Origin
Littleton, CO
Late night in Littleton on Tuesday
Local time
2:59 AM
MDT
Current temp
35°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Littleton, CO to Commerce City, 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
17.6 mi
28 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Good
6 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 24m
★
6 AM
0h 27m
8 AM
0h 31m
10 AM
0h 28m
12 PM
0h 28m
3 PM
0h 28m
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.
Littleton, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Commerce City, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Littleton to Commerce City is 17.6 miles and takes about 26 minutes via South Santa Fe Drive and North Vasquez Boulevard, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short drive stays within Colorado, moving from the Mountain West region to another part of the Mountain West. Expect a local, turn-heavy experience rather than an open highway cruise. It's a straightforward trip, perfect for a quick transit between these two Denver-area cities when you need to get from point A to point B efficiently.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| South Santa Fe Drive | 6.4 mi | 7m |
| South Valley Highway | 4.7 mi | 6m |
| North Vasquez Boulevard | 2.1 mi | 3m |
| I 70 | 1.2 mi | 1m |
| Grand Army of the Republic Highway | 1 mi | 1m |
| US 85 | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| US 6 | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Dexter Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
South Santa Fe Drive
— 6.4 mi, about 7m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Littleton, CO and Commerce City, CO.
1
Start on this road
35 ft
·
4 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right
157 ft
·
13 sec
3
Turn right onto South Nevada Street
176 ft
·
15 sec
·
South Nevada Street
4
Turn left onto West Main Street
0.1 mi
·
29 sec
·
West Main Street
5
Take the ramp
380 ft
·
10 sec
Toward US 85
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Merge onto US 85
6.4 mi
·
7 min
·
South Santa Fe Drive
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit onto US 85
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
US 85
Toward I 25 North: Fort Collins
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
Merge onto I 25
4.7 mi
·
6 min
·
South Valley Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
Exit 214A
Toward I 70: Limon, Grand Junction
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Continue on Grand Army of the Republic Highway
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Grand Army of the Republic Highway
Toward I 70
11
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
12
Merge onto I 70
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
I 70
13
Take the exit onto US 6; US 85
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
·
US 6; US 85
Exit 276A
Toward US 6, US 85: Vasquez Boulevard
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Turn left onto US 6; US 85
2.1 mi
·
3 min
·
North Vasquez Boulevard
Use the left / straight lanes.
15
Turn left onto Dexter Street
0.2 mi
·
52 sec
·
Dexter Street
Use the left lane.
16
Turn left
0.1 mi
·
53 sec
17
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 145 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 17.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
0.2 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Take the ramp toward US 85
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward US 85
6
6.7 mi into trip
|
~8m in
|
US 85
Take the exit onto US 85 toward I 25 North: Fort Collins
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Toward I 25 North: Fort Collins
8
12.2 mi into trip
|
~17m in
Take the exit toward I 70: Limon, Grand Junction
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 214A
Toward I 70: Limon, Grand Junction
8
14.9 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
US 6; US 85
Take the exit onto US 6; US 85 toward US 6, US 85: Vasquez Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 276A
Toward US 6, US 85: Vasquez Boulevard
6
17.2 mi into trip
|
~24m in
|
Dexter Street
Turn left onto Dexter Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.65 one way
$5.30 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $2.81 | $5.62 |
| premium | $4.39 | $3.04 | $6.09 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.89 | $7.77 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.3 | 0 | $1.85 | $0.84 |
| Efficient EV | 4.4 | 0 | $1.54 | $0.70 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7 | 0 | $2.46 | $1.13 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 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
Commerce City, CO
Late night in Commerce City on Tuesday
Local time
2:59 AM
MDT
Current temp
36°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
1 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
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 route is characterized as a 'turn-heavy local drive,' with only about 13% of the journey on highways. You'll navigate primarily on local roads like South Santa Fe Drive, South Valley Highway, and North Vasquez Boulevard. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 6.4 miles on South Santa Fe Drive. Be prepared for frequent turns and traffic signals as you make your way through urban and suburban environments, rather than a continuous, high-speed journey.
Only 13% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 6.4 mi on South Santa Fe Drive.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
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 0.2 miles in.
Driving Effort
9/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 14 decision points packed into just 17.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 26m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 6.7 miles (US 85): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 12.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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 Littleton, CO to Commerce City, CO, road signs begin pointing toward Grand Junction along the way.
Grand Junction
12.2 mi in
|
~17m
About the Cities
Starting in Littleton, CO
Full guide →Littleton is a city of about 45,000 in the Denver Metropolitan Area of the western U.S. state of Colorado. The seat of Arapahoe County and also extending into adjacent Arapahoe and Douglas counties, the city lies south of Denver along the South Platte River. A former farming community, Littleton is now a residential suburb of Denver.
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: 17.6 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.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 6.4 miles on South Santa Fe Drive. 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 Commerce City, 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 0.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 6.7 miles (US 85): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 12.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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 Commerce City, 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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