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Trip from Broomfield, CO to Centennial, CO

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

43m

Distance

31.5 mi

51 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$5

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 11 min
4 AM
0h 39m ★
6 AM
0h 43m
8 AM
0h 50m
10 AM
0h 46m
12 PM
0h 45m
3 PM
0h 46m
5 PM
0h 50m
8 PM
0h 41m

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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Downtown Broomfield, CO, CO

Broomfield, CO

Owen.outdoors

Downtown Centennial, CO, CO

Centennial, CO

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Broomfield, CO to Centennial, CO covers 31.5 miles and takes about 43m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on North Valley Highway, Denver–Boulder Turnpike, CO 121 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 19.9 miles on North Valley Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.75 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 43m. Total distance: 31.5 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

43m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (30%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Scenic Drive

Mixed drive route profile.

Drive Character

The drive from Broomfield, CO to Centennial, CO covers 31.5 miles and takes about 43m, 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 22 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
North Valley Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 19.9 miles.

Elevation Profile

High-altitude sections with notable climbs

5,831 ft 5,168 ft

Total Climb

727 ft

Total Descent

286 ft

Highest Point

5,831 ft

~31.5 mi in

Elevation Range

663 ft

Notable High Points

5,453 ft at ~6.7 miles +53 ft prominence

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 early in the drive near West 3rd Avenue.

Driving Effort 10/10

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 18 decision points packed into just 31.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 43m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start (West 3rd Avenue): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 1 miles: Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 18 key points

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

6
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | West 3rd Avenue

At end of road, turn right onto West 3rd Avenue

Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch

6
0.3 mi into trip | ~1m in

Keep slight left at fork toward CO 121 South

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

Toward CO 121 South
7
1 mi into trip | ~2m in

Turn left toward US 36 East: Denver

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane. Toward US 36 East: Denver
8
8.9 mi into trip | ~12m in | US 36 / Denver–Boulder Turnpike

Keep slight right at fork onto US 36 / Denver–Boulder Turnpike toward I 25: Denver, Fort Collins

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward I 25: Denver, Fort Collins
7
30.7 mi into trip | ~40m in

Take the exit toward Dry Creek Road

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 196 Toward Dry Creek Road

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 Broomfield, CO to Centennial, CO, road signs begin pointing toward Fort Collins along the way.

Fort Collins

8.9 mi in | ~12m | via US 36

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
North Valley Highway 19.9 mi 25m
Denver–Boulder Turnpike 8.7 mi 10m
CO 121 0.4 mi 1m
I 25 0.4 mi <1m
East Dry Creek Road 0.2 mi <1m
Nickel Street 0.2 mi <1m
East Panorama Circle 0.1 mi <1m
South Chester Street 0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: North Valley Highway — 19.9 mi, about 25m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Broomfield, CO and Centennial, CO.

1

Start on this road

192 ft · 16 sec · this road
2

At end of road, turn right onto West 3rd Avenue

273 ft · 19 sec · West 3rd Avenue
3

Turn left onto Nickel Street

0.2 mi · 26 sec · Nickel Street
4

Turn right onto US 287

140 ft · 3 sec · US 287
5

Keep slight left at fork

0.3 mi · 45 sec
Toward CO 121 South
6

Turn straight onto CO 121

0.4 mi · 1 min · CO 121
7

Turn left

0.3 mi · 44 sec
Toward US 36 East: Denver Use the left lane.
8

Merge onto US 36

1.2 mi · 1 min · Denver–Boulder Turnpike
9

Keep slight right at fork onto US 36

1.9 mi · 2 min · Denver–Boulder Turnpike
10

Keep slight right at fork onto US 36

2.5 mi · 2 min · Denver–Boulder Turnpike
11

Keep slight right at fork onto US 36

2.0 mi · 2 min · Denver–Boulder Turnpike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Keep slight right at fork onto US 36

1.1 mi · 1 min · Denver–Boulder Turnpike
Toward I 25: Denver, Fort Collins Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13

Take the exit

0.5 mi · 47 sec
Toward I 25 south: Denver Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14

Continue on I 25

0.4 mi · 33 sec · I 25
Toward I 25 south: Denver
15

Merge onto I 25; US 87

20 mi · 25 min · North Valley Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 26 sec
Exit 196 Toward Dry Creek Road Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17

Turn right onto CR 46

0.2 mi · 21 sec · East Dry Creek Road
18

Turn left onto South Chester Street

0.1 mi · 30 sec · South Chester Street
Use the left lane.
19

Turn left onto East Panorama Circle

0.1 mi · 39 sec · East Panorama Circle
20

Turn left

133 ft · 11 sec
21

Turn right

472 ft · 34 sec
22

Arrive at destination

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$4.75 one way

$9.49 round trip

$3.83/gal 25.4 MPG avg 11 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.05 $5.03 $10.05
premium $4.39 $5.45 $10.90
diesel $5.61 $6.95 $13.91

Estimated Tolls: $0.61

Denver–Boulder Turnpike (8.7 mi) $0.61

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$5

Tolls

$1

Total

$5

Estimated CO2 emission: 11 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 9.5 0 $3.31 $1.51
Efficient EV 7.9 0 $2.76 $1.26
EV Truck/SUV 12.6 0 $4.41 $2.02

Gas CO2

11 kg

EV CO2

4 kg (64% 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 17, 2026

Origin

Broomfield, CO

Afternoon in Broomfield on Friday

Local time

4:23 PM

MDT

Current temp

39°F

Snow Showers

NNE 14 mph 81% chance Live forecast

Freeze Watch

Freeze Watch issued April 17 at 11:06AM MDT until April 19 at 9:00AM MDT by NWS Grand Junction CO

Freeze Warning

Freeze Warning issued April 17 at 11:06AM MDT until April 18 at 10:00AM MDT by NWS Grand Junction CO

Destination

Centennial, CO

Afternoon in Centennial on Friday

Local time

4:23 PM

MDT

Current temp

77°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

38 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

43m 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 Broomfield, CO to Centennial, CO covers 31.5 miles and takes about 43m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are North Valley Highway, Denver–Boulder Turnpike, CO 121. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 15.7 miles from Broomfield, CO. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.75 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 18 decision points packed into just 31.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 43m.

The main spots that need attention: near the start (West 3rd Avenue): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 1 miles: Lane positioning matters here.

On the drive from Broomfield, CO to Centennial, CO, road signs begin pointing toward Fort Collins along the way.

High-altitude sections with notable climbs. The route ranges from 5,168 ft to 5,831 ft elevation with about 727 ft of total climbing. There is 1 notable high point 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, EIA for fuel prices, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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