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Trip from Brighton, CO to Aurora, CO

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

34m

Distance

25.3 mi

41 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$4

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 9 min
4 AM
0h 31m ★
6 AM
0h 34m
8 AM
0h 40m
10 AM
0h 36m
12 PM
0h 35m
3 PM
0h 36m
5 PM
0h 40m
8 PM
0h 32m

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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city in and county seat of Adams County, Colorado, United States

Brighton, CO

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Aurora, CO, CO

Aurora, CO

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Brighton, CO to Aurora, CO covers 25.3 miles and takes about 34m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on CanAm Highway, US 6, Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 8.2 miles on CanAm Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.81 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 34m. Total distance: 25.3 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

34m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (33%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Scenic Drive

Mixed drive route profile.

Drive Character

The drive from Brighton, CO to Aurora, CO covers 25.3 miles and takes about 34m, using a mix of highways and local roads.

Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 21 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
CanAm Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 8.2 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. 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 West Bridge Street.

Driving Effort 9/10

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 17 decision points packed into just 25.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 34m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (West Bridge Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.3 miles: Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 11.3 miles (US 6; US 85): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 17 key points

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

7
0.2 mi into trip | ~0m in | West Bridge Street

Turn left onto West Bridge Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
6
0.3 mi into trip | ~0m in

Enter roundabout toward US 85 south

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

Toward US 85 south
8
11.3 mi into trip | ~14m in | US 6; US 85

Take the exit onto US 6; US 85 toward US 6 West, US 85 South: Commerce City

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Exit 9 Toward US 6 West, US 85 South: Commerce City
8
21.2 mi into trip | ~27m in

Take the exit toward I 225 South: Aurora, Colorado Springs

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 282 Toward I 225 South: Aurora, Colorado Springs
7
24.3 mi into trip | ~31m in

Take the exit toward CO 30: 6th Avenue

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

Use the slight right lane. Exit 9 Toward CO 30: 6th Avenue

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

On the drive from Brighton, CO to Aurora, CO, road signs begin pointing toward Colorado Springs along the way.

Colorado Springs

21.2 mi in | ~27m

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
CanAm Highway 8.2 mi 9m
US 6 3.7 mi 5m
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway 3.5 mi 4m
Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway 2.5 mi 3m
Heartland Expressway 2.4 mi 2m
I 225 2.2 mi 2m
East 6th Avenue 0.3 mi <1m
North Vaughn Street 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: CanAm Highway — 8.2 mi, about 9m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

1

Start on Bush Street

414 ft · 14 sec · Bush Street
2

Turn right onto South Main Street

0.1 mi · 24 sec · South Main Street
3

Turn left onto West Bridge Street

427 ft · 8 sec · West Bridge Street
Use the left lane.
4

Enter roundabout onto CO 7

142 ft · 2 sec · West Bridge Street
5

Continue on CO 7

266 ft · 4 sec · West Bridge Street
6

Enter roundabout

304 ft · 5 sec
Toward US 85 south
7

Continue

0.2 mi · 29 sec
Toward US 85 south
8

Merge onto US 85

8.2 mi · 9 min · CanAm Highway
Use the left lane.
9

Merge onto I 76; US 6; US 85

2.4 mi · 2 min · Heartland Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Take the exit onto US 6; US 85

3.7 mi · 5 min · US 6; US 85
Exit 9 Toward US 6 West, US 85 South: Commerce City Use the slight right lane.
11

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 36 sec
Toward I 270 East: Limon Use the right lane.
12

Merge onto I 270

3.5 mi · 4 min · Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13

Merge onto I 70

2.5 mi · 3 min · Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14

Take the exit

1.0 mi · 1 min
Exit 282 Toward I 225 South: Aurora, Colorado Springs Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15

Continue on I 225

2.2 mi · 2 min · I 225
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 40 sec
Exit 9 Toward CO 30: 6th Avenue Use the slight right lane.
17

Turn right onto CO 30

0.3 mi · 31 sec · East 6th Avenue
Use the right lane.
18

Turn right onto Vaughn Street

257 ft · 12 sec · Vaughn Street
19

Turn right onto North Zion Street

509 ft · 27 sec · North Zion Street
20

Turn left onto North Vaughn Street

0.2 mi · 43 sec · North Vaughn Street
21

Arrive at destination

North Vaughn Street

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.81 one way

$7.62 round trip

$3.83/gal 25.4 MPG avg 9 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.05 $4.04 $8.07
premium $4.39 $4.38 $8.75
diesel $5.61 $5.59 $11.17

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$4

Estimated CO2 emission: 8.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 7.6 0 $2.66 $1.21
Efficient EV 6.3 0 $2.21 $1.01
EV Truck/SUV 10.1 0 $3.54 $1.62

Gas CO2

9 kg

EV CO2

3 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 as of Apr 13, 2026

Origin

Brighton, CO

Night in Brighton on Friday

Local time

11:48 PM

MDT

Current temp

73°F

Mostly Sunny

SW 9 mph 4% chance Live forecast

Red Flag Warning

Red Flag Warning issued April 13 at 3:00AM MDT until April 13 at 8:00PM MDT by NWS Denver CO

Red Flag Warning

Red Flag Warning issued April 13 at 12:18AM MDT until April 13 at 9:00PM MDT by NWS Pueblo CO

Destination

Aurora, CO

Night in Aurora on Friday

Local time

11:48 PM

MDT

Current temp

47°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

34m on the road

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Brighton, CO to Aurora, CO covers 25.3 miles and takes about 34m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are CanAm Highway, US 6, Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 12.6 miles from Brighton, CO. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $3.81 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 17 decision points packed into just 25.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 34m.

The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (West Bridge Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.3 miles: Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 11.3 miles (US 6; US 85): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

On the drive from Brighton, CO to Aurora, CO, road signs begin pointing toward Colorado Springs along the way.

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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