Origin
Aurora, CO
Morning in Aurora on Tuesday
Local time
6:43 AM
MDT
Current temp
36°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Aurora, CO to Lochbuie, 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
35m
Distance
26.9 mi
43 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 32m
★
6 AM
0h 35m
8 AM
0h 41m
10 AM
0h 37m
12 PM
0h 37m
3 PM
0h 38m
5 PM
0h 41m
8 PM
0h 33m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Aurora, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Lochbuie, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 26.9-mile drive from Aurora, Colorado, to Lochbuie, Colorado, is easily manageable in about 35 minutes, making it a perfect day trip. The route primarily utilizes Peña Boulevard, E-470, and Heartland Expressway, with a 28% share of highway driving. With an estimated fuel cost of just $4, this is an economical excursion. The journey is characterized by a turn-heavy local feel, suggesting you'll navigate various surface streets and intersections. Given its brevity and straightforward nature, this trip requires no overnight stays and is ideal for a quick local excursion within the Mountain West region.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Peña Boulevard | 6.5 mi | 7m |
| E-470 | 6.4 mi | 6m |
| Heartland Expressway | 6.1 mi | 6m |
| I 225 | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| North Potomac Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway | 0.6 mi | <1m |
| County Road 37 | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| North Fitzsimons Parkway | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Peña Boulevard
— 6.5 mi, about 7m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Aurora, CO and Lochbuie, 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 right at fork
0.7 mi
·
57 sec
Exit 12B
Toward I 70 East: Limon
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Merge onto I 70
0.6 mi
·
45 sec
·
Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight right at fork onto Peña Boulevard
6.5 mi
·
7 min
·
Peña Boulevard
Exit 284
Toward Denver International Airport
Use the straight / right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
13 sec
Exit 6
Toward E470 Toll: Fort Collins
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight left at fork
0.6 mi
·
53 sec
Exit 6B
Toward E470 Toll North: Fort Collins
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Keep slight right at fork
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Exit 6B
Toward E470 Toll North
Use the straight / right lanes.
15
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi
·
56 sec
16
Merge onto E470
6.4 mi
·
6 min
·
E-470
Use the slight right lane.
17
Take the exit
1.1 mi
·
1 min
Exit 35
Toward I 76 East: Fort Morgan
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Merge onto I 76
6.1 mi
·
6 min
·
Heartland Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
Exit 25
Toward Lochbuie
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
20
Turn left onto East 168th Avenue;County Road 2
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
·
East 168th Avenue;County Road 2
21
Enter roundabout onto I-76 Frontage Road
12 ft
·
0 sec
·
I-76 Frontage Road
22
Continue on I-76 Frontage Road
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
·
I-76 Frontage Road
23
Turn left onto County Road 37
0.4 mi
·
57 sec
·
County Road 37
24
Arrive at destination
County Road 37
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 195 decision points cluster between mile 1.2 and 11.3 — 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 right at fork toward I 70 East: Limon
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 12B
Toward I 70 East: Limon
8
4.1 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
Peña Boulevard
Keep slight right at fork onto Peña Boulevard toward Denver International Airport
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Exit 284
Toward Denver International Airport
8
10.7 mi into trip
|
~15m in
Keep slight left at fork toward E470 Toll North: Fort Collins
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 6B
Toward E470 Toll North: Fort Collins
8
11.3 mi into trip
|
~16m in
Keep slight right at fork toward E470 Toll North
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Exit 6B
Toward E470 Toll North
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.05 one way
$8.11 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $4.29 | $8.58 |
| premium | $4.39 | $4.65 | $9.31 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.94 | $11.88 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.77
E-470
(6.4 mi)
$0.77
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Tolls
$1
Total
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.1 | 0 | $2.82 | $1.29 |
| Efficient EV | 6.7 | 0 | $2.35 | $1.08 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.8 | 0 | $3.77 | $1.72 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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
Lochbuie, CO
Morning in Lochbuie on Tuesday
Local time
6:43 AM
MDT
Current temp
54°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
18 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
35m 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 drive that's more about navigation than continuous cruising, as indicated by its 'turn-heavy local drive' profile. While 28% of the journey involves highway travel, much of your time will be spent on local roads. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 6.5 miles on Peña Boulevard. This route is likely to feel like a series of connections rather than a single, flowing road. As you progress, the landscape will shift from the general area around Aurora to the surroundings of Lochbuie, with frequent turns guiding your way.
Only 28% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
24 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 6.5 mi on Peña Boulevard.
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 19 decision points packed into just 26.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 35m.
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 4.1 miles (Peña Boulevard): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Aurora, CO and Lochbuie, CO, road signs point toward Denver International Airport, E470 Toll: Fort Collins, E470 Toll North: Fort Collins and E470 Toll North.
Denver International Airport
4.1 mi in
|
~7m
|
via Peña Boulevard
E470 Toll: Fort Collins
10.6 mi in
|
~15m
E470 Toll North: Fort Collins
10.7 mi in
|
~15m
E470 Toll North
11.3 mi in
|
~16m
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 35m. Total distance: 26.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
35m 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 6.5 miles on Peña Boulevard. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.77 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 Lochbuie, 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 4.1 miles (Peña Boulevard): 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 Lochbuie, 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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