Origin
Colorado Springs, CO
Late night in Colorado Springs on Tuesday
Local time
3:56 AM
MDT
Current temp
33°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Colorado Springs, CO to Ken Caryl, 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 18m
Distance
68.1 mi
110 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$10
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 12m
★
6 AM
1h 18m
8 AM
1h 30m
10 AM
1h 22m
12 PM
1h 21m
3 PM
1h 23m
5 PM
1h 30m
8 PM
1h 14m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Ken Caryl, CO
RDNE Stock project
Trip Overview
Colorado Springs to Ken Caryl is 68.1 miles and takes about 1 hour 18 minutes via Ronald Reagan Highway and CO 470, 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 that primarily uses surface roads, making it a more local feel than a major interstate experience. Given its short duration and moderate fuel cost, this route is ideal for a single-day trip without much advance planning.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Ronald Reagan Highway | 45.9 mi | 47m |
| CO 470 | 11.8 mi | 13m |
| Monument Valley Freeway | 5.7 mi | 6m |
| CO 470 EXPR | 1 mi | 1m |
| South Kipling Parkway | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| South Sangre de Cristo Road | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| West Bijou Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| East Pikes Peak Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Ronald Reagan Highway
— 45.9 mi, about 47m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Colorado Springs, CO and Ken Caryl, 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
46 mi
·
47 min
·
Ronald Reagan Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
Exit 194
Toward CO 470 West, E 470 North Toll: Grand Junction, Limon
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
Exit 194
Toward CO 470 West: Grand Junction
Use the slight left lane.
9
Keep slight right at fork
0.5 mi
·
50 sec
Exit 194
Toward CO 470 West: Grand Junction, Quebec Street
Use the slight right lane.
10
Continue on CO 470
6.0 mi
·
6 min
·
CO 470
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
162 ft
·
2 sec
Toward CO 470 Express
Use the slight left lane.
12
Merge onto CO 470 EXPR
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
CO 470 EXPR
13
Take the exit
125 ft
·
1 sec
Toward CO 470 West
14
Merge onto CO 470
5.8 mi
·
6 min
·
CO 470
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
Exit 12
Toward CR 25: South Kipling Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Turn right onto CR 25
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
South Kipling Parkway
17
Turn left onto CR 56
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
·
West Chatfield Avenue
Use the left lane.
18
Turn right onto South Sangre de Cristo Road
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
South Sangre de Cristo Road
19
Turn left onto West Crestone Mountain Road
444 ft
·
21 sec
·
West Crestone Mountain Road
20
Turn right onto South Cottonwood Mountain
165 ft
·
7 sec
·
South Cottonwood Mountain
21
Arrive at destination
South Cottonwood Mountain
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 34.1 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 165 decision points cluster between mile 0.4 and 66.5 — 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
52.6 mi into trip
|
~56m in
Take the exit toward CO 470 West, E 470 North Toll: Grand Junction, 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 194
Toward CO 470 West, E 470 North Toll: Grand Jun...
8
52.8 mi into trip
|
~57m in
Keep slight left at fork toward CO 470 West: Grand Junction
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Exit 194
Toward CO 470 West: Grand Junction
9
53.2 mi into trip
|
~58m in
Keep slight right at fork toward CO 470 West: Grand Junction, Quebec Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 194
Toward CO 470 West: Grand Junction, Quebec Stre...
7
66.5 mi into trip
|
~1h 13m in
Take the exit toward CR 25: South Kipling Parkway
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 12
Toward CR 25: South Kipling Parkway
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$10.26 one way
$20.52 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
24 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $10.86 | $21.73 |
| premium | $4.39 | $11.78 | $23.56 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $15.04 | $30.07 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 23.8 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 | 20.4 | 0 | $7.15 | $3.27 |
| Efficient EV | 17 | 0 | $5.96 | $2.72 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 27.2 | 0 | $9.53 | $4.36 |
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
Ken Caryl, CO
Late night in Ken Caryl on Tuesday
Local time
3:56 AM
MDT
Current temp
32°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 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 18m 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?
You'll spend about 28% of this 68.1-mile drive on highways, with the longest continuous stretch on Ronald Reagan Highway measuring 45.9 miles. After that highway segment, expect to transition to surface roads for the remainder of your trip. The frequent exits and merges typical of highway driving will give way to a more local road feel as you approach your destination.
Only 28% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
21 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 45.9 mi on Ronald Reagan Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
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
10/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 68.1 miles you will encounter 16 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 52.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 52.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
High-altitude sections with notable climbs
7,114 ft
5,399 ft
Total Climb
1,517 ft
Total Descent
1,764 ft
Highest Point
7,114 ft
~24.3 mi in
Elevation Range
1,715 ft
Notable High Points
7,114 ft at ~24.3 miles
+132 ft prominence
6,253 ft at ~48.6 miles
+49 ft prominence
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.
Between Colorado Springs, CO and Ken Caryl, CO, road signs point toward E 470 North Toll: Grand Junction and Limon.
E 470 North Toll: Grand Junction
52.6 mi in
|
~56m
Limon
52.6 mi in
|
~56m
About the Cities
Starting in Colorado Springs, CO
Full guide →Colorado Springs is a city of about 490,000 in the western U.S. state of Colorado. The seat of El Paso County, the city lies 63 miles (101 km) south of Denver at the foot of Pikes Peak in South Central Colorado.
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 18m. Total distance: 68.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 18m 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 45.9 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 Ken Caryl, 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 52.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 52.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Ken Caryl, 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 USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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