Origin
Niwot, CO
Late night in Niwot on Tuesday
Local time
3:08 AM
MDT
Current temp
57°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Niwot, CO to Boulder, 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
15m
Distance
9.4 mi
15 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 15m
★
6 AM
0h 16m
8 AM
0h 19m
10 AM
0h 17m
12 PM
0h 17m
3 PM
0h 17m
5 PM
0h 19m
8 PM
0h 15m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Niwot, CO
Mikhail Nilov
Boulder, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Niwot to Boulder is 9.4 miles and takes about 15 minutes via Diagonal Highway, with a fuel budget near $1 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short hop connects two communities within Colorado's Mountain West region. Expect a drive that's primarily on local roads, giving you a feel for the area as you travel. It's a quick trip, ideal for a morning commute or an afternoon excursion, with minimal time commitment and cost.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Diagonal Highway | 5.5 mi | 7m |
| Foothills Parkway | 1.9 mi | 2m |
| Arapahoe Avenue | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| Niwot Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Franklin Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| 19th Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Diagonal Highway
— 5.5 mi, about 7m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Niwot, CO and Boulder, CO.
1
Start on Franklin Street
0.2 mi
·
47 sec
·
Franklin Street
2
Turn right onto CR 34
0.2 mi
·
39 sec
·
Niwot Road
3
Turn left onto CO 119
5.5 mi
·
7 min
·
Diagonal Highway
Use the straight lane.
4
Continue on CO 157
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Foothills Parkway
Use the straight lane.
5
Turn right onto CO 7
1.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Arapahoe Avenue
Use the straight lane.
6
Turn right onto 19th Street
143 ft
·
11 sec
·
19th Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
7
Turn left
87 ft
·
4 sec
8
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 55 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 9.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
CR 34 / Niwot Road
Turn right onto CR 34 / Niwot Road
Navigation decision point
5
0.4 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
CO 119 / Diagonal Highway
Turn left onto CO 119 / Diagonal Highway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
4
7.8 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
CO 7 / Arapahoe Avenue
Turn right onto CO 7 / Arapahoe Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
6
9.4 mi into trip
|
~15m in
|
19th Street
Turn right onto 19th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
4
9.4 mi into trip
|
~15m in
Turn left
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.42 one way
$2.83 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $1.50 | $3.00 |
| premium | $4.39 | $1.63 | $3.25 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.08 | $4.15 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Estimated CO2 emission: 3.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2.8 | 0 | $0.99 | $0.45 |
| Efficient EV | 2.4 | 0 | $0.82 | $0.38 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 3.8 | 0 | $1.32 | $0.60 |
Gas CO2
3 kg
EV CO2
1 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
Boulder, CO
Late night in Boulder on Tuesday
Local time
3:08 AM
MDT
Current temp
53°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 cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
15m 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 leans heavily on local roads, with only about 20% of the drive on higher-speed highways. The longest continuous stretch you'll experience is 5.5 miles along the Diagonal Highway. You'll find yourself navigating a series of turns, characteristic of a turn-heavy local drive. As you approach Boulder, the urban environment will become more apparent, shifting the feel from open road to a more developed setting.
Only 20% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
8 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5.5 mi on Diagonal Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near CR 34 / Niwot Road.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 15m drive. You will face about 5 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (CR 34 / Niwot Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (CO 119 / Diagonal Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 7.8 miles (CO 7 / Arapahoe Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 15m. Total distance: 9.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
15m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (20%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 5.5 miles on Diagonal 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 0.2 miles (CR 34 / Niwot Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (CO 119 / Diagonal Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 7.8 miles (CO 7 / Arapahoe Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Boulder, 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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