Des Moines International Airport officials expect the arrival of Southwest Airlines to make a dent in high airfares. For 2011, though, Des Moines remained one of the most expensive airports within driving distance for Iowans.

Des Moines saw an increase in the average outbound price, but a slight improvement in the overall ranking among the 150 largest U.S. airports, according to data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

Don Smithey, aviation director at Des Moines International Airport, hopes that the addition of Southwest will lead to lower prices across the board.

Nationally, Orlando Sanford International Airport had the lowest average roundtrip fare, $134.73; Fairbanks International Airport had the highest, $559.

The national average price was $368.93, up from $343.47 in 2010.

Here is a breakdown of the average roundtrip ticket price out of Des Moines and five surrounding airports.