DSM - WAS

$104 Find Cheap Flights from Des Moines to Washington, D.C.

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from Des Moines to Washington, D.C. departing on 8/31. Fares are subject to change and may not be available on all flights or dates of travel. Click the price to replicate the search for this deal.
1 adult
1 adult, Economy, 0 bags

KAYAK searches hundreds of travel sites at once for deals on flights to Washington, D.C.

 
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from Des Moines to Washington, D.C., as well as popular online travel agencies
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from Des Moines to Washington, D.C., as well as popular online travel agencies
Travelers love KAYAK
41,299,237 searches in the past 7 days on KAYAK

Save 21% or moreCompare multiple travel sites with one search.

Track pricesNot ready to book? Create a price alert for when prices drop.

Bundle and saveSave money when you bundle your flight + hotel.

Filter your dealsChoose cabin class, free Wi-Fi and more.

Everything you should know

Cheapest round-trip
$231
Typical prices: $437-$266
Multiple Airlines
Mon 8/31Tue 9/1
DSM - BWI • 1 stop
Cheapest non-stop
$309
Typical prices: $525-$339
American Airlines
Tue 8/25Tue 9/1
DSM - DCA • Non-stop
Top airlines
Cheapest • from $249 (round-trip)
Best reviews • 7.9 score
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
+1
+1
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
+1
Nonstop flights
You can fly direct with American Airlines. Average duration is 2h 37m
Direct flights
Direct flights
+1
+1
Direct flights
Direct flights
+1
Top routes
Cheapest
Most popular
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
Top layover airports
Cheapest • Avg $174 (round-trip)
Shortest trip • 4h 22m (one-way)
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
When to travel
Cheapest • 57% price drop
Most popular
Good to know
Good to know
+1
+1
Good to know
Good to know
+1
Start a new search
KAYAK searches 100s of sites at once to find you the best travel deals.
We hope you love your trip to Washington, D.C.!
Flight Deals
Booking Insights
Flight Deals

Cheap Flights from Des Moines to Washington, D.C. (DSM-WAS)

 
Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for round-trip flights from Des Moines to Washington, D.C. that are departing in the next months. While these flights were available on KAYAK in the last 72 hours, prices and availability are subject to change and deals may expire.
Discover the best prices for you by selecting your travel dates on KAYAK.

Recent round-trip flight deals from Des Moines to Washington, D.C.

Mon, Aug 31 - Tue, Sep 1
Multiple Airlines Logo
5:28 pm - 9:06 am
DSM
-
BWI
14h 38m
1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
6:57 pm - 1:31 pm
BWI
-
DSM
19h 34m
2 stops
$231Multiple Airlines
Wed, Aug 19 - Wed, Aug 26
Southwest Logo
6:10 am - 12:15 pm
DSM
-
BWI
5h 05m
1 stop
Southwest Logo
2:20 pm - 9:00 pm
BWI
-
DSM
7h 40m
1 stop
$249Southwest
Wed, Aug 19 - Wed, Aug 26
Southwest Logo
6:10 am - 12:15 pm
DSM
-
BWI
5h 05m
1 stop
Southwest Logo
12:10 pm - 9:00 pm
BWI
-
DSM
9h 50m
2 stops
$254Southwest
Tue, Aug 25 - Wed, Aug 26
Delta Logo
11:28 am - 7:50 pm
DSM
-
BWI
7h 22m
1 stop
Delta Logo
5:00 pm - 10:37 pm
BWI
-
DSM
6h 37m
1 stop
$263Delta
Tue, Aug 25 - Sat, Aug 29
Delta Logo
11:28 am - 7:50 pm
DSM
-
BWI
7h 22m
1 stop
Delta Logo
12:17 pm - 5:18 pm
BWI
-
DSM
6h 01m
1 stop
$273Delta
Tue, Sep 22 - Sat, Sep 26
American Airlines Logo
7:05 am - 6:59 pm
DSM
-
IAD
10h 54m
2 stops
American Airlines Logo
7:57 am - 7:21 pm
IAD
-
DSM
12h 24m
2 stops
$307American Airlines
Tue, Aug 25 - Tue, Sep 1
American Airlines Logo
2:21 pm - 6:00 pm
DSM
-
DCA
2h 39mnonstop
American Airlines Logo
10:00 pm - 11:44 pm
DCA
-
DSM
2h 44mnonstop
$309American Airlines
Fri, Jul 10 - Mon, Jul 13
Allegiant Air Logo
5:30 pm - 2:02 pm
DSM
-
IAD
19h 32m
1 stop
Allegiant Air Logo
3:16 pm - 3:24 pm
IAD
-
DSM
25h 08m
2 stops
$315Allegiant Air
Fri, Oct 2 - Mon, Oct 5
United Airlines Logo
8:00 am - 2:23 pm
DSM
-
DCA
5h 23m
1 stop
United Airlines Logo
9:30 am - 2:15 pm
DCA
-
DSM
5h 45m
1 stop
$317United Airlines
Fri, Aug 28 - Sat, Aug 29
United Airlines Logo
6:00 am - 11:52 am
DSM
-
IAD
4h 52m
1 stop
United Airlines Logo
6:15 am - 10:26 am
IAD
-
DSM
5h 11m
1 stop
$322United Airlines
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for Des Moines to Washington, D.C. flights

Get data-powered insights and trends into flights from Des Moines to Washington, D.C. to help you find the cheapest flights, the best time to fly and much more.

How much is a round-trip flight from Des Moines to Washington, D.C.?

This analysis is based on the cheapest round-trip price found on KAYAK in the last 12 months by searching for a flight from Des Moines to Washington, D.C. departing in August.

What is the cheapest Des Moines to Washington, D.C. flight route?

Data is based on round-trip flight searches on KAYAK over the past month.

The cheapest return flight from Des Moines to Washington, D.C. costs $367 on the route between Des Moines (DSM) and Washington, D.C. Reagan-National Airport (DCA). It is also the most popular route.

What is the cheapest month to fly from Des Moines to Washington, D.C.?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from Des Moines to Washington, D.C., removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the median of all values for each month.

The cheapest month for flights from Des Moines to Washington, D.C. is May, where tickets cost $90 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are July and January, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $339 and $331 respectively.

Can I save money by flying with a layover from Des Moines to Washington, D.C.?

The average round-trip price for all non-stop flights, flights with one layover, and flights with two layovers for the route found by users searching on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks.

No, with an average price for the route of $421, prices are generally cheapest when you fly direct.

Good to know

Low seasonJanuary
Cheapest flight$104
Best time to beat the crowds but there is an average 5% increase in price.
Most popular time to fly and prices are also 13% lower on average.
Flight from Des Moines to Baltimore

When to book flights from Des Moines to Washington, D.C.

Are your dates flexible? Find out the best times to travel from Des Moines to Washington, D.C. based on our flight data from the last year. Discover the cheapest month and even day to fly.
Estimated round-trip price
KAYAK looks at all historical flight data for each date to provide a predicted price for one-way trips or round-trips with a duration up to 40 days. While we try to provide actual minimum prices for each date, some prices are predictions and actual prices may differ.

FAQs for booking flights from Des Moines to Washington, D.C.

  • What is the cheapest flight from Des Moines to Washington, D.C.?

    In the last 5 days, the lowest price for a flight from Des Moines to Washington, D.C. was $104 for a one-way ticket and $231 for a round-trip.

  • Do I need a passport to fly between Des Moines and Washington, D.C.?

    Even though you are not required to have a passport, keep in mind that an official ID is needed to board the airplane.

  • Which airports will I be using when flying from Des Moines to Washington, D.C.?

    Des Moines is served by only 1 airport and there are 2 airports in Washington, D.C.. You will leave Des Moines from Des Moines and you will be arriving in Washington, D.C. at one of these airports: Washington, D.C. Reagan-National or Washington, D.C. Dulles Intl.

  • Which airlines offer Wi-Fi service onboard planes from Des Moines to Washington, D.C.?

    American Airlines, Delta, Alaska Airlines, and Hawaiian Airlines offer inflight Wi-Fi service on the Des Moines to Washington, D.C. flight route.

  • Which aircraft models fly most regularly from Des Moines to Washington, D.C.?

    The Canadair (Bombardier) Regional Jet 900 is the aircraft model that flies most regularly on the Des Moines to Washington, D.C. flight route.

  • Which airline alliances offer flights from Des Moines to Washington, D.C.?

    Star Alliance, SkyTeam, and oneworld are the airline alliances operating flights between Des Moines and Washington, D.C., with Star Alliance being the most commonly used for this route.

  • On which days can I fly direct from Des Moines to Washington, D.C.?

    There are nonstop flights from Des Moines to Washington, D.C. on a daily basis.

  • Which is the best airline for flights from Des Moines to Washington, D.C., Delta or Southwest?

    The two airlines most popular with KAYAK users for flights from Des Moines to Washington, D.C. are Delta and Southwest. With an average price for the route of $361 and an overall rating of 7.9, Delta is the most popular choice. Southwest is also a great choice for the route, with an average price of $359 and an overall rating of 7.9.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from Des Moines to Washington, D.C.?

    KAYAK is a travel search engine. That means we look across the web to find the best prices we can find for our users. With over 2 billion flight queries processed yearly, we are able to display a variety of prices and options on flights from Des Moines to Washington, D.C..

  • How does KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy my flight ticket from Des Moines to Washington, D.C.?

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight to Washington, D.C. from Des Moines is likely to change within 7 days, so travelers know whether to wait or book now.

  • What is the Hacker Fare option on flights from Des Moines to Washington, D.C.?

    Hacker Fares allow you to combine one-way tickets in order to save you money over a traditional round-trip ticket. You could then fly to Washington, D.C. with an airline and back to Des Moines with another airline.

  • What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care when looking for a flight from Des Moines to Washington, D.C.?

    Sometimes travel dates aren't set in stone. If your preferred travel dates have some wiggle room, flexible dates will show you all the options when flying to Washington, D.C. from Des Moines up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

KAYAK’s top tips for finding a cheap flight from Des Moines to Washington, D.C.

  • Looking for a cheap flight? 25% of our users found flights on this route for $322 or less one-way and $407 or less round-trip.

Prefer to fly direct from Des Moines to Washington, D.C.?

 
Direct data is based off flight results for the next 60 days. Find direct flights from all airlines flying direct from Des Moines to Washington, D.C..
Find which airlines fly direct from Des Moines Airport to Washington, D.C., which days they fly and book direct flights.

Direct departures

Des Moines to Washington, D.C.

Monday

American Airlines

American Airlines

Tuesday

American Airlines

American Airlines

Wednesday

American Airlines

American Airlines

Thursday

American Airlines

American Airlines

Friday

American Airlines

American Airlines

Saturday

American Airlines

American Airlines

Sunday

American Airlines

American Airlines

See more direct flights

Direct returns

Washington, D.C. to Des Moines

Monday

American Airlines

American Airlines

Tuesday

American Airlines

American Airlines

Wednesday

American Airlines

American Airlines

Thursday

American Airlines

American Airlines

Friday

American Airlines

American Airlines

Saturday

American Airlines

American Airlines

Sunday

American Airlines

American Airlines

See more direct flights

Reviews of the top 3 airlines serving from Des Moines to Washington, D.C.

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from Des Moines to Washington, D.C.. Airline scores are aggregated from all reviews left by passengers on KAYAK after flying with an airline. KAYAK doesn’t show reviews that are older than 5 years. Learn how KAYAK collects reviews.
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from Des Moines to Washington, D.C.? KAYAK airline reviews give an overall score for each airline based on loads of factors, including comfort, boarding, in-flight entertainment and more, to make your decision easier. See airline scores according to verified KAYAK customer reviews.
7.9
SouthwestOverall score based on 4235 reviews
7.0Food
8.1Boarding
8.6Crew
8.0Comfort
7.5Entertainment
Airline reviews

there were two flight attendants that were up front...that were the best! They get KUDOs for making my trip only fantastic. Tell them Jeff said that!

10.0 ExcellentAnonymous, Jun 2026
OKC - LAS
Read more Southwest reviews

there were two flight attendants that were up front...that were the best! They get KUDOs for making my trip only fantastic. Tell them Jeff said that!

OKay. I sat in the back of the plane and it was really loud between babies and little kids, and adults who.like to talk a lot and loudly most of the flight.

Flight coming out of Buffalo was delayed, so we had to be rescheduled on another flight from Baltimore to Phoenix which means we had a long layover and got home 3.5 hours late. Shuttle to parking stopped at 10pm, so we had to pay for an Uber to the parking lot and got charged an extra day of parking since it was after midnight. Not the best experience. Long day!

Was fine, delayed and feels like southwest is always late

I don't know why flying out of Sarasota requires two plane changes.

The first time I flew in the extra legroom section. It was difficult to notice a difference. I had bad luck with my neighbors. The crew was okay. Southwest has reduced the live TV options.

The flight was smooth. The Southwest experience has degraded overall, but this one was okay.

No gluten free snacks. Seats felt worn or bare bones even though it was a new 737 MAX 8.

One major problem that was very unprofessional and uncalled for. Plane landed and we had to wait 20 minutes to get off the plane since they were waiting for someone to come to the gate to drive the jetway. Southwest couldn't have someone available and waiting for the plane to land? Is there only one person in Hobby airport who knows to drive the jetway? Was he at lunch? In the bar? Uncomfortable and uncalled for!

The checking experience in Orlando was terrible, almost missed the flight. Too many travelers and Southwest completely understaffed.

Only beverages were offered to first class and I thought the flight attendant could have also served the Delta Comfort as well instead of sitting down and staring at her phone and walking past all of us to the back of the plane to charge her phone more. There was a complete lack of turbulence and was safe enough for flights attendant to walk around in the front of the plane, collect trash and serve a few people water and turn off the seat belt light. Also didn’t enforce people putting their seats into the upright position and allowed two passengers to remain reclined during landing. They seemed out to lunch completely. Usually my experience on Delta is much better.

Long story short, it was one of the better flight experiences I've had in some time when compared with other airlines.

Flight was great! This flight from Atlanta was even better than when I paid for Comfort from SNA to Atlanta.

Connection flights should be spaced out farther because too close I missed my connection.

Definitely a southern flavor. Cordiality was evident even though no drinks or snacks were served.

On time! There were plenty of airport employees who were able to keep us moving in the right direction. The crew on the plane were professional.

Left /arrived on time. Decent seat space. Like the wifi/plugs and entertainment. Windows and tray table were kinda gross. Attendants didn't start snack service til 40mins before landing. Two rows before us, captain came on to say there's turbulence and recalled staff to seats. So, no drink/snack. Later, attendants didn't stop to see if we had trash nor even look our way. Felt invisible! Almost all pilot announcements were not only unintelligible, but so quiet. We had no idea what she said.

Average seat comfort, a drink and chips were provided, early boarding because we checked a carryon at the gate was nice. Ticket pricing shenanigans, including fees to pick a seat, check a bag, and get food onboard - evidence the industry is reinvigorating last century’s strategies- destroys the experience before one ever arrives at the airport. It’s difficult to recognize any value or sustain loyalty in the end-to-end process making air travel more drudgery than pleasure.

Gate agent was unhelpful for handicapped boarding. Flight attendant seemed untrained.

No service flight that took 5 hrs and a stop at an unscheduled airport. Crew and pilots did their jobs

The airplane was an old model, the overhead didn’t have enough room for people’s items and made boarding and boarding disappointing and stressful. Crew allowed passengers to bring more than the permitted baggage sizes.

It was great. Smooth flight, comfortable, left on time and landed on time.

Horrible experience upon landing. Probably more due to DCA utter incompetence than AA.

Easy boarding. Rows are smaller but that may be an older and bigger me now :)

Flight has been delayed every time I've ever taken it. Seats uncomfortable. Children behind me yelling the entire flight. Some of this is out of their control but overall just consistently not a great experience.

Poor communication ahead of time about flight delays and old planes/other equipment.

Never going to fly your airline again if it can be avoided.

Not to have gotten delayed by 2+ hours for the fourth straight American flight. They're the worst.

Other than nearly three hour delay for maintenance issues, everything went smooth

Snow delayed boarding several times, which I understand happens. Issue I had was that after we did board, pilot told us we were going to roll out to be de-iced, then on our way. We were de-iced once, taxied to the tarmac and then stopped. Sat for another 30 minutes or so, the another de-icing. Then we rolled out to a parking spot, only to sit for another hour due to a traffic stop in DCA, which I'm confident they knew would happen before we boarded. Pilot gave no updates other than we had to hold, attendants did speak to the crew, but when asked, said the pilot would be updating us. We on the ground in the plane waiting for over 2 hours. They did communicate that bathrooms would be open, but no other news until we left. Would have been better to be up front about status.

Everything you need to know for your flight from Des Moines to Washington, D.C.

Information on your arrival and departure airports