Origin
Commerce City, CO
Late night in Commerce City on Friday
Local time
1:28 AM
MDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Commerce City, CO to Highlands Ranch, CO
Compiled by the Trip.ovh editorial team · Last recalculated Apr 17, 2026 · Methodology
Drive Time
40m
Distance
23.3 mi
38 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Good
6 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 37m
★
6 AM
0h 40m
8 AM
0h 47m
10 AM
0h 43m
12 PM
0h 42m
3 PM
0h 43m
5 PM
0h 47m
8 PM
0h 38m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Commerce City, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Highlands Ranch, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Commerce City, CO to Highlands Ranch, CO covers 23.3 miles and takes about 40m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on South University Boulevard, North Valley Highway, North Vasquez Boulevard for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 9.2 miles on South University Boulevard. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.51 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 40m. Total distance: 23.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
40m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 40m drive with frequent turns across 23.3 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 21 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
South University Boulevard is the longest continuous segment at about 9.2 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 0.1 miles in near Dexter Street.
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 23.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 40m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Dexter Street): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 3.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 12.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 18 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Dexter Street
At end of road, turn right onto Dexter Street
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
8
3.8 mi into trip
|
~7m in
Take the exit toward I 25: Fort Collins, Colorado Springs
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 274
Toward I 25: Fort Collins, Colorado Springs
7
12.3 mi into trip
|
~18m in
Take the exit toward University Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 205
Toward University Boulevard
7
13 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Keep slight right at fork toward University Boulevard
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
Toward University Boulevard
8
13.1 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Keep slight right at fork toward University Boulevard South
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward University Boulevard South
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Commerce City, CO and Highlands Ranch, CO, road signs point toward Colorado Springs and University Boulevard South.
Colorado Springs
3.8 mi in
|
~7m
University Boulevard South
13.1 mi in
|
~20m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| South University Boulevard | 9.2 mi | 16m |
| North Valley Highway | 7.1 mi | 9m |
| North Vasquez Boulevard | 2 mi | 2m |
| Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| Grand Army of the Republic Highway | 0.8 mi | <1m |
| Venneford Ranch Road | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| East Thistle Ridge Road | 0.3 mi | 1m |
| US 6 | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
South University Boulevard
— 9.2 mi, about 16m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Commerce City, CO and Highlands Ranch, CO.
1
Start on this road
0.1 mi
·
55 sec
·
this road
2
At end of road, turn right onto Dexter Street
0.1 mi
·
33 sec
·
Dexter Street
3
Turn right
148 ft
·
16 sec
4
Turn left
96 ft
·
12 sec
5
At end of road, turn left onto East 60th Avenue
200 ft
·
14 sec
·
East 60th Avenue
6
Turn right onto US 6; US 85; CO 2
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
North Vasquez Boulevard
Use the right lane.
7
Turn right onto US 6; US 85
98 ft
·
1 sec
·
East 46th North Avenue
8
Take the exit onto US 6; US 85
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
·
US 6; US 85
Toward I 70 West
9
Merge onto I 70
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway
Use the straight lane.
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
Exit 274
Toward I 25: Fort Collins, Colorado Springs
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Continue on Grand Army of the Republic Highway
0.8 mi
·
54 sec
·
Grand Army of the Republic Highway
12
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
Toward I 25 South: Colorado Springs
13
Merge onto I 25
7.1 mi
·
9 min
·
North Valley Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Take the exit
0.7 mi
·
1 min
Exit 205
Toward University Boulevard
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
Toward University Boulevard
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
16
Keep slight right at fork
479 ft
·
11 sec
Toward University Boulevard South
Use the right lane.
17
Turn straight onto South University Boulevard
9.2 mi
·
16 min
·
South University Boulevard
Use the right lane.
18
Turn right onto Venneford Ranch Road
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Venneford Ranch Road
19
Turn right onto East Thistle Ridge Road
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
East Thistle Ridge Road
20
Turn left onto South Wild Iris Run
351 ft
·
15 sec
·
South Wild Iris Run
21
Arrive at destination
South Wild Iris Run
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.51 one way
$7.02 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $3.72 | $7.43 |
| premium | $4.39 | $4.03 | $8.06 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.14 | $10.29 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7 | 0 | $2.45 | $1.12 |
| Efficient EV | 5.8 | 0 | $2.04 | $0.93 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.3 | 0 | $3.26 | $1.49 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
Highlands Ranch, CO
Late night in Highlands Ranch on Friday
Local time
1:28 AM
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
31 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
40m 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 Commerce City, CO to Highlands Ranch, CO covers 23.3 miles and takes about 40m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are South University Boulevard, North Valley Highway, North Vasquez Boulevard. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 11.7 miles from Commerce City, CO. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $3.51 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 23.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 40m.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Dexter Street): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 3.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 12.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Between Commerce City, CO and Highlands Ranch, CO, road signs point toward Colorado Springs and University Boulevard South.
Data sources
The figures on this page are computed from open government and mapping datasets, not crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from OSRM over OpenStreetMap. Fuel cost uses EIA weekly regional averages. Full methodology, refresh cadence, and limitations are documented on the methodology page.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Highlands Ranch, CO
More trips to Highlands Ranch, CO
Explore more options from Commerce City, CO or browse trips ending in Highlands Ranch, CO.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse CO road trips.