Car rental prices at Des Moines Airport

Des Moines Airport quotes average $58 a day for an Intermediate car, like a Volkswagen Jetta, booked around a month before an October 2026 trip. Smaller options cost slightly less, with an Economy car such as a Mitsubishi Mirage at $51 a day and a Compact Nissan Versa at $55. Waiting until the last 2 weeks drops that Compact to $54 while the Intermediate stays at $58. Over the year, typical daily prices run from $63 for an Economy car in November 2026 up to $112 for a larger executive-class car in July 2027. Higher quotes mean you should test your dates in our price checker.

For October 2026 at Des Moines Airport, hold off until close to travel: an Intermediate car is $58 a day whether you book a month ahead or 2 weeks before your trip. Across the year, booking late saves about 42%, falling from $97 a day 9 months before travel to $70 a day within 2 weeks of pickup. If you have not booked yet, you have not missed anything. Across the 395 airports we track car hire prices for, 48% of our customers book within 16 days of pickup.

Budget is the cheapest company at Des Moines Airport for an Intermediate car, averaging $61 a day over the last 12 months from 1,872 prices. Budget sits directly in the terminal, but it requires a credit card for the deposit. Avis costs $65 a day but does not yet have enough reviews for a score. For the highest ratings, National averages $89 a day and scores 92/100 from 84 reviews, though desk waits average 24 minutes.

The cheapest company can cost you a longer queue or a bigger deposit, so check the review score and desk wait beside each car in the results before you book.

National is the best-reviewed company at Des Moines Airport, scoring 92/100 from 84 reviews, with an average desk wait of 24 minutes. National averaged $89 a day for an Intermediate car over the last 12 months. Alamo is close behind with a score of 91/100 from 76 reviews at $82 a day. Budget averaged $61 a day and scored 82/100 from 39 reviews with a 15-minute wait.

Review scores are CarTrawler customers' own, from the last five months; the score and the desk wait sit beside each car in the results.

Deposits at Des Moines Airport range from $200 with Budget to $299 with Avis, and no counter accepts an ordinary debit card across all vehicles. Of the 6 counters at the airport, 5 take credit cards only. Hertz takes a debit card for some cars only, but not all. Check the card rules and filter for a debit card before comparing prices. Any optional extras charged at the desk are listed under each car with their price.

If you bring your own child seat, check your airline's rules first: most carry one free, some charge.

The biggest catch at Des Moines Airport is the payment rules at the desk, where 5 of the 6 counters refuse debit cards entirely. Unless you book with Hertz, which accepts debit cards for select models only, you must present a credit card in the lead driver's name to collect your keys. All 6 counters operate inside the terminal, so you will not need a shuttle bus. Waiting times vary between desks, from 14 minutes at Hertz to 24 minutes at National.

Only 50% of prices at Des Moines Airport are full tank out, full tank back, so read the fuel line under the car before you book.

For most trips, choose an Intermediate car like a Volkswagen Jetta at Des Moines Airport, costing around $58 a day for pickup in October 2026. It seats 5 passengers and holds 4 bags, giving you a comfortable highway drive with room for luggage. A smaller Compact car like a Nissan Versa saves $3 a day at $55, but it seats 5 with only 3 bags. Every car offered is an automatic, so you will not pay extra for one. There are no electric or hybrid models offered, so plan on petrol.