Best time to fly Des Moines to Chicago
Every month pooled across the years on record, so "July" means July generally rather than one particular July. Full DSM to ORD record →
Best month
September
84.6% on time · 462 flights
Worst month
December
66.3% on time · 402 flights
| Month | Flights | On time | Cancelled | When late, by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 354 | 77.2% | 1.69% | 91 min |
| February | 360 | 80.6% | 0.56% | 118 min |
| March | 505 | 71.5% | 5.74% | 93 min |
| April | 598 | 80.1% | 3.85% | 114 min |
| May | 615 | 80.1% | 0.81% | 81 min |
| June | 549 | 71.4% | 2.73% | 78 min |
| July | 449 | 68% | 5.35% | 88 min |
| August | 495 | 72.5% | 2.42% | 78 min |
| September | 462 | 84.6% | 0.43% | 59 min |
| October | 496 | 77.3% | 0.4% | 62 min |
| November | 435 | 82.8% | 6.67% | 98 min |
| December | 402 | 66.3% | 3.23% | 113 min |
What a seasonal pattern can and cannot tell you
Months differ for reasons that repeat — summer thunderstorms in the American interior, winter fog and de-icing in northern Europe, school holidays filling every seat and leaving no slack in the schedule. Those are real and they come back each year.
What the pattern cannot do is forecast a particular flight. A quiet month has late days and a bad month has punctual ones. Treat this as a way to choose between two dates you are indifferent about, not as a promise.