Origin
Boulder, CO
Morning in Boulder on Saturday
Local time
6:44 AM
MDT
Current temp
72°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Boulder, CO to Federal Heights, CO
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
30m
Distance
22 mi
35 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 28m
★
6 AM
0h 31m
8 AM
0h 36m
10 AM
0h 33m
12 PM
0h 32m
3 PM
0h 33m
5 PM
0h 36m
8 PM
0h 29m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Boulder, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Federal Heights, CO
Mark Stebnicki
Trip Overview
The drive from Boulder, CO to Federal Heights, CO covers 22 miles and takes about 30m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Denver–Boulder Turnpike, Pecos Street, 28th Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 18.4 miles on Denver–Boulder Turnpike. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.31 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 30m. Total distance: 22 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
30m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (84%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 30m highway drive covering 22 miles, with most of the trip on Denver–Boulder Turnpike and Pecos Street. The longest continuous stretch is about 18.4 miles on Denver–Boulder Turnpike.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 16 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Denver–Boulder Turnpike is the longest continuous segment at about 18.4 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Denver–Boulder Turnpike and Pecos Street. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near 19th Street.
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 14 decision points packed into just 22 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 30m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (19th Street): Navigation decision point; near the start (Arapahoe Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 18 miles (US 36 / Denver–Boulder Turnpike): 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.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
19th Street
Turn right onto 19th Street
Navigation decision point
6
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Arapahoe Avenue
Turn left onto Arapahoe Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
6
18 mi into trip
|
~22m in
|
US 36 / Denver–Boulder Turnpike
Keep slight right at fork onto US 36 / Denver–Boulder Turnpike
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
19.8 mi into trip
|
~24m in
Take the exit toward Pecos Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward Pecos Street
6
20.1 mi into trip
|
~25m in
|
Pecos Street
Turn left onto Pecos Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Denver–Boulder Turnpike | 18.4 mi | 21m |
| Pecos Street | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| 28th Street | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Arapahoe Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| West 85th Avenue | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| 19th Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Denver–Boulder Turnpike
— 18.4 mi, about 21m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Boulder, CO and Federal Heights, CO.
1
Start on this road
87 ft
·
6 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right onto 19th Street
143 ft
·
13 sec
·
19th Street
3
Turn left onto Arapahoe Avenue
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Arapahoe Avenue
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
4
Turn right onto US 36
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
28th Street
5
Turn straight onto US 36
3.4 mi
·
4 min
·
Denver–Boulder Turnpike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Keep slight right at fork onto US 36
1.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Denver–Boulder Turnpike
7
Keep slight right at fork onto US 36
2.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Denver–Boulder Turnpike
8
Keep slight right at fork onto US 36
2.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Denver–Boulder Turnpike
9
Keep slight right at fork onto US 36
2.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Denver–Boulder Turnpike
10
Keep slight right at fork onto US 36
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Denver–Boulder Turnpike
11
Keep slight right at fork onto US 36
2.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Denver–Boulder Turnpike
12
Keep slight right at fork onto US 36
1.8 mi
·
2 min
·
Denver–Boulder Turnpike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
Toward Pecos Street
Use the slight right lane.
14
Turn left onto Pecos Street
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
Pecos Street
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
15
Turn right onto West 85th Avenue
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
West 85th Avenue
16
Arrive at destination
West 85th Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.31 one way
$6.63 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $3.51 | $7.02 |
| premium | $4.39 | $3.81 | $7.61 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.86 | $9.71 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.28
Denver–Boulder Turnpike
(18.4 mi)
$1.28
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Tolls
$1
Total
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.6 | 0 | $2.31 | $1.06 |
| Efficient EV | 5.5 | 0 | $1.92 | $0.88 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.8 | 0 | $3.08 | $1.41 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
Federal Heights, CO
Morning in Federal Heights on Saturday
Local time
6:44 AM
MDT
Current temp
50°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
22 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
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 Boulder, CO to Federal Heights, CO covers 22 miles and takes about 30m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Denver–Boulder Turnpike, Pecos Street, 28th Street. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 11 miles from Boulder, CO. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $3.31 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 is a short but busy drive. With 14 decision points packed into just 22 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 30m.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (19th Street): Navigation decision point; near the start (Arapahoe Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 18 miles (US 36 / Denver–Boulder Turnpike): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Boulder, CO to Federal Heights, 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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