Commerce City, CO to Grand Junction, CO is 249.5 miles and takes about 4h 45m via Tuskegeee Airmen Memorial Highway, Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway, and Dinosaur Diamond Prehistoric Highway, with a fuel budget near $41 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Mountain West region, traversing Colorado for its entirety. Expect a drive that primarily utilizes surface roads for a significant portion, offering a more grounded perspective of the landscape. This route is a solid choice if you're looking for a single-day transit with a moderate fuel cost and a manageable driving time.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
124.7 miles from Commerce City, CO
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 25m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway
145.7 mi
2h 47m
Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway
80.8 mi
1h 25m
Dinosaur Diamond Prehistoric Highway
13.2 mi
14m
I 70 BUS
7.1 mi
12m
North Vasquez Boulevard
2 mi
2m
US 6
0.3 mi
<1m
Dexter Street
0.1 mi
<1m
South 13th Street
<0.1 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway
— 145.7 mi, about 2h 47m
Traffic on I-70
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 40 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~2,082 veh/hr typical
· worst 2,794
Quietest
2 AM
~136 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
15.3×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 105 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 Grand Junction, 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
2.0 mi·2 min·North Vasquez Boulevard
Use the right lane.
7
Turn right onto US 6; US 85
98 ft·1 sec·East 46th North Avenue
8
Take the exit onto US 6; US 85
0.3 mi·38 sec·US 6; US 85
Toward I 70 West
9
Merge onto I 70
146 mi·2 hr 47 min·Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway
Use the straight lane.
10
Continue on I 70
81 mi·1 hr 25 min·Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway
Use the straight lane.
11
Continue on I 70
13 mi·14 min·Dinosaur Diamond Prehistoric Highway
12
Take the exit onto I 70 BUS
1.6 mi·2 min·I 70 BUS
Exit 37Toward I 70 Business, US 6, US 50: Clifton, Grand Junction, DeltaUse the left lane.
13
Continue on I 70 BUS; US 6
4.2 mi·7 min·I 70 BUS; US 6
Use the left lane.
14
Continue on I 70 BUS
1.3 mi·2 min·I 70 BUS
15
Turn left onto South 13th Street
351 ft·9 sec·South 13th Street
16
Arrive at destination
South 13th Street
Trip Plan
Given the manageable 4h 45m duration, this trip is easily doable in one day, allowing for flexibility in your departure time. Leaving in the morning will give you ample daylight to reach Grand Junction, CO. While there's only one suggested stop, consider breaking up the drive into smaller segments if you prefer more frequent pauses; the 145.7-mile highway stretch is a good point to consider a brief rest. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, as the estimated cost is $41, and plan your refueling stops accordingly, especially as you move onto the surface road sections. The route primarily uses surface roads, so be prepared for potentially slower speeds and more intersections.
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 124.7 miles from Commerce City, CO, or about 2h 25m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 145.7 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 55 miles or 1h 5m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 124.7 miles or 2h 25m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 3h 52m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Grand Junction, CO than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Commerce City, CO so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Commerce City, CO
This is one driving day of about 249.5 miles and 4h 45m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 55 miles from Commerce City, CO.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway for about 145.7 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 10
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 242.3 — 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
5
0.3 mi into trip|~1m in
Turn left
Navigation decision point
5
0.3 mi into trip|~1m in|East 60th Avenue
At end of road, turn left onto East 60th Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
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.
8
242.3 mi into trip|~4h 33m in|I 70 BUS
Take the exit onto I 70 BUS toward I 70 Business, US 6, US 50: Clifton, Grand Junction, Delta
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the left lane.
Exit 37
Toward I 70 Business, US 6, US 50: Clifton, Gra...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$42.50 one way
$85.01 round trip
$4.33/gal25.4 MPG avg87 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.58
$44.95
$89.90
premium
$4.90
$48.17
$96.34
diesel
$6.18
$60.70
$121.39
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$43
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$68–$93
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 87.3 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-10-12.
Driving Electric?
About $26 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
74.9
0
$26.20
$11.98
Efficient EV
62.4
0
$21.83
$9.98
EV Truck/SUV
99.8
1
$34.93
$15.97
Gas CO2
87 kg
EV CO2
29 kg (67% less)
Plan for 0 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.
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.
Forecast as of Oct 17, 2026
Origin
Commerce City, CO
Morning
in Commerce City on Sunday
Local time
6:07 AM
MDT
Current temp
77°F
Sunny
ESE 2 to 6 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Freeze Warning
Freeze Warning issued October 17 at 5:02AM MDT until October 17 at 9:00AM MDT by NWS Pueblo CO
Freeze Warning
Freeze Warning issued October 16 at 9:15PM MDT until October 17 at 9:00AM MDT by NWS Grand Junction CO
Destination
Grand Junction, CO
Morning
in Grand Junction on Sunday
Local time
6:07 AM
MDT
Current temp
43°F
Clear
0 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Freeze Warning
Freeze Warning issued October 17 at 5:02AM MDT until October 17 at 9:00AM MDT by NWS Pueblo CO
Freeze Warning
Freeze Warning issued October 16 at 9:15PM MDT until October 17 at 9:00AM MDT by NWS Grand Junction CO
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
34 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
4h 45m on the road
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Colorado National Monument
National Monument
Colorado National Monument preserves one of the grand landscapes of the American West. But this treasure is much more than a monument. Towering monoliths exist within a vast plateau and canyon panoram...
8 mi from route
~19 min detour
$25
near mile 249.5
Caution: Guardrail Repair: Expect Construction Delays
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This route features a 33% highway share, meaning you'll spend most of your time on surface roads. The longest continuous stretch on a highway is 145.7 miles along the Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway. After this, expect the road profile to shift to mostly surface roads, which can mean more local traffic and varied speed limits as you approach your destination. You'll likely notice a change in the driving environment as you transition from high-speed travel to more community-focused routes.
Only 3% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 145.7 mi on Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Dexter Street.
Driving Effort3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 4h 45m drive. You will face about 10 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
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 0.3 miles: Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (East 60th Avenue): Navigation decision point.
Elevation Profile
Mountain driving with significant elevation changes
Graced by red rock mesas, Grand Junction is a vital part of Colorado's Wine Country. The city lies on the Colorado River at the foot of Grand Mesa, Mount Garfield, and Colorado National Monument. With a population of about 69,000, Grand Junction is the most populous city in the western half of the U.S. state of Colorado and the seat of Mesa County.
Top landmarks
•Cross Orchards Historic Site — place in Colorado listed on National Register of Historic Places
•Handy Chapel — chapel in Grand Junction, Colorado, United States
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 145.7 miles on Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
We did not find dedicated rest areas on this route. For a drive this long, plan bathroom and stretch breaks around gas stations, fast-food stops, or small-town downtowns — check the Nearby Places section for options.
Yes, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Dexter Street): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.3 miles: Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (East 60th Avenue): Navigation decision point.
Yes — Colorado National Monument. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Possible but tiring. At 4.8 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 9.5 hours — manageable with a long break at Grand Junction, CO, but most travelers stay overnight.
