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Trip from Superior, CO to Boulder, CO

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

Drive Time

13m

Distance

7.9 mi

13 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$1

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

4 AM
0h 12m ★
6 AM
0h 13m
8 AM
0h 16m
10 AM
0h 14m
12 PM
0h 14m
3 PM
0h 14m
5 PM
0h 15m
8 PM
0h 13m

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

city in and county seat of Boulder County, Colorado, United States

Boulder, CO

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Superior, CO to Boulder, CO covers 7.9 miles and takes about 13m 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, 28th Street, Arapahoe Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 5.7 miles on Denver–Boulder Turnpike. At current regular gas prices, budget about $1.19 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 13m. Total distance: 7.9 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

13m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (72%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Drive Character

This is a 13m highway drive covering 7.9 miles, with most of the trip on Denver–Boulder Turnpike and 28th Street. The longest continuous stretch is about 5.7 miles on Denver–Boulder Turnpike.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 14 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 5.7 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Denver–Boulder Turnpike and 28th Street. 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 8/10

Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 7.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 13m.

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 0.3 miles (CO 170 / McCaslin Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.5 miles: Navigation decision point.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 11 key points

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

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

5
0.3 mi into trip | ~1m in | CO 170 / McCaslin Boulevard

Turn left onto CO 170 / McCaslin Boulevard

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left / straight lanes.
5
0.5 mi into trip | ~2m in

Take the ramp toward US 36 West: Boulder

Navigation decision point

Toward US 36 West: Boulder
6
4.2 mi into trip | ~6m in | US 36 / Denver–Boulder Turnpike

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

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight lane.
6
7.9 mi into trip | ~12m in | 19th Street

Turn right onto 19th Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Denver–Boulder Turnpike 5.7 mi 6m
28th Street 0.8 mi 1m
Arapahoe Avenue 0.6 mi 1m
McCaslin Boulevard 0.2 mi <1m
2nd Avenue 0.2 mi <1m
Marshall Road 0.1 mi <1m
19th Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Denver–Boulder Turnpike — 5.7 mi, about 6m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Superior, CO and Boulder, 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

Continue on CO 170

0.1 mi · 21 sec · McCaslin Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
6

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 28 sec
Toward US 36 West: Boulder
7

Merge onto US 36

1.3 mi · 1 min · Denver–Boulder Turnpike
8

Keep slight right at fork onto US 36

2.2 mi · 2 min · Denver–Boulder Turnpike
9

Keep slight left at fork onto US 36

2.3 mi · 2 min · Denver–Boulder Turnpike
Use the straight lane.
10

Continue on US 36

0.8 mi · 1 min · 28th Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
11

Turn left onto Arapahoe Avenue

0.6 mi · 1 min · Arapahoe Avenue
Use the left lane.
12

Turn right onto 19th Street

143 ft · 11 sec · 19th Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
13

Turn left

87 ft · 4 sec
14

Arrive at destination

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$1.19 one way

$2.38 round trip

$3.83/gal 25.4 MPG avg 3 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.05 $1.26 $2.52
premium $4.39 $1.37 $2.73
diesel $5.61 $1.74 $3.49

Estimated Tolls: $0.40

Denver–Boulder Turnpike (5.7 mi) $0.40

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$1

Tolls

$0

Total

$2

Estimated CO2 emission: 2.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 2.4 0 $0.83 $0.38
Efficient EV 2 0 $0.69 $0.32
EV Truck/SUV 3.2 0 $1.11 $0.51

Gas CO2

3 kg

EV CO2

1 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 15, 2026

Origin

Superior, CO

Morning in Superior on Saturday

Local time

9:58 AM

MDT

Current temp

47°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Boulder, CO

Morning in Boulder on Saturday

Local time

9:58 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

25 degrees warmer at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

13m 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 Superior, CO to Boulder, CO covers 7.9 miles and takes about 13m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Denver–Boulder Turnpike, 28th Street, Arapahoe Avenue. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 4 miles from Superior, CO. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $1.19 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 11 decision points packed into just 7.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 13m.

The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (CO 170 / Marshall Road): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.3 miles (CO 170 / McCaslin Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.5 miles: Navigation decision point.

The route from Superior, CO to Boulder, 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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