Origin
Columbine Valley, CO
Late night in Columbine Valley on Tuesday
Local time
4:57 AM
MDT
Current temp
35°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Columbine Valley, CO to Centennial, 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
22m
Distance
11.5 mi
19 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 21m
★
6 AM
0h 23m
8 AM
0h 27m
10 AM
0h 24m
12 PM
0h 24m
3 PM
0h 24m
5 PM
0h 27m
8 PM
0h 22m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Columbine Valley, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Centennial, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a quick transition between Columbine Valley and Centennial, this 11.5-mile trip is a straightforward local commute. You can expect the drive to take approximately 22 minutes, making it an ideal day trip that requires no overnight stops. Budgeting about $2 for fuel should comfortably cover your travel costs across this short distance. Since both towns reside within the Mountain West region of Colorado, the transition is seamless and familiar. Because there are zero required stops along the way, this route is best approached as a direct, efficient connection between the two points.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| East Arapahoe Road | 5.5 mi | 9m |
| West Littleton Boulevard | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| South Broadway | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| West Bowles Avenue | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| South Valley Highway | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| South Middlefield Road | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| West Alamo Avenue | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Niblick Lane | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
East Arapahoe Road
— 5.5 mi, about 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Columbine Valley, CO and Centennial, CO.
1
Start on Niblick Lane
0.2 mi
·
56 sec
·
Niblick Lane
2
Turn right onto Club Lane
224 ft
·
9 sec
·
Club Lane
3
Continue on South Middlefield Road
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
South Middlefield Road
4
Turn right onto West Bowles Avenue
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
West Bowles Avenue
5
Continue on West Alamo Avenue
0.4 mi
·
39 sec
·
West Alamo Avenue
6
Continue on West Littleton Boulevard
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
West Littleton Boulevard
7
Turn slight right
197 ft
·
8 sec
8
Turn straight onto South Broadway
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
South Broadway
9
Turn left onto CR 42
5.5 mi
·
9 min
·
East Arapahoe Road
Use the left lane.
10
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
Toward I 25 South
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Merge onto I 25
0.5 mi
·
34 sec
·
South Valley Highway
12
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
26 sec
Exit 196
Toward Dry Creek Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Turn right onto CR 46
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
·
East Dry Creek Road
14
Turn left onto South Chester Street
0.1 mi
·
30 sec
·
South Chester Street
Use the left lane.
15
Turn left onto East Panorama Circle
0.1 mi
·
39 sec
·
East Panorama Circle
16
Turn left
133 ft
·
11 sec
17
Turn right
472 ft
·
34 sec
18
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 115 decision points cluster between mile 4.5 and 11.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
4.5 mi into trip
|
~9m in
|
CR 42 / East Arapahoe Road
Turn left onto CR 42 / East Arapahoe Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
9.9 mi into trip
|
~18m in
Take the ramp toward I 25 South
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 25 South
7
10.7 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Take the exit toward Dry Creek Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 196
Toward Dry Creek Road
5
11.2 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
South Chester Street
Turn left onto South Chester Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
11.3 mi into trip
|
~21m in
|
East Panorama Circle
Turn left onto East Panorama Circle
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.73 one way
$3.47 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $1.83 | $3.67 |
| premium | $4.39 | $1.99 | $3.98 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.54 | $5.08 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.4 | 0 | $1.21 | $0.55 |
| Efficient EV | 2.9 | 0 | $1.01 | $0.46 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4.6 | 0 | $1.61 | $0.74 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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
Centennial, CO
Late night in Centennial on Tuesday
Local time
4:57 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
23 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
22m 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 an open highway experience, as this route features zero percent highway travel. You will navigate via West Littleton Boulevard, South Broadway, and East Arapahoe Road, which serves as your longest uninterrupted stretch at 5.5 miles. The journey demands your full attention due to the frequent turns and consistent traffic flow typical of suburban corridors. Navigating these local roads provides a steady pace that feels very different from the high-speed monotony of interstate travel. Keep your hands on the wheel as you navigate the changing road names and intersections throughout this 22-minute excursion.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5.5 mi on East Arapahoe Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 11 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 4.5 miles in near CR 42 / East Arapahoe Road.
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 11.5 miles you will encounter 11 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 4.5 miles (CR 42 / East Arapahoe Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 9.9 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 10.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Arriving in Centennial, CO
Full guide →Founded 2001
Centennial is a suburban city of about 106,000 in the Denver Metropolitan Area of the western U.S. state of Colorado. The city lies in Arapahoe County southeast of Denver.
Top landmarks
- • Seventeen Mile House — historic site in Centennial, 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 22m. Total distance: 11.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
22m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 5.5 miles on East Arapahoe Road. 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 4.5 miles (CR 42 / East Arapahoe Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 9.9 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 10.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Centennial, 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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