Origin
Berthoud, CO
Late night in Berthoud on Tuesday
Local time
3:07 AM
MDT
Current temp
33°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Berthoud, CO to Boulder, 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
41m
Distance
27.1 mi
44 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 38m
★
6 AM
0h 42m
8 AM
0h 49m
10 AM
0h 44m
12 PM
0h 44m
3 PM
0h 45m
5 PM
0h 49m
8 PM
0h 40m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Berthoud, CO
ThisIsEngineering
Boulder, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Berthoud to Boulder is 27.1 miles and takes about 41 minutes via Diagonal Highway, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short drive stays within Colorado's Mountain West region, connecting two familiar towns. Expect a local feel, more like navigating between communities than a long-haul journey. It's a straightforward trip, perfect for a quick connection or an easy addition to a larger itinerary.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Diagonal Highway | 9.2 mi | 12m |
| Hover Street | 4.2 mi | 8m |
| North 107th Street | 3.8 mi | 4m |
| North Highway 287 | 3 mi | 3m |
| Foothills Parkway | 1.9 mi | 2m |
| Arapahoe Avenue | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| Ute Highway | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| West County Road 8 | 0.7 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Diagonal Highway
— 9.2 mi, about 12m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Berthoud, CO and Boulder, CO.
1
Start on Lake Avenue
40 ft
·
7 sec
·
Lake Avenue
2
Turn left onto North 5th Street
0.2 mi
·
52 sec
·
North 5th Street
3
Turn right onto CO 56
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Mountain Avenue
4
Continue on CO 56
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
West County Road 8
5
Turn left onto US 287
3.0 mi
·
3 min
·
North Highway 287
Use the right lane.
6
Continue on US 287
3.8 mi
·
4 min
·
North 107th Street
7
Continue on US 287
0.2 mi
·
18 sec
·
Main Street
8
Turn right onto CO 66
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Ute Highway
Use the straight lane.
9
Turn left onto Hover Street
4.2 mi
·
8 min
·
Hover Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
10
Take the ramp
360 ft
·
7 sec
Toward CO 119
11
Merge onto CO 119
9.2 mi
·
12 min
·
Diagonal Highway
Use the straight lane.
12
Continue on CO 157
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Foothills Parkway
Use the straight lane.
13
Turn right onto CO 7
1.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Arapahoe Avenue
Use the straight lane.
14
Turn right onto 19th Street
143 ft
·
11 sec
·
19th Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
15
Turn left
87 ft
·
4 sec
16
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 27 — 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
|
North 5th Street
Turn left onto North 5th Street
Navigation decision point
6
1.5 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
US 287 / North Highway 287
Turn left onto US 287 / North Highway 287
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
8.6 mi into trip
|
~12m in
|
CO 66 / Ute Highway
Turn right onto CO 66 / Ute Highway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
5
14.4 mi into trip
|
~22m in
|
CO 119 / Diagonal Highway
Merge onto CO 119 / Diagonal Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
6
27 mi into trip
|
~41m in
|
19th Street
Turn right onto 19th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.08 one way
$8.17 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $4.32 | $8.65 |
| premium | $4.39 | $4.69 | $9.38 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.98 | $11.97 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.5 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 | $2.85 | $1.30 |
| Efficient EV | 6.8 | 0 | $2.37 | $1.08 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.8 | 0 | $3.79 | $1.73 |
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
Boulder, CO
Late night in Boulder on Tuesday
Local time
3:07 AM
MDT
Current temp
58°F
Sunny
NE 7 mph
1% chance
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
25 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
41m on the road
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.
What kind of drive is this?
This route is characterized as a turn-heavy local drive, with only an 18% highway share. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 9.2 miles along Diagonal Highway. You'll be navigating primarily through local roads like Hover Street and North 107th Street, interspersed with that main artery. Expect frequent intersections and changes in speed limits as you move through developed areas. It's less about open road cruising and more about efficient navigation through populated corridors.
Only 18% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 9.2 mi on Diagonal Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near North 5th Street.
Driving Effort
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 27.1 miles you will encounter 10 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: near the start (North 5th Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.5 miles (US 287 / North Highway 287): Lane positioning matters here; at 8.6 miles (CO 66 / Ute Highway): Lane positioning matters here.
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.
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 41m. Total distance: 27.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
41m 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 9.2 miles on Diagonal 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 Boulder, 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: near the start (North 5th Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.5 miles (US 287 / North Highway 287): Lane positioning matters here; at 8.6 miles (CO 66 / Ute Highway): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Boulder, 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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