Which airports can I use when flying from Des Moines to Sacramento?

Flights from Des Moines to Sacramento usually depart from Des Moines (DSM) and arrive at Sacramento Intl (SMF).

What cabin classes can I book on flights from Des Moines to Sacramento?

Two cabin classes are available on flights from Des Moines to Sacramento: • Economy Class • First Class

Which airports do connecting flights from Des Moines to Sacramento pass through?

One-stop flights from Des Moines to Sacramento most commonly connect through: • Denver Intl (DEN) - 92% of one-stop connections • Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl (PHX) - 4% of one-stop connections • Las Vegas Harry Reid Intl (LAS) - 4% of one-stop connections • Minneapolis St Paul (MSP) - 1% of one-stop connections Denver Intl (DEN) handles the largest share of one-stop connections on this route.

Can I save money by using flexible dates for flights from Des Moines to Sacramento?

Yes. Being flexible with your travel dates can save you up to 29% on the Des Moines to Sacramento route. Tuesday is the cheapest departure day at $414 round-trip on average, while Monday is the most expensive at $582, a difference of $168. KAYAK's flexible dates feature shows options up to 3 days before and after your selected dates, making it easier to compare nearby fares.

What popular places can I visit in Sacramento?

Some of the most popular sights in Sacramento are Golden 1 Center, UC Davis Medical Center and Sacramento Capitol Park. These are among the most viewed places in Sacramento on KAYAK.

How expensive are last-minute Des Moines to Sacramento flights?

Last-minute fares on this route - booked within 2 weeks of departure - run 82% above the route average of $454. Book 12 weeks before departure for the lowest fares.

How long is a flight from Des Moines to Sacramento?

A nonstop flight from Des Moines to Sacramento takes 0h 00m, covering 1,481 miles.

Do I need a passport to fly from Des Moines to Sacramento?

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.

How are flight prices from Des Moines to Sacramento looking right now?

One-way fares from Des Moines to Sacramento are currently lower than usual. Average one-way flight prices are about $210, which is 26% below the typical average for this route.

How much time can I save by choosing a different layover airport from Des Moines to Sacramento?

Flying via Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl (PHX) gives the shortest average 1-stop total travel time at 5h 42m, compared with 5h 43m via Denver Intl (DEN) and 6h 29m via Minneapolis St Paul (MSP).

What is the time difference between Des Moines and Sacramento?

Sacramento is 2 hours behind Des Moines (Pacific Time vs Central Time). Plan for the time shift when scheduling connections or first-day activities.

What car rental options are available at Sacramento Intl Airport (SMF)?

Sacramento Intl Airport (SMF) hosts 5 major car rental companies, with daily rates starting from around $24 for economy cars. Top options include: • Thrifty • Dollar • Budget • Hertz • Payless

How much should I expect to pay for a Des Moines to Sacramento flight?

Round-trip flights from Des Moines to Sacramento range from $382 to $561, with an average of $454 over the past 12 months. Anything below $382 counts as a good deal.

What is the cheapest airline to fly from Des Moines to Sacramento?

Southwest ($355) and American Airlines ($380) are the cheapest airlines to fly round-trip from Des Moines to Sacramento according to KAYAK data over the last 5 days.

What is the most popular layover airport when flying from Des Moines to Sacramento?

Denver Intl (DEN) is the most popular layover for the Des Moines to Sacramento route. 92% of KAYAK users who booked 1-stop round-trips over the past 3 months connected via DEN.

What is the cheapest layover airport when flying from Des Moines to Sacramento?

Flights via Denver Intl (DEN) offer the most affordable fares, with an average round-trip price of $480. Based on KAYAK data over the past 3 months.

When flying from Des Moines to Sacramento which airport offers the shortest layover?

Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl (PHX) had the shortest average connection time for Des Moines to Sacramento layovers at 191 minutes over the past 3 months.

$147 CHEAP FLIGHTS from Des Moines to Sacramento (DSM - SMF)

Save 21% or more on flights. Compare deals from all over the web.

Never overpay with our price tracking tools.

Filter searches by price, airline and more to find your best flights.

Cheapest round-trip

$255

Typical prices: $382-$561

Multiple Airlines

Fri 10/26Mon 10/29

DSM - SMF • 1 stop

Cheapest one-way

$147

Typical prices: $208-$352

Multiple Airlines

Thu 10/11

DSM - SMF • 1 stop

Nonstop flights

Not available

There are currently no direct flights between Des Moines and Sacramento. You'll need to take a connecting flight to reach the destination.

Insights

When to book

12 weeks

in advance

Our data shows that travelers who book at least 12 weeks in advance save around 56% compared to booking last minute.

Insights

When to travel

November

Cheapest • 15% price drop

June

Most popular

Good to know

Top layover airports

Denver Intl (DEN)

Cheapest • Avg $480 (round-trip)

Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl (PHX)

Shortest trip • 5h 42m (one-way)

Insights

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 Sacramento!

Flight Deals

Cheap Flights from Des Moines to Sacramento (DSM-SMF)

Discover the best prices for you by selecting your travel dates on KAYAK.

Round-trip

One-way

Last minute

Recent round-trip flight deals from Des Moines to Sacramento

Mon, Oct 26 - Thu, Oct 29

9:11 pm - 5:24 pmDSM Des Moines-SMF Sacramento Intl

22h 13m1 stop Las Vegas Harry Reid Intl

6:19 pm - 9:10 pmSMF Sacramento Intl-DSM Des Moines

24h 51m1 stop Las Vegas Harry Reid Intl

$255Multiple Airlines

Mon, Oct 26 - Thu, Oct 29

9:11 pm - 5:24 pmDSM Des Moines-SMF Sacramento Intl

22h 13m1 stop Las Vegas Harry Reid Intl

6:19 pm - 12:37 pmSMF Sacramento Intl-DSM Des Moines

16h 18m2 stops Las Vegas Harry Reid Intl Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl

$268Multiple Airlines

Fri, Oct 16 - Thu, Oct 22

8:25 pm - 10:57 amDSM Des Moines-SMF Sacramento Intl

16h 32m1 stop Denver Intl

2:25 pm - 10:50 pmSMF Sacramento Intl-DSM Des Moines

6h 25m1 stop Las Vegas Harry Reid Intl

$292Multiple Airlines

Wed, Nov 4 - Mon, Nov 9

6:00 am - 12:40 pmDSM Des Moines-SMF Sacramento Intl

8h 40m1 stop Chicago Midway

2:45 pm - 10:00 pmSMF Sacramento Intl-DSM Des Moines

5h 15m1 stop Denver Intl

$355Southwest

Fri, Oct 16 - Thu, Oct 22

5:06 am - 9:25 amDSM Des Moines-SMF Sacramento Intl

6h 19m1 stop Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl

10:57 pm - 8:56 amSMF Sacramento Intl-DSM Des Moines

7h 59m1 stop Chicago O'Hare Intl

$380American Airlines

Mon, Oct 26 - Thu, Oct 29

7:10 pm - 12:40 amDSM Des Moines-SMF Sacramento Intl

7h 30m2 stops Denver Intl Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl

6:00 am - 3:50 pmSMF Sacramento Intl-DSM Des Moines

7h 50m2 stops Los Angeles Los Angeles Las Vegas Harry Reid Intl

$391Southwest

Wed, Nov 4 - Mon, Nov 9

7:00 am - 1:25 pmDSM Des Moines-SMF Sacramento Intl

8h 25m2 stops Denver Intl Las Vegas Harry Reid Intl

11:55 am - 10:00 pmSMF Sacramento Intl-DSM Des Moines

8h 05m2 stops San Diego Denver Intl

$391Southwest

Tue, Oct 13 - Sat, Oct 17

4:12 pm - 11:09 pmDSM Des Moines-SMF Sacramento Intl

8h 57m1 stop Dallas/Fort Worth

9:55 am - 6:02 pmSMF Sacramento Intl-DSM Des Moines

6h 07m1 stop Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl

$411American Airlines

Sat, Nov 21 - Mon, Nov 23

5:09 pm - 9:00 pmDSM Des Moines-SMF Sacramento Intl

5h 51m1 stop Denver Intl

5:00 am - 12:31 pmSMF Sacramento Intl-DSM Des Moines

5h 31m1 stop Denver Intl

$441United Airlines

Mon, Oct 26 - Thu, Oct 29

5:12 pm - 9:00 pmDSM Des Moines-SMF Sacramento Intl

5h 48m1 stop Denver Intl

2:15 pm - 10:59 pmSMF Sacramento Intl-DSM Des Moines

6h 44m1 stop Chicago O'Hare Intl

$445United Airlines

Recent last minute flight deals from Des Moines to Sacramento

Thu, Sep 17 - Mon, Sep 21

5:21 pm - 10:00 pmDSM Des Moines-SMF Sacramento Intl

6h 39m1 stop Denver Intl

4:17 pm - 11:33 pmSMF Sacramento Intl-DSM Des Moines

5h 16m1 stop Denver Intl

$741United Airlines

Thu, Sep 17 - Mon, Sep 21

9:13 am - 3:02 pmDSM Des Moines-SMF Sacramento Intl

7h 49m1 stop Denver Intl

5:15 am - 2:14 pmSMF Sacramento Intl-DSM Des Moines

6h 59m1 stop Houston George Bush Intcntl

$741United Airlines

Thu, Sep 17 - Mon, Sep 21

5:21 pm - 9:00 pmDSM Des Moines-SMF Sacramento Intl

5h 39m1 stop Denver Intl

8:19 pm - 10:31 amSMF Sacramento Intl-DSM Des Moines

12h 12m2 stops San Francisco Chicago O'Hare Intl

$746United Airlines

Thu, Sep 17 - Mon, Sep 21

6:24 am - 3:02 pmDSM Des Moines-SMF Sacramento Intl

10h 38m2 stops Chicago O'Hare Intl Denver Intl

8:55 am - 4:19 pmSMF Sacramento Intl-DSM Des Moines

5h 24m1 stop Denver Intl

$746United Airlines

Thu, Sep 17 - Mon, Sep 21

5:45 am - 3:01 pmDSM Des Moines-SMF Sacramento Intl

11h 16m2 stops Denver Intl Los Angeles Los Angeles

8:19 pm - 10:31 amSMF Sacramento Intl-DSM Des Moines

12h 12m2 stops San Francisco Chicago O'Hare Intl

$751United Airlines

Thu, Sep 17 - Sun, Sep 20

6:57 pm - 11:06 pmDSM Des Moines-SMF Sacramento Intl

6h 09m1 stop Los Angeles Los Angeles

6:00 am - 1:47 pmSMF Sacramento Intl-DSM Des Moines

5h 47m1 stop Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl

$761American Airlines

Thu, Sep 17 - Sun, Sep 20

4:14 pm - 11:34 pmDSM Des Moines-SMF Sacramento Intl

9h 20m1 stop Dallas/Fort Worth

6:00 am - 6:58 pmSMF Sacramento Intl-DSM Des Moines

10h 58m2 stops Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl Dallas/Fort Worth

$766American Airlines

Thu, Sep 17 - Mon, Sep 21

10:35 am - 7:24 pmDSM Des Moines-SMF Sacramento Intl

10h 49m2 stops Chicago O'Hare Intl San Diego

8:12 am - 12:04 amSMF Sacramento Intl-DSM Des Moines

13h 52m2 stops San Diego Chicago O'Hare Intl

$992Alaska Airlines

Thu, Sep 17 - Sun, Sep 20

11:29 am - 5:28 pmDSM Des Moines-SMF Sacramento Intl

7h 59m2 stops Denver Intl Los Angeles Los Angeles

6:00 am - 12:04 amSMF Sacramento Intl-DSM Des Moines

16h 04m3 stops Seattle/Tacoma Intl Boise Air Term. Gowen Fld Chicago O'Hare Intl

$2,646Multiple Airlines

Thu, Sep 17 - Sun, Sep 20

7:05 am - 7:38 pmDSM Des Moines-SMF Sacramento Intl

14h 33m3 stops Chicago O'Hare Intl Boise Air Term. Gowen Fld Portland

8:08 am - 12:04 amSMF Sacramento Intl-DSM Des Moines

13h 56m3 stops Portland Boise Air Term. Gowen Fld Chicago O'Hare Intl

$3,990Alaska Airlines

Booking Insights

Price, demand and travel trends for Des Moines to Sacramento flights

Use KAYAK data on prices, travel dates, airlines and seasonal trends to compare options and book flights from Des Moines to Sacramento with more confidence.

Prices

Airlines

Layovers

What's the cheapest day of the week to fly from Des Moines to Sacramento?

Tuesday is the cheapest day of the week to fly from Des Moines to Sacramento, it is 9% cheaper than the average day. Monday is the most expensive day with flight prices 28% higher than average. Based on deals found by KAYAK users in the last 12 months.

What is the cheapest month to fly from Des Moines to Sacramento?

November is the cheapest month to fly from Des Moines to Sacramento at $386 round-trip.
December ($609) and July ($566) are the most expensive months.
The price difference between flying in the cheapest and most expensive months is 57% on average.

This is based on KAYAK aggregated and averaged internal data over the past 12 months.

When are prices from Des Moines to Sacramento the cheapest?

Flights from Des Moines to Sacramento are cheapest 12 weeks before departure. Booking in this window typically costs about 56% less than the average last-minute fare (within 2 weeks of the flight), based on KAYAK data.

Find deals

Low season	November
High season	June
Cheapest flight	$147

Best time to beat the crowds with an average 15% drop in price.

Most popular time to fly with an average 5% increase in price.

Flight from Des Moines to Sacramento

When to book flights from Des Moines to Sacramento

Are your dates flexible? Find out the best times to travel from Des Moines to Sacramento 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.

Which airports can I use when flying from Des Moines to Sacramento?
Flights from Des Moines to Sacramento usually depart from Des Moines (DSM) and arrive at Sacramento Intl (SMF).
What cabin classes can I book on flights from Des Moines to Sacramento?
Two cabin classes are available on flights from Des Moines to Sacramento:

• Economy Class
• First Class
Which airports do connecting flights from Des Moines to Sacramento pass through?
One-stop flights from Des Moines to Sacramento most commonly connect through:

• Denver Intl (DEN) - 92% of one-stop connections
• Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl (PHX) - 4% of one-stop connections
• Las Vegas Harry Reid Intl (LAS) - 4% of one-stop connections
• Minneapolis St Paul (MSP) - 1% of one-stop connections

Denver Intl (DEN) handles the largest share of one-stop connections on this route.
Can I save money by using flexible dates for flights from Des Moines to Sacramento?
Yes. Being flexible with your travel dates can save you up to 29% on the Des Moines to Sacramento route. Tuesday is the cheapest departure day at $414 round-trip on average, while Monday is the most expensive at $582, a difference of $168. KAYAK's flexible dates feature shows options up to 3 days before and after your selected dates, making it easier to compare nearby fares.
What popular places can I visit in Sacramento?
Some of the most popular sights in Sacramento are Golden 1 Center, UC Davis Medical Center and Sacramento Capitol Park. These are among the most viewed places in Sacramento on KAYAK.
How expensive are last-minute Des Moines to Sacramento flights?
Last-minute fares on this route - booked within 2 weeks of departure - run 82% above the route average of $454. Book 12 weeks before departure for the lowest fares.
How long is a flight from Des Moines to Sacramento?
A nonstop flight from Des Moines to Sacramento takes 0h 00m, covering 1,481 miles.
Do I need a passport to fly from Des Moines to Sacramento?
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.
How are flight prices from Des Moines to Sacramento looking right now?
One-way fares from Des Moines to Sacramento are currently lower than usual. Average one-way flight prices are about $210, which is 26% below the typical average for this route.
How much time can I save by choosing a different layover airport from Des Moines to Sacramento?
Flying via Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl (PHX) gives the shortest average 1-stop total travel time at 5h 42m, compared with 5h 43m via Denver Intl (DEN) and 6h 29m via Minneapolis St Paul (MSP).
What is the time difference between Des Moines and Sacramento?
Sacramento is 2 hours behind Des Moines (Pacific Time vs Central Time). Plan for the time shift when scheduling connections or first-day activities.
What car rental options are available at Sacramento Intl Airport (SMF)?
Sacramento Intl Airport (SMF) hosts 5 major car rental companies, with daily rates starting from around $24 for economy cars. Top options include:
• Thrifty
• Dollar
• Budget
• Hertz
• Payless
How much should I expect to pay for a Des Moines to Sacramento flight?
Round-trip flights from Des Moines to Sacramento range from $382 to $561, with an average of $454 over the past 12 months. Anything below $382 counts as a good deal.

If your dates can be flexible, aim for a Tuesday departure instead of Monday. On this route, Tuesday flights average $414 - about $168 less than Monday (29% savings) based on the last 12 months.
For the best chance at a low fare, aim to book around 12 weeks before you fly. On this route, that window historically saves about 56% versus last-minute pricing (KAYAK booking data, last 12 months).
If you can choose when to travel, plan your Des Moines to Sacramento trip for November. Fares historically average $386 round-trip in that month - typically $223 less than the most expensive month, which is December (based on the last 12 months).

More options for your flight from Des Moines to Sacramento

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DSM - SMF

$147 Find Cheap Flights from Des Moines to Sacramento - Compare and Save

Everything you should know

Cheap Flights from Des Moines to Sacramento (DSM-SMF)

Recent round-trip flight deals from Des Moines to Sacramento

Recent one-way flight deals from Des Moines to Sacramento

Recent last minute flight deals from Des Moines to Sacramento

Price, demand and travel trends for Des Moines to Sacramento flights

What's the cheapest day of the week to fly from Des Moines to Sacramento?

What is the cheapest month to fly from Des Moines to Sacramento?

When are prices from Des Moines to Sacramento the cheapest?

What is the cheapest airline to fly from Des Moines to Sacramento?

What is the most popular layover airport when flying from Des Moines to Sacramento?

What is the cheapest layover airport when flying from Des Moines to Sacramento?

When flying from Des Moines to Sacramento which airport offers the shortest layover?

Key details for Des Moines to Sacramento flights

Low season

High season

Cheapest flight

When to book flights from Des Moines to Sacramento

Your Des Moines to Sacramento flight questions, answered

Your guide to booking Des Moines to Sacramento flights

More options for your flight from Des Moines to Sacramento

Complete your trip to Sacramento with a hotel stay or car rental

Information on your arrival and departure airports

Cabin class types available on flights from Des Moines to Sacramento

Find direct flights to and from Des Moines and Sacramento

Flights from domestic origins to Sacramento

Flights to other popular destinations

Find deals for your return flight