Origin
Lafayette, CO
Late night in Lafayette on Friday
Local time
4:27 AM
MDT
Current temp
77°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Lafayette, 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
21m
Distance
11.1 mi
18 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 19m
★
6 AM
0h 21m
8 AM
0h 25m
10 AM
0h 23m
12 PM
0h 22m
3 PM
0h 23m
5 PM
0h 25m
8 PM
0h 20m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Lafayette, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Boulder, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Lafayette, CO to Boulder, CO covers 11.1 miles and takes about 21m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Arapahoe Road, Arapahoe Avenue, US 287 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 5.5 miles on Arapahoe Road. At current regular gas prices, budget about $1.67 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 21m. Total distance: 11.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
21m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (9%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 21m drive with frequent turns across 11.1 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 11 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Arapahoe Road is the longest continuous segment at about 5.5 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 7 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near South Public Road.
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 11.1 miles you will encounter 7 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: near the start (South Public Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.5 miles (CO 7 / West Baseline Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.1 miles (CO 7): Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 7 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
South Public Road
Turn right onto South Public Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
0.5 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
CO 7 / West Baseline Road
Turn left onto CO 7 / West Baseline Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
1.1 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
CO 7
Turn right onto CO 7 toward US 287, CO 7: US Highway 287 North
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward US 287, CO 7: US Highway 287 North
6
2.2 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
CO 7 / Arapahoe Road
Turn left onto CO 7 / Arapahoe Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
11 mi into trip
|
~21m in
|
19th Street
Turn right onto 19th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Arapahoe Road | 5.5 mi | 8m |
| Arapahoe Avenue | 3.4 mi | 6m |
| US 287 | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| West Baseline Road | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| South Public Road | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| CO 7 | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| 19th Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Arapahoe Road
— 5.5 mi, about 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lafayette, CO and Boulder, CO.
1
Start on this road
206 ft
·
16 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right
50 ft
·
5 sec
3
Turn right onto South Public Road
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
South Public Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
4
Turn left onto CO 7
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
West Baseline Road
Use the left lane.
5
Turn right onto CO 7
475 ft
·
10 sec
·
CO 7
Toward US 287, CO 7: US Highway 287 North
6
Continue on US 287; CO 7
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
US 287; CO 7
Use the straight / right lanes.
7
Turn left onto CO 7
5.5 mi
·
8 min
·
Arapahoe Road
Use the left lane.
8
Continue on CO 7
3.4 mi
·
6 min
·
Arapahoe Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
9
Turn right onto 19th Street
143 ft
·
11 sec
·
19th Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
10
Turn left
87 ft
·
4 sec
11
Arrive at destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.67 one way
$3.34 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $1.77 | $3.54 |
| premium | $4.39 | $1.92 | $3.84 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.45 | $4.90 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 3.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.3 | 0 | $1.17 | $0.53 |
| Efficient EV | 2.8 | 0 | $0.97 | $0.44 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4.4 | 0 | $1.55 | $0.71 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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
Late night in Boulder on Friday
Local time
4:27 AM
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
5 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
21m 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 Lafayette, CO to Boulder, CO covers 11.1 miles and takes about 21m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Arapahoe Road, Arapahoe Avenue, US 287. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 5.5 miles from Lafayette, CO. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $1.67 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 11.1 miles you will encounter 7 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: near the start (South Public Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.5 miles (CO 7 / West Baseline Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.1 miles (CO 7): Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
The route from Lafayette, CO to Boulder, CO does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
How this page is built
Compiled and maintained by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy (Helsinki). Each route is built from authoritative open government and mapping datasets rather than crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from OSRM over OpenStreetMap. Fuel cost uses EIA weekly regional averages. Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our methodology page documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.
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