Origin
Centennial, CO
Late night in Centennial on Tuesday
Local time
2:45 AM
MDT
Current temp
58°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Centennial, CO to Denver, 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
22m
Distance
14.2 mi
23 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 21m
★
6 AM
0h 22m
8 AM
0h 26m
10 AM
0h 24m
12 PM
0h 23m
3 PM
0h 24m
5 PM
0h 26m
8 PM
0h 21m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Centennial, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Denver, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Centennial, CO to Denver, CO is 14.2 miles and takes about 22 minutes via South Valley Highway, South Logan Street, and East Buchtel North Boulevard, 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. Expect a fairly turn-heavy local drive, which means you'll be navigating city streets and intersections more than open highway. It's a straightforward, quick journey ideal for a single day, perfect if you're looking to get from point A to point B without a significant time commitment.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| South Valley Highway | 9.3 mi | 10m |
| South Logan Street | 2.7 mi | 5m |
| East Buchtel North Boulevard | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| East Dry Creek Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| East 13th Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Sherman Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| East Panorama Circle | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| South Chester Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
South Valley Highway
— 9.3 mi, about 10m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Centennial, CO and Denver, CO.
1
Start on this road
495 ft
·
41 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left
118 ft
·
10 sec
3
Turn right onto East Panorama Circle
0.1 mi
·
23 sec
·
East Panorama Circle
4
Turn right onto South Chester Street
384 ft
·
14 sec
·
South Chester Street
5
Turn right onto CR 46
0.3 mi
·
46 sec
·
East Dry Creek Road
6
Turn left
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
Toward I 25 North
Use the left lane.
7
Merge onto I 25
9.3 mi
·
10 min
·
South Valley Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
Exit 206
Toward Downing Street, Washington Street, Emerson Street
Use the slight right lane.
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
Toward Emerson Street, Washington Street
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
10
Continue on East Buchtel North Boulevard
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
East Buchtel North Boulevard
11
Turn right onto South Logan Street
2.7 mi
·
5 min
·
South Logan Street
12
Turn left onto East 13th Avenue
0.1 mi
·
26 sec
·
East 13th Avenue
13
Turn right onto Sherman Street
0.1 mi
·
33 sec
·
Sherman Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
14
At end of road, turn right
298 ft
·
21 sec
15
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 115 decision points cluster between mile 0.6 and 14 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
0.6 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Turn left toward I 25 North
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I 25 North
5
0.8 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
I 25 / South Valley Highway
Merge onto I 25 / South Valley Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
10.2 mi into trip
|
~13m in
Take the exit toward Downing Street, Washington Street, Emerson Street
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 206
Toward Downing Street, Washington Street, Emers...
9
10.3 mi into trip
|
~14m in
Keep slight left at fork toward Emerson Street, Washington Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward Emerson Street, Washington Street
7
14 mi into trip
|
~21m in
|
Sherman Street
Turn right onto Sherman Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.14 one way
$4.28 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $2.27 | $4.53 |
| premium | $4.39 | $2.46 | $4.91 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.14 | $6.27 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.3 | 0 | $1.49 | $0.68 |
| Efficient EV | 3.6 | 0 | $1.24 | $0.57 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.7 | 0 | $1.99 | $0.91 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
Denver, CO
Late night in Denver on Tuesday
Local time
2:45 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
22m 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 characterized by its frequent turns, with a 0% highway share, making it a purely local road experience. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 9.3 miles on South Valley Highway. As you progress, you'll transition through different local road names, including South Logan Street and East Buchtel North Boulevard, each presenting its own series of intersections and traffic signals. This route demands your attention to navigation and local traffic patterns rather than offering expansive highway cruising.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 9.3 mi on South Valley Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 11 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.6 miles in.
Driving Effort
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 14.2 miles you will encounter 11 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 0.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 0.8 miles (I 25 / South Valley Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 10.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
About the Cities
Starting in Centennial, CO
Full guide →Founded 2001
Centennial is a suburban city of about 106,000 in the Denver Metropolitan Area of the western U.S. state of Colorado. The city lies in Arapahoe County southeast of Denver.
Top landmarks
- • Seventeen Mile House — historic site in Centennial, Colorado
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 22m. Total distance: 14.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
22m 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 9.3 miles on South Valley 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 0.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 0.8 miles (I 25 / South Valley Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 10.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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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