Origin
Twin Lakes, CO
Late night in Twin Lakes on Tuesday
Local time
3:13 AM
MDT
Current temp
58°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Twin Lakes, CO to Brighton, 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
22m
Distance
17.1 mi
27 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Good
7 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 21m
★
6 AM
0h 23m
8 AM
0h 27m
10 AM
0h 24m
12 PM
0h 24m
3 PM
0h 25m
5 PM
0h 27m
8 PM
0h 22m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Twin Lakes, CO
Giulia Gasparrini
Brighton, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 17.1-mile drive from Twin Lakes to Brighton, Colorado, is a quick 21-minute journey that's perfect for a single-day trip. You'll primarily be navigating local streets and the Denver–Boulder Turnpike (US 36 East). With a modest estimated fuel cost of $3, this route is very accessible. The drive is characterized by frequent turns, making it feel more like a local commute than an open highway cruise. Given its short distance and duration, it's an easy addition to a larger itinerary or a standalone trip within the Mountain West region.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| CanAm Highway | 8.1 mi | 9m |
| Heartland Expressway | 5 mi | 5m |
| Denver–Boulder Turnpike | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway | 0.6 mi | <1m |
| Pecos Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| South Main Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| West Bridge Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Bush Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
CanAm Highway
— 8.1 mi, about 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Twin Lakes, CO and Brighton, CO.
1
Start on West 70th Place
240 ft
·
12 sec
·
West 70th Place
2
Turn right onto Pecos Street
0.3 mi
·
46 sec
·
Pecos Street
3
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
55 sec
Toward US 36 East
Use the slight right lane.
4
Merge onto US 36
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Denver–Boulder Turnpike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Continue on I 270
0.6 mi
·
41 sec
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
1.2 mi
·
2 min
Exit 1
Toward I 76 East: Fort Morgan
7
Merge onto I 76
5.0 mi
·
5 min
·
Heartland Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight left at fork onto US 85
8.1 mi
·
9 min
·
CanAm Highway
Exit 12
Toward US 85 North: Greeley
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
33 sec
Toward CO 7: Brighton
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Enter roundabout onto West Bridge Street
48 ft
·
0 sec
·
West Bridge Street
11
Continue on West Bridge Street
413 ft
·
14 sec
·
West Bridge Street
12
Turn right onto South Main Street
0.1 mi
·
22 sec
·
South Main Street
13
Turn left onto Bush Street
414 ft
·
11 sec
·
Bush Street
Use the left lane.
14
Arrive at destination
Bush Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 115 decision points cluster between mile 0.4 and 17 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.4 mi into trip
|
~0m in
Take the ramp toward US 36 East
Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward US 36 East
5
0.8 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
US 36 / Denver–Boulder Turnpike
Merge onto US 36 / Denver–Boulder Turnpike
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
8.5 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
US 85 / CanAm Highway
Keep slight left at fork onto US 85 / CanAm Highway toward US 85 North: Greeley
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Exit 12
Toward US 85 North: Greeley
6
16.6 mi into trip
|
~21m in
Take the exit toward CO 7: Brighton
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward CO 7: Brighton
7
17 mi into trip
|
~22m in
|
Bush Street
Turn left onto Bush Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.58 one way
$5.15 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $2.73 | $5.46 |
| premium | $4.39 | $2.96 | $5.92 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.78 | $7.55 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.06
Denver–Boulder Turnpike
(0.8 mi)
$0.06
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Tolls
$0
Total
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.1 | 0 | $1.80 | $0.82 |
| Efficient EV | 4.3 | 0 | $1.50 | $0.68 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.8 | 0 | $2.39 | $1.09 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 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
Brighton, CO
Late night in Brighton on Tuesday
Local time
3:13 AM
MDT
Current temp
33°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
25 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
22m 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?
Expect a 'turn-heavy local drive' for this 17.1-mile stretch. With zero highway share, you'll be navigating a series of local roads, including Pecos Street and US 36 East. The absence of long, uninterrupted stretches means you'll be making frequent adjustments to your course. This type of driving can be engaging, requiring constant attention to navigation and traffic, but it's not a high-speed experience. The route's character is defined by its urban and suburban feel, rather than scenic vistas.
34% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 8.1 mi on CanAm Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
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 around 0.4 miles in.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 17.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 22m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 0.8 miles (US 36 / Denver–Boulder Turnpike): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 8.5 miles (US 85 / CanAm Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Arriving in Brighton, CO
Full guide →Founded 1887
Brighton is a city of about 42,000 in the Denver Metropolitan Area of the western U.S. state of Colorado. The seat of Adams County and also extending into adjacent Weld County, the city lies northeast of Denver along the South Platte River. A former farming community, Brighton is now a residential suburb of Denver.
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 22m. Total distance: 17.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
22m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (34%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 8.1 miles on CanAm Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.06 in tolls one way, starting with Denver–Boulder Turnpike. 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 Brighton, 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 0.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 0.8 miles (US 36 / Denver–Boulder Turnpike): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 8.5 miles (US 85 / CanAm Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Brighton, 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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