Origin
Arvada, CO
Afternoon in Arvada on Friday
Local time
3:20 PM
MDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Arvada, CO to Dacono, CO
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
37m
Distance
27.5 mi
44 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Sparse
1 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 35m
★
6 AM
0h 38m
8 AM
0h 44m
10 AM
0h 40m
12 PM
0h 39m
3 PM
0h 40m
5 PM
0h 44m
8 PM
0h 36m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Arvada, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Dacono, CO
Ofspace LLC, Culture
Trip Overview
Arvada to Dacono is 27.5 miles and takes about 37 minutes via North Valley Highway and Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Colorado's Mountain West region, primarily utilizing surface roads. It's a straightforward drive, suitable for a quick commute or an easy addition to a longer itinerary. You'll find it a practical option for moving between these two nearby communities without significant time commitment.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| North Valley Highway | 10.5 mi | 12m |
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway | 7.1 mi | 7m |
| Heartland Expressway | 3 mi | 3m |
| CO 52 | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| Ralston Road | 1.8 mi | 3m |
| Sheridan Boulevard | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| 6th Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Ash Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
North Valley Highway
— 10.5 mi, about 12m
Traffic on I-25
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 12 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~5,326 veh/hr typical
Quietest
1 AM
~460 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
11.6×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a
6a
noon
6p
11p
Averaged across 104 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Arvada, CO and Dacono, CO.
1
Start on this road
41 ft
·
5 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right onto Ammons Street
58 ft
·
7 sec
·
Ammons Street
3
Turn left
313 ft
·
25 sec
4
At end of road, turn right onto Allison Street
172 ft
·
13 sec
·
Allison Street
5
Turn left onto Ralston Road
1.8 mi
·
3 min
·
Ralston Road
Use the left / straight lanes.
6
Turn right onto CO 95
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
·
Sheridan Boulevard
Use the right lane.
7
Turn left
0.4 mi
·
56 sec
Toward I 76 East
Use the left lane.
8
Merge onto I 76
3.0 mi
·
3 min
·
Heartland Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
Exit 5
Toward I 25: Fort Collins, Colorado Springs
Use the slight right lane.
10
Keep slight left at fork
1.4 mi
·
2 min
Toward I 25 North: Fort Collins
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
11
Merge onto I 25
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
North Valley Highway
12
Keep slight right at fork onto I 25
4.3 mi
·
5 min
·
North Valley Highway
Use the slight right lane.
13
Keep slight right at fork onto I 25
5.3 mi
·
5 min
·
North Valley Highway
Use the straight / right lanes.
14
Continue on I 25
7.1 mi
·
7 min
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
15
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
Exit 235
Toward CO 52: Dacono, Fort Lupton, Frederick, Niwot
Use the slight right lane.
16
Turn right onto CO 52
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
CO 52
Use the left lane.
17
Turn straight
331 ft
·
13 sec
18
Turn slight right onto Colorado Boulevard
490 ft
·
14 sec
·
Colorado Boulevard
19
Turn left onto 6th Street
0.1 mi
·
29 sec
·
6th Street
20
Turn right onto Ash Street
0.1 mi
·
29 sec
·
Ash Street
21
Turn left
117 ft
·
8 sec
22
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 175 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 24.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Allison Street
At end of road, turn right onto Allison Street
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
7
2.2 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Turn left toward I 76 East
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I 76 East
8
5.6 mi into trip
|
~9m in
Take the exit toward I 25: Fort Collins, Colorado Springs
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 5
Toward I 25: Fort Collins, Colorado Springs
7
5.8 mi into trip
|
~9m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 25 North: Fort Collins
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward I 25 North: Fort Collins
8
24.8 mi into trip
|
~32m in
Take the exit toward CO 52: Dacono, Fort Lupton, Frederick, Niwot
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 235
Toward CO 52: Dacono, Fort Lupton, Frederick, N...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.64 one way
$9.28 round trip
$4.29/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $4.90 | $9.79 |
| premium | $4.89 | $5.29 | $10.58 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $6.06 | $12.12 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.3 | 0 | $2.89 | $1.32 |
| Efficient EV | 6.9 | 0 | $2.41 | $1.10 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11 | 0 | $3.85 | $1.76 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Dacono, CO
Afternoon in Dacono on Friday
Local time
3:20 PM
MDT
Current temp
60°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
1 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
37m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
This route covers 27.5 miles with about 18% on highways, meaning you'll spend most of your time on surface roads. The longest stretch on a single highway is 10.5 miles on North Valley Highway. Expect to transition from highway cruising to navigating local traffic fairly quickly. The profile is mostly surface roads, so be prepared for typical urban and suburban driving conditions with varying speed limits.
Only 18% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.5 mi on North Valley Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Allison Street.
Driving Effort
10/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 17 decision points packed into just 27.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 37m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Allison Street): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 2.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 5.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
High-altitude sections with notable climbs
5,384 ft
5,003 ft
Total Climb
253 ft
Total Descent
576 ft
Highest Point
5,384 ft
~11.8 mi in
Elevation Range
381 ft
Notable High Points
5,384 ft at ~11.8 miles
+12 ft prominence
5,201 ft at ~17.7 miles
+27 ft prominence
5,153 ft at ~21.6 miles
+4 ft prominence
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Arvada, CO and Dacono, CO, road signs point toward Colorado Springs, Fort Lupton, Frederick and Niwot.
Colorado Springs
5.6 mi in
|
~9m
Fort Lupton
24.8 mi in
|
~32m
Frederick
24.8 mi in
|
~32m
Niwot
24.8 mi in
|
~32m
About the Cities
Starting in Arvada, CO
Full guide →Founded 1859
Arvada is a city of about 125,000 in the Denver Metropolitan Area of the U.S. state of Colorado. A former farming community in Jefferson and Adams counties, the city is now a residential suburb of Denver. Olde Town Arvada lies 7 miles (11 km) northwest of the Colorado State Capitol and 9 miles (14 km) east of the Front Range foothills.
Top landmarks
- • Arvada Flour Mill — historic mill in Arvada, Colorado, USA
- • Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities — art center in Arvada, Colorado
Arriving in Dacono, CO
Full guide →City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 37m. Total distance: 27.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
37m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 10.5 miles on North Valley Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Dacono, CO before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Allison Street): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 2.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 5.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Dacono, CO before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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