$115 Find Cheap Flights from Des Moines to District of Columbia - Compare and Save

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 District of Columbia departing on 8/23. 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.
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1 adult, Economy, 0 bags

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Book Cheap Des Moines to District of Columbia Plane Tickets

 
Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for round-trip flights from Des Moines to District of Columbia 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 District of Columbia

Mon, Aug 24 - Mon, Aug 31
Frontier Logo
2:19 pm - 4:59 pmDSM  Des Moines-DCA Washington, D.C. Reagan-National
25h 40m1 stop Denver Intl
Frontier Logo
7:00 am - 1:34 pmDCA  Washington, D.C. Reagan-National-DSM Des Moines
7h 34m1 stop Denver Intl
$248Frontier
Thu, Oct 1 - Mon, Oct 5
Frontier Logo
11:29 am - 9:59 pmDSM  Des Moines-DCA Washington, D.C. Reagan-National
9h 30m1 stop Denver Intl
Frontier Logo
7:00 am - 7:33 pmDCA  Washington, D.C. Reagan-National-DSM Des Moines
13h 33m1 stop Denver Intl
$248Frontier
Tue, Sep 22 - Sat, Sep 26
Delta Logo
5:35 pm - 11:14 pmDSM  Des Moines-IAD Washington, D.C. Dulles Intl
4h 39m1 stop Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County
Delta Logo
6:07 pm - 10:26 pmIAD  Washington, D.C. Dulles Intl-DSM Des Moines
5h 19m1 stop Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson
$367Delta
Tue, Oct 6 - Sat, Oct 10
Delta Logo
5:50 pm - 11:16 pmDSM  Des Moines-IAD Washington, D.C. Dulles Intl
4h 26m1 stop Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County
Delta Logo
11:10 am - 3:16 pmIAD  Washington, D.C. Dulles Intl-DSM Des Moines
5h 06m1 stop Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson
$367Delta
Thu, Sep 10 - Sat, Sep 12
American Airlines Logo
6:00 am - 9:35 amDSM  Des Moines-DCA Washington, D.C. Reagan-National
2h 35mnonstop
American Airlines Logo
1:59 pm - 3:41 pmDCA  Washington, D.C. Reagan-National-DSM Des Moines
2h 42mnonstop
$377American Airlines
Sat, Oct 31 - Wed, Nov 4
American Airlines Logo
3:04 pm - 6:38 pmDSM  Des Moines-DCA Washington, D.C. Reagan-National
2h 34mnonstop
American Airlines Logo
8:41 pm - 10:36 pmDCA  Washington, D.C. Reagan-National-DSM Des Moines
2h 55mnonstop
$377American Airlines
Sat, Sep 5 - Sat, Sep 12
Southwest Logo
12:10 pm - 8:05 pmDSM  Des Moines-DCA Washington, D.C. Reagan-National
6h 55m1 stop Chicago Midway
Southwest Logo
6:10 am - 11:30 amDCA  Washington, D.C. Reagan-National-DSM Des Moines
6h 20m1 stop Chicago Midway
$380Southwest
Sun, Sep 6 - Wed, Sep 9
Southwest Logo
3:30 pm - 11:00 pmDSM  Des Moines-DCA Washington, D.C. Reagan-National
6h 30m1 stop Chicago Midway
Southwest Logo
6:05 am - 11:50 amDCA  Washington, D.C. Reagan-National-DSM Des Moines
6h 45m1 stop Chicago Midway
$380Southwest
Wed, Sep 16 - Wed, Sep 23
United Airlines Logo
8:00 am - 1:55 pmDSM  Des Moines-IAD Washington, D.C. Dulles Intl
4h 55m1 stop Chicago O'Hare Intl
United Airlines Logo
3:15 pm - 9:27 pmIAD  Washington, D.C. Dulles Intl-DSM Des Moines
7h 12m1 stop Chicago O'Hare Intl
$397United Airlines
Sun, Sep 6 - Sun, Sep 6
United Airlines Logo
6:00 am - 11:52 amDSM  Des Moines-IAD Washington, D.C. Dulles Intl
4h 52m1 stop Chicago O'Hare Intl
United Airlines Logo
5:15 pm - 9:23 pmIAD  Washington, D.C. Dulles Intl-DSM Des Moines
5h 08m1 stop Chicago O'Hare Intl
$397United Airlines
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for Des Moines to District of Columbia flights

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

What is the cheapest Des Moines to District of Columbia flight route?

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

The cheapest ticket to District of Columbia from Des Moines found in the last 5 days was to Washington, D.C., at $316 round-trip. The most popular route is from Des Moines (DSM) to Washington, D.C. Reagan-National Airport (DCA), and the cheapest round-trip airline ticket found on this route in the last 5 days was $316.

What is the cheapest time of day to fly to District of Columbia?

The average price for all round-trip flights from Des Moines to District of Columbia depending on the time of departure, clicked by users on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks.

The cheapest time of day to fly to District of Columbia is generally in the afternoon, when round-trip flights cost $438 on average. Morning departures are around 1% cheaper than evening flights, on average. The most expensive time of day to fly to District of Columbia is generally in the evening, which is peak travel time and where the average cost of a ticket is $444.

Can I save money by flying with a layover from Des Moines to District of Columbia?

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.

Yes, flying with a layover may cost you more time, but you can also save money on the route, with a 2 stops layover the cheapest option at $386 on average.

What is the cheapest month to fly from Des Moines to District of Columbia?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from Des Moines to District of Columbia, 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 District of Columbia is December, when tickets cost $386 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are November and July, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $471 and $470 respectively.

Good to know

Low season

January

Cheapest flight

$115
Best time to beat the crowds but there is an average 10% increase in price.
Most popular time to fly and prices are also 14% lower on average.
Flight from Des Moines to Washington Dulles Airport

FAQs - booking District of Columbia flights

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from Des Moines to District of Columbia?

    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 District of Columbia.

  • How does KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy my flight ticket from Des Moines to District of Columbia?

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight from Des Moines to District of Columbia 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 District of Columbia?

    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 from Des Moines to District of Columbia with an airline and back with another airline.

  • What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care when looking for a flight from Des Moines to District of Columbia?

    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 from Des Moines to District of Columbia up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

Top tips for finding cheap flights to District of Columbia

  • Looking for a cheap flight? 25% of our users found tickets from Des Moines to the following destinations at these prices or less: Washington, D.C. $298 one-way - $416 round-trip

Reviews of the top 5 airlines serving from Des Moines to District of Columbia

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from Des Moines to District of Columbia. 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 District of Columbia? 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.
8.0
SouthwestOverall score based on 4218 reviews
7.5Entertainment
8.6Crew
7.0Food
8.1Boarding
8.0Comfort
Airline reviews

Exceptional. The gate crew responded quickly and got me onto this earlier flight as the final passenger, saving me more than four hours of wait time for my reserved flight.

10.0 ExcellentAnonymous, Aug 2026
Read more Southwest reviews

Exceptional. The gate crew responded quickly and got me onto this earlier flight as the final passenger, saving me more than four hours of wait time for my reserved flight.

The flight was delayed due to earlier issues at other airports. The crew was excellent & made it a good trip.

Boarding process of asking for volunteers to check bags goes against the system you had before with 2 bags checked free. This process is more of a guilt trip than a caring attitude toward the customer. In addition bag-size scrutiny has increased which also slows down the process of boarding. My wife said she will not fly on your airline again unless there is no other option.

Eveeyrime I fly they are begging for bags due to cabin overhead space. What they should so ia take the bags that are clearly too big to fit wheels first on their side. And those of us who give up the bag should really get their bags first. When boarding, nobody wants stupid jokes about how hot it is on board. Give us some cool air. Im usually sick from the heat by the time we take off.

No wifi, seems to be very common with Southwest currently. Everything else was normal.

Poor customer service, no accommodation for passengers when the flight was delayed over 5 hours.

Friendly crew kept coming by to make sure all was ok, provide additional refreshments, etc.

The flight was delayed about 20 minutes, but this was an evening flight, so it comes as no surprise. This flight came a good 1.5 days ahead of hurricane Helene which was still far out in the gulf. However, the flight never removed the seated buckle light. The staff announced from the beginning that due to the bad weather (I suppose the hurricane a day and a half away) they would have to do an abbreviated service with water and a snack. I am fine with their water and snack offering, but this was one of the smoothest flights I've had in years. If Southwest believes a flight like this requires everyone to remain seated, then all of their flights should remain buckled for the entire flight. I cannot help but wonder if things like this are a sneaky way to cut back on expenses since the airline is currently under a lot of pressure to reduce costs.

Although the flight was delayed, but the crew was amazing. They did the best they could to make the time enjoyable.

My experience was find with Southwest. The only issue I have is...at the exact time for me to check in...I don't understand how I always end up in C.

Although I know the Airlines cannot control the situation when there’s a ground stoppage, it would’ve been nicer if we would have had more up-to-date information clarity around the delays. Additionally, I think the delays also took a toll on the Cabin crew, particularly the lead flight attendant in first class. She was not very friendly when we boarded the plane for many of the passengers. Number one she refused to hang a garment bag in the front closet for a first class passenger, she was unwilling to dispose of an empty bottle in the trash as I was boarding (despite drinking a bottle of water herself and needing to disregard), and she was very combative with a passenger, who needed to access something from his bag that was Gate checked. Frankly, it was really unfortunate as I’ve never seen a flight attendant behave that way directly to the passengers, particularly when none of us had done anything wrong.

overall the crew onboarding and providing service during our flight was great; they were friendly and helpful. I said ok to the entertainment because there was none, but the crew explained why which was very helpful. I am a diabetic and the type of snacks are not diabetic friendly (full of carbs and sugar). However, I am always prepared because I know the catering is for the larger population.

Chaotic boarding at these gates, multiple gates squeezed in at the very end of a concourse, behind a restaurant. Agents gave up on boarding by individual zones. Flight itself was uneventful, which is all we hope for any more.

Flight delayed due to ground hold. Republic airways did a great job.

The flight was smooth, the crew was great but the plane was quite old

I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with the poor service and unprofessional staff we encountered when traveling with an infant. Our flight was delayed, and the gate staff failed to manage the boarding process appropriately. Due to incorrect, unavailable, or missing 'pink tag' stroller and car seat check-in procedures at the gate, we were forced to board last. Furthermore, the gate staff was rude and dismissive, causing significant distress to our infant. To make matters worse, one of our checked items—an infant sleeper/lounger—was returned to us broken. Given the unsafe handling of essential equipment and unprofessional treatment, I expect a prompt resolution regarding compensation for the damaged items.

Flight was warm for first few hours and quite rough

Flight was delayed several times. At one point, they "pulled back" 15 minutes from the delayed boarding and sent a text saying we would board sooner than previously advised. The flight then was delayed again. And when we boarded, there was an unspecified technical issue which had us waiting in the plane for about an hour.

The Dekta Rep that checked us in was great. She's very personable, pleasant, and can tell she enjoys her job.

1st flight had mechanical issues after we boarded and almost took off. They tried to fix on runway but couldn’t do we went back to the gate. They couldn’t fix it there either. So we had to deplane and board another plane 2 hrs later. All in all our flight was delayed 4 hrs so we had to cancel some business meeting we had in London for the morning since we were supposed to arrive at 7am and did not arrive until 11:45am. Also, the 2nd plane had mechanical issues as well but fortunately they were able to fix on runway.

The flight to America was freezing. The overnight flight back to the UK was boiling hot and the cabin stank of toilet or occasionally perfume, even though I was several rows back from either bathroom. Food was tiny portions. Two small pieces of tough and dry beef in random gravy with pretend mashed potato raking up most of it. Very little veg. Salad was ok. Wooden cutlery broke within minutes of using. Lots of old films for entertainment. Some new ones. Generally a bit rubbish.

Our flight gor canceled and there was no one to help us but told us to scan the qr code and fill the forms on-line. Very poor service especially we are tourists traveling to Washington DC for the 1st time.

Our flight was great with an unexpected upgrade. However, four days into our travel we are still without a piece of luggage. The bag tracker has not been accurate, the airline is not communicating with me or the luggage delivery service and no one is willing to take responsibility or guarantee any kind of support or reimbursement. Unfortunately, we do not have the option to easily shop to replace items as we are currently on a cruise. I have been very disappointed by United Airlines response.

It was terribly delayed with zero support from united airlines. I reached at 1 am in the night. They did not provide any option to change the flights.

Flight was delayed 14 hours due to DC air show and weather. Missed connection to MUC.

Horrible I am at almost 2,000,000 miles on United. This was probably the worst flight ever. An hour and a half before takeoff I get a message that they’re changing the plane and I no longer have a seat in Polaris business Supposedly, there was a problem with the plane, but then there was no other plane Finally, they decided to bring a plane from Newark to Washington Dulles Of course the original flight was at 10:45 PM so by the time the plane got there it was 12:30 AM. It had not been cleaned. It had not been catered. They don’t really have people available to do those things when it’s not pre-programmed at 1 o’clock in the morning. The crew had to be changed And the new plane held 28 fewer people than the scheduled plane There is no way you can hate United Airlines enough The people at the gate were actually just fine, but it was management who was completely useless And did they send extra help to the people at the gate? Did they send supervisors? Of course not. Just don’t take United find somebody else or buy a boat

MY FAMILY'S LUGGAGE WAS LOST FROM ROME TO BARI. I WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT RECEIVED MY LUGGAGE FROM ROME TO BARI. AFTER DEPLANING IN BARI, WE WASTED A LOT OF TIME AT BAG CLAIMS LOST AND FOUND REPORTING THE CLAIM AND PLEADING FOR THE BAGS TO BE DELIVERED THE NEXT DAY. WE WERE TOLD THAT IT TAKES 3 DAYS MINIMUM TO DELIVER. MY DAUGHTER AND MY GIRLFRIEND NEEDED THEIR PERSONAL THINGS AND WE WERE STAYING 3 HOURS AWAY FROM THE BARI AIRPORT. WE HAD TO DRIVE 3 HOURS TO THE AIRPORT TO COLLECT OUR LOST LUGGAGE THE NEXT DAY. WE ARE NOT HAPPY WITH THE EXPERIENCE

Our flight to Rome, Italy was cancelled the day of and we were never informed. We only found out because I was trying to get into my husbands account and called to get his account number. Had to pay more for worse seating on another airline.

Very rough getting into denver. my kid threw up it was so rough.

Liked that we left on time for each flight. Snacks not the best, but we're okay.

The flight was over an hour delayed. The problem was they had the wrong aircraft at the gate, Joe in the world does that happen?

On time departure & early arrival. Made a long day much better.

Like all planes recently, entertainment is achieved by giving the patron free WiFi and letting them stream shows via the screen on a phone or tablet.

Crew and agents misguiding on tight connections, and lack of connecting crew looking for inbound planes. A very avoidable missed connection as a result.

My flight was 4 hours delayed on departure at 6a causing me to miss my connection at DCA. I had to scramble to find a seat home on a later flight and instead of an exit seat, I was in row 30 on a flight getting me home 5 hours later than planned. The AA team on the ground did a fine job. AA continues to run the airline like the passengers are cargo.

American Airlines changed are gate no fewer than four times. Walking back and forth from one concourse to another was exhausting, especially after all the flight delays.

In flight connectivity (via T-Mobile) was often not working.

Terrible. Internet/kiosk glitch prevented baggage checkin. Line at ticket co in Ter was under serviced and did not move. Agents did not call for flight but rather allowed time to pass. Then told each person as they reached the front if line that it was too late to check bags so they’d have to rebook flights. At least 15 people missed the flight as a result of this incompetence.

It was exactly what I expected, actually arriving sooner than scheduled.

Terrible, they canceled my flight due to an issue they had, couldn't fly me into the same place within 24 hrs so had to fly in 2.5 hrs away from my destination and spend even more money. The customer service was terrible (except at the airport in Charleston). Had to call to get my checked baggage fees reimbursed 2 wks later in which one customer service agent was very rude, wouldn't listen and then hung up on me. The second lady I spoke with was actually able to help me with that part thankfully. Would not recommend flying AA.

I know Frontier is a “no-frills” airline. I understand the concept. However, I jumped on some tickets for our family vacation, expecting to play a bit of a game to figure out the family bags and not over spend. In the end, I got the short end of this deal by far. 1. I did not expect them to charge the baggage fee for each direction. It makes the fee look high-ish at a glance, but reasonable. Then when you get to checkout and realize you have to pay it twice to come home with your luggage, it becomes ridiculous. 2. The low checked bag weight limit. I am used to packing a 50lb bag with my preferred airline. Frontier’s artificially low 40lb limit more quickly triggers the extra weight fee, which almost DOUBLES the price of the bag if you go over ($79 for the bag/$75 for the next 10 lbs) 3. The fee for a carry-on bag is the same as a checked bag but with a lower size and weight limit. Make it make sense! 4. The seats are terrible. My 2.5 hour flight almost had me losing my mind. I’m 6’3” and my femurs barely fit in the space provided. My knees had to wiggle just right to jam into the crack next to the armrest of the seat in front of me. The cushioning was thin and inadequate. I am tall but I’m not a freak. These seats are unacceptable. 5. I overheard the woman next to me speaking with the gate agent about being charged a $25 fee for not checking in online - she checked in at the airport counter when she arrived. That’s ridiculous. She was old and in a wheelchair. She had a paper boarding pass, and was obviously not tech savvy. She should not be punished for that. 6. They do not have good placement in the terminals. It was always out on the end or down on a subfloor, and we had to walk out on the tarmac almost every time. In Denver. Their home airport! 7. Every time I loaded a new page on the website while buying my tickets or my bags, it was constantly trying to upsell me on some esoteric bundle. Like, a pop-up every time. Very annoying. 8. No screens in the boarding area (at least where we were) to confirm you’re in the right place. Just static gate number signs. I am sure these are standard practices for Frontier, and I should have read more about them before I purchased tickets, but as a result of this single round trip, I do not plan to ever use this cut-rate airline again. I would rather pay the normal amount for a ticket and be treated like a customer instead of a mark.

Our flight was delayed 2 hours and when they changed the the time to 1 hour I wasn't alerted and when I checked the gate the plane was still there but they already shut the doors so I had to buy another flight.

Great except upon arrival it took them a long time to open the doors

Frontier feels like a family I Worked for Eastern Airlines back in the day and I felt the family vibe that I had then. Thank you

Terrible. Delayed my family flight for several hours affecting family plans

Tiny seats, no entertainment, no amenities, delays, they charge for carry on and their allowed personal item is smaller than in other airlines.

Crew was kind of grumpy and there was no beverage service at all. Sodas were $4. Disappointing.

There's no seats that lean back with little leg space i wad uncomfortable the entire flight. Your charges for extra baggage is despicable and costly!!

There was no food and no entertainment, so I'm not sure why these are even in the survey, as my understanding is frontier does not ever offer food without a few, not even a snack, and there are no screens so unless the flight safety talk is our entertainment why ask how we liked it?. One of the flight attendants say in the back of the plane as people filed in to their seats, yelling orders about where to put baggage and telling people to hurry up. It was the least professional experience I've ever had on a flight.

The worst. We never made our connection and they did absolutely nothing to help us at the airport.

Everything you need to know for your flight from Des Moines to District of Columbia

Information on your arrival and departure airports