From Denver International Airport
- As you leave the airport, take Peña Boulevard to Interstate 70, westbound
- Travel west on I-70, through the Eisenhower Tunnel, to Exit 195
- After you cross the bridge over the interstate, turn right into Copper Mountain Resort
- Continue past the golf course to Lodging Check-in, which is the third building on the right
- Distance is approximately 90 miles (145 km)
- The drive takes approximately 2.5 hours, depending upon road and traffic conditions
View Map from Denver International Airport to Copper Mountain Resort
Leaving on a Sunday?
In winter, traffic on Interstate 70 tends to build up going westbound on Saturday mornings and eastbound on Sunday afternoons, as Front Range residents and visitors make their way to and from the mountains for weekend getaways. This weekend ski traffic often mixes with snowy and/or icy conditions, causing additional delays and closures. Here are some tips for surviving the weekend ski traffic:
* Go online to www.CoTrip.org, the Colorado Department of Transportation’s (CDOT) travel information page, for access to real-time cameras and travel speeds, as well as roadside message signs advising about potential delays.
* Stay late. CDOT's hourly traffic counts at the Eisenhower Tunnel show that the busiest times are Saturdays around 8 a.m. and Sundays from 2 p.m. onward; to avoid the Sunday rush, stay for dinner and leave at 6 p.m.
* Tune in to local Channel 22 to see live feeds from CDOT's 19 traffic cameras set up between Vail and Idaho Springs. The cameras provide real-time estimates of travel time to Denver, along with weather conditions.
* On the drive east to Denver, take the U.S. 40 frontage road at Georgetown (exit 228) and stay with it until it merges back into I-70 east of Idaho Springs (exit 241). But be prepared for a gamble, as traffic can back up there, too. You will need to travel slowly, but will be able to enjoy the historic Colorado mining towns where the gold rush began on January 7, 1859.