Origin
Brighton, CO
Late night in Brighton on Tuesday
Local time
4:49 AM
MDT
Current temp
33°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Brighton, CO to Commerce City, 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
20m
Distance
14.9 mi
24 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 19m
★
6 AM
0h 20m
8 AM
0h 24m
10 AM
0h 22m
12 PM
0h 21m
3 PM
0h 22m
5 PM
0h 24m
8 PM
0h 19m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Brighton, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Commerce City, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a quick, efficient connection within the Mountain West, the 14.9-mile journey from Brighton to Commerce City is a straightforward choice. You can expect to reach your destination in about 20 minutes, making this an ideal day trip that requires no overnight stay. With a fuel cost estimate of just $2, it is an extremely budget-friendly trek. You will navigate a mix of roads, including the CanAm Highway, US 6, and the Heartland Expressway. Because the route is so short and uncomplicated, it offers a practical way to move between these two Colorado locations without significant planning.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| CanAm Highway | 8.2 mi | 9m |
| US 6 | 3.3 mi | 4m |
| Heartland Expressway | 2.4 mi | 2m |
| West Bridge Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Dexter Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| South Main Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Bush Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| East 60th Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
CanAm Highway
— 8.2 mi, about 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Brighton, CO and Commerce City, CO.
1
Start on Bush Street
414 ft
·
14 sec
·
Bush Street
2
Turn right onto South Main Street
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
·
South Main Street
3
Turn left onto West Bridge Street
427 ft
·
8 sec
·
West Bridge Street
Use the left lane.
4
Enter roundabout onto CO 7
142 ft
·
2 sec
·
West Bridge Street
5
Continue on CO 7
266 ft
·
4 sec
·
West Bridge Street
6
Enter roundabout
304 ft
·
5 sec
Toward US 85 south
7
Continue
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
Toward US 85 south
8
Merge onto US 85
8.2 mi
·
9 min
·
CanAm Highway
Use the left lane.
9
Merge onto I 76; US 6; US 85
2.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Heartland Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit onto US 6; US 85
3.3 mi
·
4 min
·
US 6; US 85
Exit 9
Toward US 6 West, US 85 South: Commerce City
Use the slight right lane.
11
Turn right onto East 60th Avenue
58 ft
·
6 sec
·
East 60th Avenue
12
Turn right onto Dexter Street
0.2 mi
·
41 sec
·
Dexter Street
13
Turn left
0.1 mi
·
53 sec
14
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 115 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 11.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
South Main Street
Turn right onto South Main Street
Navigation decision point
7
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
West Bridge Street
Turn left onto West Bridge Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
0.3 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
CO 7 / West Bridge Street
Enter roundabout onto CO 7 / West Bridge Street
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
6
0.3 mi into trip
|
~0m in
Enter roundabout toward US 85 south
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Toward US 85 south
8
11.3 mi into trip
|
~14m in
|
US 6; US 85
Take the exit onto US 6; US 85 toward US 6 West, US 85 South: Commerce City
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 9
Toward US 6 West, US 85 South: Commerce City
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.24 one way
$4.49 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $2.38 | $4.75 |
| premium | $4.39 | $2.58 | $5.16 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.29 | $6.58 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.5 | 0 | $1.56 | $0.72 |
| Efficient EV | 3.7 | 0 | $1.30 | $0.60 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6 | 0 | $2.09 | $0.95 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
Commerce City, CO
Late night in Commerce City on Tuesday
Local time
4:49 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
20m 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?
This drive features a mixed profile that balances highway travel with local road transitions. Approximately 39% of your journey will be spent on highways, providing a consistent pace for a significant portion of the trip. Your longest uninterrupted stretch occurs on the CanAm Highway, covering 8.2 miles of the total distance. You should anticipate a functional road experience rather than a scenic tour, as the route serves as a standard transit link. The transition between different road types keeps the drive from feeling like a monotonous interstate grind while remaining efficient.
39% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 8.2 mi on CanAm Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 11 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near South Main 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 14.9 miles you will encounter 11 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 0.1 miles (South Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (West Bridge Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.3 miles (CO 7 / West Bridge Street): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
About the Cities
Starting in Brighton, CO
Full guide →Founded 1887
Brighton is a city of about 42,000 in the Denver Metropolitan Area of the western U.S. state of Colorado. The seat of Adams County and also extending into adjacent Weld County, the city lies northeast of Denver along the South Platte River. A former farming community, Brighton is now a residential suburb of Denver.
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 20m. Total distance: 14.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
20m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (39%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 8.2 miles on CanAm 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 Commerce City, 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 0.1 miles (South Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (West Bridge Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.3 miles (CO 7 / West Bridge Street): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Commerce City, 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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