Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 6, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
26m
Distance
17 mi
27 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Aurora, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Littleton, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Aurora, CO to Littleton, CO is 17 miles and takes about 26 minutes via I 225 and surface streets, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short drive stays within the Mountain West region, specifically Colorado, connecting two Denver suburbs. It's a straightforward trip ideal for a quick errand or a transition between neighborhoods. You'll spend less than half an hour behind the wheel, making it a very manageable option for any day.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 225 | 8.3 mi | 9m |
| East Belleview Avenue | 4.6 mi | 8m |
| West Littleton Boulevard | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| South Broadway | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| East 6th Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| North Vaughn Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| North Zion Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| West Main Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Aurora, CO and Littleton, CO.
Start on North Vaughn Street
At end of road, turn right onto North Zion Street
Turn left onto Vaughn Street
Turn left onto CO 30
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 225
Keep slight left at fork
Keep slight right at fork
Turn right onto CO 88
Turn left onto South Broadway
Turn right onto West Littleton Boulevard
Continue on West Main Street
Turn left onto South Prince Street
Turn right
Turn right
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 15.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
At end of road, turn right onto North Zion Street
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
Take the ramp toward I 225 South
Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight left at fork toward I 25 South: Colorado Springs
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight right at fork toward CO 88: Belleview Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Turn right onto West Littleton Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$2.87 one way
$5.74 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $3.03 | $6.05 |
| premium | $4.89 | $3.27 | $6.54 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $3.75 | $7.49 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.1 | 0 | $1.79 | $0.82 |
| Efficient EV | 4.3 | 0 | $1.49 | $0.68 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.8 | 0 | $2.38 | $1.09 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Night in Aurora on Saturday
Local time
11:22 PM
MDT
Current temp
63°F
Mostly Clear
Destination
Night in Littleton on Saturday
Local time
11:22 PM
MDT
Current temp
60°F
Mostly Clear
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
This drive is a mix of highway and surface streets, with 49% of the route on the interstate. The longest continuous stretch on a main road is 8.3 miles on I 225. You'll transition from the faster pace of the interstate to surface roads like East Belleview Avenue and West Littleton Boulevard, which means more intersections and potentially denser local traffic as you approach your destination.
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near North Zion Street.
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 13 decision points packed into just 17 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 26m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (North Zion Street): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 9.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
High-altitude sections with notable climbs
Total Climb
403 ft
Total Descent
457 ft
Highest Point
5,661 ft
~4.9 mi in
Elevation Range
311 ft
Notable High Points
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
Founded 1890
Littleton is a city of about 45,000 in the Denver Metropolitan Area of the western U.S. state of Colorado. The seat of Arapahoe County and also extending into adjacent Arapahoe and Douglas counties, the city lies south of Denver along the South Platte River. A former farming community, Littleton is now a residential suburb of Denver.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 26m. Total distance: 17 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
26m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (49%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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