Aurora to Genesee is 32.2 miles and takes about 47 minutes via Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within Colorado, connecting two points in the Mountain West region. The majority of this trip is on surface roads, offering a more local feel than a pure interstate experience. It's a short enough distance that you can easily complete it in one day, making it ideal for a quick excursion or a straightforward transfer between locations.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway
25.5 mi
31m
Genesee Ridge Road
1.9 mi
4m
I 225
1.1 mi
1m
North Potomac Street
0.6 mi
1m
Shooting Star Drive
0.4 mi
1m
North Fitzsimons Parkway
0.3 mi
<1m
Toledo Street
0.2 mi
<1m
East 17th Place
0.2 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway
— 25.5 mi, about 31m
Traffic on I-70
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 12 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~5,709 veh/hr typical
· worst 6,632
Quietest
2 AM
~537 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
10.6×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 104 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 Aurora, CO and Genesee, 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 NorthUse 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 12AToward I 70 West: DenverUse 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 left at fork onto I 70
23 mi·28 min·Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Take the exit
0.3 mi·43 sec
Exit 256Toward CR 45: Lookout MountainUse the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Turn left onto CR 45
415 ft·10 sec·South Grapevine Road
15
Turn right onto Genesee Ridge Road
1.9 mi·4 min·Genesee Ridge Road
16
Turn left onto Shooting Star Drive
0.4 mi·1 min·Shooting Star Drive
17
Turn left
0.1 mi·48 sec
18
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
The midpoint is around 16.1 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 14
5 decision points cluster between mile 1.2 and 29.4 — 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
6
6 mi into trip|~10m in|I 70 / Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 70 / Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
29.4 mi into trip|~39m in
Take the exit toward CR 45: Lookout Mountain
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 256
Toward CR 45: Lookout Mountain
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.43 one way
$10.87 round trip
$4.29/gal25.4 MPG avg11 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.52
$5.73
$11.47
premium
$4.89
$6.20
$12.39
diesel
$5.60
$7.10
$14.20
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.3 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging
· 0 stops
· 64% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
9.7
0
$3.38
$1.55
Efficient EV
8.1
0
$2.82
$1.29
EV Truck/SUV
12.9
0
$4.51
$2.06
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 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
Aurora, CO
Afternoon
in Aurora on Friday
Local time
4:15 PM
MDT
Current temp
61°F
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Partly Cloudy
S 5 to 9 mph28% 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
Genesee, CO
Afternoon
in Genesee on Friday
Local time
4:15 PM
MDT
Current temp
51°F
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Partly Cloudy
WNW 6 mph29% 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
10 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
47m 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 route is mostly surface roads, with about 25.5 miles of that on Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway. You'll spend about 58% of your time on surface roads, with the remaining 42% on highways like I 225. The longest continuous stretch on a single road is 25.5 miles along Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway. Expect a mix of highway cruising and more local driving as you navigate the area.
Only 4% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 25.5 mi on Tuskegee Airmen Memorial 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 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 14 decision points packed into just 32.2 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.
Elevation Profile
High-altitude sections with notable climbs
7,662 ft5,156 ft
Total Climb
2,534 ft
Total Descent
276 ft
Highest Point
7,662 ft
~32.2 mi in
Elevation Range
2,505 ft
Notable High Points
5,365 ft at ~13.8 miles+29 ft prominence
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 Aurora, CO to Genesee, CO, road signs begin pointing toward Cr 45: Lookout Mountain along the way.
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
Doable as a same-day drive at 47m. Total distance: 32.2 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.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 25.5 miles on Tuskegee Airmen Memorial 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 Genesee, 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 Genesee, CO before heading back.
