Aurora, CO to Palisade, CO is 245.8 miles and takes about 4h 41m via Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway, Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway, and Dinosaur Diamond Prehistoric Highway, with a fuel budget near $43 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Colorado, connecting two points in the Mountain West region. The route primarily utilizes surface roads, offering a more local feel than a pure interstate experience. With only one recommended stop and a manageable duration, it's a straightforward drive for a single day.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
122.9 miles from Aurora, CO
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 25m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway
151.8 mi
2h 55m
Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway
80.8 mi
1h 25m
Dinosaur Diamond Prehistoric Highway
6.2 mi
7m
US 6
2.8 mi
4m
I 225
1.1 mi
1m
North Potomac Street
0.6 mi
1m
North Fitzsimons Parkway
0.3 mi
<1m
Main Street
0.3 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway
— 151.8 mi, about 2h 55m
Traffic on I-70
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 22 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~2,585 veh/hr typical
· worst 3,268
Quietest
2 AM
~204 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
12.7×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 52 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 Palisade, 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
150 mi·2 hr 52 min·Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Continue on I 70
81 mi·1 hr 25 min·Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway
Use the straight lane.
14
Continue on I 70
6.2 mi·7 min·Dinosaur Diamond Prehistoric Highway
15
Take the exit onto US 6
2.8 mi·4 min·US 6
Exit 44Toward Palisade
16
Turn right onto Main Street
0.3 mi·41 sec·Main Street
17
Arrive at destination
Main Street
Trip Plan
Given the 4 hour 41 minute drive time, leaving Aurora in the morning will give you ample daylight to reach Palisade. Plan for one stop along the way to break up the 245.8 miles; consider timing this stop around the 151.8-mile mark on the Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway. With a fuel cost estimated at $43, it's a budget-friendly trip. Since this is a single-day drive, you have flexibility in your departure time, but an early start is recommended to maximize your time in Palisade.
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 122.9 miles from Aurora, CO, or about 2h 25m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 151.8 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 54 miles or 1h 5m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 122.9 miles or 2h 25m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 3h 51m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Palisade, CO than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Aurora, CO so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Aurora, CO
This is one driving day of about 245.8 miles and 4h 41m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 54 miles from Aurora, CO.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway for about 151.8 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 11
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip|~0m in|Toledo Street
Turn right onto Toledo Street
Navigation decision point
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.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$37.48 one way
$74.96 round trip
$3.87/gal25.4 MPG avg86 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.12
$39.84
$79.68
premium
$4.45
$43.09
$86.18
diesel
$4.80
$46.41
$92.82
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$37
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$62–$87
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 86 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $26 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
73.7
0
$25.81
$11.80
Efficient EV
61.5
0
$21.51
$9.83
EV Truck/SUV
98.3
1
$34.41
$15.73
Gas CO2
86 kg
EV CO2
29 kg (66% less)
Plan for 0 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.
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 Jul 18, 2026
Origin
Aurora, CO
Late night
in Aurora on Sunday
Local time
12:59 AM
MDT
Current temp
67°F
Mostly Clear
SW 6 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued July 17 at 12:00PM MDT until July 20 at 9:00PM MDT by NWS Denver CO
Destination
Palisade, CO
Late night
in Palisade on Sunday
Local time
12:59 AM
MDT
Current temp
68°F
Mostly Clear
NE 5 mph10% chanceLive forecast
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued July 17 at 12:00PM MDT until July 20 at 9:00PM MDT by NWS Denver CO
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
1 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
4h 41m on the road
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Colorado National Monument
National Monument
Colorado National Monument preserves one of the grand landscapes of the American West. But this treasure is much more than a monument. Towering monoliths exist within a vast plateau and canyon panoram...
19 mi from route
~47 min detour
$25
near mile 245.8
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This route involves 245.8 miles of driving, with the majority on surface roads. You'll spend the longest stretch, 151.8 miles, on the Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway. After this initial highway segment, the profile shifts to mostly surface roads. Expect a less continuous highway experience with more varied driving conditions as you transition from the highway.
Only 2% 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: 151.8 mi on Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
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 early in the drive near Toledo Street.
Driving Effort8/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 11 significant decision points across 245.8 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Toledo Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.2 miles (East 17th Place): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mountain driving with significant elevation changes
11,001 ft4,728 ft
Total Climb
5,652 ft
Total Descent
6,328 ft
Highest Point
11,001 ft
~70.2 mi in
Elevation Range
6,273 ft
Notable High Points
11,001 ft at ~70.2 miles+1,573 ft prominence
Detours Along the Way
Tagged by where each one fits in your drive — first break, midpoint, final stretch.
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
Palisade is a town in the northwestern part of the Rocky Mountains state of Colorado near Grand Junction. Palisade is perhaps most famous for its fruit orchards and the vineyards that comprise Colorado's Wine Country.
Doable as a same-day drive at 4h 41m. Total distance: 245.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
4h 41m drive, comfortable solo distance.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 151.8 miles on Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 15 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
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 Palisade, CO before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 1 meaningful breaks. There are 15 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Toledo Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.2 miles (East 17th Place): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Colorado National Monument. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Possible but tiring. At 4.7 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 9.4 hours — manageable with a long break at Palisade, CO, but most travelers stay overnight.
