Origin
Todd Creek, CO
Night in Todd Creek on Friday
Local time
11:28 PM
MDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Todd Creek, CO to Denver, CO
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
38m
Distance
23.7 mi
38 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Good
7 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 35m
★
6 AM
0h 38m
8 AM
0h 45m
10 AM
0h 40m
12 PM
0h 40m
3 PM
0h 41m
5 PM
0h 44m
8 PM
0h 36m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Todd Creek, CO
Keith Cassill
Denver, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This straightforward 23.7-mile drive from Todd Creek to Denver, Colorado, is easily manageable within a single day, taking approximately 38 minutes. You'll navigate primarily via the Heartland Expressway, CanAm Highway, and E-470, with about 31% of the journey on highways. Given the short distance and duration, it's an ideal day trip, requiring no overnight stay. The estimated fuel cost is around $4, making it an economical option for a quick journey within the Mountain West region. This route offers a practical and efficient way to travel between these two Colorado locations.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 38m. Total distance: 23.7 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 (31%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a mixed drive on this route, featuring some highway stretches and other road types. With 31% of the trip on highways, you'll experience periods of faster travel. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 6.3 miles on the Heartland Expressway, offering a chance to settle into a rhythm. As you progress, the road conditions and speed limits will likely vary, reflecting the transition from more rural or suburban areas into the Denver metropolitan region. This blend means you'll experience different driving dynamics throughout the short trip.
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.
Heartland Expressway is the longest continuous segment at about 6.3 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 2.8 miles in.
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 17 decision points packed into just 23.7 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 2.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 5.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 17.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 17 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
7
2.8 mi into trip
|
~6m in
Take the ramp toward E470 Toll South: Denver International Airport
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward E470 Toll South: Denver International Ai...
8
5.7 mi into trip
|
~9m in
Take the exit toward US 85: Brighton, Commerce City
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 38
Toward US 85: Brighton, Commerce City
7
17.3 mi into trip
|
~24m in
Take the exit toward I 25 South: Denver
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 5
Toward I 25 South: Denver
8
20.6 mi into trip
|
~29m in
Take the exit toward 38th Avenue, Park Avenue, Downtown
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 213
Toward 38th Avenue, Park Avenue, Downtown
9
20.9 mi into trip
|
~30m in
Keep slight left at fork toward Park Avenue, Downtown
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward Park Avenue, Downtown
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Todd Creek, CO and Denver, CO, road signs point toward E470 Toll South: Denver International Airport, Commerce City and Downtown.
E470 Toll South: Denver International Airport
2.8 mi in
|
~6m
Commerce City
5.7 mi in
|
~9m
Downtown
20.6 mi in
|
~29m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Heartland Expressway | 6.3 mi | 7m |
| CanAm Highway | 3.9 mi | 4m |
| E-470 | 2.6 mi | 2m |
| North Valley Highway | 2.3 mi | 3m |
| Ehler Parkway | 1 mi | 1m |
| North Broadway | 1 mi | 3m |
| Yosemite Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Park Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Heartland Expressway
— 6.3 mi, about 7m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Todd Creek, CO and Denver, CO.
1
Start on this road
50 ft
·
9 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto Emporia Street
0.2 mi
·
52 sec
·
Emporia Street
3
Turn right onto East 153rd Avenue
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
East 153rd Avenue
4
Turn left onto Yosemite Street
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Yosemite Street
5
At end of road, turn right onto Ehler Parkway
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Ehler Parkway
6
Turn left onto Quebec Street
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
·
Quebec Street
7
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
Toward E470 Toll South: Denver International Airport
Use the left lane.
8
Merge onto E470
2.6 mi
·
2 min
·
E-470
9
Take the exit
1.0 mi
·
2 min
Exit 38
Toward US 85: Brighton, Commerce City
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
Toward US 85 South: Commerce City
11
Merge onto US 85
3.9 mi
·
4 min
·
CanAm Highway
Use the left / straight lanes.
12
Merge onto I 76; US 6; US 85
6.3 mi
·
7 min
·
Heartland Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
12 sec
Exit 5
Toward I 25 South: Denver
Use the slight right lane.
14
Continue on this road
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
this road
Toward I 25 south: Denver
15
Merge onto I 25; US 87
2.3 mi
·
3 min
·
North Valley Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
28 sec
Exit 213
Toward 38th Avenue, Park Avenue, Downtown
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Keep slight left at fork
0.1 mi
·
11 sec
Toward Park Avenue, Downtown
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
18
Continue on Park Avenue
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Park Avenue
19
Turn straight onto Park Avenue West
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Park Avenue West
20
Continue on West 22nd Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
West 22nd Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
21
Turn right onto North Broadway
1.0 mi
·
3 min
·
North Broadway
Use the straight / right lanes.
22
Turn left onto East 14th Avenue
0.1 mi
·
29 sec
·
East 14th Avenue
Use the left lane.
23
Turn left
358 ft
·
27 sec
Use the straight / left lanes.
24
Arrive at destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.57 one way
$7.14 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $3.78 | $7.56 |
| premium | $4.39 | $4.10 | $8.20 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.23 | $10.47 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.31
E-470
(2.6 mi)
$0.31
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Tolls
$0
Total
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.1 | 0 | $2.49 | $1.14 |
| Efficient EV | 5.9 | 0 | $2.07 | $0.95 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.5 | 0 | $3.32 | $1.52 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
Denver, CO
Night in Denver on Friday
Local time
11:28 PM
MDT
Current temp
46°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
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 Todd Creek, CO to Denver, CO covers 23.7 miles and takes about 38m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Heartland Expressway, CanAm Highway, E-470. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 11.8 miles from Todd Creek, CO. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $3.57 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 17 decision points packed into just 23.7 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 2.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 5.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 17.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Between Todd Creek, CO and Denver, CO, road signs point toward E470 Toll South: Denver International Airport, Commerce City and Downtown.
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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