Origin
Monument, CO
Morning in Monument on Tuesday
Local time
6:21 AM
MDT
Current temp
31°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Monument, CO to Denver, 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
59m
Distance
50.2 mi
81 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 55m
★
6 AM
1h 0m
8 AM
1h 9m
10 AM
1h 3m
12 PM
1h 2m
3 PM
1h 4m
5 PM
1h 9m
8 PM
0h 57m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Monument, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Denver, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 50.2-mile drive from Monument, Colorado, to Denver, Colorado, should take you about 59 minutes to complete. It's a straightforward, single-day trip with a modest fuel cost estimated at $8. You'll primarily navigate Ronald Reagan Highway and South Logan Street, with a segment on East Buchtel North Boulevard. Given its short duration and local road focus, this route is ideal for a single-day excursion. Both your starting and ending points are within the Mountain West region, so expect consistent scenery throughout. This trip offers a practical way to cover the distance between these two Colorado locations.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Ronald Reagan Highway | 45 mi | 47m |
| South Logan Street | 2.7 mi | 5m |
| East Buchtel North Boulevard | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| 2nd Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| CO 105 | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| East 13th Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Sherman Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Washington Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Ronald Reagan Highway
— 45 mi, about 47m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Monument, CO and Denver, CO.
1
Start on Washington Street
53 ft
·
7 sec
·
Washington Street
2
Turn left onto 2nd Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
2nd Street
3
Continue on CO 105
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
·
CO 105
Use the straight lane.
4
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
53 sec
Toward I 25: I 25 North, Denver
5
Merge onto I 25
45 mi
·
47 min
·
Ronald Reagan Highway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
Exit 206
Toward Downing Street, Washington Street, Emerson Street
Use the slight right lane.
7
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
Toward Emerson Street, Washington Street
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
8
Continue on East Buchtel North Boulevard
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
East Buchtel North Boulevard
9
Turn right onto South Logan Street
2.7 mi
·
5 min
·
South Logan Street
10
Turn left onto East 13th Avenue
0.1 mi
·
26 sec
·
East 13th Avenue
11
Turn right onto Sherman Street
0.1 mi
·
33 sec
·
Sherman Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
12
At end of road, turn right
298 ft
·
21 sec
13
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
25 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 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 25.1 miles from Monument, 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 85 decision points cluster between mile 0.8 and 50 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.8 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the ramp toward I 25: I 25 North, Denver
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 25: I 25 North, Denver
5
1.2 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
I 25 / Ronald Reagan Highway
Merge onto I 25 / Ronald Reagan Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
8
46.2 mi into trip
|
~51m in
Take the exit toward Downing Street, Washington Street, Emerson Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 206
Toward Downing Street, Washington Street, Emers...
9
46.3 mi into trip
|
~51m in
Keep slight left at fork toward Emerson Street, Washington Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward Emerson Street, Washington Street
7
50 mi into trip
|
~58m in
|
Sherman Street
Turn right onto Sherman Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.56 one way
$15.13 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
18 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $8.01 | $16.02 |
| premium | $4.39 | $8.68 | $17.37 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $11.08 | $22.17 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 17.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 15.1 | 0 | $5.27 | $2.41 |
| Efficient EV | 12.6 | 0 | $4.39 | $2.01 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 20.1 | 0 | $7.03 | $3.21 |
Gas CO2
18 kg
EV CO2
6 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
Morning in Denver on Tuesday
Local time
6:21 AM
MDT
Current temp
35°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
4 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
59m 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 a 'turn-heavy local drive,' indicating a need for frequent attention to navigation rather than a simple highway cruise. You'll spend a significant portion of your journey on local roads, with only a portion on highways. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 45 miles on Ronald Reagan Highway, offering a brief period of more consistent speed before returning to more complex navigation. Expect the road to transition between faster sections and more intricate city driving as you approach Denver.
Only 1% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 45 mi on Ronald Reagan Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.8 miles in.
Driving Effort
5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 50.2 miles you will encounter 8 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 0.8 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.2 miles (I 25 / Ronald Reagan Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 46.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
About the Cities
Arriving in Denver, CO
Full guide →“Mile High City” · Founded 1858
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.
Top landmarks
- • Denver Art Museum — museum in Denver, Colorado, United States
- • Denver Mint — United States Mint branch in Denver, Colorado
- • Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception — church in Colorado, United States
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 59m. Total distance: 50.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
59m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (1%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 45 miles on Ronald Reagan Highway. 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 0.8 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.2 miles (I 25 / Ronald Reagan Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 46.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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