Origin
Cañon City, CO
Late night in Cañon City on Tuesday
Local time
4:46 AM
MDT
Current temp
64°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Cañon City, CO to Pueblo, 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
1h 6m
Distance
40.2 mi
65 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 1m
★
6 AM
1h 6m
8 AM
1h 17m
10 AM
1h 10m
12 PM
1h 9m
3 PM
1h 10m
5 PM
1h 16m
8 PM
1h 3m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Cañon City, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Pueblo, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Cañon City to Pueblo is 40.2 miles and takes about 1 hour 6 minutes via Royal Gorge Boulevard and US 50, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Colorado's Mountain West region, making it a straightforward connection between two nearby cities. Given its brief length and mostly surface road profile, it's an easy drive that doesn't require extensive planning. You'll find this route practical for a quick transfer or as part of a larger Colorado exploration.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Gorge Boulevard | 34.7 mi | 57m |
| North Freeway | 2.8 mi | 3m |
| US 50 | 1.7 mi | 3m |
| North 5th Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Macon Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Royal Gorge Boulevard
— 34.7 mi, about 57m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Cañon City, CO and Pueblo, 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
35 mi
·
57 min
·
Royal Gorge Boulevard
Use the straight / right lanes.
4
Continue on US 50
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
US 50
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
Take the exit onto US 50
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
·
US 50
Toward I 25 South: Trinidad
Use the right lane.
6
Merge onto I 25; US 50
0.2 mi
·
16 sec
·
North Freeway
7
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
32 sec
Exit 100B
Toward 29th Street
8
Merge onto I 25; US 50
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
North Freeway
9
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
12 sec
Exit 99B
Toward 13th Street
Use the slight right lane.
10
Continue on this road
0.2 mi
·
18 sec
·
this road
11
Merge onto I 25; US 50 Bus
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
North Freeway
Use the straight lane.
12
Take the exit
107 ft
·
2 sec
Toward Abriendo Avenue
13
Arrive at destination
Toward Abriendo Avenue
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
20 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 40 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 20.1 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 105 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 38.2 — 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.
6
36.3 mi into trip
|
~1h in
|
US 50
Take the exit onto US 50 toward I 25 South: Trinidad
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward I 25 South: Trinidad
5
36.7 mi into trip
|
~1h 1m in
Take the exit toward 29th Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 100B
Toward 29th Street
7
38.2 mi into trip
|
~1h 3m in
Take the exit toward 13th Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 99B
Toward 13th Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.06 one way
$12.11 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
14 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $6.41 | $12.83 |
| premium | $4.39 | $6.95 | $13.91 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $8.88 | $17.75 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 14.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 12.1 | 0 | $4.22 | $1.93 |
| Efficient EV | 10.1 | 0 | $3.52 | $1.61 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 16.1 | 0 | $5.63 | $2.57 |
Gas CO2
14 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (64% 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
Pueblo, CO
Late night in Pueblo on Tuesday
Local time
4:46 AM
MDT
Current temp
65°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
1 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
1h 6m 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 primarily on surface roads, with only 11% of the route on highways. You'll experience a long stretch of 34.7 miles on Royal Gorge Boulevard before transitioning to other roads, including US 50. Expect a consistent pace without significant highway speeds, which means you'll notice more local traffic and intersections. The latter part of the drive will involve merging and navigating through more developed areas as you approach Pueblo.
Only 11% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 34.7 mi on Royal Gorge Boulevard.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
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 0.1 miles in near North 5th Street.
Driving Effort
7/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 40.2 miles you will encounter 10 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
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 36.3 miles (US 50): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Cañon City, CO
Full guide →Cañon City is a city in Colorado. It is the gateway to Royal Gorge, a cavernous canyon of the Arkansas River.
Arriving in Pueblo, CO
Full guide →Pueblo, also known as the Steel City or Home of the Heroes, is a city of about 112,000 people in the Eastern Plains of Colorado. It is on the confluence of the Arkansas River and Fountain Creek.
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 1h 6m. Total distance: 40.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 6m 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 34.7 miles on Royal Gorge Boulevard. 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 Pueblo, 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 0.1 miles (North 5th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (US 50 / Royal Gorge Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 36.3 miles (US 50): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Pueblo, 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Pueblo, CO
More trips to Pueblo, CO
Explore more options from Cañon City, CO or browse trips ending in Pueblo, CO.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse CO road trips.