Origin
Frederick, CO
Evening in Frederick on Friday
Local time
5:39 PM
MDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Frederick, CO to Boulder, CO
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
34m
Distance
22.2 mi
36 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 32m
★
6 AM
0h 35m
8 AM
0h 41m
10 AM
0h 37m
12 PM
0h 36m
3 PM
0h 37m
5 PM
0h 41m
8 PM
0h 33m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Frederick, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Boulder, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Frederick, CO to Boulder, CO covers 22.2 miles and takes about 34m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Locust Street, 5th Street, Colorado Boulevard for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.34 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 34m. Total distance: 22.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
34m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 34m drive with frequent turns across 22.2 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.
Locust Street is one of the defining roads on this drive.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive.
Driving Effort
1/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Frederick, CO to Boulder, CO is easy. At 34m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Frederick, CO to Boulder, CO is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Locust Street | — | — |
| 5th Street | — | — |
| Colorado Boulevard | — | — |
| IBM Drive | — | — |
| Diagonal Highway | — | — |
| Foothills Parkway | — | — |
| Arapahoe Avenue | — | — |
| 19th Street | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
Locust Street
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Frederick, CO and Boulder, CO.
1
Start on the route
174 ft
·
15 sec
·
the route
2
Turn right onto Locust Street
167 ft
·
10 sec
·
Locust Street
3
Turn right onto 5th Street
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
5th Street
4
Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward Colorado Boulevard
253 ft
·
11 sec
·
Colorado Boulevard
5
Exit the roundabout onto Colorado Boulevard
0.5 mi
·
51 sec
·
Colorado Boulevard
6
Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward Colorado Boulevard
177 ft
·
4 sec
·
Colorado Boulevard
7
Exit the roundabout onto Colorado Boulevard
0.2 mi
·
17 sec
·
Colorado Boulevard
8
Turn slight right
292 ft
·
11 sec
9
Turn straight
13 mi
·
22 min
10
Continue on IBM Drive
381 ft
·
18 sec
·
IBM Drive
11
Merge slight right onto Diagonal Highway
4.4 mi
·
6 min
·
Diagonal Highway
12
Continue on Foothills Parkway
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Foothills Parkway
13
Turn right onto Arapahoe Avenue
1.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Arapahoe Avenue
14
Turn right onto 19th Street
144 ft
·
11 sec
·
19th Street
15
Turn left
89 ft
·
5 sec
16
Arrive at your destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.34 one way
$6.69 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $3.54 | $7.08 |
| premium | $4.39 | $3.84 | $7.68 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.90 | $9.80 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.8 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 | 6.7 | 0 | $2.33 | $1.07 |
| Efficient EV | 5.6 | 0 | $1.94 | $0.89 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.9 | 0 | $3.11 | $1.42 |
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
Boulder, CO
Evening in Boulder on Friday
Local time
5:39 PM
MDT
Current temp
72°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
26 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
34m 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 Frederick, CO to Boulder, CO covers 22.2 miles and takes about 34m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Locust Street, 5th Street, Colorado Boulevard. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 11.1 miles from Frederick, CO. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $3.34 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.
The drive from Frederick, CO to Boulder, CO is easy. At 34m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Frederick, CO to Boulder, CO is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Frederick, CO to Boulder, CO does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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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