Des Moines International Airport (DSM) sits five miles southwest of downtown and is served by all major US carriers with nonstops to most hub cities — Chicago, Minneapolis, Denver, Dallas, Atlanta, Detroit, and a handful of seasonal leisure routes. A cab or rideshare from the airport to downtown runs 10-15 minutes and around $20.
By car, Des Moines is the intersection of Interstates 80 (east-west across the country) and 35 (north-south from Texas to Minnesota), which makes it one of the most accessible cities in the Midwest. Driving times: Chicago 5 hours, Minneapolis 3.5 hours, Kansas City 3 hours, Omaha 2 hours. There is no Amtrak service to Des Moines; the nearest station is Osceola, an hour south, on the California Zephyr line. Greyhound and Burlington Trailways run intercity buses from a small terminal east of downtown.