Origin
Longmont, CO
Late night in Longmont on Tuesday
Local time
4:56 AM
MDT
Current temp
54°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Longmont, 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
1h 6m
Distance
37.4 mi
60 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 1m
★
6 AM
1h 7m
8 AM
1h 17m
10 AM
1h 11m
12 PM
1h 9m
3 PM
1h 11m
5 PM
1h 17m
8 PM
1h 4m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Longmont, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Coal Creek, CO
Braeson Holland
Trip Overview
Longmont, CO to Coal Creek, CO is 37.4 miles and takes about 1h 6m via Diagonal Highway, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Mountain West region, specifically Colorado. Expect a local drive with plenty of turns, making it a good option for a relaxed excursion rather than a long haul. Given its manageable length and duration, this route is ideal for a single-day adventure, allowing you to reach your destination without needing an overnight stay.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Diagonal Highway | 9.3 mi | 12m |
| Coal Creek Canyon Drive | 9.2 mi | 15m |
| South Foothills Highway | 7.4 mi | 10m |
| Foothills Parkway | 3.8 mi | 6m |
| Ken Pratt Boulevard | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| South Broadway | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Copperdale Lane | 1.2 mi | 4m |
| Coal Creek Heights Drive | 1 mi | 4m |
Longest stretch:
Diagonal Highway
— 9.3 mi, about 12m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Longmont, CO and Coal Creek, CO.
1
Start on this road
63 ft
·
10 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto 5th Avenue
172 ft
·
9 sec
·
5th Avenue
3
Turn left onto US 287
0.2 mi
·
48 sec
·
Main Street
4
Turn right onto 3rd Avenue
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
·
3rd Avenue
5
Turn left onto Terry Street
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
·
Terry Street
Use the left lane.
6
Continue on South Pratt Parkway
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
South Pratt Parkway
7
Turn right onto CO 119
1.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Ken Pratt Boulevard
Use the right lane.
8
Continue on CO 119
9.3 mi
·
12 min
·
Diagonal Highway
Use the straight lane.
9
Continue on CO 157
3.8 mi
·
6 min
·
Foothills Parkway
Use the straight lane.
10
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
Toward Table Mesa Drive, South Boulder Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight right at fork
164 ft
·
4 sec
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Merge onto Table Mesa Drive
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Table Mesa Drive
Use the straight lane.
13
Turn left onto CO 93
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
South Broadway
Use the left lane.
14
Continue on CO 93
7.4 mi
·
10 min
·
South Foothills Highway
Use the straight / right lanes.
15
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
16
Turn straight onto CO 72
9.2 mi
·
15 min
·
Coal Creek Canyon Drive
17
Turn left onto Copperdale Lane
1.2 mi
·
4 min
·
Copperdale Lane
18
Turn left onto Ridge Road
0.1 mi
·
28 sec
·
Ridge Road
19
Continue on Ridge Road
0.1 mi
·
35 sec
·
Ridge Road
20
Turn right onto Coal Creek Heights Drive
1.0 mi
·
4 min
·
Coal Creek Heights Drive
21
Continue on Beauty Lane
516 ft
·
22 sec
·
Beauty Lane
22
Arrive at destination
Beauty Lane
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
19 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 37 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 18.7 miles from Longmont, CO, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 135 decision points cluster between mile 0.3 and 16 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.3 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
3rd Avenue
Turn right onto 3rd Avenue
Navigation decision point
7
0.4 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Terry Street
Turn left onto Terry Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
1.3 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
CO 119 / Ken Pratt Boulevard
Turn right onto CO 119 / Ken Pratt Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
7
15.9 mi into trip
|
~24m in
Take the exit toward Table Mesa Drive, South Boulder Road
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.
Toward Table Mesa Drive, South Boulder Road
7
16 mi into trip
|
~25m in
Keep slight right at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.64 one way
$11.27 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
13 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $5.97 | $11.93 |
| premium | $4.39 | $6.47 | $12.94 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $8.26 | $16.51 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 13.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 11.2 | 0 | $3.93 | $1.80 |
| Efficient EV | 9.4 | 0 | $3.27 | $1.50 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 15 | 0 | $5.24 | $2.39 |
Gas CO2
13 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (69% 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
4:56 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
12 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
1h 6m 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 drive is characterized as turn-heavy and local, with only about 12% of the journey on highways. You'll navigate primarily using Diagonal Highway, Coal Creek Canyon Drive, and South Foothills Highway. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 9.3 miles on Diagonal Highway. As you progress, the route likely transitions from more open road to more winding sections as you approach Coal Creek.
Only 12% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 9.3 mi on Diagonal Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
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 0.3 miles in near 3rd Avenue.
Driving Effort
7/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 37.4 miles you will encounter 13 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: at 0.3 miles (3rd Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (Terry Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.3 miles (CO 119 / Ken Pratt Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Longmont, CO
Full guide →Longmont is a city of about 100,000 in North Central Colorado. The city lies in Boulder and Weld counties 30 miles (48 km) north-northwest of the 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 1h 6m. Total distance: 37.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 6m 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 9.3 miles on Diagonal 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 Coal Creek, 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 0.3 miles (3rd Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (Terry Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.3 miles (CO 119 / Ken Pratt Boulevard): 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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