Origin
Aurora, CO
Afternoon in Aurora on Thursday
Local time
3:36 PM
MDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Aurora, CO to Keystone, CO
Last recalculated Apr 16, 2026
Drive Time
1h 53m
Distance
85.2 mi
137 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$13
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 45m
★
6 AM
1h 53m
8 AM
2h 10m
10 AM
1h 59m
12 PM
1h 57m
3 PM
2h 0m
5 PM
2h 9m
8 PM
1h 48m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Aurora, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Keystone, CO
Dave Baraloto
Trip Overview
The drive from Aurora, CO to Keystone, CO covers 85.2 miles and takes about 1h 53m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway, US 6, I 225 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 65.1 miles on Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $12.84 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.
Midpoint
42.6 miles from Aurora, CO
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 54m into the drive .
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 53m. Total distance: 85.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 53m drive, comfortable solo distance.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 1h 53m drive with frequent turns across 85.2 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 19 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 65.1 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 1.2 miles in near East 17th Place.
Driving Effort
9/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 85.2 miles you will encounter 14 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 1.2 miles (East 17th Place): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 2.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 14 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
7
1.2 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
East 17th Place
Turn right onto East 17th Place
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
1.3 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Take the ramp toward I 225 North
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I 225 North
8
2.8 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 70 West: Denver
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 12A
Toward I 70 West: Denver
6
6 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
I 70 / Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 70 / Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
83.8 mi into trip
|
~1h 49m in
|
CR 8 / West Keystone Road
Turn left onto CR 8 / West Keystone Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway | 65.1 mi | 1h 18m |
| US 6 | 14.7 mi | 22m |
| I 225 | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| Soda Ridge Road | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| North Potomac Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| West Keystone Road | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| North Fitzsimons Parkway | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Toledo Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway
— 65.1 mi, about 1h 18m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Aurora, CO and Keystone, CO.
1
Start on North Vaughn Street
80 ft
·
5 sec
·
North Vaughn Street
2
Turn right onto Toledo Street
0.2 mi
·
49 sec
·
Toledo Street
3
Turn slight right onto East 10th Avenue
257 ft
·
16 sec
·
East 10th Avenue
4
Turn left onto North Potomac Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
North Potomac Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
Continue on North Fitzsimons Parkway
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
·
North Fitzsimons Parkway
Use the left lane.
6
Turn right onto East 17th Place
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
·
East 17th Place
Use the straight / right lanes.
7
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
51 sec
Toward I 225 North
Use the left lane.
8
Merge onto I 225
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
I 225
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.8 mi
·
1 min
Exit 12A
Toward I 70 West: Denver
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
46 sec
Toward I 70 West: Denver
11
Merge onto I 70
2.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway
Use the straight lane.
12
Keep slight left at fork onto I 70
63 mi
·
1 hr 16 min
·
Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Take the exit onto US 6
0.5 mi
·
54 sec
·
US 6
Toward US 6 West: Loveland Pass
14
Turn slight left
163 ft
·
8 sec
15
Turn right onto US 6
14 mi
·
21 min
·
US 6
16
Turn left onto CR 8
135 ft
·
9 sec
·
West Keystone Road
Use the left lane.
17
At end of road, turn left onto CR 8
0.4 mi
·
55 sec
·
West Keystone Road
18
Turn right onto CR 4
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Soda Ridge Road
19
Arrive at destination
CR 4
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.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 42.6 miles from Aurora, CO, or about 54m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 65.1 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 19 miles or 26m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 42.6 miles or 54m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 32m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Keystone, 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.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Aurora, CO
This is one driving day of about 85.2 miles and 1h 53m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 19 miles from Aurora, CO.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway for about 65.1 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 42.6 mi from Aurora, CO · 54m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
43 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 19 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 42.6 miles from Aurora, CO, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 65.1 miles.
Arriving in Keystone, CO
The final approach into Keystone, CO usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$12.84 one way
$25.67 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
30 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $13.59 | $27.18 |
| premium | $4.39 | $14.74 | $29.48 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $18.81 | $37.62 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$13
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$38–$63
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 29.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $9 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 25.6 | 0 | $8.95 | $4.09 |
| Efficient EV | 21.3 | 0 | $7.46 | $3.41 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 34.1 | 0 | $11.93 | $5.45 |
Gas CO2
30 kg
EV CO2
10 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
Keystone, CO
Afternoon in Keystone on Thursday
Local time
3:36 PM
MDT
Current temp
60°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
13 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
1h 53m 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 Keystone, CO covers 85.2 miles and takes about 1h 53m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway, US 6, I 225. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 42.6 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 $12.84 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 85.2 miles you will encounter 14 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: at 1.2 miles (East 17th Place): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 2.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Aurora, CO to Keystone, CO does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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