Origin
Lafayette, CO
Late night in Lafayette on Tuesday
Local time
4:34 AM
MDT
Current temp
56°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Lafayette, CO to Coal Creek, 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
54m
Distance
29.1 mi
47 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 50m
★
6 AM
0h 55m
8 AM
1h 4m
10 AM
0h 58m
12 PM
0h 57m
3 PM
0h 58m
5 PM
1h 3m
8 PM
0h 52m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Lafayette, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Coal Creek, CO
Braeson Holland
Trip Overview
Lafayette to Coal Creek is 29.1 miles and takes about 54 minutes via Coal Creek Canyon Drive and CO 128, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short drive connects two points within Colorado's Mountain West region, offering a straightforward local journey. Expect a route that’s more about navigating turns than covering vast distances, making it a good option for a quick excursion. The relatively low mileage and duration suggest this trip can easily be completed in a single day, allowing for flexibility in your schedule.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Coal Creek Canyon Drive | 9.2 mi | 15m |
| CO 128 | 6.2 mi | 9m |
| South Foothills Highway | 4.3 mi | 6m |
| Northwest Parkway | 2.4 mi | 3m |
| South 112th Street | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| Interlocken Loop | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Copperdale Lane | 1.2 mi | 4m |
| Coal Creek Heights Drive | 1 mi | 4m |
Longest stretch:
Coal Creek Canyon Drive
— 9.2 mi, about 15m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lafayette, CO and Coal Creek, 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
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
South 112th Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
7
Turn right onto CR 68
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
·
West Dillon Road
8
Take the ramp
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward Northwest Parkway Toll
9
Merge onto NW
2.4 mi
·
3 min
·
Northwest Parkway
Use the left lane.
10
Continue on Interlocken Loop
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Interlocken Loop
Use the left lane.
11
At end of road, turn right onto CO 128
6.2 mi
·
9 min
·
CO 128
Use the right lane.
12
At end of road, turn left onto CO 93
4.3 mi
·
6 min
·
South Foothills Highway
13
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
14
Turn straight onto CO 72
9.2 mi
·
15 min
·
Coal Creek Canyon Drive
15
Turn left onto Copperdale Lane
1.2 mi
·
4 min
·
Copperdale Lane
16
Turn left onto Ridge Road
0.1 mi
·
28 sec
·
Ridge Road
17
Continue on Ridge Road
0.1 mi
·
35 sec
·
Ridge Road
18
Turn right onto Coal Creek Heights Drive
1.0 mi
·
4 min
·
Coal Creek Heights Drive
19
Continue on Beauty Lane
516 ft
·
22 sec
·
Beauty Lane
20
Arrive at destination
Beauty Lane
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 125 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 13.1 — 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.
5
3.2 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
NW / Northwest Parkway
Merge onto NW / Northwest Parkway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
6.9 mi into trip
|
~13m in
|
CO 128
At end of road, turn right onto CO 128
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
13.1 mi into trip
|
~22m in
|
CO 93 / South Foothills Highway
At end of road, turn left onto CO 93 / South Foothills Highway
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.38 one way
$8.77 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $4.64 | $9.28 |
| premium | $4.39 | $5.03 | $10.07 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.42 | $12.85 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.28
Northwest Parkway
(2.4 mi)
$0.28
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Tolls
$0
Total
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.7 | 0 | $3.06 | $1.40 |
| Efficient EV | 7.3 | 0 | $2.55 | $1.16 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.6 | 0 | $4.07 | $1.86 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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
Coal Creek, CO
Late night in Coal Creek on Tuesday
Local time
4:34 AM
MDT
Current temp
42°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
14 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
54m 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 trip is characterized as a "turn-heavy local drive," with a highway share of 29%. While not a high-speed interstate, you'll spend a good portion of your time on local roads like Coal Creek Canyon Drive and South Foothills Highway. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 9.2 miles on Coal Creek Canyon Drive, indicating a need for consistent attention to navigation. The road's personality suggests a more intimate driving experience, with frequent adjustments rather than long periods of cruising.
Only 29% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 9.2 mi on Coal Creek Canyon Drive.
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 12 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive.
Driving Effort
5/10
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 29.1 miles you will encounter 12 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: Navigation decision point; near the start (South Public Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.2 miles (NW / Northwest Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
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 Lafayette, CO to Coal Creek, CO, road signs begin pointing toward Northwest Parkway Toll along the way.
Northwest Parkway Toll
2.8 mi in
|
~6m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 54m. Total distance: 29.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
54m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (29%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 9.2 miles on Coal Creek Canyon Drive. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.28 in tolls one way, starting with Northwest Parkway. 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.
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 3.2 miles (NW / Northwest Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Coal Creek, 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.
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