Arvada, CO to Paonia, CO is 226 miles and takes about 4h 59m via I 70 and CO 133, with a fuel budget near $34 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Colorado, traversing the Mountain West region. It's a primarily highway route that should feel straightforward for most drivers. With a drive time under five hours and a reasonable fuel cost, it's an accessible option for a single-day excursion.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
113 miles from Arvada, CO
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 11m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 70
151.3 mi
2h 52m
CO 133
58.1 mi
1h 36m
Glen Avenue
9.8 mi
15m
Midland Avenue
1.6 mi
2m
Grand Avenue
1 mi
2m
Kipling Parkway
1 mi
1m
West 58th Avenue
0.8 mi
1m
Ralston Road
0.4 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
I 70
— 151.3 mi, about 2h 52m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Arvada, CO and Paonia, 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
151 mi·2 hr 52 min·I 70
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.1 mi·21 sec
Toward CO 82 East: Glenwood Springs, Aspen
10
Continue on CO 82
390 ft·15 sec·Laurel Street
11
Continue on CO 82
0.2 mi·45 sec·Grand Avenue
12
Turn right onto 8th Street
0.4 mi·48 sec·8th Street
13
At end of road, turn left onto Midland Avenue
1.6 mi·2 min·Midland Avenue
14
Enter roundabout onto 27th Street
178 ft·3 sec·27th Street
15
Continue on 27th Street
0.1 mi·12 sec·27th Street
16
Enter roundabout onto 27th Street
84 ft·2 sec·27th Street
17
Continue on 27th Street
0.1 mi·18 sec·27th Street
18
Turn right onto CO 82
9.8 mi·15 min·Glen Avenue
Use the left lane.
19
Turn right onto CO 133
1.1 mi·2 min·CO 133
20
Enter roundabout onto CO 133
110 ft·1 sec·CO 133
21
Continue on CO 133
1.3 mi·2 min·CO 133
22
Continue on CO 133
56 mi·1 hr 31 min·CO 133
Use the left lane.
23
Turn left onto Grand Avenue
0.8 mi·2 min·Grand Avenue
Use the left lane.
24
Turn left onto 3rd Street
0.3 mi·47 sec·3rd Street
25
Turn right onto Orchard Avenue
53 ft·2 sec·Orchard Avenue
26
Arrive at destination
Orchard Avenue
Trip Plan
Given the 4h 59m drive time, leaving Arvada in the morning is your best bet to arrive in Paonia with plenty of daylight. You'll have one recommended stop, but with a drive this manageable, you can be flexible. Pay attention to your fuel gauge, especially as you get closer to Paonia, and check for any potential road work on I 70 before you depart. The majority of the drive is on I 70, so plan your fuel and rest stops accordingly on that stretch before you transition to the more rural highways.
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 113 miles from Arvada, CO, or about 2h 11m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 151.3 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 50 miles or 59m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 113 miles or 2h 11m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 3h 51m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Paonia, CO than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Arvada, CO so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Arvada, CO
This is one driving day of about 226 miles and 4h 59m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 50 miles from Arvada, CO.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on I 70 for about 151.3 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 16
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 156.8 — 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.
5
154.2 mi into trip|~2h 58m in
Take the exit toward CO 82 East: Glenwood Springs, Aspen
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward CO 82 East: Glenwood Springs, Aspen
5
155 mi into trip|~3h in|Midland Avenue
At end of road, turn left onto Midland Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
156.8 mi into trip|~3h 3m in|27th Street
Enter roundabout onto 27th Street
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$34.05 one way
$68.10 round trip
$3.83/gal25.4 MPG avg79 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.05
$36.05
$72.11
premium
$4.39
$39.10
$78.19
diesel
$5.61
$49.90
$99.80
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$34
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$59–$84
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 79.1 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $24 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
67.8
0
$23.73
$10.85
Efficient EV
56.5
0
$19.78
$9.04
EV Truck/SUV
90.4
1
$31.64
$14.46
Gas CO2
79 kg
EV CO2
26 kg (67% less)
Plan for 0 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.
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.
Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026
Origin
Arvada, CO
Night
in Arvada on Saturday
Local time
10:34 PM
MDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Paonia, CO
Night
in Paonia on Saturday
Local time
10:34 PM
MDT
Current temp
74°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
28 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
4h 59m on the road
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park
National Park
Big enough to be overwhelming, yet still intimate enough to feel the pulse of time. Come see some of the steepest cliffs, oldest rock, and craggiest spires in North America. Forces of nature and the G...
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This route is 93% highway, so expect to spend most of your time on major roads. You'll cover a longest stretch of 151.3 miles on I 70, which means extended periods of consistent cruising. The transition to surface roads begins when you exit I 70 and head onto CO 133, and then finally Glen Avenue, for the last portion of the drive. The initial segment on I 70 will likely involve merging with traffic and maintaining highway speeds.
93% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
26 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 151.3 mi on I 70.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 70 and CO 133. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Ammons Street.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 4h 59m drive. You will face about 16 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
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 154.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Arvada, CO to Paonia, CO, road signs begin pointing toward Aspen along the way.
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.
The longest stretch is about 151.3 miles on I 70. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 8 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
Yes, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.
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 154.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Possible but tiring. At 5.0 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 10.0 hours — manageable with a long break at Paonia, CO, but most travelers stay overnight.
