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Flights from Des Moines to Washington D.C.

Find cheap airlines flights from Des Moines to Washington D.C.

You can choose from 1 airlines that fly from Des Moines to Washington D.C., including American Airlines, American Airlines has lowest fares on this route.
American Airlines logo American Airlines
Airlines are determined based on actual purchased flight tickets from Des Moines to Washington D.C. according to previous 12 months data from Trip.com.

Book direct flights from Des Moines to Washington D.C.: One way flights from $485, round trip flights from $521. Find flight deals for the next 3 months below.

      • Cheapest nonstop
        DSM 6:30 AM
        2h 29m
        Nonstop
        DCA 9:59 AM
        Des Moines - Washington D.C. | Mon, Jul 20 | American Airlines
        DCA 9:11 PM
        2h 41m
        Nonstop
        DSM 10:52 PM
        Washington D.C. - Des Moines | Sun, Jul 26 | American Airlines
        $521 $707
        26% off
        26% off
        $707 $521
      • DSM 6:37 PM
        5h 4m
        1 stop
        IAD 12:41 AM
        Des Moines - Washington D.C. | Mon, Jul 20 | Delta Air Lines
        IAD 6:00 AM
        4h 45m
        1 stop
        DSM 9:45 AM
        Washington D.C. - Des Moines | Sun, Jul 26 | Delta Air Lines
        $467 $707
        34% off
        34% off
        $707 $467
      • DSM 2:19 PM
        6h 40m
        1 stop
        DCA 9:59 PM
        Des Moines - Washington D.C. | Mon, Jul 20 | Frontier Airlines
        DCA 6:00 PM
        20h 34m
        1 stop
        DSM 1:34 PM
        Washington D.C. - Des Moines | Sun, Jul 26 | Frontier Airlines
        $507 $707
        28% off
        28% off
        $707 $507
      • DSM 6:00 AM
        6h 4m
        1 stop
        DCA 1:04 PM
        Des Moines - Washington D.C. | Mon, Jul 20 | United Airlines
        DCA 7:10 PM
        4h 46m
        1 stop
        DSM 10:56 PM
        Washington D.C. - Des Moines | Sun, Jul 26 | United Airlines
        $537
        24% off
        $707 $537
      • DSM 1:00 PM
        17h 25m
        1 stop
        WAS 2:00 PM
        Des Moines - Washington D.C. | Fri, Jun 12 | Normal Airline
        WAS 3:00 PM
        6h
        Nonstop
        DSM 4:00 PM
        Washington D.C. - Des Moines | Sun, Jun 14 | Normal Airline
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      • Cheapest nonstop
        DSM 3:22 PM
        2h 37m
        Nonstop
        DCA 6:59 PM
        Des Moines - Washington D.C. | Wed, Jul 1 | American Airlines
        $485 $707
        31% off
        31% off
        $707 $485
      • DSM 2:34 PM
        2h 37m
        Nonstop
        DCA 6:11 PM
        Des Moines - Washington D.C. | Mon, Jun 29 | American Airlines
        $537 $707
        24% off
        24% off
        $707 $537
      • DSM 2:16 PM
        25h 41m
        1 stop
        DCA 4:57 PM
        Des Moines - Washington D.C. | Wed, Jun 17 | Frontier Airlines
        $128 $707
        82% off
        82% off
        $707 $128
      • DSM 5:41 AM
        4h 56m
        1 stop
        IAD 11:37 AM
        Des Moines - Washington D.C. | Wed, Jul 15 | Delta Air Lines
        $178
        75% off
        $707 $178
      • DSM 2:26 PM
        6h 33m
        1 stop
        DCA 9:59 PM
        Des Moines - Washington D.C. | Mon, Jun 15 | Frontier Airlines
        $189
        73% off
        $707 $189
      • DSM 6:00 AM
        6h 4m
        1 stop
        DCA 1:04 PM
        Des Moines - Washington D.C. | Tue, Jul 7 | United Airlines
        $204
        71% off
        $707 $204
      • DSM 2:16 PM
        6h 43m
        1 stop
        DCA 9:59 PM
        Des Moines - Washington D.C. | Fri, Jun 12 | Frontier Airlines
        $206
        71% off
        $707 $206
      • DSM 6:00 AM
        6h 4m
        1 stop
        DCA 1:04 PM
        Des Moines - Washington D.C. | Wed, Jul 8 | United Airlines
        $212
        70% off
        $707 $212
      • DSM 6:00 AM
        7h 22m
        1 stop
        DCA 2:22 PM
        Des Moines - Washington D.C. | Wed, Jul 15 | United Airlines
        $214
        70% off
        $707 $214
      • DSM 2:16 PM
        6h 43m
        1 stop
        DCA 9:59 PM
        Des Moines - Washington D.C. | Fri, Jul 3 | Frontier Airlines
        $222
        69% off
        $707 $222
      • DSM 2:26 PM
        6h 33m
        1 stop
        DCA 9:59 PM
        Des Moines - Washington D.C. | Mon, Jun 29 | Frontier Airlines
        $224
        68% off
        $707 $224
      • DSM 1:00 PM
        17h 25m
        1 stop
        WAS 2:00 PM
        Des Moines - Washington D.C. | Fri, Jun 12 | Normal Airline
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Displayed flight fares from Des Moines to Washington D.C. are based on average prices across airlines for the next 3 months, according to the latest Trip.com database.

Flight Info | Des Moines to Washington D.C.

The distance between Des Moines and Washington D.C. is approximately 1,439.76 km. It takes around 2 hours 37 minutes on average to fly from Des Moines to Washington D.C.. Based on Trip.com's data travel demand peaks in July. The off-season for travel is October.

Cheapest one-way flight price$128
Cheapest round-trip ticket price$467
Off-season for travelOctober
Peak season for travelJuly
Flight distance1,439.76 km
Average flight time2 hours 37 minutes
Popular airlineAmerican Airlines
Flight statistics for the Des Moines–Washington D.C. route are based on aggregated booking data from Trip.com over the past 12 months.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What are the cheapest flights from Des Moines to Washington D.C. (DSM-WAS)?

    Based on Trip.com data, Frontier Airlines offers one-way fares as low as $128 on Cheapest nonstop routes (e.g. DSM to DCA on Wed, Jun 17), while Delta Air Lines offers Cheapest nonstop round-trips from $467 departing on Mon, Jul 20 and returning on Sun, Jul 26.
  • At the moment, you can catch a nonstop flight from Des Moines to Washington D.C. with the following airlines, including: American Airlines Selected airlines are based on historical data collected from flight bookings users made on Trip.com within the last 90 days.
  • It takes around 2 hours 37 minutes to fly from Des Moines (DSM) to Washington D.C. (WAS).
  • By analyzing data from all airlines on the Trip.com flight calendar, it looks like the best time to book a flight from Des Moines to Washington D.C. is around 40 days (6 weeks) in advance, and the best time to fly is usually on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday. Tuesday typically offers the cheapest flights for departure, while Saturday offers the best return deals.
  • Based on Trip.com data in the past 4 weeks, there is 13 flight per week flying from Des Moines to Washington D.C.. You can check the weekly schedule for popular airlines on this route below: American Airlines: S/M/T/W/T/-/S -- AA4713 (13:33) American Airlines: S/M/T/W/T/F/S -- AA5414 (06:11)
  • To find best deals on flights from Des Moines to Washington D.C., you can use various tools on Trip.com:
    · Be flexible with your travel dates to get the cheapest flight deal. Now the cheapest flight deal is on Wed, Jun 17, with one-way flights priced at just $128.
    · Compare airlines strategically. Budget carriers often provide the lowest base fares, while we found the most affordable airline currently operating on this route is American Airlines.
    · Set up price alerts to easily monitor ticket prices without having to check every day.
    · Check Trip.com flight deals and promo codes frequently.
    · Avoid peak season unless you book very early. It seems the peak season for Washington D.C. travel is around July.
    · Get exclusive promo codes for Trip.com app users.
  • The cheapest months to fly from Des Moines to Washington D.C. is October, when demand for travel is lower.
  • After crunching the numbers on our June flight calendar, it's currently cheapest to fly from Des Moines to Washington D.C. on June 10, 2026 with Frontier Airlines, with prices starting at $299.
  • You can land at any one of the following hubs in Washington D.C., with Des Moines International Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DSM-DCA) is by far the most common option on this route: Dulles International Airport (IAD) Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).
  • The time difference between Washington D.C. and Des Moines is 1h.
  • Tickets can only be changed or canceled if permitted by airline policy. To submit a change or cancellation request, go to the flight bookings page, select the option to change or cancel your booking, choose the relevant passengers and segment, and submit a request. Please note that additional charges may apply according to the airline ticket policy. However, if the flight has been rescheduled and you would like to change or cancel your ticket, you can submit an involuntary cancellation request. For more details about change and cancellation policies, please check the customer support pages.

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Note: Prices shown on this page are estimated lowest price and include all taxes and fees found in the last 24 hours.

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Prices displayed in this page are all-inclusive prices (incl. taxes, fuel surcharge, civil aviation development fund, etc) with all fees confirmed before payment. Fees for luggage, meals, WLAN, or other additional services are also included as shown in the flight cards.

Real-time pricing updates

Prices, availability, and travel information on this page were updated within last 24 hours—even in real-time. The more popular the route, the more precise the data.

Change & Cancellation Policy

Trip.com displays flight cancellation and change policies for each flight ticket during the booking process, including fees and applicable conditions. Please check the following scenarios:
Voluntary cancellation/change:
To submit a change or cancellation request, go to the flight bookings page, select the option to change or cancel your booking, choose the relevant passengers and segment, and submit a request. Please note that additional charges may apply according to the airline ticket policy.
Cancellation/change due to a flight schedule change:
If the flight has been rescheduled and you would like to change or cancel your ticket, you can submit an involuntary cancellation request. For more details about change and cancellation policies, please check the customer support pages.