Origin
Aurora, CO
Night in Aurora on Saturday
Local time
10:37 PM
MDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Aurora, CO to Manitou Springs, CO
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 23m
Distance
70.9 mi
114 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$11
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 17m
★
6 AM
1h 24m
8 AM
1h 37m
10 AM
1h 28m
12 PM
1h 27m
3 PM
1h 29m
5 PM
1h 36m
8 PM
1h 20m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Aurora, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Manitou Springs, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are planning a quick getaway within the Mountain West, the 70.9-mile journey from Aurora to Manitou Springs is an ideal day trip. You can expect to spend about 1 hour and 23 minutes behind the wheel, making it a manageable excursion that doesn't require an overnight stay. With a modest fuel budget of approximately $11, this drive is as economical as it is convenient. You will navigate via the South Valley Highway, I-225, and the Monument Valley Freeway to reach your destination. Because the entire route remains within Colorado, you will stay comfortably within the familiar geography of the region while transitioning from the suburban outskirts of Aurora to the foothills of Manitou Springs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| South Valley Highway | 51.6 mi | 54m |
| I 225 | 8.3 mi | 9m |
| Monument Valley Freeway | 3.3 mi | 3m |
| Midland Expressway | 2.2 mi | 3m |
| West Fillmore Street | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| North 31st Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Fontmore Road | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Washington Avenue | 0.3 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
South Valley Highway
— 51.6 mi, about 54m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Aurora, CO and Manitou Springs, CO.
1
Start on North Vaughn Street
0.2 mi
·
45 sec
·
North Vaughn Street
2
At end of road, turn right onto North Zion Street
509 ft
·
26 sec
·
North Zion Street
3
Turn left onto Vaughn Street
257 ft
·
18 sec
·
Vaughn Street
4
Turn left onto CO 30
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
·
East 6th Avenue
5
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
Toward I 225 South
Use the right lane.
6
Merge onto I 225
8.3 mi
·
9 min
·
I 225
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
33 sec
Toward I 25 South: Colorado Springs
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
12 sec
9
Merge onto I 25
52 mi
·
54 min
·
South Valley Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Continue on I 25
3.3 mi
·
3 min
·
Monument Valley Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
Exit 145
Toward Fillmore Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight right at fork
232 ft
·
7 sec
Toward Fillmore Street West
Use the slight right lane.
13
Continue on West Fillmore Street
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
West Fillmore Street
14
Continue on Fontmore Road
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Fontmore Road
15
Continue on West Fontanero Street
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
·
West Fontanero Street
16
Turn left onto North 31st Street
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
North 31st Street
17
Turn sharp right onto US 24
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
·
West Cimarron Street
18
Continue on US 24
2.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Midland Expressway
19
Turn left onto Sunshine Trail
0.2 mi
·
43 sec
·
Sunshine Trail
20
Turn right onto Washington Avenue
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Washington Avenue
21
Turn right onto Cañon Avenue
146 ft
·
7 sec
·
Cañon Avenue
22
Turn right
88 ft
·
6 sec
23
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
35 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 16 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 35.4 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 155 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 64.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
North Zion Street
At end of road, turn right onto North Zion Street
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
6
0.6 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Take the ramp toward I 225 South
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward I 225 South
7
9.2 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 25 South: Colorado Springs
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward I 25 South: Colorado Springs
7
64.7 mi into trip
|
~1h 10m in
Take the exit toward Fillmore Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 145
Toward Fillmore Street
8
64.8 mi into trip
|
~1h 11m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Fillmore Street West
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward Fillmore Street West
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$10.68 one way
$21.36 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
25 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $11.31 | $22.62 |
| premium | $4.39 | $12.27 | $24.53 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $15.65 | $31.31 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$11
Estimated CO2 emission: 24.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 21.3 | 0 | $7.44 | $3.40 |
| Efficient EV | 17.7 | 0 | $6.20 | $2.84 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 28.4 | 0 | $9.93 | $4.54 |
Gas CO2
25 kg
EV CO2
8 kg (68% 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
Manitou Springs, CO
Night in Manitou Springs on Saturday
Local time
10:37 PM
MDT
Current temp
64°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
17 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
1h 23m 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 that demands your full attention rather than a mindless cruise down a straight interstate. Only 20% of your travel time will be spent on major highways, meaning you will spend the majority of your trip navigating local routes. The most significant portion of your journey involves a 51.6-mile stretch along the South Valley Highway, which serves as the backbone of your trip. As you move away from the initial highway segments, the road character shifts, requiring you to adapt to the more technical, winding nature of the local roads. This transition provides a distinct contrast to typical high-speed interstate travel, giving you a more grounded feel for the terrain.
Only 20% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
23 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 51.6 mi on South Valley 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 0.2 miles in near North Zion Street.
Driving Effort
10/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 70.9 miles you will encounter 15 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
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.
Elevation Profile
High-altitude sections with notable climbs
7,229 ft
5,404 ft
Total Climb
2,320 ft
Total Descent
1,373 ft
Highest Point
7,229 ft
~47.3 mi in
Elevation Range
1,826 ft
Notable High Points
5,602 ft at ~5.9 miles
+6 ft prominence
6,404 ft at ~20.7 miles
+117 ft prominence
7,229 ft at ~47.3 miles
+100 ft prominence
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.
On the drive from Aurora, CO to Manitou Springs, CO, road signs begin pointing toward Fillmore Street West along the way.
Fillmore Street West
64.8 mi in
|
~1h 11m
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 1h 23m. Total distance: 70.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 23m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 51.6 miles on South Valley 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 Manitou Springs, 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 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.
Yes — Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Manitou Springs, 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, EIA for fuel prices, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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