DSM - SBA

$369 Find Cheap Flights from Des Moines to Santa Barbara - Compare and Save

1 adult
1 adult, Economy, 0 bags

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.

Everything you should know

Cheapest round-trip
$369
Typical prices: $450-$758
United Airlines
Sat 2/10Tue 2/13
DSM - SBA • 1 stop
Nonstop flights
Not available
There are currently no direct flights between Des Moines and Santa Barbara. You'll need to take a connecting flight to reach the destination.
Insights
Insights
When to travel
July
Cheapest • 31% price drop
November
Most popular
Good to know
+1
Good to know
+1
Top layover airports
Denver Intl (DEN)
Cheapest • Avg $499 (round-trip)
Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl (PHX)
Shortest trip • 5h 54m (one-way)
Insights
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 Santa Barbara!
Flight Deals
Booking Insights
Flight Deals

Cheap Flights from Des Moines to Santa Barbara (DSM-SBA)

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

Recent round-trip flight deals from Des Moines to Santa Barbara

Wed, Feb 10 - Sat, Feb 13
United Airlines Logo
5:03 pm - 9:15 pmDSM  Des Moines-SBA Santa Barbara
6h 12m1 stop Denver Intl
United Airlines Logo
5:30 am - 12:34 pmSBA  Santa Barbara-DSM Des Moines
5h 04m1 stop Denver Intl
$369United Airlines
Wed, Feb 10 - Sat, Feb 13
United Airlines Logo
5:03 pm - 9:15 pmDSM  Des Moines-SBA Santa Barbara
6h 12m1 stop Denver Intl
United Airlines Logo
5:30 am - 7:25 pmSBA  Santa Barbara-DSM Des Moines
11h 55m2 stops Denver Intl Chicago O'Hare Intl
$374United Airlines
Mon, Nov 9 - Wed, Nov 11
United Airlines Logo
5:09 pm - 9:08 pmDSM  Des Moines-SBA Santa Barbara
5h 59m1 stop Denver Intl
United Airlines Logo
5:00 am - 12:31 pmSBA  Santa Barbara-DSM Des Moines
5h 31m1 stop Denver Intl
$385United Airlines
Mon, Nov 9 - Wed, Nov 11
United Airlines Logo
8:00 am - 5:28 pmDSM  Des Moines-SBA Santa Barbara
11h 28m2 stops Chicago O'Hare Intl Los Angeles
United Airlines Logo
1:06 pm - 8:36 pmSBA  Santa Barbara-DSM Des Moines
5h 30m1 stop Denver Intl
$390United Airlines
Wed, Feb 10 - Sat, Feb 13
Southwest Logo
6:55 am - 8:45 pmDSM  Des Moines-SBA Santa Barbara
15h 50m2 stops Denver Intl Las Vegas Harry Reid Intl
Southwest Logo
5:15 am - 2:50 pmSBA  Santa Barbara-DSM Des Moines
7h 35m2 stops Las Vegas Harry Reid Intl Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl
$405Southwest
Wed, Nov 11 - Sun, Nov 15
American Airlines Logo
3:04 pm - 6:21 pmDSM  Des Moines-SBA Santa Barbara
5h 17m1 stop Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl
American Airlines Logo
4:26 pm - 11:36 pmSBA  Santa Barbara-DSM Des Moines
5h 10m1 stop Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl
$423American Airlines
Sat, Oct 24 - Fri, Nov 6
American Airlines Logo
9:26 am - 6:15 pmDSM  Des Moines-SBA Santa Barbara
10h 49m2 stops Chicago O'Hare Intl Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl
American Airlines Logo
12:35 pm - 11:05 pmSBA  Santa Barbara-DSM Des Moines
8h 30m1 stop Dallas/Fort Worth
$427American Airlines
Tue, Oct 6 - Tue, Oct 20
American Airlines Logo
2:30 pm - 6:15 pmDSM  Des Moines-SBA Santa Barbara
5h 45m1 stop Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl
American Airlines Logo
10:07 am - 6:02 pmSBA  Santa Barbara-DSM Des Moines
5h 55m1 stop Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl
$432American Airlines
Thu, Feb 11 - Thu, Feb 18
Southwest Logo
5:50 pm - 10:45 pmDSM  Des Moines-SBA Santa Barbara
6h 55m1 stop Denver Intl
Southwest Logo
5:15 am - 3:05 pmSBA  Santa Barbara-DSM Des Moines
7h 50m1 stop Las Vegas Harry Reid Intl
$453Southwest
Wed, Nov 11 - Sun, Nov 15
Southwest Logo
12:05 pm - 10:00 pmDSM  Des Moines-SBA Santa Barbara
11h 55m2 stops Las Vegas Harry Reid Intl Denver Intl
Southwest Logo
11:05 am - 10:00 pmSBA  Santa Barbara-DSM Des Moines
8h 55m2 stops San Diego Denver Intl
$455Southwest
Booking Insights

Price, demand and travel trends for Des Moines to Santa Barbara flights

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

How much is a round-trip flight from Des Moines to Santa Barbara?

Round-trip flights from Des Moines to Santa Barbara start at $369. Prices are below average for this route right now, with typical round-trip fares ranging from $450 to $758. The lowest price found in the past 5 days was $369 on United Airlines.

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

Monday is the cheapest day of the week to fly from Des Moines to Santa Barbara, it is 29% cheaper than the average day. Saturday is the most expensive day with flight prices 24% 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 Santa Barbara?

  • July is the cheapest month to fly from Des Moines to Santa Barbara at $435 round-trip.
  • January ($777) and October ($758) are the most expensive months.
  • The price difference between flying in the cheapest and most expensive months is 78% on average.
This is based on KAYAK aggregated and averaged internal data over the past 12 months.

Find deals

Key details for Des Moines to Santa Barbara flights

Low season

August
Most popular time to fly and prices are also 9% lower on average.

When to book flights from Des Moines to Santa Barbara

Are your dates flexible? Find out the best times to travel from Des Moines to Santa Barbara based on our flight data from the last year. Discover the cheapest month and even day to fly.
Estimated round-trip price

Your Des Moines to Santa Barbara flight questions, answered

Find helpful route details based on KAYAK data, including flight times, airports, airlines and booking questions.

  • Which airports can I use when flying from Des Moines to Santa Barbara?

    Flights from Des Moines to Santa Barbara usually depart from Des Moines (DSM) and arrive at Santa Barbara (SBA).

  • What cabin classes can I book on flights from Des Moines to Santa Barbara?

    Only Economy Class is available on flights from Des Moines to Santa Barbara.

  • Which airports do connecting flights from Des Moines to Santa Barbara pass through?

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

    • Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl (PHX) - 70% of one-stop connections
    • Denver Intl (DEN) - 26% of one-stop connections
    • Chicago O'Hare Intl (ORD) - 5% of one-stop connections

    Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl (PHX) 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 Santa Barbara?

    Yes. Being flexible with your travel dates can save you up to 43% on the Des Moines to Santa Barbara route. Monday is the cheapest departure day at $446 round-trip on average, while Saturday is the most expensive at $777, a difference of $331. KAYAK's flexible dates feature shows options up to 3 days before and after your selected dates, making it easier to compare nearby fares.

  • How long is a flight from Des Moines to Santa Barbara?

    A nonstop flight from Des Moines to Santa Barbara takes 0h 00m, covering 1,500 miles.

  • Do I need a passport to fly from Des Moines to Santa Barbara?

    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.

  • Have flight prices from Des Moines to Santa Barbara changed much recently?

    Yes. Based on fares seen in the past 5 days, round-trip prices on this route showed a wide range, from about $369 to $1,202. That means the highest observed fare was about 3x higher than the lowest one.

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

    Flying via Denver Intl (DEN) gives the shortest average 1-stop total travel time at 5h 51m, compared with 5h 54m via Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl (PHX) and 7h 16m via Chicago O'Hare Intl (ORD).

  • What is the time difference between Des Moines and Santa Barbara?

    Santa Barbara 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 Santa Barbara Airport (SBA)?

    Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) hosts 5 major car rental companies, with daily rates starting from around $26 for economy cars. Top options include:
    • Budget
    • Dollar
    • Hertz
    • Alamo
    • Thrifty

  • How much should I expect to pay for a Des Moines to Santa Barbara flight?

    Round-trip flights from Des Moines to Santa Barbara range from $450 to $758, with an average of $626 over the past 12 months. Anything below $450 counts as a good deal.

Your guide to booking Des Moines to Santa Barbara flights

Get tips on when to book, when to fly and what to know before your trip.
  • If your dates can be flexible, aim for a Monday departure instead of Saturday. On this route, Monday flights average $446 - about $331 less than Saturday (43% savings) based on the last 12 months.
  • If you can choose when to travel, plan your Des Moines to Santa Barbara trip for July. Fares historically average $435 round-trip in that month - typically $342 less than the most expensive month, which is January (based on the last 12 months).
  • If you're arriving late at night and need somewhere to stay, check out these hotels close to Santa Barbara Airport.
    - The Steward, Santa Barbara, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel

More options for your flight from Des Moines to Santa Barbara

Complete your trip to Santa Barbara with a hotel stay or car rental

Car rentals in Santa Barbara
Hotels in Santa Barbara
Vacations in Santa Barbara