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Trip from Superior, CO to Aurora, CO

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

Drive Time

36m

Distance

27.8 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

Save up to 9 min
4 AM
0h 34m ★
6 AM
0h 37m
8 AM
0h 43m
10 AM
0h 39m
12 PM
0h 38m
3 PM
0h 39m
5 PM
0h 43m
8 PM
0h 35m

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

Downtown Superior, CO, CO

Superior, CO

Gustavo Galeano Maz

Downtown Aurora, CO, CO

Aurora, CO

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Superior, CO to Aurora, CO covers 27.8 miles and takes about 36m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Denver–Boulder Turnpike, Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed highway & surface. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 13.6 miles on Denver–Boulder Turnpike. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.19 one way before food or hotel costs.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Denver–Boulder Turnpike 13.6 mi 15m
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway 6.9 mi 9m
Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway 2.5 mi 3m
I 225 2.2 mi 2m
East 6th Avenue 0.3 mi <1m
North Vaughn Street 0.2 mi <1m
2nd Avenue 0.2 mi <1m
Marshall Road 0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Denver–Boulder Turnpike — 13.6 mi, about 15m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Superior, CO and Aurora, CO.

1

Start on this road

142 ft · 15 sec · this road
2

Turn left onto 2nd Avenue

0.2 mi · 44 sec · 2nd Avenue
3

At end of road, turn right onto CO 170

0.1 mi · 17 sec · Marshall Road
4

Turn left onto CO 170

368 ft · 23 sec · McCaslin Boulevard
Use the left / straight lanes.
5

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 40 sec
Toward US 36 East: Denver
6

Merge onto US 36

1.4 mi · 1 min · Denver–Boulder Turnpike
7

Keep slight right at fork onto US 36

2.4 mi · 2 min · Denver–Boulder Turnpike
8

Keep slight right at fork onto US 36

2.2 mi · 2 min · Denver–Boulder Turnpike
9

Keep slight right at fork onto US 36

1.9 mi · 2 min · Denver–Boulder Turnpike
10

Keep slight right at fork onto US 36

2.5 mi · 2 min · Denver–Boulder Turnpike
11

Keep slight right at fork onto US 36

2.0 mi · 2 min · Denver–Boulder Turnpike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

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.
13

Continue on I 270

6.9 mi · 9 min · Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14

Merge onto I 70

2.5 mi · 3 min · Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15

Take the exit

1.0 mi · 1 min
Exit 282 Toward I 225 South: Aurora, Colorado Springs Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16

Continue on I 225

2.2 mi · 2 min · I 225
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 40 sec
Exit 9 Toward CO 30: 6th Avenue Use the slight right lane.
18

Turn right onto CO 30

0.3 mi · 31 sec · East 6th Avenue
Use the right lane.
19

Turn right onto Vaughn Street

257 ft · 12 sec · Vaughn Street
20

Turn right onto North Zion Street

509 ft · 27 sec · North Zion Street
21

Turn left onto North Vaughn Street

0.2 mi · 43 sec · North Vaughn Street
22

Arrive at destination

North Vaughn Street

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 18

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 26.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

6
0.2 mi into trip | ~1m in | CO 170 / Marshall Road

At end of road, turn right onto CO 170 / Marshall Road

Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch

6
11 mi into trip | ~14m in | US 36 / Denver–Boulder Turnpike

Keep slight right at fork onto US 36 / Denver–Boulder Turnpike

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
13 mi into trip | ~16m 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
23.7 mi into trip | ~30m 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
26.9 mi into trip | ~34m 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

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$4.19 one way

$8.38 round trip

$3.83/gal 25.4 MPG avg 10 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.05 $4.43 $8.87
premium $4.39 $4.81 $9.62
diesel $5.61 $6.14 $12.28

Estimated Tolls: $0.96

Denver–Boulder Turnpike (13.6 mi) $0.96

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: 9.7 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 8.3 0 $2.92 $1.33
Efficient EV 7 0 $2.43 $1.11
EV Truck/SUV 11.1 0 $3.89 $1.78

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.

Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026

Origin

Superior, CO

Afternoon in Superior on Saturday

Local time

2:01 PM

MDT

Current temp

47°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Aurora, CO

Afternoon in Aurora on Saturday

Local time

2:01 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

Very similar conditions

Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.

Road read

36m 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.

What kind of drive is this?

27.8 mi in 36m — 57% highway, the rest on surface roads. Biggest road: Denver–Boulder Turnpike.

57% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 13.6 mi on Denver–Boulder Turnpike.

How Hard Is This Drive?

10/10

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 0.2 miles in near CO 170 / Marshall 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 27.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 36m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (CO 170 / Marshall Road): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 11 miles (US 36 / Denver–Boulder Turnpike): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 13 miles (US 36 / Denver–Boulder Turnpike): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Superior, CO and Aurora, CO, road signs point toward Fort Collins and Colorado Springs.

Fort Collins

13 mi in | ~16m | via US 36

Colorado Springs

23.7 mi in | ~30m

About the Cities

Arriving in Aurora, CO

Full guide →

Aurora is a city of about 400,000 of the Denver Metropolitan Area in the western U.S. state of Colorado. The city lies immediately east of Denver in Arapahoe, Adams, and Douglas counties. In 2008 it was named the "All American City."

City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 36m. Total distance: 27.8 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

36m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (57%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 13.6 miles on Denver–Boulder Turnpike. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $0.96 in tolls one way, starting with Denver–Boulder Turnpike. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.

It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Aurora, CO before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.

Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.

The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (CO 170 / Marshall Road): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 11 miles (US 36 / Denver–Boulder Turnpike): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 13 miles (US 36 / Denver–Boulder Turnpike): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Aurora, CO before heading back.

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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