Origin
Commerce City, CO
Late night in Commerce City on Friday
Local time
5:25 AM
MDT
Current temp
62°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Commerce City, CO to Erie, CO
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
34m
Distance
23.3 mi
38 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 32m
★
6 AM
0h 34m
8 AM
0h 40m
10 AM
0h 37m
12 PM
0h 36m
3 PM
0h 37m
5 PM
0h 40m
8 PM
0h 33m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Commerce City, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Erie, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Commerce City, CO to Erie, CO covers 23.3 miles and takes about 34m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on North Valley Highway, Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, Erie Parkway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 10.4 miles on North Valley Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.93 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| North Valley Highway | 10.4 mi | 12m |
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway | 7.1 mi | 8m |
| Erie Parkway | 3.7 mi | 6m |
| Briggs Street | 0.7 mi | 2m |
| North Vasquez Boulevard | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Dexter Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Wells Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| East 60th Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
North Valley Highway
— 10.4 mi, about 12m
Traffic on I-25
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 12 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~5,326 veh/hr typical
Quietest
1 AM
~460 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
11.6×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a
6a
noon
6p
11p
Averaged across 104 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Commerce City, CO and Erie, CO.
1
Start on this road
0.1 mi
·
55 sec
·
this road
2
At end of road, turn right onto Dexter Street
0.1 mi
·
33 sec
·
Dexter Street
3
Turn right
148 ft
·
16 sec
4
Turn left
96 ft
·
12 sec
5
At end of road, turn left onto East 60th Avenue
200 ft
·
14 sec
·
East 60th Avenue
6
Turn right onto US 6; US 85; CO 2
0.2 mi
·
10 sec
·
North Vasquez Boulevard
Use the right lane.
7
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
Toward I 270 West: Boulder
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Merge onto I 270
2.9 mi
·
4 min
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
Toward I 25 North: Fort Collins
Use the slight right lane.
10
Merge onto I 25
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
North Valley Highway
11
Keep slight right at fork onto I 25
4.3 mi
·
5 min
·
North Valley Highway
Use the slight right lane.
12
Keep slight right at fork onto I 25
5.3 mi
·
5 min
·
North Valley Highway
Use the straight / right lanes.
13
Continue on I 25
4.1 mi
·
4 min
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
14
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
30 sec
Exit 232
Toward CR 8: Erie Parkway, Summit Boulevard
Use the slight right lane.
15
Turn left onto CR 8
3.7 mi
·
6 min
·
Erie Parkway
Use the left lane.
16
Turn right onto Briggs Street
0.7 mi
·
2 min
·
Briggs Street
Use the right lane.
17
Turn left onto Wells Street
0.1 mi
·
31 sec
·
Wells Street
18
Arrive at destination
Wells Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 155 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 18.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Dexter Street
At end of road, turn right onto Dexter Street
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
6
0.4 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
US 6; US 85; CO 2 / North Vasquez Boulevard
Turn right onto US 6; US 85; CO 2 / North Vasquez Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
7
0.5 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the exit toward I 270 West: Boulder
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 270 West: Boulder
6
3.7 mi into trip
|
~7m in
Take the exit toward I 25 North: Fort Collins
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 25 North: Fort Collins
8
18.6 mi into trip
|
~24m in
Take the exit toward CR 8: Erie Parkway, Summit Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 232
Toward CR 8: Erie Parkway, Summit Boulevard
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.93 one way
$7.86 round trip
$4.29/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $4.15 | $8.30 |
| premium | $4.89 | $4.48 | $8.97 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $5.14 | $10.27 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7 | 0 | $2.45 | $1.12 |
| Efficient EV | 5.8 | 0 | $2.04 | $0.93 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.3 | 0 | $3.26 | $1.49 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
Erie, CO
Late night in Erie on Friday
Local time
5:25 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
4 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
34m 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?
23.3 mi in 34m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.
Only 16% 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: 10.4 mi on North Valley 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 0.1 miles in near Dexter Street.
Driving Effort
10/10
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 15 decision points packed into just 23.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 34m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Dexter Street): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.4 miles (US 6; US 85; CO 2 / North Vasquez Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
High-altitude sections with notable climbs
5,390 ft
5,028 ft
Total Climb
349 ft
Total Descent
482 ft
Highest Point
5,390 ft
~6.7 mi in
Elevation Range
362 ft
Notable High Points
5,390 ft at ~6.7 miles
+34 ft prominence
5,224 ft at ~15 miles
+9 ft prominence
5,207 ft at ~20 miles
+54 ft prominence
About the Cities
Starting in Commerce City, CO
Full guide →Founded 1952
Arriving in Erie, CO
Full guide →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 34m. Total distance: 23.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
34m 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 10.4 miles on North Valley 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 Erie, 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 0.1 miles (Dexter Street): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.4 miles (US 6; US 85; CO 2 / North Vasquez Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.5 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 Erie, 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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