This short 15.2-mile drive from Granby to Grand Lake, Colorado, takes about 25 minutes and is perfect as a single-day trip. You'll mainly be on the Colorado River Headwaters Scenic Byway, with a brief stint on North 2nd Street and Grand Avenue. With a low fuel cost estimated at $2, this route offers a quick and easy transition between two points within the Mountain West region. Since there are no designated stops and the drive is so brief, you have plenty of flexibility for when you want to depart and how you want to spend your time upon arrival.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Colorado River Headwaters Scenic Byway
12.8 mi
18m
North 2nd Street
1.2 mi
3m
Grand Avenue
0.4 mi
<1m
West Portal Road
0.3 mi
<1m
1st Street
0.3 mi
<1m
East Agate Avenue
<0.1 mi
<1m
East Diamond Avenue
<0.1 mi
<1m
Vine Street
<0.1 mi
—
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
Colorado River Headwaters Scenic Byway
— 12.8 mi, about 18m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Granby, CO and Grand Lake, CO.
1
Start on this road
140 ft·12 sec·this road
2
Turn right onto North 2nd Street
186 ft·10 sec·North 2nd Street
3
Turn right onto US 40
471 ft·12 sec·East Agate Avenue
4
Turn right onto 1st Street
0.3 mi·39 sec·1st Street
5
At end of road, turn right onto East Diamond Avenue
332 ft·15 sec·East Diamond Avenue
6
Turn left onto CR 61
1.1 mi·2 min·North 2nd Street
7
Turn right onto US 34
13 mi·18 min·Colorado River Headwaters Scenic Byway
8
Turn slight right
0.1 mi·22 sec
Toward West Portal Road east
9
Turn straight onto West Portal Road
0.3 mi·42 sec·West Portal Road
10
Keep slight right at fork onto Grand Avenue
0.4 mi·54 sec·Grand Avenue
11
Turn right onto Vine Street
16 ft·0 sec·Vine Street
12
Arrive at destination
Vine Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 8
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 0.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip|~0m in|North 2nd Street
Turn right onto North 2nd Street
Navigation decision point
5
0.1 mi into trip|~0m in|US 40 / East Agate Avenue
Turn right onto US 40 / East Agate Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
0.2 mi into trip|~0m in|1st Street
Turn right onto 1st Street
Navigation decision point
6
0.4 mi into trip|~1m in|East Diamond Avenue
At end of road, turn right onto East Diamond Avenue
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
4
0.5 mi into trip|~1m in|CR 61 / North 2nd Street
Turn left onto CR 61 / North 2nd Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.32 one way
$4.64 round trip
$3.87/gal25.4 MPG avg5 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.12
$2.46
$4.93
premium
$4.45
$2.66
$5.33
diesel
$4.80
$2.87
$5.74
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.3 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging
· 0 stops
· 60% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
4.6
0
$1.60
$0.73
Efficient EV
3.8
0
$1.33
$0.61
EV Truck/SUV
6.1
0
$2.13
$0.97
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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 Jul 1, 2026
Origin
Granby, CO
Morning
in Granby on Sunday
Local time
9:31 AM
MDT
Current temp
79°F
Sunny then Patchy Smoke
WSW 2 to 10 mph10% chanceLive forecast
Red Flag Warning
Red Flag Warning issued July 1 at 4:29AM MDT until July 1 at 8:00PM MDT by NWS Grand Junction CO
Red Flag Warning
Red Flag Warning issued July 1 at 4:29AM MDT until July 1 at 8:00PM MDT by NWS Grand Junction CO
Destination
Grand Lake, CO
Morning
in Grand Lake on Sunday
Local time
9:31 AM
MDT
Current temp
77°F
Sunny then Patchy Smoke
SW 3 to 12 mph14% chanceLive forecast
Red Flag Warning
Red Flag Warning issued July 1 at 4:29AM MDT until July 1 at 8:00PM MDT by NWS Grand Junction CO
Red Flag Warning
Red Flag Warning issued July 1 at 4:29AM MDT until July 1 at 8:00PM MDT by NWS Grand Junction 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
2 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
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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive for the entirety of this 15.2-mile journey. With a 0% highway share, you'll be navigating local roads for the full 25 minutes. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 12.8 miles along the Colorado River Headwaters Scenic Byway. This route is characterized by frequent turns and a more intimate connection with the local landscape rather than long, open highway stretches.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 12.8 mi on Colorado River Headwaters Scenic Byway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near North 2nd Street.
Driving Effort5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 15.2 miles you will encounter 8 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (North 2nd Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (US 40 / East Agate Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (1st Street): Navigation decision point.
Elevation Profile
Mountain driving with significant elevation changes
8,435 ft7,936 ft
Total Climb
567 ft
Total Descent
154 ft
Highest Point
8,435 ft
~14.1 mi in
Elevation Range
499 ft
Notable High Points
8,002 ft at ~1.1 miles+28 ft prominence
8,316 ft at ~7.6 miles+2 ft prominence
8,417 ft at ~10.9 miles+18 ft prominence
8,435 ft at ~14.1 miles+9 ft prominence
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 Granby, CO to Grand Lake, CO, road signs begin pointing toward Portal Road East along the way.
Grand Lake is a small town of 400 people (2020) in the Northwestern region of the Rocky Mountain state of Colorado. Grand Lake sits at the southwest entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park. It is a tourist destination adjacent to the western entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park, which surrounds the lake and the town on three sides.
Top landmarks
•Grand Lake Lodge — lodge in Grand Lake, United States of America
Doable as a same-day drive at 25m. Total distance: 15.2 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 (0%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 12.8 miles on Colorado River Headwaters Scenic Byway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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: near the start (North 2nd Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (US 40 / East Agate Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (1st Street): Navigation decision point.
Yes — Rocky Mountain National Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Grand Lake, CO before heading back.
