Origin
Cañon City, CO
Morning in Cañon City on Sunday
Local time
10:31 AM
MDT
Current temp
78°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Cañon City, CO to Colorado Springs, CO
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 9m
Distance
45.4 mi
73 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 4m
★
6 AM
1h 9m
8 AM
1h 20m
10 AM
1h 13m
12 PM
1h 12m
3 PM
1h 14m
5 PM
1h 20m
8 PM
1h 6m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Cañon City, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Stretching 45.4 miles across the Mountain West, this straightforward transit between Cañon City and Colorado Springs typically takes about 1 hour and 9 minutes. You will primarily utilize CO 115, CR 123, and Royal Gorge Boulevard to navigate between these two Colorado hubs. Given the short duration, this route is perfectly suited as a one-day excursion, requiring no overnight stays. Budgeting roughly $7 for fuel makes this an incredibly economical trip for solo travelers or families alike. Because both locations sit within the same region, you can expect a familiar, consistent high-desert feel throughout the entire journey.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| CO 115 | 31.5 mi | 42m |
| CR 123 | 9.5 mi | 16m |
| Royal Gorge Boulevard | 3.6 mi | 6m |
| South Weber Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| North 5th Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| East Cimarron Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| East Pikes Peak Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Macon Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
CO 115
— 31.5 mi, about 42m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Cañon City, CO and Colorado Springs, CO.
1
Start on Macon Avenue
337 ft
·
16 sec
·
Macon Avenue
2
Turn right onto North 5th Street
0.1 mi
·
37 sec
·
North 5th Street
3
Turn left onto US 50
3.6 mi
·
6 min
·
Royal Gorge Boulevard
Use the straight / right lanes.
4
Turn left onto Mackenzie Avenue
126 ft
·
4 sec
·
Mackenzie Avenue
Use the left lane.
5
Turn right onto CR 123
9.5 mi
·
16 min
·
CR 123
6
Turn left onto CO 115
31 mi
·
42 min
·
CO 115
Use the straight lane.
7
Turn right onto East Cimarron Street
489 ft
·
21 sec
·
East Cimarron Street
Use the right lane.
8
Turn left onto South Weber Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
South Weber Street
9
Turn left onto East Pikes Peak Avenue
422 ft
·
14 sec
·
East Pikes Peak Avenue
10
Arrive at destination
East Pikes Peak Avenue
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
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.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 22.7 miles from Cañon City, 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 85 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 44.8 — 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
|
North 5th Street
Turn right onto North 5th Street
Navigation decision point
6
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
US 50 / Royal Gorge Boulevard
Turn left onto US 50 / Royal Gorge Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
3.8 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
Mackenzie Avenue
Turn left onto Mackenzie Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
4
13.3 mi into trip
|
~24m in
|
CO 115
Turn left onto CO 115
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
6
44.8 mi into trip
|
~1h 7m in
|
East Cimarron Street
Turn right onto East Cimarron Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.84 one way
$13.68 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
16 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $7.24 | $14.49 |
| premium | $4.39 | $7.85 | $15.71 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $10.02 | $20.05 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 15.9 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 | 13.6 | 0 | $4.77 | $2.18 |
| Efficient EV | 11.4 | 0 | $3.97 | $1.82 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 18.2 | 0 | $6.36 | $2.91 |
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.
Destination
Colorado Springs, CO
Morning in Colorado Springs on Sunday
Local time
10:31 AM
MDT
Current temp
44°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
34 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
1h 9m 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 highway-focused experience, as 90% of this drive consists of high-speed travel. You will spend the bulk of your time on CO 115, which features a long, uninterrupted stretch of 31.5 miles. While the road is efficient, the transition from Royal Gorge Boulevard onto the main highway shifts the pace quickly. Behind the wheel, you will find a steady rhythm that favors direct transit over winding backroads. It is a practical, no-nonsense drive that prioritizes speed and efficiency over technical maneuvering.
90% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
10 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 31.5 mi on CO 115.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on CO 115 and CR 123. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near North 5th Street.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 9m drive. You will face about 8 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (North 5th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (US 50 / Royal Gorge Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.8 miles (Mackenzie Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 9m. Total distance: 45.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 9m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (90%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 31.5 miles on CO 115. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 (North 5th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (US 50 / Royal Gorge Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.8 miles (Mackenzie Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Colorado Springs, 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 NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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