Origin
Lakewood, CO
Late night in Lakewood on Sunday
Local time
1:59 AM
MDT
Current temp
44°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Lakewood, CO to Denver, CO
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
14m
Distance
7.5 mi
12 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 13m
★
6 AM
0h 15m
8 AM
0h 17m
10 AM
0h 15m
12 PM
0h 15m
3 PM
0h 16m
5 PM
0h 17m
8 PM
0h 14m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Lakewood, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Denver, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 7.5-mile drive from Lakewood, Colorado to Denver, Colorado is a quick 14-minute journey that's perfect for a single day trip. You'll primarily be on a highway-focused route, with about 66% of the drive utilizing major roadways. With a minimal fuel cost estimated at $1, this trip won't break the bank. Given its brevity, it's an easy addition to any itinerary within the Mountain West region, requiring no overnight stays. This route offers a straightforward and efficient connection between these two Colorado cities.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| West 6th Avenue Freeway | 5 mi | 8m |
| South Wadsworth Boulevard | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| North Lincoln Street | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| East 14th Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
West 6th Avenue Freeway
— 5 mi, about 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lakewood, CO and Denver, CO.
1
Start on CO 121
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
South Wadsworth Boulevard
2
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
Toward US 6 East: Denver
Use the slight right lane.
3
Merge onto US 6
5.0 mi
·
8 min
·
West 6th Avenue Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
Turn left onto North Lincoln Street
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
North Lincoln Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
5
Turn right onto East 14th Avenue
353 ft
·
17 sec
·
East 14th Avenue
Use the right lane.
6
Turn left
358 ft
·
27 sec
Use the straight / left lanes.
7
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 55 decision points cluster between mile 1.3 and 7.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
1.3 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the ramp toward US 6 East: Denver
Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward US 6 East: Denver
5
1.5 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
US 6 / West 6th Avenue Freeway
Merge onto US 6 / West 6th Avenue Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
6.5 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
North Lincoln Street
Turn left onto North Lincoln Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
6
7.4 mi into trip
|
~13m in
|
East 14th Avenue
Turn right onto East 14th Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
7
7.4 mi into trip
|
~14m in
Turn left
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.13 one way
$2.26 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $1.20 | $2.39 |
| premium | $4.39 | $1.30 | $2.59 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $1.66 | $3.31 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Estimated CO2 emission: 2.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2.3 | 0 | $0.79 | $0.36 |
| Efficient EV | 1.9 | 0 | $0.66 | $0.30 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 3 | 0 | $1.05 | $0.48 |
Gas CO2
3 kg
EV CO2
1 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
Denver, CO
Late night in Denver on Sunday
Local time
1:59 AM
MDT
Current temp
46°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
2 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
14m 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 highway-focused experience for most of this 7.5-mile trip, with 66% of the drive on high-speed roads. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 5 miles along the West 6th Avenue Freeway, offering a consistent pace. You'll transition between major arteries like West 6th Avenue Freeway, South Wadsworth Boulevard, and North Lincoln Street. The road profile suggests a generally fast-paced drive, typical of urban and suburban connections.
66% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
7 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5 mi on West 6th Avenue Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on West 6th Avenue Freeway and South Wadsworth Boulevard. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 1.3 miles in.
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 14m drive. You will face about 5 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 1.5 miles (US 6 / West 6th Avenue Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 6.5 miles (North Lincoln Street): Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Arriving 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 14m. Total distance: 7.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
14m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (66%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 5 miles on West 6th Avenue Freeway. 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: at 1.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 1.5 miles (US 6 / West 6th Avenue Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 6.5 miles (North Lincoln Street): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Denver, 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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