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Trip from Aurora, CO to Colorado City, CO

Data updated 2 hours ago

Drive Time

2h 30m

Distance

137.7 mi

222 km

Drive Score

9/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$21

one way

EV Charging

None

0 DC fast

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 30 min
4 AM
2h 20m ★
6 AM
2h 30m
8 AM
2h 50m
10 AM
2h 37m
12 PM
2h 35m
3 PM
2h 38m
5 PM
2h 49m
8 PM
2h 24m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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Downtown Aurora, CO, CO

Aurora, CO

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Colorado City, CO, CO

Colorado City, CO

gabesdotphotos photographer

Trip Overview

The drive from Aurora, CO to Colorado City, CO covers 137.7 miles and takes about 2h 30m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on South Valley Highway, John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway, Ronald Reagan Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 51.6 miles on South Valley Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $20.75 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.

Break Rhythm

1 planned break

A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.

Midpoint

68.8 miles from Aurora, CO

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 15m into the drive .

Loading map...

Drive Character

Expect a 2h 30m drive with frequent turns across 137.7 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 25 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
South Valley Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 51.6 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near North Zion Street.

Route Complexity 10/10

High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day

This is a demanding drive. With 17 significant decision points across 137.7 miles, you will need to stay alert — especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (North Zion Street): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 9.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 17 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

6
0.2 mi into trip | ~0m in | North Zion Street

At end of road, turn right onto North Zion Street

Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch

6
0.6 mi into trip | ~1m in

Take the ramp toward I 225 South

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane. Toward I 225 South
7
9.2 mi into trip | ~12m in

Keep slight left at fork toward I 25 South: Colorado Springs

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left / slight right lanes. Toward I 25 South: Colorado Springs
6
70.3 mi into trip | ~1h 17m in | I 25 / Ronald Reagan Highway

Keep slight left at fork onto I 25 / Ronald Reagan Highway

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
110 mi into trip | ~1h 58m in

Take the exit toward 13th Street

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Exit 99B Toward 13th Street

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
South Valley Highway 51.6 mi 54m
John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway 31.3 mi 31m
Ronald Reagan Highway 22.9 mi 23m
North Freeway 9.7 mi 11m
Monument Valley Freeway 8.8 mi 10m
I 225 8.3 mi 9m
CO 165 2.5 mi 4m
East 6th Avenue 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: South Valley Highway — 51.6 mi, about 54m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Aurora, CO and Colorado City, CO.

1

Start on North Vaughn Street

0.2 mi · 45 sec · North Vaughn Street
2

At end of road, turn right onto North Zion Street

509 ft · 26 sec · North Zion Street
3

Turn left onto Vaughn Street

257 ft · 18 sec · Vaughn Street
4

Turn left onto CO 30

0.2 mi · 21 sec · East 6th Avenue
5

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 41 sec
Toward I 225 South Use the right lane.
6

Merge onto I 225

8.3 mi · 9 min · I 225
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Keep slight left at fork

0.4 mi · 33 sec
Toward I 25 South: Colorado Springs Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
8

Keep slight left at fork

0.2 mi · 12 sec
9

Merge onto I 25

52 mi · 54 min · South Valley Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Continue on I 25

8.8 mi · 10 min · Monument Valley Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Continue on I 25; US 24

0.2 mi · 12 sec · Ronald Reagan Highway
12

Keep slight left at fork onto I 25

23 mi · 23 min · Ronald Reagan Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13

Continue on I 25

13 mi · 12 min · John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14

Continue on I 25

2.6 mi · 2 min · North Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 32 sec
Exit 100B Toward 29th Street
16

Merge onto I 25; US 50

1.0 mi · 1 min · North Freeway
17

Take the exit

0.1 mi · 12 sec
Exit 99B Toward 13th Street Use the slight right lane.
18

Continue on this road

0.2 mi · 18 sec · this road
19

Merge onto I 25; US 50 Bus

6.1 mi · 7 min · North Freeway
Use the straight lane.
20

Continue on I 25

18 mi · 18 min · John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway
21

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 33 sec
Toward CO 165 West: Colorado City, Rye
22

Turn right onto CO 165

2.5 mi · 4 min · CO 165
23

Turn right onto Bent Brothers Boulevard

169 ft · 9 sec · Bent Brothers Boulevard
24

Turn right

166 ft · 12 sec
25

Arrive at destination

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.

Evening Departure

Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 68.8 miles from Aurora, CO, or about 1h 15m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 51.6 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 80 miles or 1h 27m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 68.8 miles or 1h 15m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 2h 2m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Colorado City, CO than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Aurora, 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 Aurora, CO

This is one driving day of about 137.7 miles and 2h 30m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Aurora, 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 South Valley Highway for about 51.6 miles.

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 68.8 mi from Aurora, CO · 1h 15m into the drive

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Colorado Springs, CO

69 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

Fort Carson, CO

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 80 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Colorado Springs, CO

Meal break

The midpoint is around 68.8 miles from Aurora, CO, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Colorado City, CO

The final approach into Colorado City, CO usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Colorado City, CO.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

National Parks Near This Route

Worth a detour if your schedule allows.

Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument

Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument

National Monument

Beneath a grassy mountain valley in central Colorado lies one of the richest and most diverse fossil deposits in the world. Petrified redwood stumps up to 14 feet wide and thousands of detailed fossil...

24 mi from route ~61 min detour $10 near mile 66.5
View on nps.gov

Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$20.75 one way

$41.49 round trip

$3.83/gal 25.4 MPG avg 48 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.05 $21.97 $43.93
premium $4.39 $23.82 $47.64
diesel $5.61 $30.40 $60.80

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$21

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$46–$71

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 48.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $14 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 41.3 0 $14.46 $6.61
Efficient EV 34.4 0 $12.05 $5.51
EV Truck/SUV 55.1 0 $19.28 $8.81

Gas CO2

48 kg

EV CO2

16 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.

Forecast data refreshed 1 hour ago

Origin

Aurora, CO

Night in Aurora on Tuesday

Local time

9:04 PM

MDT

Current temp

47°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Colorado City, CO

Night in Colorado City on Tuesday

Local time

9:04 PM

MDT

Current temp

71°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

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

24 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

2h 30m 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 Aurora, CO to Colorado City, CO covers 137.7 miles and takes about 2h 30m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are South Valley Highway, John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway, Ronald Reagan Highway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 68.8 miles from Aurora, CO. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $20.75 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.
Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
This is a demanding drive. With 17 significant decision points across 137.7 miles, you will need to stay alert — especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (North Zion Street): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 9.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Aurora, CO to Colorado City, CO does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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