Airport (DSM), Des Moines, Iowa, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 1,439 miles (or 2,316 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 Van Nuys 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: | VNY / KVNY |
Airport Name: | Van Nuys Airport |
Location: | Van Nuys, California, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 34°12'34"N by 118°29'23"W |
Area Served: | Los Angeles, California |
Operator/Owner: | Los Angeles World Airports |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 802 feet (244 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from VNY |
More Information: | VNY 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 Van Nuys Airport (VNY):
- The closest airport to Van Nuys Airport (VNY) is Whiteman Airport (WHP), which is located only 6 miles (9 kilometers) NE of VNY.
- Because of Van Nuys Airport's relatively low elevation of 802 feet, planes can take off or land at Van Nuys 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.
- Hollywood celebrities, politicians, and business executives are known to use this airport, which has convenience and anonymity.
- The furthest airport from Van Nuys Airport (VNY) is Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE), which is located 11,472 miles (18,463 kilometers) away in Saint-Pierre, Réunion.
- Van Nuys Airport (VNY) has 2 runways.
- In 2005 a film documenting the history of Van Nuys Airport was released under the name One Six Right, named after the more popular runway at the airport.
Facts about Des Moines International Airport (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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Des Moines International Airport (DSM) has 2 runways.
- During the 1920s the Des Moines area had several small private airports for general aviation and airmail.
- In addition to work inside the passenger terminal, the airport is building a rental car facility and new parking facilities.
- On December 2, 1978, Douglas C-47A N41447 of SMB Stage Line crashed short of the runway while on a cargo flight from Chicago, Illinois.