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Trip from Rulison, CO to Parachute, CO

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

20m

Distance

18.4 mi

30 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 19m ★
6 AM
0h 21m
8 AM
0h 24m
10 AM
0h 22m
12 PM
0h 22m
3 PM
0h 22m
5 PM
0h 24m
8 PM
0h 20m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Downtown Parachute, CO, CO

Parachute, CO

Turgay Koca

Trip Overview

The drive from Rulison, CO to Parachute, CO covers 18.4 miles and takes about 20m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on I 70, East 1st Street, Grand Army of the Republic Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 16.6 miles on I 70. At current regular gas prices, budget about $2.77 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 20m. Total distance: 18.4 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

20m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (90%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Drive Character

This is a 20m highway drive covering 18.4 miles, with most of the trip on I 70 and East 1st Street. The longest continuous stretch is about 16.6 miles on I 70.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 10 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 70 is the longest continuous segment at about 16.6 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 70 and East 1st Street. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 5.3 miles in.

Driving Effort 6/10

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 18.4 miles you will encounter 8 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 5.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 5.7 miles: Navigation decision point; at 17.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 8 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

4
5.3 mi into trip | ~5m in

Take the exit toward US 6: West Rifle

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early

Toward US 6: West Rifle
5
5.7 mi into trip | ~6m in

Take the ramp toward I 70 West

Navigation decision point

Toward I 70 West
7
17.7 mi into trip | ~19m in

Take the exit toward Parachute, Battlement Mesa

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Toward Parachute, Battlement Mesa
7
18 mi into trip | ~19m in | CR 215 / Veterans Boulevard

Turn right onto CR 215 / Veterans Boulevard

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes.
6
18 mi into trip | ~19m in | US 6 / East 1st Street

Turn left onto US 6 / East 1st Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / left lanes.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 70 16.6 mi 16m
East 1st Street 0.4 mi <1m
Grand Army of the Republic Highway 0.1 mi <1m
Veterans Boulevard <0.1 mi <1m
West 1st Street

Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.

Longest stretch: I 70 — 16.6 mi, about 16m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Rulison, CO and Parachute, CO.

1

Start on this road

0.4 mi · 49 sec · this road
2

Merge onto I 70

4.9 mi · 4 min · I 70
3

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 33 sec
Toward US 6: West Rifle
4

Turn left onto US 6

0.1 mi · 17 sec · Grand Army of the Republic Highway
5

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 44 sec
Toward I 70 West
6

Merge onto I 70

12 mi · 11 min · I 70
7

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 35 sec
Toward Parachute, Battlement Mesa Use the slight right lane.
8

Turn right onto CR 215

385 ft · 14 sec · Veterans Boulevard
Use the straight / right lanes.
9

Turn left onto US 6

0.4 mi · 51 sec · East 1st Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
10

Arrive at destination

US 6

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$2.77 one way

$5.54 round trip

$3.83/gal 25.4 MPG avg 6 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.05 $2.94 $5.87
premium $4.39 $3.18 $6.37
diesel $5.61 $4.06 $8.12

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$3

Estimated CO2 emission: 6.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 5.5 0 $1.93 $0.88
Efficient EV 4.6 0 $1.61 $0.74
EV Truck/SUV 7.4 0 $2.58 $1.18

Gas CO2

6 kg

EV CO2

2 kg (67% 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 18, 2026

Origin

Rulison, CO

Morning in Rulison on Saturday

Local time

9:09 AM

MDT

Current temp

61°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Parachute, CO

Morning in Parachute on Saturday

Local time

9:09 AM

MDT

Current temp

42°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

19 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

20m 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 Rulison, CO to Parachute, CO covers 18.4 miles and takes about 20m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are I 70, East 1st Street, Grand Army of the Republic Highway. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 9.2 miles from Rulison, CO. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.77 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 18.4 miles you will encounter 8 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 5.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 5.7 miles: Navigation decision point; at 17.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

The route from Rulison, CO to Parachute, 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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