Origin
Colorado Springs, CO
Late night in Colorado Springs on Tuesday
Local time
3:25 AM
MDT
Current temp
33°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Colorado Springs, CO to Parker, 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 5m
Distance
54.3 mi
87 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 0m
★
6 AM
1h 5m
8 AM
1h 16m
10 AM
1h 9m
12 PM
1h 8m
3 PM
1h 9m
5 PM
1h 15m
8 PM
1h 2m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Parker, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are planning a trip from Colorado Springs to Parker, you are looking at a quick 56.8-mile journey that typically takes about 1 hour and 2 minutes. This drive is perfectly suited for a single-day excursion, requiring no overnight stops along the way. You can expect to spend roughly $9 on fuel for the trip, making it a very economical commute within the Mountain West region. Navigating the route involves starting on North Cascade Avenue and West Bijou Street before transitioning onto I-25. Because the distance is relatively short, you have plenty of flexibility to fit this into a busy schedule without feeling rushed.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Ronald Reagan Highway | 35.9 mi | 37m |
| Crowfoot Valley Road | 6.2 mi | 9m |
| Monument Valley Freeway | 5.7 mi | 6m |
| South Parker Road | 2.3 mi | 3m |
| Founders Parkway | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Stroh Road | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| South Pikes Peak Drive | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| US 85 | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Ronald Reagan Highway
— 35.9 mi, about 37m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Colorado Springs, CO and Parker, 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
36 mi
·
37 min
·
Ronald Reagan Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit onto US 85
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
·
US 85
Exit 184
Toward CO 86 East, US 85 North: Founders Parkway, Meadows Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight right at fork
164 ft
·
6 sec
Toward CO 86 East: Founders Parkway
Use the slight right lane.
9
Merge onto CO 86
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Founders Parkway
Use the left lane.
10
Turn left onto Crowfoot Valley Road
6.2 mi
·
9 min
·
Crowfoot Valley Road
Use the left lane.
11
Turn right onto Stroh Road
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Stroh Road
12
Turn left onto CO 83
2.3 mi
·
3 min
·
South Parker Road
13
Take the exit
416 ft
·
11 sec
14
Continue on Clubhouse Drive
182 ft
·
5 sec
·
Clubhouse Drive
Use the right lane.
15
Enter roundabout onto South Pikes Peak Drive
143 ft
·
3 sec
·
South Pikes Peak Drive
16
Continue on South Pikes Peak Drive
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
South Pikes Peak Drive
17
Arrive at destination
South Pikes Peak Drive
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
27 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 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 27.1 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 125 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 53.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
North Cascade Avenue
Turn right onto North Cascade Avenue
Navigation decision point
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
42.6 mi into trip
|
~46m in
|
US 85
Take the exit onto US 85 toward CO 86 East, US 85 North: Founders Parkway, Meadows Parkway
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 184
Toward CO 86 East, US 85 North: Founders Parkwa...
8
42.9 mi into trip
|
~47m in
Keep slight right at fork toward CO 86 East: Founders Parkway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward CO 86 East: Founders Parkway
6
53.9 mi into trip
|
~1h 4m in
|
South Pikes Peak Drive
Enter roundabout onto South Pikes Peak Drive
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.18 one way
$16.36 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
19 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $8.66 | $17.32 |
| premium | $4.39 | $9.39 | $18.79 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $11.99 | $23.98 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 19 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 16.3 | 0 | $5.70 | $2.61 |
| Efficient EV | 13.6 | 0 | $4.75 | $2.17 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 21.7 | 0 | $7.60 | $3.48 |
Gas CO2
19 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (68% 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
Parker, CO
Late night in Parker on Tuesday
Local time
3:25 AM
MDT
Current temp
58°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
25 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 5m 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?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive rather than a monotonous interstate cruise. While the path utilizes I-25, the overall highway share is 0 percent, meaning your focus will remain on local roads throughout the duration of the trip. The road personality shifts as you maneuver off the city streets and onto the primary transit corridors connecting these two Colorado hubs. You will find that the constant turns keep the driving experience active and engaging. Since there are no designated long, uninterrupted stretches, you should remain alert and prepared for frequent adjustments in traffic flow.
Only 14% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 35.9 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 0.2 miles in near North Cascade Avenue.
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 54.3 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 0.2 miles (North Cascade Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (West Bijou Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 42.6 miles (US 85): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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 5m. Total distance: 54.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 5m 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 35.9 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 Parker, 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 0.2 miles (North Cascade Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (West Bijou Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 42.6 miles (US 85): 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 Parker, 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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