The drive from Las Animas, CO to Denver, CO covers 193.1 miles and takes about 4h 12m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Ronald Reagan Highway, US 50, CO 96 for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is mixed drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 80.6 miles on Ronald Reagan Highway.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $29.09 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
96.6 miles from Las Animas, CO
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 26m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 4h 12m. Total distance: 193.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
4h 12m drive, comfortable solo distance.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
The drive from Las Animas, CO to Denver, CO covers 193.1 miles and takes about 4h 12m, using a mix of highways and local roads.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 25 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Ronald Reagan Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 80.6 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 15 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near US 50 / Ambassador Thompson Boulevard.
Driving Effort6/10
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 193.1 miles you will encounter 15 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 0.1 miles (US 50 / Ambassador Thompson Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 47.8 miles (CO 167 / South Main Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 189.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 15 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
0.1 mi into trip|~0m in|US 50 / Ambassador Thompson Boulevard
Turn right onto US 50 / Ambassador Thompson Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
6
47.8 mi into trip|~1h 20m in|CO 167 / South Main Street
Turn right onto CO 167 / South Main Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
189.1 mi into trip|~4h 4m in
Take the exit toward Downing Street, Washington Street, Emerson Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 206
Toward Downing Street, Washington Street, Emers...
9
189.2 mi into trip|~4h 4m in
Keep slight left at fork toward Emerson Street, Washington Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward Emerson Street, Washington Street
7
192.9 mi into trip|~4h 12m in|Sherman Street
Turn right onto Sherman Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Ronald Reagan Highway
80.6 mi
1h 24m
US 50
26.2 mi
43m
CO 96
20.7 mi
27m
Ambassador Thompson Boulevard
19.8 mi
33m
John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway
12.9 mi
12m
West 3rd Street
9.3 mi
15m
Monument Valley Freeway
8.5 mi
9m
César Chávez Memorial Highway
3.8 mi
5m
Longest stretch:
Ronald Reagan Highway
— 80.6 mi, about 1h 24m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Las Animas, CO and Denver, CO.
1
Start on Elm Avenue
0.1 mi·29 sec·Elm Avenue
2
Turn right onto US 50
20 mi·33 min·Ambassador Thompson Boulevard
Use the straight / left lanes.
3
Continue on US 50
9.3 mi·15 min·West 3rd Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
4
Continue on US 50
19 mi·31 min·US 50
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
Turn right onto CO 167
1.7 mi·3 min·South Main Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
Turn left onto CO 96
21 mi·27 min·CO 96
7
Continue on US 50; CO 96
7.6 mi·12 min·US 50; CO 96
Use the straight lane.
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi·28 sec
Use the slight right lane.
9
Turn right onto Paul Harvey Boulevard
0.3 mi·48 sec·Paul Harvey Boulevard
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
10
At end of road, turn left onto William White Boulevard
2.8 mi·4 min·William White Boulevard
11
Turn right onto CO 47
3.8 mi·5 min·César Chávez Memorial Highway
Use the straight lane.
12
Take the exit
0.4 mi·47 sec
Toward I 25 North: Denver
13
Merge onto I 25
1.8 mi·1 min·North Freeway
Use the straight lane.
14
Continue on I 25
13 mi·12 min·John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Continue on I 25
23 mi·23 min·Ronald Reagan Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Continue on I 25; US 24
8.5 mi·9 min·Monument Valley Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Continue on I 25
58 mi·1 hr 1 min·Ronald Reagan Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Take the exit
0.1 mi·15 sec
Exit 206Toward Downing Street, Washington Street, Emerson StreetUse the slight right lane.
19
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi·39 sec
Toward Emerson Street, Washington StreetUse the slight left / slight right lanes.
20
Continue on East Buchtel North Boulevard
0.6 mi·1 min·East Buchtel North Boulevard
21
Turn right onto South Logan Street
2.7 mi·5 min·South Logan Street
22
Turn left onto East 13th Avenue
0.1 mi·26 sec·East 13th Avenue
23
Turn right onto Sherman Street
0.1 mi·33 sec·Sherman Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
24
At end of road, turn right
298 ft·21 sec
25
Arrive at destination
Trip Plan
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 96.6 miles from Las Animas, CO, or about 2h 26m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 80.6 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 42 miles or 1h 10m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 96.6 miles or 2h 26m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 3h 31m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Denver, CO than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Las Animas, CO so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Las Animas, CO
This is one driving day of about 193.1 miles and 4h 12m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 42 miles from Las Animas, CO.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on Ronald Reagan Highway for about 80.6 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 96.6 mi from Las Animas, CO
· 2h 26m into the drive
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument
National Monument
Beneath a grassy mountain valley in central Colorado lies one of the richest and most diverse fossil deposits in the world. Petrified redwood stumps up to 14 feet wide and thousands of detailed fossil...
24 mi from route
~61 min detour
$10
near mile 126.5
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$29.09 one way
$58.19 round trip
$3.83/gal25.4 MPG avg68 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.05
$30.80
$61.61
premium
$4.39
$33.40
$66.81
diesel
$5.61
$42.63
$85.27
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$29
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$54–$79
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 67.6 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $20 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
57.9
0
$20.28
$9.27
Efficient EV
48.3
0
$16.90
$7.72
EV Truck/SUV
77.2
0
$27.03
$12.36
Gas CO2
68 kg
EV CO2
23 kg (66% 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.
Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026
Origin
Las Animas, CO
Morning
in Las Animas on Saturday
Local time
9:09 AM
MDT
Current temp
48°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Denver, CO
Morning
in Denver on Saturday
Local time
9:09 AM
MDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
2 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
4h 12m on the road
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Las Animas, CO to Denver, CO covers 193.1 miles and takes about 4h 12m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Ronald Reagan Highway, US 50, CO 96. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 96.6 miles from Las Animas, CO. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $29.09 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left. A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 193.1 miles you will encounter 15 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 0.1 miles (US 50 / Ambassador Thompson Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 47.8 miles (CO 167 / South Main Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 189.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
The route from Las Animas, CO to Denver, 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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
