Origin
Lafayette, CO
Late night in Lafayette on Tuesday
Local time
3:08 AM
MDT
Current temp
56°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Lafayette, CO to Arvada, 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
26m
Distance
14.5 mi
23 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great 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.
Lafayette, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Arvada, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking to travel between Lafayette and Arvada, you are in for a quick, straightforward journey through the Mountain West. Spanning just 14.5 miles, this trip typically takes about 26 minutes behind the wheel. Because the duration is so short, it is perfectly suited for a single-day excursion, meaning you won't need to worry about overnight logistics. Budgeting around $2 for fuel should be more than enough to cover your needs for this direct route. Whether you are commuting or just heading out for a change of scenery, this drive offers a simple, efficient connection between these two Colorado communities.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| South 112th Street | 4.2 mi | 6m |
| Wadsworth Parkway | 4 mi | 6m |
| Wadsworth Boulevard | 3.1 mi | 5m |
| South Public Road | 1 mi | 2m |
| Wadsworth Bypass | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| CO 121 | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Ralston Road | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Ammons Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
South 112th Street
— 4.2 mi, about 6m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lafayette, CO and Arvada, CO.
1
Start on this road
206 ft
·
16 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right
50 ft
·
9 sec
3
Turn left onto South Public Road
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
South Public Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
4
Enter roundabout onto South 112th Street
74 ft
·
2 sec
·
South 112th Street
5
Continue on South 112th Street
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
·
South 112th Street
6
Turn left onto US 287
4.0 mi
·
6 min
·
South 112th Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
7
Continue on CO 121
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
CO 121
8
Continue on CO 121
4.0 mi
·
6 min
·
Wadsworth Parkway
Use the left lane.
9
Continue on CO 121
3.1 mi
·
5 min
·
Wadsworth Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
10
Continue on CO 121
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Wadsworth Bypass
11
Turn right onto Ralston Road
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Ralston Road
Use the right lane.
12
Turn right onto Ammons Street
227 ft
·
13 sec
·
Ammons Street
13
Turn left
41 ft
·
3 sec
14
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 75 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 14.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
Turn right
Navigation decision point
6
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
South Public Road
Turn left onto South Public Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
4
1.1 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
South 112th Street
Enter roundabout onto South 112th Street
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
6
13.9 mi into trip
|
~25m in
|
Ralston Road
Turn right onto Ralston Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
14.5 mi into trip
|
~26m in
Turn left
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.18 one way
$4.37 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $2.31 | $4.63 |
| premium | $4.39 | $2.51 | $5.02 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.20 | $6.40 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.4 | 0 | $1.52 | $0.70 |
| Efficient EV | 3.6 | 0 | $1.27 | $0.58 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.8 | 0 | $2.03 | $0.93 |
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.
Destination
Arvada, CO
Late night in Arvada on Tuesday
Local time
3:08 AM
MDT
Current temp
35°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
21 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
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?
This 14.5-mile trek offers a mixed driving profile that keeps you engaged without being overly demanding. You will navigate a combination of local roads and highways, with highway driving accounting for roughly 32% of your total time on the road. The route relies primarily on South 112th Street, Wadsworth Parkway, and Wadsworth Boulevard to move you toward your destination. You can expect your longest uninterrupted stretch to be 4.2 miles along South 112th Street, which serves as a steady primary segment of the trip. Overall, the transition between these surface streets and the parkway makes for a varied experience compared to a monotonous interstate grind.
32% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 4.2 mi on South 112th Street.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 26m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start: Navigation decision point; near the start (South Public Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.1 miles (South 112th Street): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
Elevation Profile
High-altitude sections with notable climbs
5,520 ft
5,193 ft
Total Climb
494 ft
Total Descent
356 ft
Highest Point
5,520 ft
~6.2 mi in
Elevation Range
327 ft
Notable High Points
5,520 ft at ~6.2 miles
+87 ft prominence
5,474 ft at ~10.4 miles
+32 ft prominence
5,503 ft at ~12.5 miles
+60 ft prominence
About the Cities
Arriving in Arvada, CO
Full guide →Founded 1859
Arvada is a city of about 125,000 in the Denver Metropolitan Area of the U.S. state of Colorado. A former farming community in Jefferson and Adams counties, the city is now a residential suburb of Denver. Olde Town Arvada lies 7 miles (11 km) northwest of the Colorado State Capitol and 9 miles (14 km) east of the Front Range foothills.
Top landmarks
- • Arvada Flour Mill — historic mill in Arvada, Colorado, USA
- • Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities — art center in Arvada, Colorado
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: 14.5 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.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (32%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 4.2 miles on South 112th Street. 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: Navigation decision point; near the start (South Public Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.1 miles (South 112th Street): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Arvada, 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, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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