Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
38m
Distance
29 mi
47 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Sparse
1 stations
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Boulder, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Brighton, CO
Wikimedia Commons
The drive from Boulder, CO to Brighton, CO covers 29 miles and takes about 38m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Northwest Parkway, Denver–Boulder Turnpike, East 160th Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 9.5 miles on Northwest Parkway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.37 one way before food or hotel costs.
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 38m. Total distance: 29 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
38m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (61%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
This is a 38m highway drive covering 29 miles, with most of the trip on Northwest Parkway and Denver–Boulder Turnpike. The longest continuous stretch is about 9.5 miles on Northwest Parkway.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Northwest Parkway and Denver–Boulder Turnpike. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Arapahoe Avenue.
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 18 decision points packed into just 29 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 38m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Arapahoe Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 9.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 10 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
Turn left onto Arapahoe Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward Northwest Parkway, Interlocken Loop
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork toward Northwest Parkway, RTD Park-n-Ride, Louisville
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward York Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Turn left onto Bush Street
Lane positioning matters here
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Boulder, CO and Brighton, CO, road signs point toward Rtd Park-N-Ride and Louisville.
Rtd Park-N-Ride
Louisville
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Northwest Parkway | 9.5 mi | 10m |
| Denver–Boulder Turnpike | 8.3 mi | 9m |
| East 160th Avenue | 6.7 mi | 8m |
| York Street | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| 28th Street | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| West Bridge Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Arapahoe Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| E-470 | 0.4 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Boulder, CO and Brighton, CO.
Start on this road
Turn right onto 19th Street
Turn left onto Arapahoe Avenue
Turn right onto US 36
Turn straight onto US 36
Keep slight right at fork onto US 36
Keep slight right at fork onto US 36
Keep slight right at fork onto US 36
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Turn left onto Interlocken Loop
Continue on NW
Continue on E470
Take the exit
Turn left onto York Street
Turn right onto CO 7
Continue on CO 7
Enter roundabout onto CO 7
Continue on CO 7
Enter roundabout onto West Bridge Street
Continue on West Bridge Street
Turn right onto South Main Street
Turn left onto Bush Street
Arrive at destination
Regular Gas
$4.37 one way
$8.74 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $4.63 | $9.25 |
| premium | $4.39 | $5.02 | $10.03 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.40 | $12.81 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.76
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Tolls
$2
Total
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.1 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 | 8.7 | 0 | $3.04 | $1.39 |
| Efficient EV | 7.3 | 0 | $2.54 | $1.16 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.6 | 0 | $4.06 | $1.86 |
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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Late night in Boulder on Friday
Local time
3:15 AM
MDT
Current temp
33°F
Mostly Cloudy
Destination
Late night in Brighton on Friday
Local time
3:15 AM
MDT
Current temp
44°F
Unavailable
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Compiled and maintained by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy (Helsinki). Each route is built from authoritative open government and mapping datasets rather than crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from OSRM over OpenStreetMap. Fuel cost uses EIA weekly regional averages. Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our methodology page documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.
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