Orchard City to Arvada is 282.5 miles and takes about 5h 32m via I 70 BUS and US 50, with a fuel budget near $50 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays entirely within Colorado, connecting two points in the Mountain West region. Given its profile as mostly highway, this route is designed for efficient travel, making it a straightforward option if you're looking to cover ground. Plan for a solid driving day that should get you to your destination with time to spare.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
141.3 miles from Orchard City, CO
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 50m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 70 BUS
232.7 mi
4h 22m
US 50
32.4 mi
40m
32 Road
5.4 mi
9m
CO 65
5.2 mi
8m
CO 92
3.8 mi
5m
Kipling Parkway
1 mi
1m
West 58th Avenue
0.8 mi
1m
Kipling Street
0.3 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
I 70 BUS
— 232.7 mi, about 4h 22m
Traffic on I-70
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 16 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~1,405 veh/hr typical
· worst 1,990
Quietest
2 AM
~79 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
17.8×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 52 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 Orchard City, CO and Arvada, CO.
1
Start on Fruitgrowers Road
38 ft·3 sec·Fruitgrowers Road
2
Turn right onto 2100 Road
396 ft·23 sec·2100 Road
3
Turn left onto CO 65
5.2 mi·8 min·CO 65
4
Turn right onto CO 92
2.7 mi·3 min·CO 92
5
Continue on CO 92
1.1 mi·2 min·CO 92
6
Turn right onto US 50
4.7 mi·6 min·US 50
7
Continue on US 50
16 mi·18 min·US 50
8
Continue on US 50
12 mi·14 min·US 50
9
Continue on CO 141
5.4 mi·9 min·32 Road
Use the left / straight lanes.
10
Turn right onto I 70 BUS; US 6
0.3 mi·34 sec·I 70 BUS; US 6
11
Continue on I 70 BUS; US 6
0.8 mi·1 min·I 70 BUS; US 6
12
Keep slight right at fork onto I 70 BUS
232 mi·4 hr 20 min·I 70 BUS
Toward I 70 East: DenverUse the slight right lane.
13
Take the exit
0.2 mi·28 sec
Exit 267Toward CO 391: Kipling StreetUse the slight right lane.
14
Turn left onto CO 391
0.3 mi·43 sec·Kipling Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
15
Continue on Kipling Parkway
1.0 mi·1 min·Kipling Parkway
16
Turn right onto West 58th Avenue
0.8 mi·1 min·West 58th Avenue
17
Continue on Ralston Road
0.2 mi·39 sec·Ralston Road
18
Turn left onto Carr Street
0.1 mi·20 sec·Carr Street
19
Turn right onto West 59th Avenue
0.2 mi·36 sec·West 59th Avenue
20
Turn right onto Ammons Street
426 ft·16 sec·Ammons Street
21
Turn right
41 ft·3 sec
22
Arrive at destination
Trip Plan
For this 5-hour-plus drive, an early morning departure from Orchard City is recommended to maximize daylight and avoid any potential afternoon traffic. You'll have a long stretch of 232.7 miles on I 70 BUS, so plan your first significant stop after that to break up the longest part of the drive. With a fuel cost estimated around $50, filling up before you leave Orchard City is a good idea. Since this is a one-day trip, you have flexibility, but consider the transition to surface roads like 32 Road as you approach Arvada.
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 141.3 miles from Orchard City, CO, or about 2h 50m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 232.7 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 62 miles or 1h 21m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 141.3 miles or 2h 50m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 4h 31m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Arvada, CO than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Orchard City, CO so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Orchard City, CO
This is one driving day of about 282.5 miles and 5h 32m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 62 miles from Orchard City, CO.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on I 70 BUS for about 232.7 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 10
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 282.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip|~0m in|2100 Road
Turn right onto 2100 Road
Navigation decision point
7
48 mi into trip|~1h 5m in|I 70 BUS
Keep slight right at fork onto I 70 BUS toward I 70 East: Denver
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 70 East: Denver
7
279.5 mi into trip|~5h 25m in
Take the exit toward CO 391: Kipling Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 267
Toward CO 391: Kipling Street
5
282.1 mi into trip|~5h 30m in|Carr Street
Turn left onto Carr Street
Navigation decision point
5
282.2 mi into trip|~5h 31m in|West 59th Avenue
Turn right onto West 59th Avenue
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$43.08 one way
$86.15 round trip
$3.87/gal25.4 MPG avg99 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.12
$45.79
$91.58
premium
$4.45
$49.53
$99.05
diesel
$4.80
$53.34
$106.68
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$43
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$68–$93
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 98.8 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $30 in charging
· 1 stop
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
84.8
1
$29.66
$13.56
Efficient EV
70.6
0
$24.72
$11.30
EV Truck/SUV
113
1
$39.55
$18.08
Gas CO2
99 kg
EV CO2
33 kg (67% less)
Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.
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 Jul 18, 2026
Origin
Orchard City, CO
Night
in Orchard City on Saturday
Local time
10:59 PM
MDT
Current temp
60°F
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Partly Cloudy
ENE 5 to 10 mph35% chanceLive forecast
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued July 17 at 12:00PM MDT until July 20 at 9:00PM MDT by NWS Denver CO
Destination
Arvada, CO
Night
in Arvada on Saturday
Local time
10:59 PM
MDT
Current temp
65°F
Mostly Clear
SE 3 to 8 mph9% chanceLive forecast
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued July 17 at 12:00PM MDT until July 20 at 9:00PM MDT by NWS Denver CO
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
5 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
5h 32m on the road
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Colorado National Monument
National Monument
Colorado National Monument preserves one of the grand landscapes of the American West. But this treasure is much more than a monument. Towering monoliths exist within a vast plateau and canyon panoram...
Big enough to be overwhelming, yet still intimate enough to feel the pulse of time. Come see some of the steepest cliffs, oldest rock, and craggiest spires in North America. Forces of nature and the G...
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
You'll be on highways for about 97% of this 282.5-mile drive. The longest continuous stretch on a highway is 232.7 miles, primarily on I 70 BUS. Expect to transition from highway cruising to surface roads, specifically 32 Road, near the end of your trip. This route features mostly highway driving with minimal time spent on non-interstate roads.
97% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 232.7 mi on I 70 BUS.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 70 BUS and US 50. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near 2100 Road.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 5h 32m drive. You will face about 10 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (2100 Road): Navigation decision point; at 48 miles (I 70 BUS): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 279.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mountain driving with significant elevation changes
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.
Top landmarks
•Arvada Flour Mill — historic mill in Arvada, Colorado, USA
•Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities — art center in Arvada, Colorado
The longest stretch is about 232.7 miles on I 70 BUS. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 12 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 1 meaningful breaks. There are 12 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (2100 Road): Navigation decision point; at 48 miles (I 70 BUS): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 279.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Colorado National Monument and Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Not recommended in a single day. At 5.5 hours each way, a round trip means 11.1 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Arvada, CO before the return drive.
