Origin
Todd Creek, CO
Morning in Todd Creek on Tuesday
Local time
9:44 AM
MDT
Current temp
53°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Todd Creek, CO to Lakewood, 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
43m
Distance
29.4 mi
47 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Good
6 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 40m
★
6 AM
0h 44m
8 AM
0h 51m
10 AM
0h 47m
12 PM
0h 46m
3 PM
0h 47m
5 PM
0h 51m
8 PM
0h 42m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Todd Creek, CO
Keith Cassill
Lakewood, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Todd Creek to Lakewood is 29.4 miles and takes about 43 minutes via Heartland Expressway, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a short, straightforward drive entirely within Colorado, connecting two points in the Mountain West region. The route offers a mixed driving experience, making it suitable for a quick trip without requiring an overnight stay. You'll find it's a convenient option for getting between these two locations with minimal fuss and a predictable travel time. Plan for a quick journey that gets you to your destination efficiently.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Heartland Expressway | 11.8 mi | 13m |
| North Wadsworth Boulevard | 5.8 mi | 11m |
| CanAm Highway | 3.9 mi | 4m |
| E-470 | 2.6 mi | 2m |
| Ehler Parkway | 1 mi | 1m |
| Yosemite Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| East 153rd Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Quebec Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Heartland Expressway
— 11.8 mi, about 13m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Todd Creek, CO and Lakewood, CO.
1
Start on this road
50 ft
·
9 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto Emporia Street
0.2 mi
·
52 sec
·
Emporia Street
3
Turn right onto East 153rd Avenue
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
East 153rd Avenue
4
Turn left onto Yosemite Street
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Yosemite Street
5
At end of road, turn right onto Ehler Parkway
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Ehler Parkway
6
Turn left onto Quebec Street
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
·
Quebec Street
7
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
Toward E470 Toll South: Denver International Airport
Use the left lane.
8
Merge onto E470
2.6 mi
·
2 min
·
E-470
9
Take the exit
1.0 mi
·
2 min
Exit 38
Toward US 85: Brighton, Commerce City
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
Toward US 85 South: Commerce City
11
Merge onto US 85
3.9 mi
·
4 min
·
CanAm Highway
Use the left / straight lanes.
12
Merge onto I 76; US 6; US 85
12 mi
·
13 min
·
Heartland Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Exit 1A
Toward CO 121: Wadsworth Boulevard
Use the straight / right lanes.
14
Keep slight left at fork
0.1 mi
·
20 sec
Toward CO 121 South: Wadsworth Boulevard
Use the left / right lanes.
15
Turn left onto CO 121
5.8 mi
·
11 min
·
North Wadsworth Boulevard
Use the left lane.
16
Continue on CO 121
369 ft
·
15 sec
·
South Wadsworth Boulevard
Use the left lane.
17
Arrive at destination
CO 121
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 145 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 23.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Emporia Street
Turn left onto Emporia Street
Navigation decision point
7
2.8 mi into trip
|
~6m in
Take the ramp toward E470 Toll South: Denver International Airport
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward E470 Toll South: Denver International Ai...
8
5.7 mi into trip
|
~9m in
Take the exit toward US 85: Brighton, Commerce City
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 38
Toward US 85: Brighton, Commerce City
7
22.7 mi into trip
|
~30m in
Take the exit toward CO 121: Wadsworth Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Exit 1A
Toward CO 121: Wadsworth Boulevard
7
23.3 mi into trip
|
~32m in
Keep slight left at fork toward CO 121 South: Wadsworth Boulevard
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / right lanes.
Toward CO 121 South: Wadsworth Boulevard
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.43 one way
$8.86 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $4.69 | $9.38 |
| premium | $4.39 | $5.09 | $10.17 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.49 | $12.98 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.31
E-470
(2.6 mi)
$0.31
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Tolls
$0
Total
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.8 | 0 | $3.09 | $1.41 |
| Efficient EV | 7.4 | 0 | $2.57 | $1.18 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.8 | 0 | $4.12 | $1.88 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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
Lakewood, CO
Morning in Lakewood on Tuesday
Local time
9:44 AM
MDT
Current temp
34°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
19 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
43m 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 features a mixed profile, with 43% of the journey on highways. You'll spend a significant portion on the Heartland Expressway, including an uninterrupted stretch of 11.8 miles, which offers a chance for consistent speed. The route transitions through different road types, including the Heartland Expressway, North Wadsworth Boulevard, and CanAm Highway, providing a varied driving experience. Expect moments of highway cruising interspersed with sections that may require more attention as you navigate the Colorado landscape towards Lakewood.
43% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 11.8 mi on Heartland Expressway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Emporia Street.
Driving Effort
9/10
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 14 decision points packed into just 29.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 43m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Emporia Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 5.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Todd Creek, CO and Lakewood, CO, road signs point toward E470 Toll South: Denver International Airport and Commerce City.
E470 Toll South: Denver International Airport
2.8 mi in
|
~6m
Commerce City
5.7 mi in
|
~9m
About the Cities
Arriving in Lakewood, CO
Full guide →Lakewood is a city of about 160,000 in the Denver Metropolitan Area of the western U.S. state of Colorado. The city lies in Jefferson County, immediately west of Denver and east of the Front Range foothills.
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 43m. Total distance: 29.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
43m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (43%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 11.8 miles on Heartland Expressway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.31 in tolls one way, starting with E-470. 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 Lakewood, 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: near the start (Emporia Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 5.7 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 Lakewood, 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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