Best time to fly Chicago to Des Moines

Every month pooled across the years on record, so "July" means July generally rather than one particular July. Full ORD to DSM record →

Best month

September

81.4% on time · 264 flights

Worst month

December

60.5% on time · 273 flights

Month Flights On time Cancelled When late, by
January 198 62.9% 2.02% 68 min
February 229 74% 0.44% 68 min
March 304 61.4% 7.57% 74 min
April 369 75.6% 4.88% 82 min
May 346 77.4% 1.16% 71 min
June 268 69.8% 5.6% 77 min
July 294 63.4% 6.12% 86 min
August 293 68.7% 3.75% 82 min
September 264 81.4% 0.38% 80 min
October 297 74% 0.34% 70 min
November 270 78.9% 8.89% 76 min
December 273 60.5% 3.3% 88 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.