Origin
Arvada, CO
Late night in Arvada on Sunday
Local time
1:48 AM
MDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Arvada, CO to Denver, CO
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
20m
Distance
10 mi
16 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 19m
★
6 AM
0h 21m
8 AM
0h 24m
10 AM
0h 22m
12 PM
0h 22m
3 PM
0h 22m
5 PM
0h 24m
8 PM
0h 20m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Arvada, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Denver, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a quick commute between Arvada and Denver, this 10.2-mile journey is a straightforward trip that takes about 20 minutes to complete. It serves perfectly as a simple day trip, requiring no overnight stays or complex logistics. You can expect to spend about $1 on fuel, making it an incredibly economical way to travel within the Mountain West region. Navigating this route involves a series of local roads, specifically Ammons Street, Allison Street, and Ralston Road. Since there is no highway driving involved, it is best suited for those who prefer navigating city streets over high-speed transit.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 70 | 3 mi | 4m |
| Ralston Road | 1.8 mi | 3m |
| Sheridan Boulevard | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| North Broadway | 1 mi | 3m |
| Park Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Park Avenue West | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| West 22nd Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Grand Army of the Republic Highway | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 70
— 3 mi, about 4m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Arvada, CO and Denver, 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
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Sheridan Boulevard
Use the right lane.
7
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
Toward I 70 East
Use the right lane.
8
Merge onto I 70
3.0 mi
·
4 min
·
I 70
Use the right lane.
9
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
Exit 274
Toward I 25: Fort Collins, Colorado Springs
Use the slight right lane.
10
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi
·
14 sec
Toward I 25 South: Washington Street, Colorado Springs
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
Toward I 25 South: Colorado Springs
Use the slight right lane.
12
Merge onto Grand Army of the Republic Highway
0.2 mi
·
11 sec
·
Grand Army of the Republic Highway
Toward I 25 South
13
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
Toward 38th Avenue, Park Avenue, Downtown
Use the slight right lane.
14
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi
·
12 sec
Toward Park Avenue, Downtown
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Continue on Park Avenue
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Park Avenue
16
Turn straight onto Park Avenue West
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Park Avenue West
17
Continue on West 22nd Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
West 22nd Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
18
Turn right onto North Broadway
1.0 mi
·
3 min
·
North Broadway
Use the straight / right lanes.
19
Turn left onto East 14th Avenue
0.1 mi
·
29 sec
·
East 14th Avenue
Use the left lane.
20
Turn left
358 ft
·
27 sec
Use the straight / left lanes.
21
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 165 decision points cluster between mile 6.3 and 7.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
6.3 mi into trip
|
~11m 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 274
Toward I 25: Fort Collins, Colorado Springs
9
6.5 mi into trip
|
~11m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 25 South: Washington Street, Colorado Springs
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward I 25 South: Washington Street, Colorado...
8
6.7 mi into trip
|
~11m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 25 South: Colorado Springs
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 25 South: Colorado Springs
9
7 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Keep slight right at fork toward 38th Avenue, Park Avenue, Downtown
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward 38th Avenue, Park Avenue, Downtown
9
7.2 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Park Avenue, Downtown
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward Park Avenue, Downtown
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.51 one way
$3.01 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $1.60 | $3.19 |
| premium | $4.39 | $1.73 | $3.46 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.21 | $4.42 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 3.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3 | 0 | $1.05 | $0.48 |
| Efficient EV | 2.5 | 0 | $0.88 | $0.40 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4 | 0 | $1.40 | $0.64 |
Gas CO2
3 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (67% 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
Denver, CO
Late night in Denver on Sunday
Local time
1:48 AM
MDT
Current temp
46°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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
20m 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?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive that keeps you engaged with your surroundings rather than a monotonous interstate grind. With a highway share of 0%, this route relies entirely on surface streets where you will need to stay alert for frequent turns. The longest stretch you will encounter is 0 miles on Ammons Street, emphasizing the stop-and-go nature of this path. You won't find any long, uninterrupted stretches here, so be prepared for a drive that demands consistent attention to local traffic patterns. It is a practical, functional transit route through the heart of the region.
30% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
21 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 3 mi on I 70.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 6.3 miles in.
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 16 decision points packed into just 10 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 20m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 6.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 6.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 6.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
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 Denver, CO, road signs point toward Colorado Springs and Downtown.
Colorado Springs
6.3 mi in
|
~11m
Downtown
7 mi in
|
~12m
About the Cities
Starting in Arvada, CO
Full guide →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.
Arriving in Denver, CO
Full guide →Denver is the capital of the western U.S. state of Colorado and the dominant city of the Rocky Mountain Region. Founded in 1858 as the placer gold mining camp known as the Cherry Creek Diggings, the "Mile-High City" is today the most populous city within a 560-mile (900 km) radius and the center of the Front Range Urban Corridor of more than five million residents. Denver embraces its cowboy and mining past but also looks toward the future with a vibrant arts and performing arts scene, dozens of great outdoor festivals, and distinct neighborhoods each offering a unique experience. You'll find everything a cosmopolitan city has to offer including a spectacular view of and easy access to the beautiful Rocky Mountains, which arise only 12 miles (19 km) west of the Colorado State Capitol.
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 20m. Total distance: 10 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
20m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (30%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 3 miles on I 70. 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 Denver, 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 6.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 6.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 6.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Denver, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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