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Trip from Denver, CO to Northglenn, CO

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

Drive Time

18m

Distance

10.6 mi

17 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 17m ★
6 AM
0h 19m
8 AM
0h 22m
10 AM
0h 20m
12 PM
0h 19m
3 PM
0h 20m
5 PM
0h 22m
8 PM
0h 18m

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

Best Time
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consolidated city-county and capital of Colorado, United States

Denver, CO

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Northglenn, CO, CO

Northglenn, CO

Brad Bean

Trip Overview

The drive from Denver, CO to Northglenn, CO covers 10.6 miles and takes about 18m 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, Park Avenue West, North Lincoln Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 7.8 miles on North Valley Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $1.79 one way before food or hotel costs.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
North Valley Highway 7.8 mi 10m
Park Avenue West 1 mi 2m
North Lincoln Street 0.5 mi 1m
North Broadway 0.4 mi 1m
20th Street <0.1 mi <1m
East Colfax Avenue <0.1 mi <1m
East 104th Avenue <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: North Valley Highway — 7.8 mi, about 10m

Traffic on I-25

Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 12 FHWA count stations on your route.

Peak

7 AM

~5,847 veh/hr typical · worst 6,823

Quietest

1 AM

~614 veh/hr

Peak-to-quiet ratio

9.5×

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 Denver, CO and Northglenn, CO.

1

Start on this road

379 ft · 29 sec · this road
2

Turn right

62 ft · 11 sec
3

Turn left onto I 70 Business; US 40; US 287

362 ft · 14 sec · East Colfax Avenue
4

Turn right onto North Lincoln Street

0.5 mi · 1 min · North Lincoln Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
5

Continue on 20th Street

500 ft · 18 sec · 20th Street
6

Turn right onto North Broadway

0.4 mi · 1 min · North Broadway
7

Turn left onto Park Avenue West

1.0 mi · 2 min · Park Avenue West
Toward I 25 Use the left lane.
8

Take the ramp

458 ft · 11 sec
Toward I 25 North, I 70: Fort Collins, Limon, Grand Junction Use the right lane.
9

Keep slight left at fork

0.3 mi · 22 sec
Toward I 25 North: Fort Collins
10

Merge onto I 25

5.0 mi · 7 min · North Valley Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Keep slight right at fork onto I 25

2.7 mi · 3 min · North Valley Highway
Use the slight right lane.
12

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 22 sec
Exit 221 Toward 104th Avenue Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13

Turn left onto East 104th Avenue

180 ft · 11 sec · East 104th Avenue
Use the left / straight lanes.
14

Arrive at destination

East 104th Avenue

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 11

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 10.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | I 70 Business; US 40; US 287 / East Colfax Avenue

Turn left onto I 70 Business; US 40; US 287 / East Colfax Avenue

Navigation decision point

6
1.2 mi into trip | ~4m in | Park Avenue West

Turn left onto Park Avenue West toward I 25

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane. Toward I 25
6
2.2 mi into trip | ~6m in

Take the ramp toward I 25 North, I 70: Fort Collins, Limon, Grand Junction

Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the right lane. Toward I 25 North, I 70: Fort Collins, Limon, G...
6
7.6 mi into trip | ~14m in | I 25 / North Valley Highway

Keep slight right at fork onto I 25 / North Valley Highway

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane.
7
10.4 mi into trip | ~18m in

Take the exit toward 104th Avenue

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 221 Toward 104th Avenue

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$1.79 one way

$3.58 round trip

$4.29/gal 25.4 MPG avg 4 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.52 $1.89 $3.78
premium $4.89 $2.04 $4.08
diesel $5.60 $2.34 $4.67

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$2

Estimated CO2 emission: 3.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.

Driving Electric?

About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 3.2 0 $1.11 $0.51
Efficient EV 2.7 0 $0.93 $0.42
EV Truck/SUV 4.2 0 $1.48 $0.68

Gas CO2

4 kg

EV CO2

1 kg (75% 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 Aug 23, 2026

Origin

Denver, CO

Afternoon in Denver on Friday

Local time

3:25 PM

MDT

Current temp

94°F

Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

ESE 5 to 8 mph 40% chance Live forecast

Flash Flood Warning

Flash Flood Warning issued August 23 at 4:16PM MDT until August 23 at 7:15PM MDT by NWS Pueblo CO

Flash Flood Warning

Flash Flood Warning issued August 23 at 4:01PM MDT until August 23 at 6:30PM MDT by NWS Pueblo CO

Destination

Northglenn, CO

Afternoon in Northglenn on Friday

Local time

3:25 PM

MDT

Current temp

93°F

Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

SSW 6 mph 34% chance Live forecast

Flash Flood Warning

Flash Flood Warning issued August 23 at 4:16PM MDT until August 23 at 7:15PM MDT by NWS Pueblo CO

Flash Flood Warning

Flash Flood Warning issued August 23 at 4:01PM MDT until August 23 at 6:30PM MDT by NWS Pueblo CO

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

1 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

18m on the road

The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

What kind of drive is this?

10.6 mi in 18m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.

Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 7.8 mi on North Valley Highway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

8/10

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 I 70 Business; US 40; US 287 / East Colfax Avenue.

Driving Effort 8/10

Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 10.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 18m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (I 70 Business; US 40; US 287 / East Colfax Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1.2 miles (Park Avenue West): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Elevation Profile

High-altitude sections with notable climbs

5,392 ft 5,156 ft

Total Climb

344 ft

Total Descent

252 ft

Highest Point

5,392 ft

~9.8 mi in

Elevation Range

236 ft

Notable High Points

5,216 ft at ~4.5 miles +7 ft prominence
5,281 ft at ~7.6 miles +49 ft prominence
5,392 ft at ~9.8 miles +24 ft prominence

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Denver, CO and Northglenn, CO, road signs point toward Limon and Grand Junction.

Limon

2.2 mi in | ~6m

Grand Junction

2.2 mi in | ~6m

About the Cities

Starting in Denver, CO

Full guide →

“Mile High City” · Founded 1858

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.

Top landmarks

  • • Denver Art Museum — museum in Denver, Colorado, United States
  • • Denver Mint — United States Mint branch in Denver, Colorado
  • • Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception — church in Colorado, United States

Arriving in Northglenn, CO

Full guide →

Founded 1969

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 18m. Total distance: 10.6 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

18m 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 7.8 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 Northglenn, 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 (I 70 Business; US 40; US 287 / East Colfax Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1.2 miles (Park Avenue West): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Northglenn, 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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