Origin
Arvada, CO
Late night in Arvada on Sunday
Local time
1:59 AM
MDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Arvada, CO to Indian Hills, CO
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
28m
Distance
20.4 mi
33 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 26m
★
6 AM
0h 29m
8 AM
0h 34m
10 AM
0h 31m
12 PM
0h 30m
3 PM
0h 31m
5 PM
0h 34m
8 PM
0h 27m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Arvada, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Indian Hills, CO
Jacob Moore
Trip Overview
This 20.4-mile drive from Arvada, CO, to Indian Hills, CO, is a quick trip that can easily be completed in about 28 minutes. Primarily a highway-focused experience, you'll spend about 81% of your time on major roads like I-70, CO 470, and US 285. With a modest fuel cost estimated at $3, this route is perfect for a single-day excursion, requiring no overnight stays. The journey stays within the Mountain West region, offering a straightforward and efficient passage between these two Colorado locations. It's an uncomplicated way to get from point A to point B.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 70 | 6.7 mi | 7m |
| CO 470 | 5.1 mi | 5m |
| US 285 | 3.9 mi | 5m |
| Kipling Parkway | 1 mi | 1m |
| West 58th Avenue | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Ralston Road | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Parmalee Gulch Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Kipling Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 70
— 6.7 mi, about 7m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Arvada, CO and Indian Hills, CO.
1
Start on this road
41 ft
·
5 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right onto Ammons Street
227 ft
·
9 sec
·
Ammons Street
3
Turn right onto Ralston Road
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Ralston Road
4
Continue on West 58th Avenue
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
West 58th Avenue
5
Turn left onto Kipling Parkway
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Kipling Parkway
Use the left lane.
6
Continue on CO 391
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
·
Kipling Street
Use the left lane.
7
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
45 sec
Toward I 70 West
8
Merge onto I 70
6.7 mi
·
7 min
·
I 70
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.7 mi
·
50 sec
Exit 260
Toward CO 470 East: Colorado Springs
Use the slight right lane.
10
Merge onto CO 470
5.1 mi
·
5 min
·
CO 470
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.7 mi
·
1 min
Exit 5A
Toward US 285 South: Fairplay
Use the slight right lane.
12
Merge onto US 285
3.9 mi
·
5 min
·
US 285
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Turn right onto CH 120
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
·
Parmalee Gulch Road
14
Turn left onto Santa Clara Road
465 ft
·
20 sec
·
Santa Clara Road
15
Continue on Santa Clara Road
298 ft
·
13 sec
·
Santa Clara Road
16
Keep slight left at fork onto Hiawatha Trail
173 ft
·
7 sec
·
Hiawatha Trail
17
Arrive at destination
Hiawatha Trail
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 125 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 15.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Ammons Street
Turn right onto Ammons Street
Navigation decision point
5
2.9 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
I 70
Merge onto I 70
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
9.6 mi into trip
|
~13m in
Take the exit toward CO 470 East: Colorado Springs
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 260
Toward CO 470 East: Colorado Springs
5
10.3 mi into trip
|
~14m in
|
CO 470
Merge onto CO 470
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
15.3 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Take the exit toward US 285 South: Fairplay
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 5A
Toward US 285 South: Fairplay
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.07 one way
$6.15 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $3.25 | $6.51 |
| premium | $4.39 | $3.53 | $7.06 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.50 | $9.01 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.1 | 0 | $2.14 | $0.98 |
| Efficient EV | 5.1 | 0 | $1.78 | $0.82 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.2 | 0 | $2.86 | $1.31 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
Indian Hills, CO
Late night in Indian Hills on Sunday
Local time
1:59 AM
MDT
Current temp
38°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
8 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
28m 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 highway-centric experience for most of this 28-minute journey, with 81% of the drive taking place on major thoroughfares. You'll encounter a longest stretch of 6.7 miles on I-70, which will likely involve higher speeds and a more direct travel feel. The route then transitions through segments on CO 470 and US 285, maintaining a consistent highway profile throughout. This isn't a winding scenic byway, but rather an efficient connection designed for steady progress. You'll be covering ground quickly on this predominantly freeway-style drive.
81% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 6.7 mi on I 70.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 70 and CO 470. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Ammons Street.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 20.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 28m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Ammons Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.9 miles (I 70): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 9.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
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.
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 28m. Total distance: 20.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
28m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (81%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 6.7 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 Indian Hills, 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: near the start (Ammons Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.9 miles (I 70): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 9.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Indian Hills, 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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