Commute -- Ken Caryl area Littleton to Tech Center (Denver: houses, university)

[BacktoCO]

Is the commute from the Ken Caryl area of Littleton to the Tech Center rough? Does anyone do this drive on a regular basis? My husband generally leaves for work before 7 am and returns around 4 pm or so. We love that part of Littleton because it is closer to 285 and the mountains but are hesitant because of his drive to work. He wants less than 30 minutes.

[bluescreen73]

Originally Posted by BacktoCO

Is the commute from the Ken Caryl area of Littleton to the Tech Center rough? Does anyone do this drive on a regular basis? My husband generally leaves for work before 7 am and returns around 4 pm or so. We love that part of Littleton because it is closer to 285 and the mountains but are hesitant because of his drive to work. He wants less than 30 minutes.

If you're planning on using C-470 as your main thoroughfare it'll be pretty rough. I work with folks who live in Highlands Ranch and their commute is about the same as mine even though they're about 5 miles closer to the office than I am.

[BacktoCO]

I think he was considering a route going up to Belleview and over or something like that but it seems like a lot of stop lights. He works at I 25 and Orchard.

[davidv]

I do this every day.

The quickest route is C470, but it matters what time you leave. If he leaves by 6:45, he should get there by 7:05.

The problems with C470 are:
1. Sun glare. Traffic moves much better on cloudy days than on sunny days. This is largely due to the fact that C470 meanders and does not go directly east-west. Some parts of the highway turn directly into the sun for a bit slowing down traffic considerably. The road then turns out of the sun and traffic picks back up.

2. Highlands Ranch. There are four exits/entrances to C470 in four miles starting at Santa Fe. This stretch of the commute takes about 6-10 minutes to get from Santa Fe to past University.

3. The evening commute. Traffic in the afternoon is much worse. He will spend 10 more minutes in the afternoon on the road than in the morning. Traffic backs up between just past Quebec all the way back to I-25 from the large volume of traffic. It slows down from the Platte River all the way back to Lucent because of a really poorly designed on ramp from Santa Fe onto westbound C470.

Do NOT take Belleview. It doesn't go all the way through, you have to drive a mile further north than Orchard and then backtrack to the office, and it backs up horribly at the light at University.

Better option:
Take Ken Caryl/Mineral/Dry Creek all the way out. There are no real backups, just several lights between here and there. He can go all the way to I-25 or he can go north on Holly to Orchard and then east on Orchard.

[BacktoCO]

Thank you Davidv--I am going to forward this to him. We have been looking at houses all over and found a few in this area we really like. It's nice to know it could be a viable option The Denver Tech Center is just so inflated with the prices now!

[davidv]

This morning it was cloudy. I left my house near Chatfield and Kipling around 6:55 am. I arrived at work near DTC and I-225 at 6:20. It took me about 6 minutes to get through Highlands Ranch.

[bluescreen73]

Originally Posted by davidv

This morning it was cloudy. I left my house near Chatfield and Kipling around 6:55 am. I arrived at work near DTC and I-225 at 6:20. It took me about 6 minutes to get through Highlands Ranch.

Whoa...you arrived before you left. Do you own a De Lorean with a flux capacitor by any chance?

[skins_fan82]

Your afternoon drive home might be kinda nasty.

i drive home on eastbound 470 from Wadsworth to I-25 every afternoon, and C-470 West is ALWAYS backed up. Literally every single day. I guess it depends on when you get off. For me its around 4:45 that I'm on eastbound C470

[ELCO5280]

East bound in the AM on 470/Belleview and West bound PM will be horrible.

[flyingcat2k]

This is one of the WORST commutes in Denver IMHO. Don't do it.