$119 Find Cheap Flights from Des Moines to Chicago - Compare and Save

From MDW to downtown Chicago and other nearby cities or locations, travelers can choose between trains, shuttle buses, taxis, rideshare apps, car rental services, or free hotel shuttles to their booked hotel. From MDW to downtown Chicago the CTA train charges around $3, taxis charge around $25, Uber and Lyft charge around $30, and car rental companies charge around $36 per day for their rentals.

At MDW passengers and visitors who have special needs are catered for by special facilities. The elevators, restrooms, diaper changing facilities, and telephones have amenities that are accessible for wheelchair users and people with disabilities. MDW provides numerous handicap parking spaces, and wheelchair assistance, the bus stations have special elevators for wheelchair users and there are accessible taxis that operate from the airport.

Both Oneworld Alliance and Star alliance operate in DSM and MDW. Oneworld Alliance serves over 14 airlines, 1000 destinations, and over 650 lounges while Star Alliance serves over 27 airlines, over 1300 destinations, and has over 1000 lounges. Star Alliance only offers two tiers of elite status and operates in America while Oneworld offers three tiers and operates in both America and Alaska, making the latter better.

Chicago Midway International Airport in Illinois is near cities like Burbank, Cicero, Justice, Lyons, Summit, Berwyn, and Evergreen Park.

Among airlines operating Des Moines to Chicago flights:

• United Airlines: offers extra legroom; offers free seat selection
• American Airlines: offers extra legroom; offers free seat selection
• Southwest: offers free seat selection

Extra legroom and free seat selection availability depends on fare class and route.

3 airlines operate flights between Des Moines and Chicago. The airlines offering nonstop flights on this route include:

• United Airlines
• American Airlines
• Southwest

Flights from Des Moines to Chicago usually depart from Des Moines (DSM) and may arrive at several airports in Chicago area, including Chicago Midway (MDW), Chicago O'Hare Intl (ORD) and Chicago Greater Rockford (RFD).

Here are some options for this route, based on selected ticket types and cabin classes:

• United Airlines: a cabin bag and a checked bag in Economy Class
• American Airlines: a cabin bag and a checked bag in Economy Class
• Southwest: a cabin bag in Economy Class class

Bag allowance can vary by ticket type, cabin class, route and airline, so travelers should check the fare details before booking.

Two cabin classes are available on flights from Des Moines to Chicago:

• Economy Class
• First Class

On this route, layover flights are cheaper than nonstop options on average. Layover fares average $169 round-trip via Denver Intl (DEN), compared to $297 for nonstop.

There is no standard. Checked-bag policies vary by airline on this route. Most carriers charge $40–$100 for the first checked bag in economy. Premium fares and elite-status bookings typically include a free checked bag.

One-stop flights from Des Moines to Chicago most commonly connect through:

• Lambert-St Louis (STL) - 50% of one-stop connections
• Denver Intl (DEN) - 17% of one-stop connections
• Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County (DTW) - 17% of one-stop connections
• Fort Lauderdale (FLL) - 17% of one-stop connections

Lambert-St Louis (STL) handles the largest share of one-stop connections on this route.

On the Des Moines to Chicago route, being flexible with your departure day can save you up to 34%. Sunday is the cheapest day at $257 round-trip on average, while Monday is the most expensive at $386: a $129 difference. Cheaper weekend fares like these are typical of routes dominated by weekday business travel.

Morning is the busiest departure period on Des Moines to Chicago flights, with 51% of flights leaving in that window. Afternoon departures account for 33%, evening flights for 16%, and night flights for 0%.

Some of the most popular sights in Chicago are Magnificent Mile, Grant Park and River North. These are among the most viewed places in Chicago on KAYAK.

These are the earliest and latest flight times available from Des Moines to Chicago:

• Earliest: departs at 5:10 am and lands at 6:50 am
• Latest: departs at 9:00 pm and lands at 10:40 pm.

The flight takes about 1h 40m.

Last-minute fares on this route - booked within 2 weeks of departure - run 34% above the route average of $297. Book 12 weeks before departure for the lowest fares.

A nonstop flight from Des Moines to Chicago takes 1h 40m, covering 312 miles.

No, a passport is not required for this domestic route, but you will need a real ID-compliant driver's license, a state ID, or another TSA-accepted form of identification.

One-way fares from Des Moines to Chicago are currently lower than usual. Average one-way flight prices are about $119, which is 49% below the typical average for this route.

Flying via Lambert-St Louis (STL) gives the shortest average 1-stop total travel time at 4h 05m, compared with 6h 30m via Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County (DTW) and 7h 41m via Denver Intl (DEN).

Since Chicago is served by multiple airports, car rental options and rates can vary depending on which one you fly into.
Near Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport (ORD) — daily rates from around $17:

· Routes Car & Truck Rentals
· Europcar
· Hertz
· Dollar
· Ace

Near Chicago Midway Airport (MDW) — daily rates from around $32:

· Hertz
· Dollar
· Budget
· Alamo
· Rent-A-Wreck

Near Chicago Greater Rockford Airport (RFD) — daily rates from around $30:

· Alamo
· Enterprise Rent-A-Car
· Budget
· Avis
· National

Round-trip flights from Des Moines to Chicago range from $219 to $394, with an average of $297 over the past 12 months. Anything below $219 counts as a good deal.

American Airlines is the only airline on the Des Moines to Chicago route offering in-flight Wi-Fi. Pricing depends on fare class.