Origin
Berthoud, CO
Late night in Berthoud on Tuesday
Local time
4:08 AM
MDT
Current temp
33°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Berthoud, CO to Aurora, 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
1h 2m
Distance
52 mi
84 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 58m
★
6 AM
1h 3m
8 AM
1h 13m
10 AM
1h 6m
12 PM
1h 5m
3 PM
1h 7m
5 PM
1h 12m
8 PM
1h 0m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Berthoud, CO
ThisIsEngineering
Aurora, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 52-mile journey from Berthoud, CO, to Aurora, CO, is a straightforward day trip, taking about 1 hour and 2 minutes. Primarily utilizing the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway and North Valley Highway, you'll experience an 11% highway share, suggesting a good balance of faster travel and local roads. With a fuel cost estimated at $8, this short drive is budget-friendly. Both locations are situated in the Mountain West region, so you won't be crossing any major geographical divides. It's an easy drive, perfect for a quick transit or a leisurely afternoon trip without the need for an overnight stay.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway | 28.9 mi | 31m |
| North Valley Highway | 10.2 mi | 12m |
| East Highway 56 | 3.8 mi | 4m |
| Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway | 2.5 mi | 3m |
| I 225 | 2.2 mi | 2m |
| East County Road 8 | 1 mi | 1m |
| East 6th Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Mountain Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
— 28.9 mi, about 31m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Berthoud, CO and Aurora, CO.
1
Start on Lake Avenue
335 ft
·
16 sec
·
Lake Avenue
2
Turn right onto North 4th Street
0.2 mi
·
38 sec
·
North 4th Street
3
Turn left onto CO 56
0.3 mi
·
57 sec
·
Mountain Avenue
4
Enter roundabout onto CO 56
99 ft
·
5 sec
·
East County Road 8
5
Continue on CO 56
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
East County Road 8
6
Continue on CO 56
3.8 mi
·
4 min
·
East Highway 56
7
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
Toward I 25 South: Denver
8
Merge onto I 25
22 mi
·
22 min
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Continue on I 25
0.6 mi
·
36 sec
·
North Valley Highway
10
Keep slight right at fork onto I 25
8.8 mi
·
10 min
·
North Valley Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight right at fork onto I 25
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
North Valley Highway
12
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Exit 217B
Toward I 270 East: Aurora, Limon
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
13
Merge onto I 270
6.7 mi
·
8 min
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Merge onto I 70
2.5 mi
·
3 min
·
Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Take the exit
1.0 mi
·
1 min
Exit 282
Toward I 225 South: Aurora, Colorado Springs
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Continue on I 225
2.2 mi
·
2 min
·
I 225
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
Exit 9
Toward CO 30: 6th Avenue
Use the slight right lane.
18
Turn right onto CO 30
0.3 mi
·
31 sec
·
East 6th Avenue
Use the right lane.
19
Turn right onto Vaughn Street
257 ft
·
12 sec
·
Vaughn Street
20
Turn right onto North Zion Street
509 ft
·
27 sec
·
North Zion Street
21
Turn left onto North Vaughn Street
0.2 mi
·
43 sec
·
North Vaughn Street
22
Arrive at destination
North Vaughn Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
26 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 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 26 miles from Berthoud, 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 165 decision points cluster between mile 0.3 and 51.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.3 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
CO 56 / Mountain Avenue
Turn left onto CO 56 / Mountain Avenue
Navigation decision point
6
28.6 mi into trip
|
~31m in
|
I 25 / North Valley Highway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 25 / North Valley Highway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
38.2 mi into trip
|
~43m in
Take the exit toward I 270 East: Aurora, Limon
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
Exit 217B
Toward I 270 East: Aurora, Limon
8
47.9 mi into trip
|
~56m in
Take the exit toward I 225 South: Aurora, Colorado Springs
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 282
Toward I 225 South: Aurora, Colorado Springs
7
51.1 mi into trip
|
~1h in
Take the exit toward CO 30: 6th Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 9
Toward CO 30: 6th Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.83 one way
$15.67 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
18 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $8.30 | $16.59 |
| premium | $4.39 | $9.00 | $17.99 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $11.48 | $22.96 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 18.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 15.6 | 0 | $5.46 | $2.50 |
| Efficient EV | 13 | 0 | $4.55 | $2.08 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 20.8 | 0 | $7.28 | $3.33 |
Gas CO2
18 kg
EV CO2
6 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
Aurora, CO
Late night in Aurora on Tuesday
Local time
4:08 AM
MDT
Current temp
36°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
3 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 2m 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' profile for this 52-mile route. While 11% of your journey will be on highways, much of the drive will involve navigating local roads. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 28.9 miles on the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, offering a period of more consistent travel before you transition back to more frequent turns. This route isn't a monotonous interstate cruise; rather, it’s a more engaging drive that requires your attention to road changes and turns as you make your way between Berthoud and Aurora.
Only 11% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 28.9 mi on Dwight D. Eisenhower 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 0.3 miles in near CO 56 / Mountain Avenue.
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 52 miles you will encounter 16 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 0.3 miles (CO 56 / Mountain Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 28.6 miles (I 25 / North Valley Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 38.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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 Berthoud, CO and Aurora, CO, road signs point toward Limon and Colorado Springs.
Limon
38.2 mi in
|
~43m
Colorado Springs
47.9 mi in
|
~56m
About the Cities
Starting in Berthoud, CO
Full guide →Berthoud is a city in the Front Range region of Colorado. Berthoud is a small town (less than 5000 residents) located just south of Loveland.
Arriving 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 1h 2m. Total distance: 52 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 2m 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 28.9 miles on Dwight D. Eisenhower 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 Aurora, 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 0.3 miles (CO 56 / Mountain Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 28.6 miles (I 25 / North Valley Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 38.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Aurora, 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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