Denver Airport to I70 East

[Dakotamade]

What is the quickest / shortest route from the Kit Carson area to the Denver Airport? GPS and internet maps show heading west all the way to Denver. Is there a better, more direct route without having to go so far West then back track to the East? Thanks

[Truvelo]

Earlier this year I was heading to the airport from I-76 east. As I'm a shunpiker I decided to use Tower Road to avoid E-470. Although traffic lights are starting to appear at some of the intersections I still made good time to catch my flight.

Coming from I-70 east you have a similar choice. Use exits 292 or 255 and then the 2-lane roads to reach the airport, pay to use E-470 or drive a little further to Pena Boulevard.

Someone local will probably give you better advice though.

[The High Plains Traveler]

You only have two real choices from I-70 coming from the east: E-470 or continuing further to Peña Blvd.  The E-470 toll option will cost you several dollars and if you have a rental car the license plate toll will be managed by the car rental company and billed back to you with a hefty service charge. Frankly, I don't know about surface routes, but since E-470 is the first interchange coming out of the airport, I don't think there are viable surface routes from I-70 other than these routes.

[thenetwork]

Most people I talk to say the best bet is to take I-70 West to Pena.  A few extra miles, but you save $3.15 in tolls by avoiding the short stretch of E-470.

And watch your speed on Pena, the cops love to patrol that stretch!!! 

[Milepost61]

If you're willing to eat the tolls then E-470 is the best option. Barring that Tower Rd can be used but since it's only a couple miles east of Pena you're not likely to save any time with its lower speed limit. I'd say just go all the way to Pena. And the exit is actually Airport Blvd with a right turn.

[usends]

GPS and internet maps show heading west all the way to Denver. Is there a better, more direct route without having to go so far West then back track to the East? Thanks

By "all the way to Denver" and "so far west", do you mean, "Is there any way to get to the airport other than Pena Blvd?"  The answer is no, so your two options (as others have mentioned) are a.) take E-470 up to Pena Blvd, or b.) take Pena all the way.  Personally, I'd just use Pena and avoid the toll - it won't cost you that much extra time.

[corco]

What about getting off at 36 in Watkins and taking county roads up to the Mt. Elbert lot? I'm pretty sure those are wide open, 55 MPH, paved roads

[Milepost61]

What about getting off at 36 in Watkins and taking county roads up to the Mt. Elbert lot? I'm pretty sure those are wide open, 55 MPH, paved roads

Hardly. Adams County is very rural right outside the airport. If you want to stay to stay on paved roads I think you would have to do Imboden to 56th to Tower.

[NE2]

Valley Head is paved from 56th to the lot: http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=39.798975,-104.665718&spn=0.06014,0.132093&t=m&z=14&layer=c&cbll=39.798735,-104.665725&panoid=AXgLrqUHpGTPuqG8-cn3xA&cbp=12,357.78,,0,8.42

[corco]

Hardly. Adams County is very rural right outside the airport. If you want to stay to stay on paved roads I think you would have to do Imboden to 56th to Tower.

I did it once coming out back in 2009 or 10 coming from the Mt Elbert lot- it was nighttime and I didn't have a map, just started driving south, but never encountered a gravel road. I think I took 56th to CR 23, but it may have been CR 21

[Milepost61]

Valley Head is paved from 56th to the lot: http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=39.798975,-104.665718&spn=0.06014,0.132093&t=m&z=14&layer=c&cbll=39.798735,-104.665725&panoid=AXgLrqUHpGTPuqG8-cn3xA&cbp=12,357.78,,0,8.42

Ah, didn't see that one. Thanks

56th is a relatively recent road, it used to not exist between Monaghan and Imboden. Adams County built it about 5-7 years ago to better connect DIA to Front Range Airport. Given the growth on the south side of DIA there probably are fewer unpaved roads out there than the last time I explored the area.