US Trip Planner

Trip from Commerce City, CO to Superior, CO

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

25m

Distance

18.5 mi

30 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$3

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 7 min

4 AM

0h 23m ★

6 AM

0h 26m

8 AM

0h 30m

10 AM

0h 27m

12 PM

0h 27m

3 PM

0h 27m

5 PM

0h 30m

8 PM

0h 24m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time

Google Maps Waze Apple Maps

city in Adams County, Colorado, United States

Commerce City, CO

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Superior, CO, CO

Superior, CO

Gustavo Galeano Maz

Trip Overview

Commerce City, CO to Superior, CO is 18.5 miles and takes about 25m via Dexter Street, East 60th Avenue, and North Vasquez Boulevard, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Mountain West region, specifically within Colorado, making it a convenient local excursion. Expect a drive primarily on surface roads, offering a straightforward connection between these two adjacent areas. It's a short enough distance that you can easily complete it within a single day, allowing for flexibility in your schedule.

Main Roads

Road	Distance	Duration
Denver–Boulder Turnpike	13.9 mi	16m
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway	2.9 mi	4m
South McCaslin Boulevard	0.3 mi	<1m
North Vasquez Boulevard	0.2 mi	<1m
Dexter Street	0.1 mi	<1m
East Coal Creek Drive	0.1 mi	<1m
2nd Avenue	0.1 mi	<1m
East 60th Avenue	<0.1 mi	<1m

Longest stretch: Denver–Boulder Turnpike — 13.9 mi, about 16m

Traffic on I-270

Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 4 FHWA count stations on your route.

Peak

4 PM

~3,097 veh/hr typical

Quietest

2 AM

~406 veh/hr

Peak-to-quiet ratio

7.6×

busier at peak than in the quiet hours

12a 6a noon 6p 11p

Averaged across 94 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 Superior, 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

Continue on US 36

2.4 mi · 2 min · Denver–Boulder Turnpike

10

Keep slight right at fork onto US 36

1.7 mi · 1 min · Denver–Boulder Turnpike

11

Keep slight right at fork onto US 36

2.3 mi · 2 min · Denver–Boulder Turnpike

12

Keep slight right at fork onto US 36

1.9 mi · 2 min · Denver–Boulder Turnpike

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

13

Keep slight right at fork onto US 36

2.1 mi · 2 min · Denver–Boulder Turnpike

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

14

Keep slight right at fork onto US 36

2.9 mi · 3 min · Denver–Boulder Turnpike

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

15

Keep slight right at fork onto US 36

0.6 mi · 40 sec · Denver–Boulder Turnpike

16

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 30 sec

Toward CO 170 West: McCaslin Boulevard Use the straight / slight right lanes.

17

Keep slight left at fork

216 ft · 6 sec

Toward McCaslin Boulevard South Use the left lane.

18

Turn slight left onto South McCaslin Boulevard

0.3 mi · 43 sec · South McCaslin Boulevard

Use the left lane.

19

Turn right onto East Coal Creek Drive

0.1 mi · 34 sec · East Coal Creek Drive

Use the right lane.

20

Turn left onto 2nd Avenue

0.1 mi · 25 sec · 2nd Avenue

21

Turn right

142 ft · 10 sec

22

Arrive at destination

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 19

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 18.2 — 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

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

8

17.9 mi into trip | ~23m in

Keep slight left at fork toward McCaslin Boulevard South

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane. Toward McCaslin Boulevard South

7

18.2 mi into trip | ~24m in | East Coal Creek Drive

Turn right onto East Coal Creek Drive

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.12 one way

$6.24 round trip

$4.29/gal 25.4 MPG avg 7 kg CO₂

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

Estimated Tolls: $0.97

Denver–Boulder Turnpike (13.9 mi) $0.97

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$3

Tolls

$1

Total

$4

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.

Travel Intel

Current conditions at both ends of the drive.

Forecast as of Sep 4, 2026

Origin

Commerce City, CO

Afternoon in Commerce City on Friday

Local time

2:03 PM

MDT

Current temp

63°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Superior, CO

Afternoon in Superior on Friday

Local time

2:03 PM

MDT

Current temp

60°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

3 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

25m 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?

This 18.5-mile route is entirely on surface roads, with a 0% highway share. You'll be navigating through Dexter Street, East 60th Avenue, and North Vasquez Boulevard. Since there are no highways, you can anticipate consistent speeds without the frequent exits and merges typical of interstate travel. This profile suggests a more localized driving experience, moving through developed areas.

75% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.

22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.

Longest single stretch: 13.9 mi on Denver–Boulder Turnpike.

How Hard Is This Drive?

9/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Denver–Boulder Turnpike and Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. 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 19 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 25m.

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

5,511 ft 5,126 ft

Total Climb

632 ft

Total Descent

296 ft

Highest Point

5,511 ft

~17.2 mi in

Elevation Range

385 ft

Notable High Points

5,166 ft at ~1.3 miles +5 ft prominence

5,471 ft at ~9.2 miles +61 ft prominence

5,458 ft at ~13.2 miles +69 ft prominence

5,511 ft at ~17.2 miles +14 ft prominence

About the Cities

Starting in Commerce City, CO

Founded 1952

Arriving in Superior, CO

Founded 1896

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 25m. Total distance: 18.5 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

25m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (75%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 13.9 miles on Denver–Boulder Turnpike. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $0.97 in tolls one way, starting with Denver–Boulder Turnpike. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.

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 Superior, 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 Superior, 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.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

Continue From Superior, CO

Grand Junction, CO 251.2 mi · 4h 52m

More from Commerce City, CO

Grand Junction, CO 249.5 mi · 4h 45m

More trips to Superior, CO

Pueblo, CO 134.8 mi

Escape planner: Commerce City, CO Scenic drives in CO

Explore more options from Commerce City, CO or browse trips ending in Superior, CO.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse CO road trips.