Origin
Centennial, CO
Afternoon in Centennial on Saturday
Local time
1:21 PM
MDT
Current temp
77°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Centennial, CO to Coal Creek, CO
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 15m
Distance
46.7 mi
75 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 9m
★
6 AM
1h 15m
8 AM
1h 27m
10 AM
1h 19m
12 PM
1h 18m
3 PM
1h 20m
5 PM
1h 26m
8 PM
1h 11m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Centennial, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Coal Creek, CO
Braeson Holland
Trip Overview
The drive from Centennial, CO to Coal Creek, CO covers 46.7 miles and takes about 1h 15m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on South Valley Highway, Coal Creek Canyon Drive, West 6th Avenue Freeway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed highway & surface. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 12.5 miles on South Valley Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $7.04 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| South Valley Highway | 12.5 mi | 15m |
| Coal Creek Canyon Drive | 9.2 mi | 15m |
| West 6th Avenue Freeway | 8.7 mi | 10m |
| CO 93 | 8.3 mi | 12m |
| Dinosaur Diamond Prehistoric Highway | 3.9 mi | 6m |
| Copperdale Lane | 1.2 mi | 4m |
| Coal Creek Heights Drive | 1 mi | 4m |
| East Dry Creek Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
South Valley Highway
— 12.5 mi, about 15m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Centennial, CO and Coal Creek, 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
13 mi
·
15 min
·
South Valley Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
Exit 209A-B
Toward US 6 West: 6th Avenue
Use the slight right lane.
9
Keep slight right at fork
0.4 mi
·
53 sec
Exit 209B
Toward US 6 West: 6th Avenue, Lakewood
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Continue on US 6
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Dinosaur Diamond Prehistoric Highway
11
Keep slight left at fork onto US 6
0.1 mi
·
10 sec
·
US 6
Toward US 6
12
Merge onto US 6
8.7 mi
·
10 min
·
West 6th Avenue Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Continue on US 6
3.0 mi
·
4 min
·
Dinosaur Diamond Prehistoric Highway
Use the left / uturn lanes.
14
Continue on CO 93
7.5 mi
·
10 min
·
CO 93
15
Continue on CO 93
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
CO 93
Use the left lane.
16
Turn left onto CO 72
9.2 mi
·
15 min
·
Coal Creek Canyon Drive
Use the left lane.
17
Turn left onto Copperdale Lane
1.2 mi
·
4 min
·
Copperdale Lane
18
Turn left onto Ridge Road
0.1 mi
·
28 sec
·
Ridge Road
19
Continue on Ridge Road
0.1 mi
·
35 sec
·
Ridge Road
20
Turn right onto Coal Creek Heights Drive
1.0 mi
·
4 min
·
Coal Creek Heights Drive
21
Continue on Beauty Lane
516 ft
·
22 sec
·
Beauty Lane
22
Arrive at destination
Beauty Lane
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
23 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.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 23.4 miles from Centennial, CO, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 145 decision points cluster between mile 0.6 and 14.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
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.
7
13.4 mi into trip
|
~18m in
Take the exit toward US 6 West: 6th Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 209A-B
Toward US 6 West: 6th Avenue
9
13.6 mi into trip
|
~18m in
Keep slight right at fork toward US 6 West: 6th Avenue, Lakewood
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 209B
Toward US 6 West: 6th Avenue, Lakewood
5
14.9 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
US 6
Keep slight left at fork onto US 6 toward US 6
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward US 6
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.04 one way
$14.07 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
16 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $7.45 | $14.90 |
| premium | $4.39 | $8.08 | $16.16 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $10.31 | $20.62 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 16.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 14 | 0 | $4.90 | $2.24 |
| Efficient EV | 11.7 | 0 | $4.09 | $1.87 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 18.7 | 0 | $6.54 | $2.99 |
Gas CO2
16 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (69% 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
Coal Creek, CO
Afternoon in Coal Creek on Saturday
Local time
1:21 PM
MDT
Current temp
56°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
21 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
1h 15m 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.
What kind of drive is this?
46.7 mi in 1h 15m — 37% highway, the rest on surface roads. Biggest road: South Valley Highway.
37% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 12.5 mi on South Valley Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
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 0.6 miles in.
Driving Effort
9/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 46.7 miles you will encounter 14 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 13.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
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 Centennial, CO to Coal Creek, CO, road signs begin pointing toward Lakewood along the way.
Lakewood
13.6 mi in
|
~18m
About the Cities
Starting in Centennial, CO
Full guide →Centennial is a suburban city of about 106,000 in the Denver Metropolitan Area of the western U.S. state of Colorado. The city lies in Arapahoe County southeast of Denver.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 15m. Total distance: 46.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 15m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (37%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 12.5 miles on South Valley Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Coal Creek, CO before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
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 13.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Coal Creek, CO before heading back.
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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