Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 5, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
31m
Distance
18.5 mi
30 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Columbine Valley, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Aurora, CO
Wikimedia Commons
The drive from Columbine Valley, CO to Aurora, CO covers 18.5 miles and takes about 31m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 225, East Belleview Avenue, West Belleview Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed highway & surface. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 8.5 miles on I 225. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.12 one way before food or hotel costs.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 225 | 8.5 mi | 9m |
| East Belleview Avenue | 4.7 mi | 8m |
| West Belleview Avenue | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| West Bowles Avenue | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| South Santa Fe Drive | 0.6 mi | <1m |
| East 6th Avenue | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| South Middlefield Road | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Niblick Lane | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Columbine Valley, CO and Aurora, CO.
Start on Niblick Lane
Turn right onto Club Lane
Continue on South Middlefield Road
Turn right onto West Bowles Avenue
Turn left onto US 85
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Turn straight onto CO 88
Continue on CO 88
Turn left
Keep slight right at fork
Continue on I 225
Keep slight left at fork onto I 225
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Turn left onto CO 30
Turn right onto Vaughn Street
Turn right onto North Zion Street
Turn left onto North Vaughn Street
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 2.3 and 17.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Keep slight right at fork toward CO 88
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Turn left toward I 25 North
Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight right at fork toward I 225 North: Aurora, Limon
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork onto I 225 toward I 225 North: Limon
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward CO 30: 6th Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$3.12 one way
$6.24 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $3.29 | $6.59 |
| premium | $4.89 | $3.56 | $7.12 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $4.08 | $8.16 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.6 | 0 | $1.94 | $0.89 |
| Efficient EV | 4.6 | 0 | $1.62 | $0.74 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.4 | 0 | $2.59 | $1.18 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Late night in Columbine Valley on Saturday
Local time
12:15 AM
MDT
Current temp
59°F
Partly Cloudy
Destination
Late night in Aurora on Saturday
Local time
12:15 AM
MDT
Current temp
61°F
Partly Cloudy
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
18.5 mi in 31m — 46% highway, the rest on surface roads. Biggest road: I 225.
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 2.3 miles in.
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 14 decision points packed into just 18.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 31m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 2.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 8.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 8.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
High-altitude sections with notable climbs
Total Climb
463 ft
Total Descent
399 ft
Highest Point
5,663 ft
~13.3 mi in
Elevation Range
340 ft
Notable High Points
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Columbine Valley, CO to Aurora, CO, road signs begin pointing toward Limon along the way.
Limon
Founded 1891
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."
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 31m. Total distance: 18.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
31m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (46%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
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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