Origin
Colorado Springs, CO
Late night in Colorado Springs on Sunday
Local time
2:01 AM
MDT
Current temp
44°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Colorado Springs, CO to Aurora, 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 16m
Distance
68.3 mi
110 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$10
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 11m
★
6 AM
1h 17m
8 AM
1h 29m
10 AM
1h 21m
12 PM
1h 20m
3 PM
1h 22m
5 PM
1h 28m
8 PM
1h 13m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Aurora, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Colorado Springs to Aurora is 68.3 miles and takes about 1 hour 16 minutes via Ronald Reagan Highway and I-225, with a fuel budget near $10 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Colorado, moving from the Mountain West region to the same region. Expect a drive with frequent turns and transitions between highways and local roads. It’s a straightforward, relatively short drive that’s easy to fit into a single day, making it a convenient option for connecting these two cities.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Ronald Reagan Highway | 51.8 mi | 54m |
| I 225 | 8.5 mi | 9m |
| Monument Valley Freeway | 5.7 mi | 6m |
| East 6th Avenue | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| West Bijou Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| East Pikes Peak Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| North Cascade Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| North Vaughn Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Ronald Reagan Highway
— 51.8 mi, about 54m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Colorado Springs, CO and Aurora, CO.
1
Start on East Pikes Peak Avenue
0.2 mi
·
47 sec
·
East Pikes Peak Avenue
2
Turn right onto North Cascade Avenue
0.2 mi
·
42 sec
·
North Cascade Avenue
3
Turn left onto West Bijou Street
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
·
West Bijou Street
Use the left lane.
4
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
51 sec
Toward I 25
5
Merge onto I 25
5.7 mi
·
6 min
·
Monument Valley Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Continue on I 25
52 mi
·
54 min
·
Ronald Reagan Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
14 sec
Exit 200
Toward I 225 North: Aurora, Limon
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Continue on I 225
0.1 mi
·
7 sec
·
I 225
9
Keep slight left at fork onto I 225
8.4 mi
·
9 min
·
I 225
Toward I 225 North: Limon
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
29 sec
Exit 9
Toward CO 30: 6th Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight left at fork
141 ft
·
5 sec
Toward CO 30: Colorado National Guard, Lowry Campus, 6th Avenue
12
Turn left onto CO 30
0.4 mi
·
53 sec
·
East 6th Avenue
Use the left / straight lanes.
13
Turn right onto Vaughn Street
257 ft
·
12 sec
·
Vaughn Street
14
Turn right onto North Zion Street
509 ft
·
27 sec
·
North Zion Street
15
Turn left onto North Vaughn Street
0.2 mi
·
43 sec
·
North Vaughn Street
16
Arrive at destination
North Vaughn Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
34 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 15 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 34.2 miles from Colorado Springs, 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 125 decision points cluster between mile 0.4 and 67.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.4 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
West Bijou Street
Turn left onto West Bijou Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
8
58.6 mi into trip
|
~1h 3m in
Take the exit toward I 225 North: Aurora, Limon
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 200
Toward I 225 North: Aurora, Limon
7
58.8 mi into trip
|
~1h 4m in
|
I 225
Keep slight left at fork onto I 225 toward I 225 North: Limon
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 225 North: Limon
7
67.3 mi into trip
|
~1h 13m in
Take the exit toward CO 30: 6th Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 9
Toward CO 30: 6th Avenue
7
67.5 mi into trip
|
~1h 14m in
Keep slight left at fork toward CO 30: Colorado National Guard, Lowry Campus, 6th Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward CO 30: Colorado National Guard, Lowry Ca...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$10.29 one way
$20.58 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
24 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $10.90 | $21.79 |
| premium | $4.39 | $11.82 | $23.63 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $15.08 | $30.16 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 23.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 20.5 | 0 | $7.17 | $3.28 |
| Efficient EV | 17.1 | 0 | $5.98 | $2.73 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 27.3 | 0 | $9.56 | $4.37 |
Gas CO2
24 kg
EV CO2
8 kg (67% 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
Aurora, CO
Late night in Aurora on Sunday
Local time
2:01 AM
MDT
Current temp
47°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
3 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 16m 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 offers a turn-heavy local drive experience, with 21% of the journey on highways. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 51.8 miles on Ronald Reagan Highway. As you travel, you'll notice the road shifting between faster highway sections and more involved local road segments, requiring your attention to navigate the various turns and intersections. It's not a monotonous highway trek but rather a dynamic route that keeps you engaged with the changing road conditions.
Only 21% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 51.8 mi on Ronald Reagan Highway.
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 0.4 miles in near West Bijou 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 68.3 miles you will encounter 12 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 0.4 miles (West Bijou Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 58.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 58.8 miles (I 225): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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.
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 Colorado Springs, CO to Aurora, CO, road signs begin pointing toward Limon along the way.
Limon
58.6 mi in
|
~1h 3m
About the Cities
Arriving in Aurora, CO
Full guide →Aurora is a city of about 400,000 of the Denver Metropolitan Area in the western U.S. state of Colorado. The city lies immediately east of Denver in Arapahoe, Adams, and Douglas counties. In 2008 it was named the "All American City."
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 16m. Total distance: 68.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 16m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 51.8 miles on Ronald Reagan 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 Aurora, 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 0.4 miles (West Bijou Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 58.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 58.8 miles (I 225): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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 Aurora, 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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