Origin
Castlewood, CO
Evening in Castlewood on Friday
Local time
5:49 PM
MDT
Current temp
77°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Castlewood, CO to Castle Rock, CO
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
22m
Distance
16.6 mi
27 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 20m
★
6 AM
0h 22m
8 AM
0h 26m
10 AM
0h 24m
12 PM
0h 23m
3 PM
0h 24m
5 PM
0h 26m
8 PM
0h 21m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Castlewood, CO
Liudmyla Shalimova
Castle Rock, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 16.6-mile drive from Castlewood to Castle Rock in Colorado's Mountain West region is a quick trip, taking about 22 minutes. It's a perfect candidate for a single-day excursion, requiring no overnight stays. You'll primarily navigate local roads like South Valley Highway and East Dry Creek Road, with no highway driving involved. Expect a fuel cost of around $3 for this journey. The overall feel is a straightforward, turn-heavy local drive, making it easy to complete in a single day without feeling rushed.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 22m. Total distance: 16.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
22m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
This route is characterized as a 'turn-heavy local drive,' meaning you'll be making frequent turns rather than cruising on open highways. With 0% highway share, expect a more engaged driving experience on surface streets. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 13.7 miles along South Valley Highway. As you transition from Castlewood to Castle Rock, the roads will likely shift between various local thoroughfares, requiring your attention to navigation and speed limits.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 11 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
South Valley Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 13.7 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 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near South Quince Street.
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 16.6 miles you will encounter 8 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 (South Quince Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (CR 46 / East Dry Creek Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.8 miles (I 25 / South Valley Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 8 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
South Quince Street
Turn right onto South Quince Street
Navigation decision point
7
0.3 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
CR 46 / East Dry Creek Road
At end of road, turn left onto CR 46 / East Dry Creek Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
5
1.8 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
I 25 / South Valley Highway
Merge onto I 25 / South Valley Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
15.5 mi into trip
|
~19m in
Take the exit toward Wilcox Street, Wolfensberger Road
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 182
Toward Wilcox Street, Wolfensberger Road
6
16.2 mi into trip
|
~21m in
|
5th Street
Turn left onto 5th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| South Valley Highway | 13.7 mi | 14m |
| East Dry Creek Road | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| North Wilcox Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| South Quince Street | 0.3 mi | 1m |
| 5th Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| North Cantril Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| East Wolfensberger Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| East Fremont Drive | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
South Valley Highway
— 13.7 mi, about 14m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Castlewood, CO and Castle Rock, CO.
1
Start on East Fremont Drive
199 ft
·
10 sec
·
East Fremont Drive
2
Turn right onto South Quince Street
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
South Quince Street
3
At end of road, turn left onto CR 46
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
East Dry Creek Road
Use the left / straight lanes.
4
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
46 sec
Toward I 25 South
5
Merge onto I 25
14 mi
·
14 min
·
South Valley Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Exit 182
Toward Wilcox Street, Wolfensberger Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Turn left onto East Wolfensberger Road
432 ft
·
20 sec
·
East Wolfensberger Road
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
8
Continue on North Wilcox Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
North Wilcox Street
9
Turn left onto 5th Street
0.2 mi
·
37 sec
·
5th Street
Use the left lane.
10
Turn right onto North Cantril Street
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
·
North Cantril Street
11
Arrive at destination
North Cantril Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.50 one way
$5.00 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $2.65 | $5.30 |
| premium | $4.39 | $2.87 | $5.74 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.67 | $7.33 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5 | 0 | $1.74 | $0.80 |
| Efficient EV | 4.2 | 0 | $1.45 | $0.66 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.6 | 0 | $2.32 | $1.06 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 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.
Destination
Castle Rock, CO
Evening in Castle Rock on Friday
Local time
5:49 PM
MDT
Current temp
73°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
4 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
22m 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 Castlewood, CO to Castle Rock, CO covers 16.6 miles and takes about 22m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are South Valley Highway, East Dry Creek Road, North Wilcox Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 8.3 miles from Castlewood, CO. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.50 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 16.6 miles you will encounter 8 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 (South Quince Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (CR 46 / East Dry Creek Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.8 miles (I 25 / South Valley Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Castlewood, CO to Castle Rock, 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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