Origin
Arvada, CO
Late night in Arvada on Sunday
Local time
1:55 AM
MDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Arvada, CO to Lafayette, CO
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
27m
Distance
14.5 mi
23 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 25m
★
6 AM
0h 27m
8 AM
0h 32m
10 AM
0h 29m
12 PM
0h 28m
3 PM
0h 29m
5 PM
0h 32m
8 PM
0h 26m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Arvada, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Lafayette, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This straightforward 14.5-mile drive between Arvada and Lafayette, Colorado, should take about 27 minutes, making it an easy day trip. You'll primarily use US 287, Wadsworth Parkway, and Wadsworth Boulevard, with a significant portion on highway. The estimated fuel cost is a modest $2, and with no designated stops, this is a simple transit between two points in the Mountain West region. It's a practical option for a quick commute or a short hop between Denver-area communities.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 287 | 4 mi | 6m |
| Wadsworth Parkway | 3.9 mi | 6m |
| Wadsworth Boulevard | 3.1 mi | 5m |
| South Public Road | 1 mi | 3m |
| Wadsworth Bypass | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Interlocken Loop | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Ralston Road | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| South 112th Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
US 287
— 4 mi, about 6m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Arvada, CO and Lafayette, 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
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Ralston Road
6
Turn left onto CO 121
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Wadsworth Bypass
Use the left / straight lanes.
7
Continue on CO 121
3.1 mi
·
5 min
·
Wadsworth Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
8
Continue on CO 121
3.9 mi
·
6 min
·
Wadsworth Parkway
Use the straight lane.
9
Continue on CO 121
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Interlocken Loop
Use the left lane.
10
Continue on US 287
4.0 mi
·
6 min
·
US 287
11
Continue on South 112th Street
0.2 mi
·
35 sec
·
South 112th Street
12
Enter roundabout onto South Public Road
132 ft
·
3 sec
·
South Public Road
13
Continue on South Public Road
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
South Public Road
Use the left / straight lanes.
14
Turn right
50 ft
·
8 sec
15
Turn left
206 ft
·
15 sec
16
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 13.5 — 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
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
Turn left
Navigation decision point
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
4
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Ralston Road
Turn left onto Ralston Road
Navigation decision point
5
13.5 mi into trip
|
~23m in
|
South Public Road
Enter roundabout onto South Public Road
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.18 one way
$4.37 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $2.31 | $4.63 |
| premium | $4.39 | $2.51 | $5.02 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.20 | $6.40 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.4 | 0 | $1.52 | $0.70 |
| Efficient EV | 3.6 | 0 | $1.27 | $0.58 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.8 | 0 | $2.03 | $0.93 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
Lafayette, CO
Late night in Lafayette on Sunday
Local time
1:55 AM
MDT
Current temp
77°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
31 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
27m 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 mixed drive on this route, with about 55% of the journey on highways. The longest continuous stretch you'll encounter is 4 miles on US 287. This road profile suggests a combination of faster-paced highway driving and potentially some more local road segments as you approach your destination. The character of the drive will likely shift from more open highway to potentially busier surface streets closer to Lafayette.
55% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 4 mi on US 287.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Ammons Street.
Driving Effort
5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 14.5 miles you will encounter 9 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Ammons Street): Navigation decision point; near the start: Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (Allison Street): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch.
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 27m. Total distance: 14.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
27m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (55%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 4 miles on US 287. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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; near the start: Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (Allison Street): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Lafayette, 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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