Origin
Aurora, CO
Late night in Aurora on Sunday
Local time
1:54 AM
MDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Aurora, CO to Boulder, CO
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
47m
Distance
34.2 mi
55 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 43m
★
6 AM
0h 47m
8 AM
0h 55m
10 AM
0h 50m
12 PM
0h 49m
3 PM
0h 50m
5 PM
0h 54m
8 PM
0h 45m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Aurora, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Boulder, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Driving from Aurora to Boulder is a quick 34.2-mile trip that comfortably bridges two major hubs in the Mountain West region. You can expect to spend about 42 minutes behind the wheel, making this an ideal day trip that requires no overnight stay. With a fuel budget of just $5, it is an incredibly economical route to navigate. Because there are no scheduled stops, you have the flexibility to head out and return on your own timeline. This journey remains entirely within Colorado, offering a straightforward path between these two cities.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Denver–Boulder Turnpike | 20.1 mi | 23m |
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway | 6.6 mi | 8m |
| Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway | 2.1 mi | 2m |
| I 225 | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| 28th Street | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Arapahoe Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| North Potomac Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| North Fitzsimons Parkway | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Denver–Boulder Turnpike
— 20.1 mi, about 23m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Aurora, CO and Boulder, CO.
1
Start on North Vaughn Street
80 ft
·
5 sec
·
North Vaughn Street
2
Turn right onto Toledo Street
0.2 mi
·
49 sec
·
Toledo Street
3
Turn slight right onto East 10th Avenue
257 ft
·
16 sec
·
East 10th Avenue
4
Turn left onto North Potomac Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
North Potomac Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
Continue on North Fitzsimons Parkway
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
·
North Fitzsimons Parkway
Use the left lane.
6
Turn right onto East 17th Place
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
·
East 17th Place
Use the straight / right lanes.
7
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
51 sec
Toward I 225 North
Use the left lane.
8
Merge onto I 225
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
I 225
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.8 mi
·
1 min
Exit 12A
Toward I 70 West: Denver
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
46 sec
Toward I 70 West: Denver
11
Merge onto I 70
2.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway
Use the straight lane.
12
Keep slight right at fork onto I 270
6.6 mi
·
8 min
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Exit 279A
Toward I 270 West: Boulder
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Continue on US 36
2.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Denver–Boulder Turnpike
14
Keep slight right at fork onto US 36
1.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Denver–Boulder Turnpike
15
Keep slight right at fork onto US 36
2.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Denver–Boulder Turnpike
16
Keep slight right at fork onto US 36
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Denver–Boulder Turnpike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Keep slight right at fork onto US 36
2.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Denver–Boulder Turnpike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Keep slight right at fork onto US 36
2.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Denver–Boulder Turnpike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19
Keep slight right at fork onto US 36
2.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Denver–Boulder Turnpike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
20
Keep slight right at fork onto US 36
2.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Denver–Boulder Turnpike
21
Keep slight left at fork onto US 36
2.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Denver–Boulder Turnpike
Use the straight lane.
22
Continue on US 36
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
28th Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
23
Turn left onto Arapahoe Avenue
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Arapahoe Avenue
Use the left lane.
24
Turn right onto 19th Street
143 ft
·
11 sec
·
19th Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
25
Turn left
87 ft
·
4 sec
26
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
17 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 34 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 17.1 miles from Aurora, 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 205 decision points cluster between mile 1.2 and 19 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
1.2 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
East 17th Place
Turn right onto East 17th Place
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
1.3 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Take the ramp toward I 225 North
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I 225 North
8
2.8 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 70 West: Denver
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 12A
Toward I 70 West: Denver
8
6 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
I 270 / Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 270 / Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway toward I 270 West: Boulder
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 279A
Toward I 270 West: Boulder
6
19 mi into trip
|
~27m in
|
US 36 / Denver–Boulder Turnpike
Keep slight right at fork onto US 36 / Denver–Boulder Turnpike
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.15 one way
$10.31 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $5.46 | $10.91 |
| premium | $4.39 | $5.92 | $11.83 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.55 | $15.10 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.41
Denver–Boulder Turnpike
(20.1 mi)
$1.41
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Tolls
$1
Total
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 12 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10.3 | 0 | $3.59 | $1.64 |
| Efficient EV | 8.6 | 0 | $2.99 | $1.37 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13.7 | 0 | $4.79 | $2.19 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 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
Boulder, CO
Late night in Boulder on Sunday
Local time
1:54 AM
MDT
Current temp
72°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
25 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
47m 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 rather than a high-speed interstate cruise, as this route features a 0% highway share. You will navigate via Toledo Street, East 10th Avenue, and North Potomac Street to reach your destination. Since the path relies on local roads, you will experience a more granular, stop-and-go feel compared to a standard highway haul. There are no exceptionally long, uninterrupted stretches, meaning you should stay alert for frequent turns throughout the 42-minute duration. It is a practical, utilitarian drive that keeps you off the major freeways.
63% 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: 20.1 mi on Denver–Boulder Turnpike.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Denver–Boulder Turnpike and Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.2 miles in near East 17th Place.
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 20 decision points packed into just 34.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 47m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.2 miles (East 17th Place): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 2.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Aurora, CO
Full guide →Aurora is a city of about 400,000 of the Denver Metropolitan Area in the western U.S. state of Colorado. The city lies immediately east of Denver in Arapahoe, Adams, and Douglas counties. In 2008 it was named the "All American City."
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 47m. Total distance: 34.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
47m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (63%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 20.1 miles on Denver–Boulder Turnpike. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $1.41 in tolls one way, starting with Denver–Boulder Turnpike. 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 Boulder, 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 1.2 miles (East 17th Place): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 2.8 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 Boulder, 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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