Origin
Commerce City, CO
Late night in Commerce City on Tuesday
Local time
3:28 AM
MDT
Current temp
36°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Commerce City, CO to Ken Caryl, 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
38m
Distance
24.9 mi
40 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Good
6 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 36m
★
6 AM
0h 39m
8 AM
0h 45m
10 AM
0h 41m
12 PM
0h 40m
3 PM
0h 41m
5 PM
0h 45m
8 PM
0h 37m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Commerce City, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Ken Caryl, CO
RDNE Stock project
Trip Overview
Commerce City, CO to Ken Caryl, CO is 24.9 miles and takes about 38 minutes via US 85 and North Valley Highway, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short drive stays within the Mountain West region, connecting two points in Colorado. It's a straightforward trip that won't consume much of your day, making it easy to fit into a larger travel plan or as a quick hop between locations. You’ll experience a mix of highway and surface roads, so expect some variation in your driving pace.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 85 | 9.6 mi | 13m |
| North Valley Highway | 5 mi | 6m |
| West Ken Caryl Avenue | 3.3 mi | 5m |
| North Vasquez Boulevard | 2 mi | 2m |
| West Mineral Avenue | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| Grand Army of the Republic Highway | 0.8 mi | <1m |
| US 6 | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
US 85
— 9.6 mi, about 13m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Commerce City, CO and Ken Caryl, 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
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway
Use the straight lane.
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
Exit 274
Toward I 25: Fort Collins, Colorado Springs
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Continue on Grand Army of the Republic Highway
0.8 mi
·
54 sec
·
Grand Army of the Republic Highway
12
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
Toward I 25 South: Colorado Springs
13
Merge onto I 25
5.0 mi
·
6 min
·
North Valley Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Take the exit onto US 85
9.6 mi
·
13 min
·
US 85
Exit 207B
Toward US 85: Santa Fe Drive
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Turn right onto West Mineral Avenue
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
West Mineral Avenue
Use the left lane.
16
Continue on West Ken Caryl Avenue
3.3 mi
·
5 min
·
West Ken Caryl Avenue
17
Turn left onto CR 58
481 ft
·
27 sec
·
South Continental Divide Road
18
Turn left onto South Sangre de Cristo Road
0.1 mi
·
33 sec
·
South Sangre de Cristo Road
19
Turn right onto South Cottonwood Mountain
0.2 mi
·
35 sec
·
South Cottonwood Mountain
20
Arrive at destination
South Cottonwood Mountain
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 155 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 10.2 — 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
8
3.8 mi into trip
|
~7m in
Take the exit toward I 25: Fort Collins, Colorado Springs
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 274
Toward I 25: Fort Collins, Colorado Springs
7
10.2 mi into trip
|
~16m in
|
US 85
Take the exit onto US 85 toward US 85: Santa Fe Drive
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 207B
Toward US 85: Santa Fe Drive
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.75 one way
$7.50 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $3.97 | $7.94 |
| premium | $4.39 | $4.31 | $8.62 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.50 | $11.00 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.5 | 0 | $2.61 | $1.20 |
| Efficient EV | 6.2 | 0 | $2.18 | $1.00 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10 | 0 | $3.49 | $1.59 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Ken Caryl, CO
Late night in Ken Caryl on Tuesday
Local time
3:28 AM
MDT
Current temp
32°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
38m 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?
About 40% of this 24.9-mile route is on highways, with the longest continuous stretch of highway driving being 9.6 miles on US 85. After the highway portions, you'll transition to surface roads for the remainder of the trip to Ken Caryl. Expect a mix of driving experiences, from cruising on larger roads to navigating more local streets as you approach your destination. The change in road type means you'll see a shift in traffic patterns and speed limits.
40% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 9.6 mi on US 85.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
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 0.1 miles in near Dexter Street.
Driving Effort
9/10
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 24.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 38m.
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.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Commerce City, CO to Ken Caryl, CO, road signs begin pointing toward Colorado Springs along the way.
Colorado Springs
3.8 mi in
|
~7m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 38m. Total distance: 24.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
38m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (40%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 9.6 miles on US 85. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 2 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
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 Ken Caryl, 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 0.3 miles: Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (East 60th Avenue): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Ken Caryl, 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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