Origin
Idaho Springs, CO
Night in Idaho Springs on Friday
Local time
10:19 PM
MDT
Current temp
62°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Idaho Springs, CO to Arvada, CO
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
40m
Distance
30 mi
48 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 37m
★
6 AM
0h 41m
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.
Idaho Springs, CO
Chris F
Arvada, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Idaho Springs, CO to Arvada, CO covers 30 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 I 70 Business, Colorado Boulevard, Kipling Parkway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 25.8 miles on I 70 Business. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.52 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 40m. Total distance: 30 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.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (89%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 40m highway drive covering 30 miles, with most of the trip on I 70 Business and Colorado Boulevard. The longest continuous stretch is about 25.8 miles on I 70 Business.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 15 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 70 Business is the longest continuous segment at about 25.8 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 70 Business and Colorado Boulevard. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.9 miles in near I 70 Business / Colorado Boulevard.
Driving Effort
5/10
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 30 miles you will encounter 9 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 0.9 miles (I 70 Business / Colorado Boulevard): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 1.2 miles (I 70 Business): Lane positioning matters here; at 27 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 9 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
0.9 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
I 70 Business / Colorado Boulevard
Enter roundabout onto I 70 Business / Colorado Boulevard
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
5
1.2 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
I 70 Business
Take the ramp onto I 70 Business toward I 70 east: Denver
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 70 east: Denver
7
27 mi into trip
|
~33m in
Take the exit toward CO 391: Kipling Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 267
Toward CO 391: Kipling Street
5
29.6 mi into trip
|
~39m in
|
Carr Street
Turn left onto Carr Street
Navigation decision point
5
29.8 mi into trip
|
~39m in
|
West 59th Avenue
Turn right onto West 59th Avenue
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 70 Business | 25.8 mi | 30m |
| Colorado Boulevard | 1.2 mi | 3m |
| Kipling Parkway | 1 mi | 1m |
| West 58th Avenue | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Kipling Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Ralston Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| West 59th Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Carr Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 70 Business
— 25.8 mi, about 30m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Idaho Springs, CO and Arvada, CO.
1
Start on Riverside Drive
3 ft
·
0 sec
·
Riverside Drive
2
Turn right onto I 70 Business
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Colorado Boulevard
3
Enter roundabout onto I 70 Business
134 ft
·
2 sec
·
Colorado Boulevard
4
Continue on I 70 Business
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
·
Colorado Boulevard
5
Take the ramp onto I 70 Business
26 mi
·
30 min
·
I 70 Business
Toward I 70 east: Denver
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
Exit 267
Toward CO 391: Kipling Street
Use the slight right lane.
7
Turn left onto CO 391
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
·
Kipling Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
8
Continue on Kipling Parkway
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Kipling Parkway
9
Turn right onto West 58th Avenue
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
West 58th Avenue
10
Continue on Ralston Road
0.2 mi
·
39 sec
·
Ralston Road
11
Turn left onto Carr Street
0.1 mi
·
20 sec
·
Carr Street
12
Turn right onto West 59th Avenue
0.2 mi
·
36 sec
·
West 59th Avenue
13
Turn right onto Ammons Street
426 ft
·
16 sec
·
Ammons Street
14
Turn right
41 ft
·
3 sec
15
Arrive at destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.52 one way
$9.04 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $4.79 | $9.57 |
| premium | $4.39 | $5.19 | $10.38 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.62 | $13.25 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9 | 0 | $3.15 | $1.44 |
| Efficient EV | 7.5 | 0 | $2.63 | $1.20 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12 | 0 | $4.20 | $1.92 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (60% 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
Arvada, CO
Night in Arvada on Friday
Local time
10:19 PM
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
16 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
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 Idaho Springs, CO to Arvada, CO covers 30 miles and takes about 40m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 70 Business, Colorado Boulevard, Kipling Parkway. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 15 miles from Idaho Springs, CO. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.52 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 drive requires moderate attention. Across 30 miles you will encounter 9 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.9 miles (I 70 Business / Colorado Boulevard): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 1.2 miles (I 70 Business): Lane positioning matters here; at 27 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Idaho Springs, CO to Arvada, 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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