Origin
Boulder, CO
Morning in Boulder on Saturday
Local time
8:51 AM
MDT
Current temp
72°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Boulder, CO to Frederick, CO
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
38m
Distance
22.1 mi
36 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 35m
★
6 AM
0h 38m
8 AM
0h 45m
10 AM
0h 40m
12 PM
0h 40m
3 PM
0h 41m
5 PM
0h 44m
8 PM
0h 36m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Boulder, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Frederick, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Boulder, CO to Frederick, CO covers 22.1 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 Mineral Road, Diagonal Highway, Foothills Parkway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 13.2 miles on Mineral Road. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.33 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 38m. Total distance: 22.1 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 (11%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 38m drive with frequent turns across 22.1 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 15 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Mineral Road is the longest continuous segment at about 13.2 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Arapahoe Avenue.
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 22.1 miles you will encounter 10 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 (Arapahoe Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 7.9 miles (CO 52 / Mineral Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 21.3 miles (Colorado Boulevard): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 10 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
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
7.9 mi into trip
|
~13m in
|
CO 52 / Mineral Road
Turn right onto CO 52 / Mineral Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
5
21.3 mi into trip
|
~35m in
|
Colorado Boulevard
Enter roundabout onto Colorado Boulevard
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
5
22.1 mi into trip
|
~37m in
Turn left
Navigation decision point
6
22.1 mi into trip
|
~38m in
At end of road, turn right
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Mineral Road | 13.2 mi | 22m |
| Diagonal Highway | 3.7 mi | 5m |
| Foothills Parkway | 2.5 mi | 3m |
| Arapahoe Avenue | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| Colorado Boulevard | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| 5th Street | 0.3 mi | 1m |
| 19th Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Mineral Road
— 13.2 mi, about 22m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Boulder, CO and Frederick, 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
1.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Arapahoe Avenue
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
4
Turn left onto CO 157
2.5 mi
·
3 min
·
Foothills Parkway
Use the left lane.
5
Continue on CO 119
3.7 mi
·
5 min
·
Diagonal Highway
Use the straight lane.
6
Turn right onto CO 52
13 mi
·
22 min
·
Mineral Road
Use the straight lane.
7
Turn left onto Colorado Boulevard
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
·
Colorado Boulevard
Use the left lane.
8
Enter roundabout onto Colorado Boulevard
196 ft
·
4 sec
·
Colorado Boulevard
9
Continue on Colorado Boulevard
0.5 mi
·
51 sec
·
Colorado Boulevard
10
Enter roundabout onto 5th Street
15 ft
·
0 sec
·
5th Street
11
Continue on 5th Street
0.2 mi
·
1 min
·
5th Street
12
Turn left
90 ft
·
7 sec
13
Turn right
108 ft
·
10 sec
14
At end of road, turn right
46 ft
·
3 sec
15
Arrive at destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.33 one way
$6.66 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $3.53 | $7.05 |
| premium | $4.39 | $3.82 | $7.65 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.88 | $9.76 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
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 | $2.32 | $1.06 |
| Efficient EV | 5.5 | 0 | $1.93 | $0.88 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.8 | 0 | $3.09 | $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
Frederick, CO
Morning in Frederick on Saturday
Local time
8:51 AM
MDT
Current temp
46°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
26 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
38m 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 Frederick, CO covers 22.1 miles and takes about 38m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Mineral Road, Diagonal Highway, Foothills Parkway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 11.1 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 $3.33 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 22.1 miles you will encounter 10 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 (Arapahoe Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 7.9 miles (CO 52 / Mineral Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 21.3 miles (Colorado Boulevard): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
The route from Boulder, CO to Frederick, 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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