Origin
Broomfield, CO
Late night in Broomfield on Sunday
Local time
4:17 AM
MDT
Current temp
75°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Broomfield, CO to Federal Heights, CO
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
17m
Distance
10.8 mi
17 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 16m
★
6 AM
0h 18m
8 AM
0h 21m
10 AM
0h 19m
12 PM
0h 19m
3 PM
0h 19m
5 PM
0h 21m
8 PM
0h 17m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Broomfield, CO
Owen.outdoors
Federal Heights, CO
Mark Stebnicki
Trip Overview
Broomfield, CO to Federal Heights, CO is 10.8 miles and takes about 17m via Denver–Boulder Turnpike and Pecos Street, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Mountain West region, specifically within Colorado. Given the minimal distance and duration, this route is ideal for a quick, straightforward transit rather than an extended excursion. It's a practical connection for those needing to move between these two points efficiently.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Denver–Boulder Turnpike | 7.3 mi | 8m |
| Pecos Street | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| CO 121 | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| West 85th Avenue | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Nickel Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| West 3rd Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| US 287 | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Denver–Boulder Turnpike
— 7.3 mi, about 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Broomfield, CO and Federal Heights, CO.
1
Start on this road
192 ft
·
16 sec
·
this road
2
At end of road, turn right onto West 3rd Avenue
273 ft
·
19 sec
·
West 3rd Avenue
3
Turn left onto Nickel Street
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
·
Nickel Street
4
Turn right onto US 287
140 ft
·
3 sec
·
US 287
5
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
45 sec
Toward CO 121 South
6
Turn straight onto CO 121
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
CO 121
7
Turn left
0.3 mi
·
44 sec
Toward US 36 East: Denver
Use the left lane.
8
Merge onto US 36
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
Denver–Boulder Turnpike
9
Keep slight right at fork onto US 36
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Denver–Boulder Turnpike
10
Keep slight right at fork onto US 36
2.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Denver–Boulder Turnpike
11
Keep slight right at fork onto US 36
1.8 mi
·
2 min
·
Denver–Boulder Turnpike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
Toward Pecos Street
Use the slight right lane.
13
Turn left onto Pecos Street
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
Pecos Street
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
14
Turn right onto West 85th Avenue
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
West 85th Avenue
15
Arrive at destination
West 85th Avenue
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 125 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 8.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
West 3rd Avenue
At end of road, turn right onto West 3rd Avenue
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
6
0.3 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Keep slight left at fork toward CO 121 South
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward CO 121 South
7
1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Turn left toward US 36 East: Denver
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward US 36 East: Denver
6
6.9 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
US 36 / Denver–Boulder Turnpike
Keep slight right at fork onto US 36 / Denver–Boulder Turnpike
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
8.7 mi into trip
|
~12m 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
$1.63 one way
$3.25 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $1.72 | $3.45 |
| premium | $4.39 | $1.87 | $3.74 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.38 | $4.77 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.51
Denver–Boulder Turnpike
(7.3 mi)
$0.51
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Tolls
$1
Total
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 3.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.2 | 0 | $1.13 | $0.52 |
| Efficient EV | 2.7 | 0 | $0.95 | $0.43 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4.3 | 0 | $1.51 | $0.69 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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
Federal Heights, CO
Late night in Federal Heights on Sunday
Local time
4:17 AM
MDT
Current temp
50°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 cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
17m 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 is mostly highway, with 72% of the 10.8 miles on roads like the Denver–Boulder Turnpike. You'll experience a continuous stretch of 7.3 miles on the turnpike before transitioning to surface streets like Pecos Street. Expect a significant amount of highway driving with frequent exits as you approach your destination.
72% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 7.3 mi on Denver–Boulder Turnpike.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Denver–Boulder Turnpike and Pecos Street. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near West 3rd Avenue.
Driving Effort
8/10
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 10.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 17m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (West 3rd Avenue): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 1 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Broomfield, CO
Full guide →Broomfield is a combined city and county of about 77,000 in the Denver Metropolitan Area of the western U.S. state of Colorado. Broomfield lies 14 miles (23 km) northwest of Denver and 12 miles (19 km) southeast of Boulder. The only other combined city and county in Colorado is the City and County of Denver, the state capital.
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 17m. Total distance: 10.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
17m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (72%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 7.3 miles on Denver–Boulder Turnpike. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.51 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 Federal Heights, 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 (West 3rd Avenue): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 1 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Federal Heights, 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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