Origin
Federal Heights, CO
Late night in Federal Heights on Saturday
Local time
2:03 AM
MDT
Current temp
50°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Federal Heights, CO to Denver, CO
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
20m
Distance
9.8 mi
16 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 19m
★
6 AM
0h 20m
8 AM
0h 24m
10 AM
0h 22m
12 PM
0h 21m
3 PM
0h 22m
5 PM
0h 24m
8 PM
0h 19m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Federal Heights, CO
Mark Stebnicki
Denver, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Federal Heights to Denver is 9.8 miles and takes about 20 minutes via North Valley Highway, West 84th Avenue, and North Broadway, with a fuel budget near $1 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short hop stays entirely within Colorado's Mountain West region. Expect a turn-heavy local drive that's more about navigating city streets than covering long distances. It's a quick trip, perfect for a single day, offering a straightforward connection between two points without requiring extensive planning.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 20m. Total distance: 9.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
20m 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
This route is characterized as a "turn-heavy local drive," with a 0% highway share. You'll be navigating primarily on surface streets, so be prepared for frequent turns. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 4.8 miles on North Valley Highway. The drive progresses through local roads, requiring constant attention to traffic signals and intersections rather than sustained high-speed travel. It's a drive that demands engagement with your surroundings.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 14 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
North Valley Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 4.8 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
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 9 decision points packed into just 9.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 20m.
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 6.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 9 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
6.7 mi into trip
|
~11m in
Take the exit toward 38th Avenue, Park Avenue, Downtown
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 213
Toward 38th Avenue, Park Avenue, Downtown
9
7 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Keep slight left at fork toward Park Avenue, Downtown
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward Park Avenue, Downtown
7
9.7 mi into trip
|
~19m in
Turn left
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
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 Federal Heights, CO to Denver, CO, road signs begin pointing toward Downtown along the way.
Downtown
6.7 mi in
|
~11m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| North Valley Highway | 4.8 mi | 6m |
| West 84th Avenue | 1 mi | 2m |
| North Broadway | 1 mi | 3m |
| Park Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Park Avenue West | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| West 85th Avenue | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| West 22nd Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Pecos Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
North Valley Highway
— 4.8 mi, about 6m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Federal Heights, CO and Denver, 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
4.8 mi
·
6 min
·
North Valley Highway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
28 sec
Exit 213
Toward 38th Avenue, Park Avenue, Downtown
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight left at fork
0.1 mi
·
11 sec
Toward Park Avenue, Downtown
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
8
Continue on Park Avenue
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Park Avenue
9
Turn straight onto Park Avenue West
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Park Avenue West
10
Continue on West 22nd Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
West 22nd Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
11
Turn right onto North Broadway
1.0 mi
·
3 min
·
North Broadway
Use the straight / right lanes.
12
Turn left onto East 14th Avenue
0.1 mi
·
29 sec
·
East 14th Avenue
Use the left lane.
13
Turn left
358 ft
·
27 sec
Use the straight / left lanes.
14
Arrive at destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.48 one way
$2.95 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $1.56 | $3.13 |
| premium | $4.39 | $1.70 | $3.39 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.16 | $4.33 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Estimated CO2 emission: 3.4 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 | 2.9 | 0 | $1.03 | $0.47 |
| Efficient EV | 2.5 | 0 | $0.86 | $0.39 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 3.9 | 0 | $1.37 | $0.63 |
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.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Denver, CO
Late night in Denver on Saturday
Local time
2:03 AM
MDT
Current temp
46°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
4 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
20m 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 Denver, CO covers 9.8 miles and takes about 20m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are North Valley Highway, West 84th Avenue, North Broadway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 4.9 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 $1.48 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 9 decision points packed into just 9.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 20m.
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 6.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
On the drive from Federal Heights, CO to Denver, CO, road signs begin pointing toward Downtown along the way.
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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Denver, CO
More from Federal Heights, CO
More trips to Denver, CO
Explore more options from Federal Heights, CO or browse trips ending in Denver, CO.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse CO road trips.