DCA → DSMWashington to Des Moines

live

Direct flights from Washington (DCA) to Des Moines (DSM): 7 nonstop departures observed each week across 1 airline. 93% of the last 14 operated flights arrived within 15 minutes of schedule. The median arrival is 7 minutes early. No cancellations were recorded across the 14 tracked flights. The nonstop covers 1,441 km, an estimated 2 hours 21 minutes in the air. Measured by Pro Flight Search from live flight boards at Washington and Des Moines. Updated 20 October 2026 at 19:18 UTC.

Today, DCA → DSM

Tue 20 Oct · local times
AA5296AmericanIn the air, 25 min late

Left DCA at 12:24, 25 min after its 11:59 slot.

Landing
13:43DSM board estimate · sched 13:50
Track AA5296 →
  1. 11:59 AA5296American Left 12:24 +25 DSM est. 13:43In the air · sched 13:50

Checked DCA board 10:18 · DSM board 10:48

DCA Washington smooth · +4
DSM Des Moines smooth · +0
1,441 km · ~2h 21m est.
dep bank 11:59–20:527x weekly
Runs reliable · 1 airline · 7x weekly · nonstop
93% on time

of the last 14 operated DCA → DSM flights arrived within 15 minutes

Median arrival delay is −7 min. 0 of 14 tracked legs cancelled in the sample. Will a delayed flight be cancelled? →

Median arrival−7 minacross the last 14 operated legs
Flight time~2h 21mestimated from route distance
Weekly departures7x1 direct airline on the leg
Cancelled0.0%recent route rate · 0 of 14

The week

scheduled departures · origin local time
06121824
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Sun
American Airlines

Each mark is a scheduled departure at its origin-local time, observed operating in the last 7 days. Today is highlighted.

Who flies it

observed on the boards · 7 days
American AirlinesAA93% on time

Flights AA5296 11:59 daily · AA4435 20:26 Fr · AA5432 20:52 Mo Tu We Th Su

History

operated legs · board outcomes
10-20AA5296dep +25 → arr−7
10-19AA5296dep +34 → arr−7
10-19AA5432dep +29 → arr−19
10-18AA5296dep +19 → arr−31
10-18AA5432dep +51 → arr−7
10-17AA5296dep +15 → arr−31
10-16AA4435dep +46 → arr−6
10-16AA5296dep +92 → arr+49
10-15AA5296dep +24 → arr−35
10-15AA5432dep +39 → arr+0
10-14AA5296dep +26 → arr−10
10-14AA5432dep +29 → arr−5
10-13AA5296dep +5 → arr−7
10-13AA5432dep +8 → arr−14

Actual board outcomes rather than schedules, paired departure and arrival per flight and day.

Full board history, day by day →

Airports right now

live boards
DCAWashington +4 min smooth 🌤 clear · NNW 4 kt Full DCA delay board →
DSMDes Moines +0 min smooth 🌤 few clouds · SSE 8 kt Full DSM delay board →

Weather lens

Current conditions put the pressure at DCA and DSM: 44% odds of a 15+ minute delay and around +11 min expected when it bites, measured from this route's own weather-matched delay history. See live delays → · Weather risk by airport →

How the Washington to Des Moines route actually runs

Pro Flight Search records official board updates for nonstop DCA to DSM flights through the day: schedules, estimates, gate pushes and actual departures. The verdict above comes from operated flights, so it reflects what this route does rather than what the timetable promises.

Planning around a delay? Live airport delays · Weather delay risk map · Will a delayed flight be cancelled? · Do planes make up time in the air? · How we measure

Cite this data

Journalists, bloggers, and researchers may cite this page with attribution and a link to Pro Flight Search.

Suggested citation

Pro Flight Search — Washington (DCA) to Des Moines (DSM) route reliability, measured from operated flights on official airport boards.

Canonical URL
https://proflightsearch.com/search-flights/DCA-DSM
How we measure this →

DCA to DSM questions

Is DCA–DSM running on time right now?

Smooth skies ahead. The departure side at DCA is the weaker end, route health score 96/100. The airports section above carries the live status and delay window at both ends.

Morning or evening flight on DCA–DSM?

Operators schedule morning departures around 11:59 and evening departures around 20:26 from DCA. Earlier flights typically land before destination-airport delays accumulate later in the day; check the DSM delay card to confirm conditions when you'd arrive.

How long is the flight from DCA to DSM?

Great-circle distance is 1,441 km. With typical jet cruise speed plus taxi, climb and descent, expect roughly 132–154 min gate-to-gate on this route.

How often does DCA–DSM fly?

American Airlines runs the route with about 13 flights a week (daily). Since one carrier owns the route, a single disruption tends to ripple through the day.