Origin
Colorado Springs, CO
Late night in Colorado Springs on Sunday
Local time
4:18 AM
MDT
Current temp
44°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Colorado Springs, CO to Cripple Creek, 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 14m
Distance
44.7 mi
72 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 9m
★
6 AM
1h 15m
8 AM
1h 26m
10 AM
1h 19m
12 PM
1h 18m
3 PM
1h 19m
5 PM
1h 26m
8 PM
1h 11m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Cripple Creek, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a quick mountain excursion, the 44.7-mile journey from Colorado Springs to Cripple Creek is an ideal day trip. Expect to spend about 1 hour and 14 minutes behind the wheel as you navigate from the heart of the Mountain West region into the higher elevations. Because the entire route consists of local roads like South Nevada, East Colorado, and West Colorado Avenues, you can easily complete this drive in a single afternoon. You will not need to worry about heavy highway traffic, making it a straightforward out-and-back experience. Budgeting approximately $7 for fuel is sufficient for the trip, keeping this an affordable option for a spontaneous getaway. Since the distance is relatively short, you can comfortably explore your destination without needing an overnight stay.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| South State Highway 67 | 18.1 mi | 31m |
| Midland Expressway | 15.7 mi | 23m |
| US 24 | 6.5 mi | 9m |
| West Cimarron Street | 2.4 mi | 3m |
| West Colorado Avenue | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| South Limit Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| North 3rd Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| East Golden Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
South State Highway 67
— 18.1 mi, about 31m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Colorado Springs, CO and Cripple Creek, CO.
1
Start on East Pikes Peak Avenue
66 ft
·
4 sec
·
East Pikes Peak Avenue
2
Turn left onto South Nevada Avenue
0.1 mi
·
33 sec
·
South Nevada Avenue
3
Turn right onto East Colorado Avenue
0.2 mi
·
37 sec
·
East Colorado Avenue
4
Continue on West Colorado Avenue
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
West Colorado Avenue
5
Turn sharp left onto South Limit Street
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
·
South Limit Street
6
Turn right onto US 24
2.4 mi
·
3 min
·
West Cimarron Street
7
Continue on US 24
16 mi
·
23 min
·
Midland Expressway
8
Keep slight right at fork onto US 24; CO 67
6.5 mi
·
9 min
·
US 24; CO 67
9
Turn left onto CO 67
18 mi
·
31 min
·
South State Highway 67
Use the straight lane.
10
Continue on CO 67
0.1 mi
·
20 sec
·
North 5th Street
11
Turn right onto East Golden Avenue
0.2 mi
·
38 sec
·
East Golden Avenue
12
At end of road, turn left onto North 3rd Street
0.2 mi
·
45 sec
·
North 3rd Street
13
Turn right onto CO 67
0.1 mi
·
29 sec
·
East Bennett Avenue
14
Arrive at destination
CO 67
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
22 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 22.4 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 85 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 44.4 — 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
|
East Colorado Avenue
Turn right onto East Colorado Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
1.2 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
South Limit Street
Turn sharp left onto South Limit Street
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
5
26.1 mi into trip
|
~40m in
|
CO 67 / South State Highway 67
Turn left onto CO 67 / South State Highway 67
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
5
44.3 mi into trip
|
~1h 12m in
|
East Golden Avenue
Turn right onto East Golden Avenue
Navigation decision point
6
44.4 mi into trip
|
~1h 13m in
|
North 3rd Street
At end of road, turn left onto North 3rd Street
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.73 one way
$13.47 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
16 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $7.13 | $14.26 |
| premium | $4.39 | $7.73 | $15.47 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.87 | $19.74 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 15.6 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 | 13.4 | 0 | $4.69 | $2.15 |
| Efficient EV | 11.2 | 0 | $3.91 | $1.79 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 17.9 | 0 | $6.26 | $2.86 |
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
Cripple Creek, CO
Late night in Cripple Creek on Sunday
Local time
4:18 AM
MDT
Current temp
38°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
66°F
Woodland Park, CO
22 mi in
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
6 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 14m 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?
Prepare for a turn-heavy local drive rather than a high-speed interstate cruise. With a 0% highway share, you will be navigating surface streets and winding local roads for the entire 1 hour and 14 minutes. The route transitions from the urban setting of Colorado Springs into the more technical, twisting terrain characteristic of the Mountain West. Because there are no long, uninterrupted highway stretches, you will need to remain attentive to the road conditions throughout the 44.7-mile journey. This is a hands-on driving experience where the lack of major highways keeps the pace steady and focused on the path ahead.
90% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 18.1 mi on South State Highway 67.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on South State Highway 67 and Midland Expressway. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near East Colorado Avenue.
Driving Effort
5/10
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 44.7 miles you will encounter 8 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 (East Colorado Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1.2 miles (South Limit Street): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 26.1 miles (CO 67 / South State Highway 67): Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Arriving in Cripple Creek, CO
Full guide →Cripple Creek is a small town in Colorado. It is a town steeped in gold mining history, still very much in evidence from the old mine ruins dotted about everywhere. In fact, it promotes itself as "the world's greatest gold camp". In addition, the town is now a major casino destination, as 57% of the residents of Colorado voted to permit this town to have casinos ("controlled gambling") in order to breathe back life into it after it declined in tourism value from the 80s. Today it is a bustling, lively and exciting town that begs exploration of its turn-of-the-20th-century buildings which have been immaculately maintained and makes for brilliant photo opportunities. Watch out though - burros (wild donkeys) roam the streets at large, with the blessing of the townsfolk (except, of course, when the burros are munching up a local garden).
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 14m. Total distance: 44.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 14m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (90%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 18.1 miles on South State Highway 67. 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 (East Colorado Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1.2 miles (South Limit Street): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 26.1 miles (CO 67 / South State Highway 67): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Cripple Creek, 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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