Origin
Arvada, CO
Night in Arvada on Friday
Local time
9:07 PM
MDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Arvada, CO to Idaho Springs, CO
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
40m
Distance
30.5 mi
49 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 37m
★
6 AM
0h 40m
8 AM
0h 47m
10 AM
0h 42m
12 PM
0h 42m
3 PM
0h 43m
5 PM
0h 47m
8 PM
0h 38m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Arvada, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Idaho Springs, CO
Chris F
Trip Overview
The drive from Arvada, CO to Idaho Springs, CO covers 30.5 miles and takes about 40m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 70, Kipling Parkway, West 58th Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 27.1 miles on I 70. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.60 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 40m. Total distance: 30.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
40m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (92%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 40m highway drive covering 30.5 miles, with most of the trip on I 70 and Kipling Parkway. The longest continuous stretch is about 27.1 miles on I 70.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 13 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 70 is the longest continuous segment at about 27.1 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 70 and Kipling Parkway. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Ammons Street.
Driving Effort
5/10
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 30.5 miles you will encounter 9 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: near the start (Ammons Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.3 miles (Kipling Parkway): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.9 miles (I 70): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 9 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Ammons Street
Turn right onto Ammons Street
Navigation decision point
4
1.3 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
Kipling Parkway
Turn left onto Kipling Parkway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
2.9 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
I 70
Merge onto I 70
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
30 mi into trip
|
~38m in
Take the exit toward CO 103: Mount Evans
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 240
Toward CO 103: Mount Evans
5
30.2 mi into trip
|
~39m in
|
CO 103 / 13th Avenue
Turn right onto CO 103 / 13th Avenue
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 70 | 27.1 mi | 32m |
| Kipling Parkway | 1 mi | 1m |
| West 58th Avenue | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Ralston Road | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Miner Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Kipling Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Ammons Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Riverside Drive | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 70
— 27.1 mi, about 32m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Arvada, CO and Idaho Springs, CO.
1
Start on this road
41 ft
·
5 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right onto Ammons Street
227 ft
·
9 sec
·
Ammons Street
3
Turn right onto Ralston Road
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Ralston Road
4
Continue on West 58th Avenue
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
West 58th Avenue
5
Turn left onto Kipling Parkway
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Kipling Parkway
Use the left lane.
6
Continue on CO 391
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
·
Kipling Street
Use the left lane.
7
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
45 sec
Toward I 70 West
8
Merge onto I 70
27 mi
·
32 min
·
I 70
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
Exit 240
Toward CO 103: Mount Evans
Use the slight right lane.
10
Turn right onto CO 103
151 ft
·
3 sec
·
13th Avenue
11
Turn right onto Miner Street
0.3 mi
·
48 sec
·
Miner Street
12
Turn left onto Riverside Drive
198 ft
·
11 sec
·
Riverside Drive
13
Arrive at destination
Riverside Drive
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.60 one way
$9.19 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $4.87 | $9.73 |
| premium | $4.39 | $5.28 | $10.55 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.73 | $13.47 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.2 | 0 | $3.20 | $1.46 |
| Efficient EV | 7.6 | 0 | $2.67 | $1.22 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.2 | 0 | $4.27 | $1.95 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% 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
Idaho Springs, CO
Night in Idaho Springs on Friday
Local time
9:07 PM
MDT
Current temp
62°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
16 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
40m 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Arvada, CO to Idaho Springs, CO covers 30.5 miles and takes about 40m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 70, Kipling Parkway, West 58th Avenue. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 15.3 miles from Arvada, CO. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.60 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 30.5 miles you will encounter 9 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Ammons Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.3 miles (Kipling Parkway): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.9 miles (I 70): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Arvada, CO to Idaho Springs, CO does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
How this page is built
Compiled by the Trip.ovh 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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