US Trip Planner

Trip from Louisville, CO to Commerce City, CO

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 5, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

27m

Distance

19 mi

31 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$3

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 7 min

4 AM

0h 25m ★

6 AM

0h 27m

8 AM

0h 32m

10 AM

0h 29m

12 PM

0h 29m

3 PM

0h 29m

5 PM

0h 32m

8 PM

0h 26m

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

Best Time

Google Maps Waze Apple Maps

Downtown Louisville, CO, CO

Louisville, CO

Arian Fernandez

city in Adams County, Colorado, United States

Commerce City, CO

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Louisville, CO to Commerce City, CO is 19 miles and takes about 27m via Denver–Boulder Turnpike and Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Mountain West region, moving from one area of Colorado to another. It's a short, straightforward drive that's mostly on major roadways. Given its brevity, this route is ideal for a quick transfer or a segment of a larger trip without requiring an overnight stay.

Main Roads

Road	Distance	Duration
Denver–Boulder Turnpike	10.9 mi	12m
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway	3.4 mi	4m
South 96th Street	1.7 mi	2m
Northwest Parkway	1 mi	1m
North Vasquez Boulevard	0.4 mi	<1m
Courtesy Road	0.3 mi	<1m
Dexter Street	0.2 mi	<1m
Pine Street	0.2 mi	<1m

Longest stretch: Denver–Boulder Turnpike — 10.9 mi, about 12m

Traffic on I-25

Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 8 FHWA count stations on your route.

Peak

7 AM

~5,847 veh/hr typical · worst 6,823

Quietest

1 AM

~614 veh/hr

Peak-to-quiet ratio

9.5×

busier at peak than in the quiet hours

12a 6a noon 6p 11p

Averaged across 104 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Louisville, CO and Commerce City, CO.

1

Start on Spruce Street

322 ft · 16 sec · Spruce Street

2

Turn right onto Front Street

345 ft · 16 sec · Front Street

3

Turn left onto Pine Street

0.2 mi · 28 sec · Pine Street

4

Turn right onto CO 42

0.3 mi · 35 sec · Courtesy Road

Use the straight lane.

5

Continue on South 96th Street

1.7 mi · 2 min · South 96th Street

Use the straight / right lanes.

6

Turn right onto NW

1.0 mi · 1 min · Northwest Parkway

Use the left lane.

7

Continue on Interlocken Loop

0.1 mi · 18 sec · Interlocken Loop

8

Turn left

0.4 mi · 57 sec

Toward US 36 East: Denver Use the left lane.

9

Merge onto US 36

1.0 mi · 1 min · Denver–Boulder Turnpike

10

Keep slight right at fork onto US 36

2.2 mi · 2 min · Denver–Boulder Turnpike

11

Keep slight right at fork onto US 36

1.9 mi · 2 min · Denver–Boulder Turnpike

12

Keep slight right at fork onto US 36

2.5 mi · 2 min · Denver–Boulder Turnpike

13

Keep slight right at fork onto US 36

2.0 mi · 2 min · Denver–Boulder Turnpike

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

14

Keep slight right at fork onto US 36

1.3 mi · 1 min · Denver–Boulder Turnpike

Toward I 25: Denver, Fort Collins Use the straight / slight right lanes.

15

Continue on I 270

3.4 mi · 4 min · Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

16

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 25 sec

Exit 2B Toward US 85, CO 2 North: Vasquez Boulevard Use the straight / slight right lanes.

17

Merge onto US 6; US 85; CO 2

0.4 mi · 36 sec · North Vasquez Boulevard

18

Turn left onto Dexter Street

0.2 mi · 52 sec · Dexter Street

Use the left lane.

19

Turn left

0.1 mi · 53 sec

20

Arrive at destination

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 15

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.3 and 18.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

6

0.3 mi into trip | ~1m in | CO 42 / Courtesy Road

Turn right onto CO 42 / Courtesy Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight lane.

6

3.4 mi into trip | ~6m in

Turn left toward US 36 East: Denver

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane. Toward US 36 East: Denver

6

11.4 mi into trip | ~16m in | US 36 / Denver–Boulder Turnpike

Keep slight right at fork onto US 36 / Denver–Boulder Turnpike

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

8

13.4 mi into trip | ~18m in | US 36 / Denver–Boulder Turnpike

Keep slight right at fork onto US 36 / Denver–Boulder Turnpike toward I 25: Denver, Fort Collins

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward I 25: Denver, Fort Collins

8

18.1 mi into trip | ~24m in

Take the exit toward US 85, CO 2 North: 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 2B Toward US 85, CO 2 North: Vasquez Boulevard

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.21 one way

$6.41 round trip

$4.29/gal 25.4 MPG avg 7 kg CO₂

Fuel Type	$/gal	One Way	Round Trip
midgrade	$4.52	$3.38	$6.77
premium	$4.89	$3.66	$7.31
diesel	$5.60	$4.19	$8.38

Estimated Tolls: $0.88

Denver–Boulder Turnpike (10.9 mi) $0.76

Northwest Parkway (1 mi) $0.12

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$3

Tolls

$1

Total

$4

Estimated CO2 emission: 6.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO₂

Vehicle Type	kWh	Stops	DC Fast	Home Charge
Average EV	5.7	0	$2.00	$0.91
Efficient EV	4.8	0	$1.66	$0.76
EV Truck/SUV	7.6	0	$2.66	$1.22

Gas CO2

7 kg

EV CO2

2 kg (71% 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 Sep 4, 2026

Origin

Louisville, CO

Late night in Louisville on Saturday

Local time

2:03 AM

MDT

Current temp

60°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Commerce City, CO

Late night in Commerce City on Saturday

Local time

2:03 AM

MDT

Current temp

63°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

3 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

27m 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?

You'll spend about 62% of this 19-mile drive on highways. The longest continuous stretch on a main road is 10.9 miles, primarily on the Denver–Boulder Turnpike. After the highway segments, you'll transition to surface streets like South 96th Street for the remainder of the trip. Expect some urban merging as you approach Commerce City.

62% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.

20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.

Longest single stretch: 10.9 mi on Denver–Boulder Turnpike.

How Hard Is This Drive?

10/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Denver–Boulder Turnpike and Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. 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 CO 42 / Courtesy Road.

Driving Effort 10/10

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 15 decision points packed into just 19 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 27m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.3 miles (CO 42 / Courtesy Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 11.4 miles (US 36 / Denver–Boulder Turnpike): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Elevation Profile

High-altitude sections with notable climbs

5,473 ft 5,121 ft

Total Climb

351 ft

Total Descent

526 ft

Highest Point

5,473 ft

~9.5 mi in

Elevation Range

352 ft

Notable High Points

5,454 ft at ~5.4 miles +61 ft prominence

5,473 ft at ~9.5 miles +61 ft prominence

5,190 ft at ~17.7 miles +30 ft prominence

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 Louisville, CO to Commerce City, CO, road signs begin pointing toward Fort Collins along the way.

Fort Collins

13.4 mi in | ~18m | via US 36

About the Cities

Starting in Louisville, CO

Founded 1877

Arriving in Commerce City, CO

Founded 1952

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 27m. Total distance: 19 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

27m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (62%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 10.9 miles on Denver–Boulder Turnpike. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $0.88 in tolls one way, starting with Denver–Boulder Turnpike. 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.

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 0.3 miles (CO 42 / Courtesy Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 11.4 miles (US 36 / Denver–Boulder Turnpike): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

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, EIA for fuel prices, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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