Origin
Rocky Ford, CO
Late night in Rocky Ford on Sunday
Local time
3:56 AM
MDT
Current temp
85°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Rocky Ford, CO to Pueblo, CO
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 25m
Distance
54.9 mi
88 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 18m
★
6 AM
1h 25m
8 AM
1h 38m
10 AM
1h 30m
12 PM
1h 28m
3 PM
1h 30m
5 PM
1h 37m
8 PM
1h 21m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Rocky Ford, CO
daria usanova
Pueblo, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a straightforward connection between Rocky Ford and Pueblo, this 54.9-mile trip is an efficient way to traverse this stretch of the Mountain West. You can expect the drive to take approximately 1 hour and 25 minutes, making it a perfect candidate for a single-day journey. With a modest fuel budget of about $8, this route is highly cost-effective and requires no overnight stops to complete comfortably. By utilizing a combination of CO 96, Swink Avenue, and US 50, you can navigate between these two Colorado hubs with ease. It is a practical, no-nonsense path that prioritizes direct travel over lengthy sightseeing detours.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| CO 96 | 20.7 mi | 27m |
| Swink Avenue | 17.7 mi | 29m |
| US 50 | 10.4 mi | 16m |
| East 4th Street | 2.6 mi | 4m |
| South Main Street | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| South Freeway | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| North Chester Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| East City Center Drive | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
CO 96
— 20.7 mi, about 27m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Rocky Ford, CO and Pueblo, CO.
1
Start on South Main Street
0.1 mi
·
30 sec
·
South Main Street
2
Turn left onto US 50; CO 71
18 mi
·
29 min
·
Swink Avenue
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
3
Turn right onto CO 167
1.7 mi
·
3 min
·
South Main Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
4
Turn left onto CO 96
21 mi
·
27 min
·
CO 96
5
Continue on US 50; CO 96
9.4 mi
·
15 min
·
US 50; CO 96
Use the straight lane.
6
Continue on US 50; CO 96
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
US 50; CO 96
Use the straight lane.
7
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Toward CO 47, CO 96: 4th Street, Cesar Chavez Boulevard
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight left at fork
421 ft
·
20 sec
Toward CO 96: 4th Street
Use the straight lane.
9
Turn left onto CO 96
2.6 mi
·
4 min
·
East 4th Street
Use the straight lane.
10
Turn left onto North Chester Avenue
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
North Chester Avenue
11
Turn right onto East City Center Drive
0.2 mi
·
33 sec
·
East City Center Drive
12
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
13
Merge onto I 25; US 50 Bus
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
South Freeway
14
Take the exit
107 ft
·
2 sec
Toward Abriendo Avenue
15
Arrive at destination
Toward Abriendo Avenue
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
27 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 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 27.5 miles from Rocky Ford, 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 0.1 and 51 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
US 50; CO 71 / Swink Avenue
Turn left onto US 50; CO 71 / Swink Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
6
17.9 mi into trip
|
~29m in
|
CO 167 / South Main Street
Turn right onto CO 167 / South Main Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
7
50.7 mi into trip
|
~1h 17m in
Take the exit toward CO 47, CO 96: 4th Street, Cesar Chavez 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.
Toward CO 47, CO 96: 4th Street, Cesar Chavez B...
8
50.9 mi into trip
|
~1h 17m in
Keep slight left at fork toward CO 96: 4th Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
Toward CO 96: 4th Street
6
51 mi into trip
|
~1h 17m in
|
CO 96 / East 4th Street
Turn left onto CO 96 / East 4th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.27 one way
$16.54 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
19 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $8.76 | $17.52 |
| premium | $4.39 | $9.50 | $18.99 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $12.12 | $24.24 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 19.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 16.5 | 0 | $5.76 | $2.64 |
| Efficient EV | 13.7 | 0 | $4.80 | $2.20 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 22 | 0 | $7.69 | $3.51 |
Gas CO2
19 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (68% 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
Pueblo, CO
Late night in Pueblo on Sunday
Local time
3:56 AM
MDT
Current temp
81°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
43°F
Fowler, CO
27 mi in
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
1h 25m 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 trip offers a mixed driving experience, balancing local roads with faster highway segments. You will spend roughly 58% of your time on highways, providing a steady rhythm as you move across the region. The longest uninterrupted stretch is 20.7 miles on CO 96, where you can settle into a consistent pace. As you transition between the various roads, you will notice the character of the journey shift from the local feel of Swink Avenue to the broader connectivity of US 50. Expect a functional drive that blends rural transitions with more standard highway travel conditions.
58% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 20.7 mi on CO 96.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 13 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near US 50; CO 71 / Swink Avenue.
Driving Effort
6/10
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 54.9 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 0.1 miles (US 50; CO 71 / Swink Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 17.9 miles (CO 167 / South Main Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 50.7 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 Pueblo, CO
Full guide →Pueblo, also known as the Steel City or Home of the Heroes, is a city of about 112,000 people in the Eastern Plains of Colorado. It is on the confluence of the Arkansas River and Fountain Creek.
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 25m. Total distance: 54.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 25m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (58%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 20.7 miles on CO 96. 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 Pueblo, 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 0.1 miles (US 50; CO 71 / Swink Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 17.9 miles (CO 167 / South Main Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 50.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Pueblo, 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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