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Trip from Centennial, CO to Pierce, CO

Last recalculated Apr 17, 2026

Drive Time

1h 54m

Distance

90.3 mi

145 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$14

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 25 min
4 AM
1h 46m ★
6 AM
1h 54m
8 AM
2h 11m
10 AM
2h 0m
12 PM
1h 58m
3 PM
2h 1m
5 PM
2h 10m
8 PM
1h 49m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Downtown Centennial, CO, CO

Centennial, CO

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Pierce, CO, CO

Pierce, CO

Bobby n Lazy Jim

Trip Overview

The drive from Centennial, CO to Pierce, CO covers 90.3 miles and takes about 1h 54m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, South Valley Highway, East Highway 14 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 41.4 miles on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $13.61 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.

Midpoint

45.2 miles from Centennial, CO

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 55m into the drive .

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 54m. Total distance: 90.3 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 54m drive, comfortable solo distance.

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile.

Drive Character

Expect a 1h 54m drive with frequent turns across 90.3 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 19 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 41.4 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.6 miles in.

Driving Effort 7/10

Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 90.3 miles you will encounter 15 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: at 0.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 0.8 miles (I 25 / South Valley Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 22.6 miles (I 25 / North Valley Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 15 key points

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

8
0.6 mi into trip | ~2m in

Turn left toward I 25 North

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane. Toward I 25 North
5
0.8 mi into trip | ~2m 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.
6
22.6 mi into trip | ~30m in | I 25 / North Valley Highway

Keep slight right at fork onto I 25 / North Valley Highway

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane.
6
26.9 mi into trip | ~36m in | I 25 / North Valley Highway

Keep slight right at fork onto I 25 / North Valley Highway

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes.
5
73.7 mi into trip | ~1h 23m in

Take the exit toward CO 14 East: Ault

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early

Exit 269A Toward CO 14 East: Ault

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway 41.4 mi 41m
South Valley Highway 21.8 mi 27m
East Highway 14 10 mi 16m
North Valley Highway 9.6 mi 11m
County Road 29 3 mi 4m
County Road 88 1.7 mi 5m
East Mulberry Street 0.8 mi 1m
5th Street 0.7 mi 1m
Longest stretch: Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway — 41.4 mi, about 41m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Centennial, CO and Pierce, 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

0.3 mi · 46 sec · East Dry Creek Road
6

Turn left

0.3 mi · 34 sec
Toward I 25 North Use the left lane.
7

Merge onto I 25

22 mi · 27 min · South Valley Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Keep slight right at fork onto I 25

4.3 mi · 5 min · North Valley Highway
Use the slight right lane.
9

Keep slight right at fork onto I 25

5.3 mi · 5 min · North Valley Highway
Use the straight / right lanes.
10

Continue on I 25

41 mi · 41 min · Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 36 sec
Exit 269A Toward CO 14 East: Ault
12

Turn straight onto CO 14

0.8 mi · 1 min · East Mulberry Street
Use the straight lane.
13

Continue on CO 14

10.0 mi · 16 min · East Highway 14
Use the straight lane.
14

Turn left onto County Road 29

3.0 mi · 4 min · County Road 29
15

Turn right onto County Road 88

1.7 mi · 5 min · County Road 88
16

Turn left onto 5th Street

0.7 mi · 1 min · 5th Street
17

Turn right onto West Main Avenue

0.2 mi · 34 sec · West Main Avenue
18

Turn left onto 2nd Street

33 ft · 1 sec · 2nd Street
19

Arrive at destination

2nd Street

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.

Evening Departure

Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 45.2 miles from Centennial, CO, or about 55m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 41.4 miles.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

Departure

Before you leave

Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.

First stop

Around 20 miles or 27m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 45.2 miles or 55m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 1h 24m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Pierce, CO than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Centennial, CO so your first major turns are already loaded.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Centennial, CO

This is one driving day of about 90.3 miles and 1h 54m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 20 miles from Centennial, CO.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway for about 41.4 miles.

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 45.2 mi from Centennial, CO · 55m into the drive

city in Adams and Weld counties in Colorado, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Thornton, CO

45 mi into the route

Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset

This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.

Popular next leg

Thornton, CO to Pierce, CO

66.8 mi · 1h 24m

Pacing Suggestions

Commerce City, CO

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 20 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Firestone, CO

Meal break

The midpoint is around 45.2 miles from Centennial, CO, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Pierce, CO

The final approach into Pierce, CO usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$13.61 one way

$27.21 round trip

$3.83/gal 25.4 MPG avg 32 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.05 $14.41 $28.81
premium $4.39 $15.62 $31.24
diesel $5.61 $19.94 $39.87

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$14

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$39–$64

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 31.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $9 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 27.1 0 $9.48 $4.33
Efficient EV 22.6 0 $7.90 $3.61
EV Truck/SUV 36.1 0 $12.64 $5.78

Gas CO2

32 kg

EV CO2

11 kg (66% 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 15, 2026

Origin

Centennial, CO

Evening in Centennial on Thursday

Local time

6:01 PM

MDT

Current temp

77°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Pierce, CO

Evening in Pierce on Thursday

Local time

6:01 PM

MDT

Current temp

78°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Seasonal Notes

Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.

Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.

Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.

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

1 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

1h 54m 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 Pierce, CO covers 90.3 miles and takes about 1h 54m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, South Valley Highway, East Highway 14. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 45.2 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 $13.61 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 90.3 miles you will encounter 15 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: at 0.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 0.8 miles (I 25 / South Valley Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 22.6 miles (I 25 / North Valley Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Centennial, CO to Pierce, CO does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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