Origin
Brighton, CO
Late night in Brighton on Tuesday
Local time
2:57 AM
MDT
Current temp
33°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Brighton, CO to Twin Lakes, 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
22m
Distance
17.3 mi
28 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Good
6 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 21m
★
6 AM
0h 23m
8 AM
0h 26m
10 AM
0h 24m
12 PM
0h 24m
3 PM
0h 24m
5 PM
0h 26m
8 PM
0h 21m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Brighton, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Twin Lakes, CO
Giulia Gasparrini
Trip Overview
If you are planning a quick excursion from Brighton to Twin Lakes, you will cover a short distance of 17.3 miles. This drive typically takes about 22 minutes, making it a perfect candidate for a single-day trip that requires no overnight stay. You can expect to spend roughly $3 on fuel for the journey, keeping your travel costs very low. The route transitions you across the Mountain West, moving from the Brighton area toward the Twin Lakes region. Since the entire trip is brief, you have plenty of flexibility to decide when to head out. It is a straightforward, practical commute that fits easily into a busy schedule.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| CanAm Highway | 8.2 mi | 9m |
| Heartland Expressway | 5.4 mi | 6m |
| Denver–Boulder Turnpike | 1.3 mi | 1m |
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Pecos Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| West Bridge Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| South Main Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Bush Street | <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 Twin Lakes, 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
5.4 mi
·
6 min
·
Heartland Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
11 sec
Exit 6
Toward I 270: Limon, Boulder
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight right at fork
0.4 mi
·
41 sec
Toward I 270 West: Fort Collins, Boulder
12
Merge onto I 270
0.5 mi
·
42 sec
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
13
Continue on US 36
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Denver–Boulder Turnpike
14
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
Toward Pecos Street
Use the slight right lane.
15
Turn straight onto Pecos Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Pecos Street
16
Turn left onto West 70th Place
240 ft
·
10 sec
·
West 70th Place
17
Arrive at destination
West 70th Place
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 125 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 16.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
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.
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
14.2 mi into trip
|
~17m in
Take the exit toward I 270: Limon, Boulder
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 6
Toward I 270: Limon, Boulder
6
14.3 mi into trip
|
~17m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 270 West: Fort Collins, Boulder
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 270 West: Fort Collins, Boulder
6
16.5 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Take the exit toward Pecos Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward Pecos Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.61 one way
$5.21 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $2.76 | $5.52 |
| premium | $4.39 | $2.99 | $5.99 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.82 | $7.64 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.09
Denver–Boulder Turnpike
(1.3 mi)
$0.09
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Tolls
$0
Total
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.2 | 0 | $1.82 | $0.83 |
| Efficient EV | 4.3 | 0 | $1.51 | $0.69 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.9 | 0 | $2.42 | $1.11 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 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
Twin Lakes, CO
Late night in Twin Lakes on Tuesday
Local time
2:57 AM
MDT
Current temp
58°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
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
22m 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 mixed driving experience as you navigate this 17.3-mile route. You will spend about 39% of your time on highways, utilizing a combination of the CanAm Highway, the Heartland Expressway, and the Denver–Boulder Turnpike. The longest uninterrupted stretch you will encounter is an 8.2-mile segment on the CanAm Highway. Because the journey is relatively short, you will move through these varying road types quickly rather than settling into a long-haul interstate rhythm. You should be prepared for the transition between these primary roads as the environment shifts during your 22-minute drive.
39% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
17 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?
7/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near West Bridge Street.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 17.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 22m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (West Bridge Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.3 miles: Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 14.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
High-altitude sections with notable climbs
5,247 ft
4,976 ft
Total Climb
288 ft
Total Descent
26 ft
Highest Point
5,247 ft
~17.3 mi in
Elevation Range
272 ft
Notable High Points
5,077 ft at ~7.9 miles
+2 ft prominence
5,116 ft at ~11.5 miles
+4 ft prominence
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 Brighton, CO to Twin Lakes, CO, road signs begin pointing toward Boulder along the way.
Boulder
14.2 mi in
|
~17m
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 22m. Total distance: 17.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
22m 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.
Expect about $0.09 in tolls one way, starting with Denver–Boulder Turnpike. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.
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 Twin Lakes, 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 0.2 miles (West Bridge Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.3 miles: Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 14.2 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 Twin Lakes, 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, EIA for fuel prices, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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