One-tank trips from Denver
20 destinations you can reach and return on one 400-mile tank — closest is Woodland Park at 134.7 mi round trip
20 destinations sit inside one 400-mile tank of Denver, from Woodland Park at 134.7 mi round trip to Trinidad at 394.9 mi. Every figure below is a v1 seed estimate.
The list below mixes day trips you can run on a whim with overnights that still spend less than $55.29 of fuel. Sort it however you like — the table shows every round-trip mileage, gallon count and dollar figure so you can rebuild the ranking for your own tank.
All 20 one-tank destinations
Round-trip miles are twice the estimated one-way road distance. A destination makes the list between 60 and 200 one-way miles — inside a 400-mile tank with reserve to spare.
| Town | State | Round trip | One-way time | Gallons | Est. fuel | Trip type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado Springs | Colorado | 154.2 mi | 1 h 56 | 6.2 gal | $21.59 | Day trip |
| Fort Collins | Colorado | 143.2 mi | 1 h 47 | 5.7 gal | $20.05 | Day trip |
| Pueblo | Colorado | 230.1 mi | 2 h 13 | 9.2 gal | $32.21 | Day trip |
| Cheyenne | Wyoming | 213.8 mi | 2 h 03 | 8.6 gal | $29.93 | Day trip |
| Laramie | Wyoming | 248.9 mi | 2 h 24 | 10.0 gal | $34.85 | Day trip |
| Montrose | Colorado | 390.6 mi | 3 h 45 | 15.6 gal | $54.68 | Day trip |
| Canon City | Colorado | 199.6 mi | 1 h 55 | 8.0 gal | $27.94 | Day trip |
| Rifle | Colorado | 328.2 mi | 3 h 09 | 13.1 gal | $45.95 | Day trip |
| Glenwood Springs | Colorado | 274.7 mi | 2 h 39 | 11.0 gal | $38.46 | Day trip |
| Trinidad | Colorado | 394.9 mi | 3 h 48 | 15.8 gal | $55.29 | Day trip |
| Woodland Park | Colorado | 134.7 mi | 1 h 41 | 5.4 gal | $18.86 | Day trip |
| Sidney | Nebraska | 315.7 mi | 3 h 02 | 12.6 gal | $44.20 | Day trip |
| Gunnison | Colorado | 291.6 mi | 2 h 48 | 11.7 gal | $40.82 | Day trip |
| Salida | Colorado | 218.6 mi | 2 h 06 | 8.7 gal | $30.60 | Day trip |
| Vail | Colorado | 180.3 mi | 1 h 44 | 7.2 gal | $25.24 | Day trip |
| Goodland | Kansas | 388.9 mi | 3 h 44 | 15.6 gal | $54.45 | Day trip |
| Wheatland | Wyoming | 352.5 mi | 3 h 23 | 14.1 gal | $49.35 | Day trip |
| Frisco | Colorado | 146.4 mi | 1 h 50 | 5.9 gal | $20.50 | Day trip |
| Leadville | Colorado | 188.4 mi | 1 h 49 | 7.5 gal | $26.38 | Day trip |
| Buena Vista | Colorado | 191.3 mi | 1 h 50 | 7.7 gal | $26.78 | Day trip |
The spread runs from Woodland Park at 134.7 mi round trip to Trinidad at 394.9 mi — about 5.4 to 15.8 gallons of fuel. "Day trip" marks anything inside 4 hours one way; the rest still fit the tank, they just deserve the night.
The picks
How these were ranked: the day list weighs town size, county-seat walkability and drive time; the overnight list weighs estimated hotel depth. Every number repeats the table above, so nothing new to trust — just a shorter list to read.
Five day trips (leave by 9, home for dinner)
Fort Collins, Colorado
Fort Collins brings the metro options: 169,810 residents and the deepest hotel pool within 1 h 47 of Denver. Leave by 9:00 am, spend about 2½ hours, and you are back in Denver around 3:04 pm — the fuel column says 5.7 gallons of the tank each way you turn it.
Cheyenne, Wyoming
County-seat polish 2 h 03 from Denver: Cheyenne pairs a historic square with about 10 estimated hotels. Leave by 9:00 am, spend about 2½ hours, and you are back in Denver around 3:36 pm — the fuel column says 8.6 gallons of the tank each way you turn it.
Colorado Springs, Colorado
County-seat polish 1 h 56 from Denver: Colorado Springs pairs a historic square with about 28 estimated hotels. Leave by 9:00 am, spend about 2½ hours, and you are back in Denver around 3:22 pm — the fuel column says 6.2 gallons of the tank each way you turn it.
Pueblo, Colorado
The Pueblo County seat, 2 h 13 out — a walkable courthouse square and an estimated 18 hotels make it a classic small-town overnight. Leave by 9:00 am, spend about 2½ hours, and you are back in Denver around 3:56 pm — the fuel column says 9.2 gallons of the tank each way you turn it.
Laramie, Wyoming
County-seat polish 2 h 24 from Denver: Laramie pairs a historic square with about 6 estimated hotels. Leave by 9:00 am, spend about 2½ hours, and you are back in Denver around 4:18 pm — the fuel column says 10.0 gallons of the tank each way you turn it.
Three that earn an overnight
Fort Collins, Colorado
An estimated 18 hotels and 169,810 neighbors make Fort Collins a low-stress overnight. Drive out Saturday morning, sleep, come back slow — the round trip still spends only 5.7 gallons.
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Rates →Cheyenne, Wyoming
The Laramie County seat makes an easy overnight, with an estimated 10 hotels. Drive out Saturday morning, sleep, come back slow — the round trip still spends only 8.6 gallons.
Colorado Springs, Colorado
The El Paso County seat makes an easy overnight, with an estimated 28 hotels. Drive out Saturday morning, sleep, come back slow — the round trip still spends only 6.2 gallons.
The fuel math, in five sentences
Assume a 400-mile tank, reserve about 15 percent of it, and the usable round trip is roughly 340 miles — our 200-mile one-way cap stays inside that. At 25 mpg, the longest trip in this table (394.9 mi round trip) uses 15.8 gallons, or $55.29 at $3.50 per gallon. Distances are straight-line times a road factor, so your odometer will read a little different. Tank sizes vary from roughly 300 to 500 miles across the fleet. Check current pump prices when you plan — $3.50 is a national-average assumption, not a quote.
Common questions
How far can you get from Denver on one tank?
Is Colorado Springs a day trip from Denver?
What if your tank is smaller than 400 miles?
Where should you stay overnight on these trips?
Keep planning
Data & method
Method: v1 seed model. Round-trip miles are twice the estimated road distance (straight-line times a road factor). Fuel figures assume a 400-mile tank, a 25 mpg car, and $3.50 per gallon. Lodging counts are population-derived estimates. We earn a commission from Kayak links.