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Trip from Lone Tree, CO to Arvada, CO

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

39m

Distance

27 mi

43 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$4

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 10 min
4 AM
0h 36m ★
6 AM
0h 39m
8 AM
0h 46m
10 AM
0h 42m
12 PM
0h 41m
3 PM
0h 42m
5 PM
0h 46m
8 PM
0h 37m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Downtown Lone Tree, CO, CO

Lone Tree, CO

Volker Thimm

Downtown Arvada, CO, CO

Arvada, CO

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Lone Tree, CO to Arvada, CO is 27 miles and takes about 39 minutes via South Valley Highway and I 70, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short hop stays within the Mountain West region, specifically within Colorado. Expect a drive that involves navigating local roads and highway segments, making it more of a practical commute than a winding scenic journey. Given its brevity, this trip is easily accomplished in a single day, allowing for ample time to explore your destination.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
South Valley Highway 17.4 mi 21m
I 70 2.7 mi 3m
Ralston Road 1.9 mi 3m
Sheridan Boulevard 1.1 mi 2m
South Yosemite Street 0.9 mi 2m
Grand Army of the Republic Highway 0.6 mi <1m
East County Line Road 0.4 mi <1m
Chester Street 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: South Valley Highway — 17.4 mi, about 21m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Lone Tree, CO and Arvada, CO.

1

Start on this road

455 ft · 22 sec · this road
2

Turn left onto South Yosemite Street

0.9 mi · 2 min · South Yosemite Street
Use the straight lane.
3

Turn right onto Chester Street

0.2 mi · 32 sec · Chester Street
Use the right lane.
4

Turn right onto CR 50

0.4 mi · 47 sec · East County Line Road
5

Take the ramp

0.6 mi · 1 min
Toward I 25 North Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Merge onto I 25

17 mi · 21 min · South Valley Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 19 sec
Exit 214A Toward I 70: Limon, Grand Junction Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Continue on Grand Army of the Republic Highway

0.6 mi · 42 sec · Grand Army of the Republic Highway
Toward I 70
9

Take the exit

0.8 mi · 1 min
Toward I 70 West: Grand Junction
10

Merge onto I 70

2.7 mi · 3 min · I 70
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 20 sec
Exit 271A Toward CO 95: Sheridan Boulevard Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Turn right onto CO 95

1.1 mi · 2 min · Sheridan Boulevard
Use the right lane.
13

Turn left onto Ralston Road

1.9 mi · 3 min · Ralston Road
Use the left lane.
14

Turn right onto Ammons Street

227 ft · 13 sec · Ammons Street
15

Turn left

41 ft · 3 sec
16

Arrive at destination

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 13

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.9 and 23.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
0.9 mi into trip | ~2m in | Chester Street

Turn right onto Chester Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.
5
1.6 mi into trip | ~3m in

Take the ramp toward I 25 North

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward I 25 North
5
2.1 mi into trip | ~5m in | I 25 / South Valley Highway

Merge onto I 25 / South Valley Highway

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
19.5 mi into trip | ~26m 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
7
23.8 mi into trip | ~32m in

Take the exit toward CO 95: Sheridan Boulevard

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 271A Toward CO 95: Sheridan Boulevard

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$4.07 one way

$8.14 round trip

$3.83/gal 25.4 MPG avg 9 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.05 $4.31 $8.61
premium $4.39 $4.67 $9.34
diesel $5.61 $5.96 $11.92

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$4

Estimated CO2 emission: 9.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 8.1 0 $2.83 $1.30
Efficient EV 6.8 0 $2.36 $1.08
EV Truck/SUV 10.8 0 $3.78 $1.73

Gas CO2

9 kg

EV CO2

3 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.

Forecast as of Apr 17, 2026

Origin

Lone Tree, CO

Late night in Lone Tree on Sunday

Local time

1:48 AM

MDT

Current temp

77°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Arvada, CO

Late night in Arvada on Sunday

Local time

1:48 AM

MDT

Current temp

40°F

Rain And Snow Showers

NNE 7 to 13 mph 80% chance 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

37 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

39m 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.

What kind of drive is this?

This route is characterized as a "turn-heavy local drive," meaning you'll encounter frequent intersections and changes in direction rather than long stretches of open highway. While about 10% of the drive is on the interstate, the longest uninterrupted segment is 17.4 miles on South Valley Highway. You'll transition between highways like I 70 and local arteries such as Ralston Road, so be prepared for a dynamic driving experience that requires attention to navigation.

Only 10% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 17.4 mi on South Valley Highway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

8/10

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 0.9 miles in near Chester Street.

Driving Effort 8/10

Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 13 decision points packed into just 27 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 39m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.9 miles (Chester Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 2.1 miles (I 25 / South Valley Highway): 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.

On the drive from Lone Tree, CO to Arvada, CO, road signs begin pointing toward Grand Junction along the way.

Grand Junction

19.5 mi in | ~26m

About the Cities

Arriving in Arvada, CO

Full guide →

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.

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 39m. Total distance: 27 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

39m 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 17.4 miles on South Valley Highway. 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 Arvada, 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 0.9 miles (Chester Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 2.1 miles (I 25 / South Valley Highway): 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 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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