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Trip from Broomfield, CO to Glendale, CO

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

32m

Distance

20.4 mi

33 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$3

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 8 min
4 AM
0h 30m ★
6 AM
0h 33m
8 AM
0h 38m
10 AM
0h 35m
12 PM
0h 34m
3 PM
0h 35m
5 PM
0h 38m
8 PM
0h 31m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Downtown Broomfield, CO, CO

Broomfield, CO

Owen.outdoors

Downtown Glendale, CO, CO

Glendale, CO

Jacob Moore

Trip Overview

Broomfield to Glendale is 20.4 miles and takes about 32 minutes via Denver–Boulder Turnpike and Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays entirely within Colorado's Mountain West region, offering a straightforward connection between two points. Expect a mixed driving experience that's quick and efficient for those needing to get from point A to point B without significant detours. Given its brevity, this route is ideal for a same-day journey with plenty of time for activities at your destination.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Denver–Boulder Turnpike 8.8 mi 10m
North Colorado Boulevard 5.7 mi 12m
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway 3.2 mi 4m
South Leetsdale Drive 0.5 mi 1m
CO 121 0.4 mi 1m
South Cherry Street 0.3 mi <1m
Nickel Street 0.2 mi <1m
North Vasquez Boulevard 0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Denver–Boulder Turnpike — 8.8 mi, about 10m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Broomfield, CO and Glendale, 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

2.0 mi · 2 min · Denver–Boulder Turnpike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Keep slight right at fork onto US 36

1.3 mi · 1 min · Denver–Boulder Turnpike
Toward I 25: Denver, Fort Collins Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13

Continue on I 270

3.2 mi · 4 min · Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 36 sec
Exit 2A Toward US 85, CO 2 South: Vasquez Boulevard Use the slight right lane.
15

Merge onto US 6; US 85; CO 2

0.1 mi · 12 sec · North Vasquez Boulevard
16

Turn slight right onto CO 2

5.7 mi · 12 min · North Colorado Boulevard
Toward CO 2 Use the slight right lane.
17

Turn left onto South Leetsdale Drive

0.5 mi · 1 min · South Leetsdale Drive
Use the left lane.
18

Turn right onto South Cherry Street

0.3 mi · 43 sec · South Cherry Street
Use the right lane.
19

Turn left onto East Exposition Avenue

14 ft · 0 sec · East Exposition Avenue
20

Arrive at destination

East Exposition Avenue

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 16

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 13.4 — 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
8
8.9 mi into trip | ~12m in | US 36 / Denver–Boulder Turnpike

Keep slight right at fork onto US 36 / Denver–Boulder Turnpike toward I 25: Denver, Fort Collins

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward I 25: Denver, Fort Collins
8
13.4 mi into trip | ~18m in

Take the exit toward US 85, CO 2 South: Vasquez Boulevard

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 2A Toward US 85, CO 2 South: Vasquez Boulevard

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.07 one way

$6.15 round trip

$3.83/gal 25.4 MPG avg 7 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.05 $3.25 $6.51
premium $4.39 $3.53 $7.06
diesel $5.61 $4.50 $9.01

Estimated Tolls: $0.62

Denver–Boulder Turnpike (8.8 mi) $0.62

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$3

Tolls

$1

Total

$4

Estimated CO2 emission: 7.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 6.1 0 $2.14 $0.98
Efficient EV 5.1 0 $1.78 $0.82
EV Truck/SUV 8.2 0 $2.86 $1.31

Gas CO2

7 kg

EV CO2

2 kg (71% 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.

Forecast as of Apr 20, 2026

Origin

Broomfield, CO

Late night in Broomfield on Tuesday

Local time

4:26 AM

MDT

Current temp

56°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Glendale, CO

Late night in Glendale on Tuesday

Local time

4:26 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

20 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

32m 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 route features a 46% highway share, meaning you'll spend a good portion of your time on faster-paced roads. The longest continuous stretch you'll encounter is 8.8 miles along the Denver–Boulder Turnpike. The drive progresses from the turnpike onto North Colorado Boulevard and then merges onto Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, creating a varied road experience. You'll transition from a more open highway feel to potentially busier urban or suburban surface streets as you approach your destination.

46% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 8.8 mi on Denver–Boulder Turnpike.

How Hard Is This Drive?

10/10

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 early in the drive near West 3rd Avenue.

Driving Effort 10/10

Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 16 decision points packed into just 20.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 32m.

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.

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 Broomfield, CO to Glendale, CO, road signs begin pointing toward Fort Collins along the way.

Fort Collins

8.9 mi in | ~12m | via US 36

About the Cities

Starting in Broomfield, CO

Full guide →

Founded 2001

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 32m. Total distance: 20.4 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

32m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (46%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 8.8 miles on Denver–Boulder Turnpike. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $0.62 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 Glendale, 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 Glendale, 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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