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Trip from Byers, CO to Denver, 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

56m

Distance

45.8 mi

74 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$7

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 14 min
4 AM
0h 52m ★
6 AM
0h 57m
8 AM
1h 6m
10 AM
1h 0m
12 PM
0h 59m
3 PM
1h 1m
5 PM
1h 6m
8 PM
0h 54m

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

census designated place in Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States

Byers, CO

Wikimedia Commons

consolidated city-county and capital of Colorado, United States

Denver, CO

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

This 45.8-mile journey from Byers to Denver, Colorado, is designed for a single day, taking about 56 minutes to complete. You'll primarily navigate the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway and Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway, with some time on North Broadway. With a 100% highway share, this drive is efficient for getting from the Mountain West region to its bustling heart. Plan for an estimated fuel cost of $7. Given its short duration and lack of designated stops, this trip is best suited for a spontaneous outing rather than an overnight adventure.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway 29.5 mi 29m
Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway 11.3 mi 14m
North Broadway 1 mi 3m
Grand Army of the Republic Highway 0.8 mi <1m
Park Avenue 0.6 mi 1m
Park Avenue West 0.5 mi 1m
North Main Street 0.4 mi 1m
West 22nd Street 0.4 mi 1m
Longest stretch: Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway — 29.5 mi, about 29m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Byers, CO and Denver, CO.

1

Start on CO 36

0.2 mi · 36 sec · CO 36
2

Turn left onto CO 36

0.4 mi · 1 min · North Main Street
3

Take the ramp onto US 36

0.3 mi · 33 sec · US 36
Toward I 70 West
4

Merge onto I 70

29 mi · 29 min · Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the straight lane.
5

Continue on I 70

3.4 mi · 4 min · Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Keep slight right at fork onto I 70

2.8 mi · 3 min · Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway
Use the straight lane.
7

Keep slight left at fork onto I 70

5.2 mi · 6 min · Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 40 sec
Exit 274 Toward I 25: Fort Collins, Colorado Springs Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Continue on Grand Army of the Republic Highway

0.8 mi · 54 sec · Grand Army of the Republic Highway
10

Keep slight right at fork

0.1 mi · 16 sec
Toward 38th Avenue, Park Avenue, Downtown Use the slight right lane.
11

Keep slight right at fork

0.1 mi · 12 sec
Toward Park Avenue, Downtown Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Continue on Park Avenue

0.6 mi · 1 min · Park Avenue
13

Turn straight onto Park Avenue West

0.5 mi · 1 min · Park Avenue West
14

Continue on West 22nd Street

0.4 mi · 1 min · West 22nd Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
15

Turn right onto North Broadway

1.0 mi · 3 min · North Broadway
Use the straight / right lanes.
16

Turn left onto East 14th Avenue

0.1 mi · 29 sec · East 14th Avenue
Use the left lane.
17

Turn left

358 ft · 27 sec
Use the straight / left lanes.
18

Arrive at destination

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Downtown Aurora, CO, CO

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Aurora, CO

23 mi into the route

Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset

This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.

Popular next leg

Aurora, CO to Denver, CO

9.7 mi · 23m

Pacing Suggestions

Bennett, CO

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Aurora, CO

Meal break

The midpoint is around 22.9 miles from Byers, CO, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 11

5 decision points cluster between mile 33.7 and 45.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

6
33.7 mi into trip | ~36m in | I 70 / Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway

Keep slight right at fork onto I 70 / Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight lane.
8
41.7 mi into trip | ~46m in

Take the exit toward I 25: Fort Collins, Colorado Springs

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 274 Toward I 25: Fort Collins, Colorado Springs
8
42.8 mi into trip | ~48m in

Keep slight right at fork toward 38th Avenue, Park Avenue, Downtown

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

Use the slight right lane. Toward 38th Avenue, Park Avenue, Downtown
9
42.9 mi into trip | ~48m in

Keep slight right at fork toward Park Avenue, Downtown

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward Park Avenue, Downtown
7
45.7 mi into trip | ~56m in

Turn left

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / left lanes.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$6.90 one way

$13.80 round trip

$3.83/gal 25.4 MPG avg 16 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.05 $7.31 $14.61
premium $4.39 $7.92 $15.85
diesel $5.61 $10.11 $20.22

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$7

Estimated CO2 emission: 16 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 13.7 0 $4.81 $2.20
Efficient EV 11.5 0 $4.01 $1.83
EV Truck/SUV 18.3 0 $6.41 $2.93

Gas CO2

16 kg

EV CO2

5 kg (69% 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

Byers, CO

Morning in Byers on Tuesday

Local time

6:21 AM

MDT

Current temp

58°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Denver, CO

Morning in Denver on Tuesday

Local time

6:21 AM

MDT

Current temp

35°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

23 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

56m 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 experience for much of this 45.8-mile route. While it's classified with a 100% highway share, the character suggests a route that involves more frequent road changes and potential urban navigation as you approach Denver. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 29.5 miles on the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. This drive offers a blend of open highway travel and more involved city approaches.

Only 1% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 29.5 mi on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

9/10

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 33.7 miles in near I 70 / Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway.

Driving Effort 9/10

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 11 decision points packed into just 45.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 56m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 33.7 miles (I 70 / Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 41.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 42.8 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.

Between Byers, CO and Denver, CO, road signs point toward Colorado Springs and Downtown.

Colorado Springs

41.7 mi in | ~46m

Downtown

42.8 mi in | ~48m

About the Cities

Arriving in Denver, CO

Full guide →

“Mile High City” · Founded 1858

Denver is the capital of the western U.S. state of Colorado and the dominant city of the Rocky Mountain Region. Founded in 1858 as the placer gold mining camp known as the Cherry Creek Diggings, the "Mile-High City" is today the most populous city within a 560-mile (900 km) radius and the center of the Front Range Urban Corridor of more than five million residents. Denver embraces its cowboy and mining past but also looks toward the future with a vibrant arts and performing arts scene, dozens of great outdoor festivals, and distinct neighborhoods each offering a unique experience. You'll find everything a cosmopolitan city has to offer including a spectacular view of and easy access to the beautiful Rocky Mountains, which arise only 12 miles (19 km) west of the Colorado State Capitol.

Top landmarks

  • Denver Art Museum — museum in Denver, Colorado, United States
  • Denver Mint — United States Mint branch in Denver, Colorado
  • Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception — church in Colorado, United States

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 56m. Total distance: 45.8 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

56m 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 29.5 miles on Dwight D. Eisenhower 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 Denver, 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 33.7 miles (I 70 / Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 41.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 42.8 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 Denver, 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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