Fly private between Cedar Rapids and Des Moines from US$10,000 for a turboprop (Pilatus PC-12 NGX). Get an instant quote.
We fly Cedar Rapids (IOW) ⇄ Des Moines (DSM) in both directions, on the same aircraft and guide pricing.
The straight-line distance between Cedar Rapids and Des Moines is about 176 km (109 miles), or 95 nautical miles.
From US$10,000 · Reply within the hour · No obligation
Guide pricing for Cedar Rapids–Des Moines spans US$10,000 – US$13,500: from a turboprop (Pilatus PC-12 NGX) at the entry level to a very light jet (Embraer Phenom 100EV) at the top. All cabins are pet-friendly — travel with dogs and pets beside you.
Short-runway specialist — ideal for remote airstrips and island hops. 6-9 seats and 1,800 km of range make it a dependable fit here.
Efficient for short hops with two to four passengers. It seats 4-6 and is a frequent choice on sectors of this length.
| Category | Outbound | Return (±10% wind) | From (USD) | Seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turboprop · rec. | 45 min | 41 min – 50 min | US$10,000 | 6-9 |
| Very Light Jet | 39 min | 35 min – 43 min | US$10,000 | 4-6 |
| Aircraft | Flight time | Cost range (USD) | Passengers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pilatus PC-12 NGX | 45 min | US$10,000 – US$11,000 | 6-9 |
| King Air 350 | 44 min | US$10,000 – US$12,000 | 8-11 |
| Aircraft | Flight time | Cost range (USD) | Passengers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Embraer Phenom 100EV | 39 min | US$10,000 – US$13,500 | 4-6 |
| Cessna Citation M2 | 38 min | US$10,500 – US$15,000 | 4-6 |
| HondaJet Elite II | 38 min | US$11,500 – US$16,000 | 4-6 |
Same aircraft, same route — return pricing is symmetric; flight times can vary about ±10% with wind direction.
Guide prices are one-way estimates incl. positioning; taxes/handling extra. Round-trip and one-way both available.
Charter pricing on Cedar Rapids–Des Moines moves with route distance, winds, fuel costs at both ends, and airport charges at origin and destination. We lock in a firm, all-in figure once we match your dates to available aircraft.
Private departures on this route use the following airports — we will recommend the best fit for your schedule:
Cedar Rapids, United States: Iowa City Municipal Airport and Independence Municipal Airport.
Des Moines, United States: Des Moines International Airport, Ankeny Regional Airport, Ames Municipal Airport, Perry Municipal Airport, Newton Municipal Airport and Pella Municipal Airport.
Observed traffic makes this a weekday route with afternoon departures: departures cluster on Wed, most often around 12:00 UTC.
Cedar Rapids→Des Moines runs about 3 minutes longer, which is the prevailing wind rather than the distance.
Sun is the quietest day we observe on this pairing, which is usually when an aircraft is easiest to source at short notice.
| Direction | Departures observed | Typical block | Fastest seen | Aircraft observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar Rapids → Des Moines | 20 | 25 min | 20 min | Cessna Citation XLS (6), Pilatus PC-12 (4), Beech Super King Air (3), Cessna Citation (3) |
| Des Moines → Cedar Rapids | 21 | 22 min | — | Cessna Citation XLS (9), Pilatus PC-12 (2), Beech Super King Air (2) |
41 movements observed, 2025-08-17 to 2026-08-16.
41 business-aviation flights were tracked between Cedar Rapids and Des Moines from 17 August 2025 to 16 August 2026 – about 0.8 a week, on 36 separate days.
71% were jets and 29% turboprops. 20 flights set out from the Cedar Rapids side and 21 from the Des Moines side.
Busiest full month: June 2026 (8 flights). The first and last bars (lighter) are part-months.
Tuesday is the busiest day for this route. Days are by departure date (UTC).
| City | Airfields used (tracked flights) |
|---|---|
| Cedar Rapids | Iowa City Municipal Airport (IOW) – 41 flights |
| Des Moines | Des Moines International Airport (DSM) – 35 flights; Ankeny Regional Airport – 5 flights; Ames Municipal Airport (AMW) – 1 flights |
Source: open ADS-B network (adsb.lol), 17 August 2025 to 16 August 2026. These are tracked business-aviation movements – a floor, not a census: flights without an active transponder are not seen, and not every flight is a charter.
| Iowa City Municipal Airport | Des Moines International Airport | |
|---|---|---|
| Code | KIOW / IOW | KDSM / DSM |
| Longest hard runway | 5,002 ft | 9,004 ft |
| Surface | Concrete | Asphalt |
| Field elevation | 668 ft | 958 ft |
| Distance from city | 31 km | in the city |
| Aircraft | Runway | Range | On this route |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pilatus PC-12 NGX Turboprop |
1,500 ft 3,502 ft spare |
1,800 km 1,580 km spare after reserves |
Non-stop |
| King Air 350 Turboprop |
2,000 ft 3,002 ft spare |
2,700 km 2,480 km spare after reserves |
Non-stop |
| Embraer Phenom 100EV Very Light Jet |
3,200 ft 1,802 ft spare |
2,180 km 1,960 km spare after reserves |
Non-stop |
| Cessna Citation M2 Very Light Jet |
2,900 ft 2,102 ft spare |
2,410 km 2,190 km spare after reserves |
Non-stop |
| King Air 250 Turboprop |
3,000 ft 2,002 ft spare |
2,900 km 2,680 km spare after reserves |
Non-stop |
| Cessna Caravan 208B Short-Field Turboprop |
1,500 ft 3,502 ft spare |
1,980 km 1,760 km spare after reserves |
Non-stop |
| De Havilland Twin Otter 400 Short-Field Turboprop |
1,200 ft 3,802 ft spare |
1,480 km 1,260 km spare after reserves |
Non-stop |
| Cessna Citation CJ3+ Light Jet |
3,500 ft 1,502 ft spare |
3,700 km 3,480 km spare after reserves |
Non-stop |
| Embraer Phenom 300E Light Jet |
3,278 ft 1,724 ft spare |
3,650 km 3,430 km spare after reserves |
Non-stop |
| Cessna Citation XLS+ Midsize Jet |
4,200 ft 802 ft spare |
3,900 km 3,680 km spare after reserves |
Non-stop |
| Hawker 900XP Midsize Jet |
5,576 ft 574 ft short |
4,600 km 4,380 km spare after reserves |
Runway too short |
| Challenger 350 Super Midsize Jet |
4,930 ft 72 ft spare |
5,926 km 5,706 km spare after reserves |
Non-stop |
| Cessna Citation Longitude Super Midsize Jet |
4,900 ft 102 ft spare |
6,400 km 6,180 km spare after reserves |
Non-stop |
| Embraer Praetor 600 Super Midsize Jet |
4,692 ft 310 ft spare |
7,220 km 7,000 km spare after reserves |
Non-stop |
| Challenger 605 Heavy Jet |
5,440 ft 438 ft short |
7,400 km 7,180 km spare after reserves |
Runway too short |
| Gulfstream G450 Heavy Jet |
5,300 ft 298 ft short |
7,800 km 7,580 km spare after reserves |
Runway too short |
| Falcon 2000LXS Heavy Jet |
4,790 ft 212 ft spare |
7,400 km 7,180 km spare after reserves |
Non-stop |
| Bombardier Global 7500 Ultra Long Range Jet |
6,000 ft 998 ft short |
14,260 km 14,040 km spare after reserves |
Runway too short |
| Bombardier Global 6000 Long Range Jet |
5,800 ft 798 ft short |
11,112 km 10,892 km spare after reserves |
Runway too short |
| Gulfstream G650 Long Range Jet |
6,000 ft 998 ft short |
12,960 km 12,740 km spare after reserves |
Runway too short |
| Falcon 8X Long Range Jet |
4,800 ft 202 ft spare |
11,945 km 11,725 km spare after reserves |
Non-stop |
Alternates within range: Independence Municipal Airport (5,500 ft, 67 km) · Vinton Veterans Memorial Airpark (4,000 ft, 45 km) · Belle Plaine Municipal Airport (4,001 ft, 48 km) · Monticello Regional Airport (4,400 ft, 59 km) · Ankeny Regional Airport (5,500 ft, 19 km) · Ames Municipal Airport (5,701 ft, 51 km) · Perry Municipal Airport (5,500 ft, 53 km) · Newton Municipal Airport (5,600 ft, 55 km)
No shared cabin, no middle seats, no compromise. 6-9 passengers, one aircraft, complete privacy.
Your dog or cat travels in the cabin beside you — never in the hold. Just mention your pet when you enquire.
We do the due diligence on every operator so you don't have to. Certified, insured, and audited before your wheels leave the ground.
Send your request and expect a real answer within the hour — not an automated holding reply, but live options with pricing.
The Cedar Rapids to Des Moines route is a popular domestic private-jet path for both business travellers and leisure flyers seeking direct access without commercial schedules.
As a guide, charter ranges US$10,000 – US$13,500 one-way — from a turboprop (Pilatus PC-12 NGX) at the lower end. Final pricing depends on dates, group size and availability.
About 45 min gate to gate over 176 km (109 miles), similar both ways; larger jets are marginally faster.
This sector is mainly served by Turboprop, Very Light Jet. We lead with a turboprop for the best balance of cost, cabin and range.
Often yes: same-day and next-day Cedar Rapids–Des Moines departures are possible when aircraft and crew are positioned nearby.
Absolutely — pets travel in the cabin with you on this route; just tell us the details when you ask for a quote.
Yes — the route is fully bidirectional, with the same guide price and timing on the return leg.
Between 17 August 2025 and 16 August 2026 we tracked 41 business-aviation flights between Cedar Rapids and Des Moines – about 0.8 a week, flown on 36 different days. Tuesday was the busiest day of the week and June 2026 the busiest full month (8 flights). Tracking uses the open ADS-B network, so the true figure is somewhat higher.
Tracked flights used Iowa City Municipal Airport (IOW) – 41 flights on the Cedar Rapids side, and Des Moines International Airport (DSM) – 35 flights; Ankeny Regional Airport – 5 flights; Ames Municipal Airport (AMW) – 1 flights on the Des Moines side.
71% of the tracked flights were jets and 29% were turboprops. The most frequently seen aircraft was the Cessna Citation XLS.
Other flights from Cedar Rapids | Des Moines | United States | North America
