Origin
Boulder, CO
Late night in Boulder on Tuesday
Local time
2:06 AM
MDT
Current temp
53°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Boulder, CO to Coal Creek, 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
46m
Distance
23.4 mi
38 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 42m
★
6 AM
0h 46m
8 AM
0h 54m
10 AM
0h 49m
12 PM
0h 48m
3 PM
0h 49m
5 PM
0h 53m
8 PM
0h 44m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Boulder, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Coal Creek, CO
Braeson Holland
Trip Overview
Boulder, CO to Coal Creek, CO is 23.4 miles and takes about 46m via Coal Creek Canyon Drive, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Colorado, connecting two spots in the Mountain West region. It’s a winding local drive that offers a different pace than highway travel. Consider this route if you're looking for a straightforward, quick excursion without the need for an overnight stay, keeping your travel time under an hour.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Coal Creek Canyon Drive | 9.2 mi | 15m |
| South Foothills Highway | 7.4 mi | 10m |
| Broadway | 2.2 mi | 4m |
| Copperdale Lane | 1.2 mi | 4m |
| Coal Creek Heights Drive | 1 mi | 4m |
| 28th Street | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Arapahoe Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| 27th Way | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Coal Creek Canyon Drive
— 9.2 mi, about 15m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Boulder, CO and Coal Creek, CO.
1
Start on this road
87 ft
·
6 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right onto 19th Street
143 ft
·
13 sec
·
19th Street
3
Turn left onto Arapahoe Avenue
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Arapahoe Avenue
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
4
Turn right onto US 36
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
28th Street
5
Turn straight
0.2 mi
·
18 sec
Toward Baseline Road
6
Keep slight left at fork
381 ft
·
15 sec
Toward Baseline Road, Broadway South
Use the left lane.
7
Continue on 27th Way
0.3 mi
·
45 sec
·
27th Way
Use the left / straight lanes.
8
At end of road, turn left onto CO 93
2.2 mi
·
4 min
·
Broadway
Use the left lane.
9
Continue on CO 93
7.4 mi
·
10 min
·
South Foothills Highway
Use the straight / right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
11
Turn straight onto CO 72
9.2 mi
·
15 min
·
Coal Creek Canyon Drive
12
Turn left onto Copperdale Lane
1.2 mi
·
4 min
·
Copperdale Lane
13
Turn left onto Ridge Road
0.1 mi
·
28 sec
·
Ridge Road
14
Continue on Ridge Road
0.1 mi
·
35 sec
·
Ridge Road
15
Turn right onto Coal Creek Heights Drive
1.0 mi
·
4 min
·
Coal Creek Heights Drive
16
Continue on Beauty Lane
516 ft
·
22 sec
·
Beauty Lane
17
Arrive at destination
Beauty Lane
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 22 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
19th Street
Turn right onto 19th Street
Navigation decision point
6
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Arapahoe Avenue
Turn left onto Arapahoe Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
9
1.6 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Keep slight left at fork toward Baseline Road, Broadway South
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the left lane.
Toward Baseline Road, Broadway South
5
1.9 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
CO 93 / Broadway
At end of road, turn left onto CO 93 / Broadway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
4
22 mi into trip
|
~40m in
|
Ridge Road
Turn left onto Ridge Road
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.53 one way
$7.05 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $3.73 | $7.47 |
| premium | $4.39 | $4.05 | $8.10 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.17 | $10.33 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7 | 0 | $2.46 | $1.12 |
| Efficient EV | 5.9 | 0 | $2.05 | $0.94 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.4 | 0 | $3.28 | $1.50 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
Coal Creek, CO
Late night in Coal Creek on Tuesday
Local time
2:06 AM
MDT
Current temp
56°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
46m 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 for the entirety of this route, with a 0% highway share. You’ll spend the majority of your time navigating Coal Creek Canyon Drive, which accounts for the longest uninterrupted stretch at 9.2 miles. This road offers a continuous, winding experience rather than a mix of fast roads and technical sections. The character remains consistent, focusing on local routes that demand your attention throughout the drive.
Only 0% 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: 9.2 mi on Coal Creek Canyon Drive.
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 19th 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 23.4 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 (19th Street): Navigation decision point; near the start (Arapahoe Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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.
On the drive from Boulder, CO to Coal Creek, CO, road signs begin pointing toward Broadway South along the way.
Broadway South
1.6 mi in
|
~3m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 46m. Total distance: 23.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
46m 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 Coal Creek Canyon Drive. 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 Coal Creek, 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 (19th Street): Navigation decision point; near the start (Arapahoe Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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 Coal Creek, 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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