Origin
Federal Heights, CO
Late night in Federal Heights on Saturday
Local time
3:49 AM
MDT
Current temp
50°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Federal Heights, CO to Aurora, CO
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
25m
Distance
16.5 mi
27 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 23m
★
6 AM
0h 26m
8 AM
0h 30m
10 AM
0h 27m
12 PM
0h 27m
3 PM
0h 27m
5 PM
0h 30m
8 PM
0h 24m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Federal Heights, CO
Mark Stebnicki
Aurora, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Federal Heights, CO to Aurora, CO covers 16.5 miles and takes about 25m 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, Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway, I 225 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 6.7 miles on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $2.24 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 25m. Total distance: 16.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
25m 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 25m drive with frequent turns across 16.5 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 16 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 6.7 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 0.4 miles in near Pecos Street.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 13 decision points packed into just 16.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 25m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles (Pecos Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles (West 84th Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 13 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0.4 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Pecos Street
At end of road, turn left onto Pecos Street
Navigation decision point
6
0.6 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
West 84th Avenue
Turn left onto West 84th Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
8
2.7 mi into trip
|
~6m in
Take the exit toward I 270 East: Aurora, Limon
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
Exit 217B
Toward I 270 East: Aurora, Limon
8
12.4 mi into trip
|
~19m in
Take the exit toward I 225 South: Aurora, 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 282
Toward I 225 South: Aurora, Colorado Springs
7
15.6 mi into trip
|
~23m in
Take the exit toward CO 30: 6th Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 9
Toward CO 30: 6th Avenue
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Federal Heights, CO and Aurora, CO, road signs point toward Limon and Colorado Springs.
Limon
2.7 mi in
|
~6m
Colorado Springs
12.4 mi in
|
~19m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway | 6.7 mi | 8m |
| Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway | 2.5 mi | 3m |
| I 225 | 2.2 mi | 2m |
| West 84th Avenue | 1 mi | 2m |
| North Valley Highway | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| West 85th Avenue | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| East 6th Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Pecos Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
— 6.7 mi, about 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Federal Heights, CO and Aurora, CO.
1
Start on West 85th Avenue
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
West 85th Avenue
2
At end of road, turn left onto Pecos Street
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
·
Pecos Street
3
Turn left onto West 84th Avenue
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
West 84th Avenue
Use the left lane.
4
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
44 sec
Toward I 25 South: Denver
5
Merge onto I 25
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
North Valley Highway
6
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Exit 217B
Toward I 270 East: Aurora, Limon
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
7
Merge onto I 270
6.7 mi
·
8 min
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Merge onto I 70
2.5 mi
·
3 min
·
Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
1.0 mi
·
1 min
Exit 282
Toward I 225 South: Aurora, Colorado Springs
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Continue on I 225
2.2 mi
·
2 min
·
I 225
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
Exit 9
Toward CO 30: 6th Avenue
Use the slight right lane.
12
Turn right onto CO 30
0.3 mi
·
31 sec
·
East 6th Avenue
Use the right lane.
13
Turn right onto Vaughn Street
257 ft
·
12 sec
·
Vaughn Street
14
Turn right onto North Zion Street
509 ft
·
27 sec
·
North Zion Street
15
Turn left onto North Vaughn Street
0.2 mi
·
43 sec
·
North Vaughn Street
16
Arrive at destination
North Vaughn Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.24 one way
$4.48 round trip
$3.45/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $3.85 | $2.50 | $5.00 |
| premium | $4.15 | $2.70 | $5.39 |
| diesel | $3.75 | $2.44 | $4.87 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.8 kg one way.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5 | 0 | $1.73 | $0.79 |
| Efficient EV | 4.1 | 0 | $1.44 | $0.66 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.6 | 0 | $2.31 | $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
Aurora, CO
Late night in Aurora on Saturday
Local time
3:49 AM
MDT
Current temp
47°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
3 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
25m 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 Federal Heights, CO to Aurora, CO covers 16.5 miles and takes about 25m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway, I 225. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 8.3 miles from Federal Heights, CO. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.24 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 13 decision points packed into just 16.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 25m.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles (Pecos Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles (West 84th Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Federal Heights, CO and Aurora, CO, road signs point toward Limon and Colorado Springs.
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. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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