Origin
Louisville, CO
Afternoon in Louisville on Friday
Local time
1:23 PM
MDT
Current temp
77°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Louisville, CO to Aurora, CO
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
38m
Distance
28.2 mi
45 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 36m
★
6 AM
0h 39m
8 AM
0h 45m
10 AM
0h 41m
12 PM
0h 41m
3 PM
0h 41m
5 PM
0h 45m
8 PM
0h 37m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Louisville, CO
Arian Fernandez
Aurora, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 28.2-mile drive from Louisville to Aurora, Colorado, will take you about 38 minutes, making it a perfect day trip. You'll spend roughly 50% of your time on highways, navigating segments of the Denver–Boulder Turnpike, Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, and Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway. With an estimated fuel cost of just $4, this is a budget-friendly option for a quick transfer between two points within the Mountain West region. No overnight stays are necessary, and the drive is straightforward enough that you won't need to plan for many stops.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 38m. Total distance: 28.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
38m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (50%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
Expect a mixed drive on this route, with about half of the journey on major highways. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 10.9 miles on the Denver–Boulder Turnpike. You'll experience a blend of faster-paced highway driving, interspersed with potentially more local road conditions as you approach your destination. This route offers a practical journey rather than an overtly scenic one, focusing on efficient travel between two Colorado locations.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 24 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Denver–Boulder Turnpike is the longest continuous segment at about 10.9 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.3 miles in near CO 42 / Courtesy Road.
Driving Effort
10/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 18 decision points packed into just 28.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 38m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.3 miles (CO 42 / Courtesy Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 13.4 miles (US 36 / Denver–Boulder Turnpike): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 18 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
0.3 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
CO 42 / Courtesy Road
Turn right onto CO 42 / Courtesy Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
6
3.4 mi into trip
|
~6m in
Turn left toward US 36 East: Denver
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward US 36 East: Denver
8
13.4 mi into trip
|
~18m in
|
US 36 / Denver–Boulder Turnpike
Keep slight right at fork onto US 36 / Denver–Boulder Turnpike toward I 25: Denver, Fort Collins
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 25: Denver, Fort Collins
8
24.1 mi into trip
|
~32m in
Take the exit toward I 225 South: Aurora, Colorado Springs
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 282
Toward I 225 South: Aurora, Colorado Springs
7
27.2 mi into trip
|
~36m in
Take the exit toward CO 30: 6th Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 9
Toward CO 30: 6th Avenue
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Louisville, CO and Aurora, CO, road signs point toward Fort Collins and Colorado Springs.
Fort Collins
13.4 mi in
|
~18m
|
via US 36
Colorado Springs
24.1 mi in
|
~32m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Denver–Boulder Turnpike | 10.9 mi | 12m |
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway | 6.9 mi | 9m |
| Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway | 2.5 mi | 3m |
| I 225 | 2.2 mi | 2m |
| South 96th Street | 1.7 mi | 2m |
| Northwest Parkway | 1 mi | 1m |
| Courtesy Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| East 6th Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Denver–Boulder Turnpike
— 10.9 mi, about 12m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Louisville, CO and Aurora, CO.
1
Start on Spruce Street
322 ft
·
16 sec
·
Spruce Street
2
Turn right onto Front Street
345 ft
·
16 sec
·
Front Street
3
Turn left onto Pine Street
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
·
Pine Street
4
Turn right onto CO 42
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
·
Courtesy Road
Use the straight lane.
5
Continue on South 96th Street
1.7 mi
·
2 min
·
South 96th Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
Turn right onto NW
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Northwest Parkway
Use the left lane.
7
Continue on Interlocken Loop
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
·
Interlocken Loop
8
Turn left
0.4 mi
·
57 sec
Toward US 36 East: Denver
Use the left lane.
9
Merge onto US 36
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Denver–Boulder Turnpike
10
Keep slight right at fork onto US 36
2.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Denver–Boulder Turnpike
11
Keep slight right at fork onto US 36
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Denver–Boulder Turnpike
12
Keep slight right at fork onto US 36
2.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Denver–Boulder Turnpike
13
Keep slight right at fork onto US 36
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Denver–Boulder Turnpike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Keep slight right at fork onto US 36
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Denver–Boulder Turnpike
Toward I 25: Denver, Fort Collins
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Continue on I 270
6.9 mi
·
9 min
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Merge onto I 70
2.5 mi
·
3 min
·
Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Take the exit
1.0 mi
·
1 min
Exit 282
Toward I 225 South: Aurora, Colorado Springs
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Continue on I 225
2.2 mi
·
2 min
·
I 225
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
Exit 9
Toward CO 30: 6th Avenue
Use the slight right lane.
20
Turn right onto CO 30
0.3 mi
·
31 sec
·
East 6th Avenue
Use the right lane.
21
Turn right onto Vaughn Street
257 ft
·
12 sec
·
Vaughn Street
22
Turn right onto North Zion Street
509 ft
·
27 sec
·
North Zion Street
23
Turn left onto North Vaughn Street
0.2 mi
·
43 sec
·
North Vaughn Street
24
Arrive at destination
North Vaughn Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.25 one way
$8.50 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $4.50 | $9.00 |
| premium | $4.39 | $4.88 | $9.76 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.23 | $12.45 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.88
Denver–Boulder Turnpike
(10.9 mi)
$0.76
Northwest Parkway
(1 mi)
$0.12
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Tolls
$1
Total
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.5 | 0 | $2.96 | $1.35 |
| Efficient EV | 7.1 | 0 | $2.47 | $1.13 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.3 | 0 | $3.95 | $1.80 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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
Aurora, CO
Afternoon in Aurora on Friday
Local time
1:23 PM
MDT
Current temp
47°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
30 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
38m 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 Louisville, CO to Aurora, CO covers 28.2 miles and takes about 38m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Denver–Boulder Turnpike, Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 14.1 miles from Louisville, CO. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.25 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 18 decision points packed into just 28.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 38m.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.3 miles (CO 42 / Courtesy Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 13.4 miles (US 36 / Denver–Boulder Turnpike): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Louisville, CO and Aurora, CO, road signs point toward Fort Collins and Colorado Springs.
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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