Origin
Aurora, CO
Late night in Aurora on Tuesday
Local time
4:49 AM
MDT
Current temp
36°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Aurora, CO to Commerce City, CO
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
17m
Distance
10.1 mi
16 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 16m
★
6 AM
0h 18m
8 AM
0h 21m
10 AM
0h 19m
12 PM
0h 19m
3 PM
0h 19m
5 PM
0h 21m
8 PM
0h 17m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Aurora, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Commerce City, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 10.1-mile drive from Aurora to Commerce City, Colorado, should take you about 17 minutes to complete. It's an easy day trip, so no overnight stays are necessary. You'll primarily be on highways like Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway and Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway, with about 14% of the journey on them. The estimated fuel cost is a very affordable $2, making this a budget-friendly excursion. Given its brevity and the regions being within the Mountain West, this trip is more about efficient travel than a destination in itself.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway | 3.3 mi | 4m |
| Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway | 2.1 mi | 2m |
| I 225 | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| North Potomac Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| North Fitzsimons Parkway | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| North Vasquez Boulevard | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Toledo Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| East 17th Place | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
— 3.3 mi, about 4m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Aurora, CO and Commerce City, 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
3.3 mi
·
4 min
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Exit 279A
Toward I 270 West: Boulder
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
Exit 2B
Toward US 85, CO 2 North: Vasquez Boulevard
Use the slight right lane.
14
Merge onto US 6; US 85; CO 2
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
North Vasquez Boulevard
15
Turn left onto Dexter Street
0.2 mi
·
52 sec
·
Dexter Street
Use the left lane.
16
Turn left
0.1 mi
·
53 sec
17
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 135 decision points cluster between mile 1.2 and 9.8 — 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.
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
8
9.3 mi into trip
|
~15m in
Take the exit toward US 85, CO 2 North: Vasquez Boulevard
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 2B
Toward US 85, CO 2 North: Vasquez Boulevard
7
9.8 mi into trip
|
~16m in
|
Dexter Street
Turn left onto Dexter Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.52 one way
$3.04 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $1.61 | $3.22 |
| premium | $4.39 | $1.75 | $3.49 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.23 | $4.46 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 3.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3 | 0 | $1.06 | $0.48 |
| Efficient EV | 2.5 | 0 | $0.88 | $0.40 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4 | 0 | $1.41 | $0.65 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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
Commerce City, CO
Late night in Commerce City on Tuesday
Local time
4:49 AM
MDT
Current temp
36°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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
17m 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 for this short hop. While only 14% of the route utilizes highways, you'll experience a longest uninterrupted stretch of 3.3 miles on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. The profile suggests a route that winds through local roads more than it cruises on open highway. This means you'll likely encounter more traffic signals and intersections than you would on a pure interstate journey. Be prepared for a dynamic driving experience with frequent adjustments.
Only 14% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 3.3 mi on Dwight D. Eisenhower 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 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 13 decision points packed into just 10.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 17m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.2 miles (East 17th Place): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 6 miles (I 270 / Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Aurora, CO
Full guide →Founded 1891
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."
Top landmarks
- • DeLaney Barn
- • Blanche A. Wilson House — house
- • Plains Conservation Center — park in Colorado, United States of America
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 17m. Total distance: 10.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
17m 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 3.3 miles on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. 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 Commerce City, 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 2.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 6 miles (I 270 / Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway): 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 Commerce City, 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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