Origin
Centennial, CO
Morning in Centennial on Friday
Local time
11:41 AM
MDT
Current temp
77°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Centennial, CO to Indian Hills, CO
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
36m
Distance
27.6 mi
44 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 33m
★
6 AM
0h 36m
8 AM
0h 42m
10 AM
0h 38m
12 PM
0h 38m
3 PM
0h 39m
5 PM
0h 42m
8 PM
0h 34m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Centennial, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Indian Hills, CO
Jacob Moore
Trip Overview
This 27.6-mile drive from Centennial, CO, to Indian Hills, CO, is a quick trip that can easily be completed in about 36 minutes. Primarily utilizing CO 470, US 285, and South Valley Highway, this route is focused on highway travel, with 87% of the journey on these main roads. It’s a perfect day trip with a modest fuel cost estimated at $4, so you won't need to break it up with an overnight stay. Given its short distance and straightforward path through the Mountain West region, you can enjoy a smooth transition between these Colorado communities without extensive planning.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 36m. Total distance: 27.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
36m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (87%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
Expect a highway-focused drive for the majority of this route, with 87% of the 27.6 miles on main roads like CO 470 and US 285. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 18.9 miles along CO 470, offering a consistent pace. As you progress, the character remains largely that of a functional highway, facilitating a direct journey. This isn't a winding mountain pass, but rather a well-established corridor designed for efficient travel between these Colorado locations.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 22 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
CO 470 is the longest continuous segment at about 18.9 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on CO 470 and US 285. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.8 miles in.
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 27.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 36m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 2.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 18 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
8
1.8 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Take the exit toward E-470 North, CO 470 West: Limon, Grand Junction
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 194
Toward E-470 North, CO 470 West: Limon, Grand J...
9
1.9 mi into trip
|
~4m in
Keep slight right at fork toward CO 470 West: Grand Junction
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Exit 194
Toward CO 470 West: Grand Junction
9
2.1 mi into trip
|
~4m in
Keep slight right at fork toward CO 470 West: Grand Junction, Quebec Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
Exit 194
Toward CO 470 West: Grand Junction, Quebec Stre...
6
8.7 mi into trip
|
~11m in
Take the exit toward CO 470 Express
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward CO 470 Express
7
22.6 mi into trip
|
~27m in
Take the exit toward US 285 South: Fairplay
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Exit 5A
Toward US 285 South: Fairplay
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Centennial, CO and Indian Hills, CO, road signs point toward E-470 North and Grand Junction.
E-470 North
1.8 mi in
|
~3m
Grand Junction
1.8 mi in
|
~3m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| CO 470 | 18.9 mi | 21m |
| US 285 | 4.2 mi | 6m |
| South Valley Highway | 1 mi | 1m |
| CO 470 EXPR | 1 mi | 1m |
| Parmalee Gulch Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Santa Clara Road | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| East Dry Creek Road | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| East Panorama Circle | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
CO 470
— 18.9 mi, about 21m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Centennial, CO and Indian Hills, CO.
1
Start on this road
495 ft
·
41 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left
118 ft
·
10 sec
3
Turn right onto East Panorama Circle
0.1 mi
·
23 sec
·
East Panorama Circle
4
Turn right onto South Chester Street
384 ft
·
14 sec
·
South Chester Street
5
Turn right onto CR 46
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
·
East Dry Creek Road
6
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
46 sec
Toward I 25 South
7
Merge onto I 25
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
South Valley Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
15 sec
Exit 194
Toward E-470 North, CO 470 West: Limon, Grand Junction
Use the slight right lane.
9
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi
·
12 sec
Exit 194
Toward CO 470 West: Grand Junction
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight right at fork
0.6 mi
·
47 sec
Exit 194
Toward CO 470 West: Grand Junction, Quebec Street
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
11
Continue on CO 470
6.0 mi
·
6 min
·
CO 470
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
162 ft
·
2 sec
Toward CO 470 Express
Use the slight left lane.
13
Merge onto CO 470 EXPR
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
CO 470 EXPR
14
Take the exit
125 ft
·
1 sec
Toward CO 470 West
15
Merge onto CO 470
13 mi
·
14 min
·
CO 470
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
46 sec
Exit 5A
Toward US 285 South: Fairplay
Use the straight / right lanes.
17
Merge onto US 285
4.2 mi
·
6 min
·
US 285
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Turn right onto CH 120
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
·
Parmalee Gulch Road
19
Turn left onto Santa Clara Road
465 ft
·
20 sec
·
Santa Clara Road
20
Continue on Santa Clara Road
298 ft
·
13 sec
·
Santa Clara Road
21
Keep slight left at fork onto Hiawatha Trail
173 ft
·
7 sec
·
Hiawatha Trail
22
Arrive at destination
Hiawatha Trail
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.16 one way
$8.32 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $4.40 | $8.81 |
| premium | $4.39 | $4.77 | $9.55 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.09 | $12.19 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.3 | 0 | $2.90 | $1.32 |
| Efficient EV | 6.9 | 0 | $2.42 | $1.10 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11 | 0 | $3.86 | $1.77 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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
Indian Hills, CO
Morning in Indian Hills on Friday
Local time
11:41 AM
MDT
Current temp
38°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
39 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
36m 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 Centennial, CO to Indian Hills, CO covers 27.6 miles and takes about 36m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are CO 470, US 285, South Valley Highway. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 13.8 miles from Centennial, CO. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.16 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 27.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 36m.
The main spots that need attention: at 1.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 2.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Centennial, CO and Indian Hills, CO, road signs point toward E-470 North and Grand Junction.
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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