Origin
Denver, CO
Late night in Denver on Sunday
Local time
1:59 AM
MDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Denver, CO to Dove Valley, CO
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
26m
Distance
16.5 mi
27 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 25m
★
6 AM
0h 27m
8 AM
0h 31m
10 AM
0h 28m
12 PM
0h 28m
3 PM
0h 29m
5 PM
0h 31m
8 PM
0h 25m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Denver, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Dove Valley, CO
Regan Dsouza
Trip Overview
This short 16.5-mile drive from Denver to Dove Valley in Colorado takes about 26 minutes and is best suited as a single-day trip. With a modest fuel cost of around $2, it's an economical option for local travel within the Mountain West region. The route is primarily composed of local roads, with only about 8% of the journey on highways, suggesting a more urban or suburban driving experience. Given its brevity, this trip requires no overnight stays and can easily be completed in a single outing, offering a straightforward way to get from point A to point B.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| South Valley Highway | 7.6 mi | 8m |
| East Arapahoe Road | 2 mi | 3m |
| Logan Street | 1.8 mi | 3m |
| Grant Street | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Broncos Parkway | 1 mi | 1m |
| South Peoria Street | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| East Buchtel South Boulevard | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| CO 88 | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
South Valley Highway
— 7.6 mi, about 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Denver, CO and Dove Valley, CO.
1
Start on this road
379 ft
·
29 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right
62 ft
·
8 sec
3
Turn right onto I 70 Business; US 40; US 287
358 ft
·
14 sec
·
East Colfax Avenue
4
Turn right onto Grant Street
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Grant Street
Use the right lane.
5
Turn left onto East Speer Boulevard
451 ft
·
13 sec
·
East Speer Boulevard
Use the left lane.
6
Turn right onto Logan Street
1.8 mi
·
3 min
·
Logan Street
Use the right lane.
7
Turn left onto East Buchtel South Boulevard
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
·
East Buchtel South Boulevard
Use the left lane.
8
Continue on East Buchtel South Boulevard
0.2 mi
·
17 sec
·
East Buchtel South Boulevard
9
Take the ramp
0.8 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 25 South
10
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
Toward I 25 South
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
11
Merge onto I 25
7.6 mi
·
8 min
·
South Valley Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit onto CO 88
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
·
CO 88
Exit 197
Toward CO 88: Arapahoe Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
At end of road, turn left onto CO 88; CR 42
0.1 mi
·
20 sec
·
East Arapahoe Road
Use the left / right lanes.
14
Continue on CO 88; CR 42
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
East Arapahoe Road
Use the left lane.
15
Turn right onto South Peoria Street
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
South Peoria Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
16
Continue on Broncos Parkway
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Broncos Parkway
Use the straight lane.
17
Arrive at destination
South Potomac Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 125 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 14.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Grant Street
Turn right onto Grant Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
7
4.5 mi into trip
|
~9m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 25 South
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
Toward I 25 South
7
12.3 mi into trip
|
~19m in
|
CO 88
Take the exit onto CO 88 toward CO 88: Arapahoe Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 197
Toward CO 88: Arapahoe Road
6
12.6 mi into trip
|
~19m in
|
CO 88; CR 42 / East Arapahoe Road
At end of road, turn left onto CO 88; CR 42 / East Arapahoe Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / right lanes.
6
14.6 mi into trip
|
~23m in
|
South Peoria Street
Turn right onto South Peoria Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.49 one way
$4.97 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $2.63 | $5.26 |
| premium | $4.39 | $2.85 | $5.71 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.64 | $7.29 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5 | 0 | $1.73 | $0.79 |
| Efficient EV | 4.1 | 0 | $1.44 | $0.66 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.6 | 0 | $2.31 | $1.06 |
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.
Destination
Dove Valley, CO
Late night in Dove Valley on Sunday
Local time
1:59 AM
MDT
Current temp
61°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
15 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
26m 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' for this 16.5-mile route, as indicated by its profile. You'll navigate through a mix of South Valley Highway, East Arapahoe Road, and Logan Street, with only a small highway share of 8%. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 7.6 miles on South Valley Highway, so be prepared for frequent turns and adjustments. This isn't a high-speed interstate journey; rather, it's a more deliberate path through local infrastructure.
Only 8% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 7.6 mi on South Valley Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
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 0.2 miles in near Grant Street.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 16.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 26m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (Grant Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 12.3 miles (CO 88): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Denver, CO
Full guide →Denver is the capital of the western U.S. state of Colorado and the dominant city of the Rocky Mountain Region. Founded in 1858 as the placer gold mining camp known as the Cherry Creek Diggings, the "Mile-High City" is today the most populous city within a 560-mile (900 km) radius and the center of the Front Range Urban Corridor of more than five million residents. Denver embraces its cowboy and mining past but also looks toward the future with a vibrant arts and performing arts scene, dozens of great outdoor festivals, and distinct neighborhoods each offering a unique experience. You'll find everything a cosmopolitan city has to offer including a spectacular view of and easy access to the beautiful Rocky Mountains, which arise only 12 miles (19 km) west of the Colorado State Capitol.
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 26m. Total distance: 16.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
26m 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 7.6 miles on South 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 Dove Valley, 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 0.2 miles (Grant Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 12.3 miles (CO 88): 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 Dove Valley, 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Dove Valley, CO
More trips to Dove Valley, CO
Explore more options from Denver, CO or browse trips ending in Dove Valley, CO.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse CO road trips.