Arvada, CO to The Pinery, CO is 39.4 miles and takes about 56 minutes via North Valley Highway, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Mountain West region and the state of Colorado, primarily utilizing surface roads. Given its short duration, this route is ideal for a same-day excursion, offering a straightforward drive between two points in the Denver metropolitan area. Consider this a simple connector route for local travel.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
North Valley Highway
18.2 mi
22m
South Parker Road
6.4 mi
9m
E-470
4.4 mi
4m
I 70
3 mi
4m
Ralston Road
1.8 mi
3m
Lakeview Drive
1.3 mi
3m
Sheridan Boulevard
1.1 mi
2m
North Pinery Parkway
0.2 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
North Valley Highway
— 18.2 mi, about 22m
Traffic on I-25
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 10 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
7 AM
~7,328 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~456 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
16.1×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 88 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 The Pinery, 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 EastUse 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 274Toward I 25: Fort Collins, Colorado SpringsUse the slight right lane.
10
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi·14 sec
Toward I 25 South: Washington Street, Colorado SpringsUse the slight left / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi·27 sec
Toward I 25 South: Colorado SpringsUse 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 left at fork
0.2 mi·22 sec
Toward I 25 South: Colorado Springs
14
Merge onto I 25
18 mi·22 min·North Valley Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Take the exit
0.2 mi·15 sec
Exit 194Toward E-470 North, CO 470 West: Limon, Grand JunctionUse the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Keep slight left at fork
0.8 mi·1 min
Exit 194Toward E-470 North: LimonUse the slight left / slight right lanes.
17
Merge onto E470
4.4 mi·4 min·E-470
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Take the exit
0.4 mi·48 sec
Exit 5Toward CO 83Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19
Turn slight right
0.1 mi·15 sec
Toward CO 83 South: Parker Road
20
Merge onto CO 83
6.4 mi·9 min·South Parker Road
21
Turn left onto North Pinery Parkway
0.2 mi·33 sec·North Pinery Parkway
Use the left lane.
22
Turn right onto Lakeview Drive
1.3 mi·3 min·Lakeview Drive
23
Turn left onto Mountain View Drive
412 ft·23 sec·Mountain View Drive
24
Turn left
61 ft·4 sec
25
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
The midpoint is around 19.7 miles from Arvada, CO, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 22
5 decision points cluster between mile 6.3 and 25.7 — 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
8
25.5 mi into trip|~35m in
Take the exit toward E-470 North, CO 470 West: Limon, Grand Junction
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 194
Toward E-470 North, CO 470 West: Limon, Grand J...
8
25.7 mi into trip|~35m in
Keep slight left at fork toward E-470 North: Limon
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Exit 194
Toward E-470 North: Limon
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.65 one way
$13.30 round trip
$4.29/gal25.4 MPG avg14 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.52
$7.02
$14.03
premium
$4.89
$7.58
$15.16
diesel
$5.60
$8.69
$17.37
Estimated Tolls: $0.53
E-470
(4.4 mi)$0.53
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Tolls
$1
Total
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 13.8 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging
· 0 stops
· 64% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
11.8
0
$4.14
$1.89
Efficient EV
9.9
0
$3.45
$1.58
EV Truck/SUV
15.8
0
$5.52
$2.52
Gas CO2
14 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (64% 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.
Forecast as of Aug 26, 2026
Origin
Arvada, CO
Late night
in Arvada on Friday
Local time
4:08 AM
MDT
Current temp
60°F
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Partly Cloudy
WNW 3 to 9 mph27% chanceLive forecast
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued August 25 at 6:40PM MDT until August 25 at 7:30PM MDT by NWS Pueblo CO
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued August 25 at 6:37PM MDT by NWS Goodland KS
Destination
The Pinery, CO
Late night
in The Pinery on Friday
Local time
4:08 AM
MDT
Current temp
57°F
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Partly Cloudy
SSE 5 to 9 mph33% chanceLive forecast
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued August 25 at 6:40PM MDT until August 25 at 7:30PM MDT by NWS Pueblo CO
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued August 25 at 6:37PM MDT by NWS Goodland KS
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
3 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
56m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This drive is mostly surface roads, with only an 8% highway share. You'll experience the longest stretch of 18.2 miles on North Valley Highway before transitioning to other surface roads. Expect to navigate typical suburban traffic patterns and potentially some merging as you approach your destination.
Only 8% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
25 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 18.2 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 6.3 miles in.
Driving Effort10/10
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 22 decision points packed into just 39.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 56m.
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.
Elevation Profile
High-altitude sections with notable climbs
6,248 ft5,180 ft
Total Climb
1,204 ft
Total Descent
304 ft
Highest Point
6,248 ft
~39.4 mi in
Elevation Range
1,067 ft
Notable High Points
5,371 ft at ~2.8 miles+24 ft prominence
5,880 ft at ~25.4 miles+3 ft prominence
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 The Pinery, CO, road signs point toward Colorado Springs, E-470 North, Grand Junction and E-470 North: Limon.
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
Doable as a same-day drive at 56m. Total distance: 39.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
56m 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 18.2 miles on North Valley Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.53 in tolls one way, starting with E-470. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.
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 The Pinery, 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 The Pinery, CO before heading back.
