Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
14m
Distance
7.4 mi
12 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Good
6 stations
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Federal Heights, CO
Mark Stebnicki
Commerce City, CO
Wikimedia Commons
The drive from Federal Heights, CO to Commerce City, CO covers 7.4 miles and takes about 14m 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, West 84th Avenue, North Valley Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 3.2 miles on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $1.11 one way before food or hotel costs.
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 14m. Total distance: 7.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
14m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Expect a 14m drive with frequent turns across 7.4 miles of local and secondary roads.
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.4 miles in near Pecos Street.
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 7.4 miles you will encounter 10 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 0.4 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.
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
At end of road, turn left onto Pecos Street
Navigation decision point
Turn left onto West 84th Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
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
Take the exit toward US 85, CO 2 North: Vasquez Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Turn left onto Dexter Street
Lane positioning matters here
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Federal Heights, CO to Commerce City, CO, road signs begin pointing toward Limon along the way.
Limon
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway | 3.2 mi | 4m |
| West 84th Avenue | 1 mi | 2m |
| North Valley Highway | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| North Vasquez Boulevard | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| West 85th Avenue | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Pecos Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Dexter Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Federal Heights, CO and Commerce City, CO.
Start on West 85th Avenue
At end of road, turn left onto Pecos Street
Turn left onto West 84th Avenue
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 25
Take the exit
Merge onto I 270
Take the exit
Merge onto US 6; US 85; CO 2
Turn left onto Dexter Street
Turn left
Arrive at destination
Regular Gas
$1.11 one way
$2.23 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $1.18 | $2.36 |
| premium | $4.39 | $1.28 | $2.56 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $1.63 | $3.27 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Estimated CO2 emission: 2.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2.2 | 0 | $0.78 | $0.36 |
| Efficient EV | 1.9 | 0 | $0.65 | $0.30 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 3 | 0 | $1.04 | $0.47 |
Gas CO2
3 kg
EV CO2
1 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Morning in Federal Heights on Saturday
Local time
11:05 AM
MDT
Current temp
25°F
Mostly Clear
Destination
Morning in Commerce City on Saturday
Local time
11:05 AM
MDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
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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