Denver → Downtown Denver
Denver Airport to Downtown Denver Car Service
Downtown Denver is 25 miles from Denver International Airport, a 35 to 45 minute drive. A private SUV for up to 6 passengers starts at $210 per vehicle.
Elevation profile
- Distance from DEN
- 25 mi
- Typical drive
- 35m–45m
- Elevation
- 5,280 ft
- SUV from
- $210
Rates by vehicle
One way, per vehicle — SUV, up to 6 passengers. Taxes, tolls and gratuity included. Photos show the models we drive, not our own cars.
Get a quote for this vehicleThe drive from DEN to downtown
Peña Boulevard runs 11.6 miles from the terminal to I-70. From there the car takes I-70 west, then I-25 south into downtown.
E-470 is the tolled loop around the east side of the metro area. It is an alternative, not the default line into the city.
The 35–45 minute range is for normal traffic.
When the A Line train is the better choice
RTD’s A Line runs from the airport to Union Station in about 40 minutes. An airport day pass costs $10.
Trains leave every 15 minutes midday and every 30 minutes early and late.
Take the train if all of this is true:
- You travel alone or as a pair
- You carry one suitcase and no ski bag
- Your hotel is near Union Station
- You land in the middle of the day
In that case a $210 car buys you very little. The train takes about as long as the drive, and $10 is hard to argue with.
When the car wins
A group. 6 people on the train pay $60 and still end up at Union Station. One SUV takes the same 6 to the hotel door.
Bags. Skis, strollers and several large suitcases are awkward on a train. The 2023 Chevrolet Suburban has 41.5 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row.
A late landing. Early and late in the day, trains run every 30 minutes. A tired family on a platform at night is the case a private car is built for.
A destination away from the station. The A Line ends at Union Station. Anywhere else downtown means a second leg by taxi, rideshare or on foot.
Union Station, the end of the line
Denver Union Station stands at 17th and Wynkoop in LoDo. The building was rebuilt after a fire in 1894. It reopened in 2014 as a transit hub and a hotel.
If you are staying at the Union Station hotel itself, the train is the clearest choice.
Downtown sits at one mile
Downtown Denver is at 5,280 feet. The one-mile elevation marker is on the west steps of the State Capitol.
That makes the city a useful first night for anyone heading higher into the mountains later in the trip.
Vehicles and rates
- Chevrolet Suburban: 6 passengers
- Lincoln Navigator: 6 passengers
- Mercedes-Benz Sprinter: 12 passengers, for conference groups and wedding parties
The $210 rate is per vehicle, for an SUV with up to 6 passengers. See the rates page for every route and the fleet for each vehicle.
Booking for a team? See corporate car service. For more on DEN arrivals, see Denver airport car service.
What the price includes
$210one way, per vehicle (SUV, up to 6 passengers), everything included
- Airport waiting included — a delayed flight is not a rebooking
- Flight tracking — pickup moves with your arrival
- Your driver waits at the vehicle in the designated pickup area, not inside the terminal
- Child seats at no charge, on request
- Bottled water in the vehicle
- Gratuity — included, not added at the end
- Traction-law compliant vehicle, September through May
No meter, no surge pricing, no fuel surcharge. The number you are quoted is the number you pay.
Per vehicle or per seat: the actual math
Shared shuttles charge each passenger. We charge for the car. Which one wins depends entirely on how many of you are travelling.
| Passengers | Shared shuttle, total | Our car | Per seat with us | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $10 | $210 | $210 | Shuttle |
| 2 | $20 | $210 | $105 | Shuttle |
| 3 | $30 | $210 | $70 | Shuttle |
| 4 | $40 | $210 | $53 | Shuttle |
| 6 | $60 | $210 | $35 | Shuttle |
On price alone the shuttle wins at every group size on this route. Shuttle rates come from the operator's own page: the RTD A Line train runs DEN to Union Station in about 40 minutes on a $10 airport day pass.
Price is not the only difference. A shared shuttle, bus or train carries other passengers, makes other stops and leaves on its own schedule. The private car leaves when your flight lands and drives to one address.
Questions we actually get asked
- How long does it take to drive from Denver airport to Downtown Denver?
- 25 miles and 35m–45m on open roads.
- How much is a car from Denver airport to Downtown Denver?
- From $210 one way for an SUV with up to six passengers — the price is for the vehicle, not per passenger. Tolls, child seats and gratuity are included. Larger groups ride in a Sprinter, quoted on request.
- Will our skis and luggage fit?
- A Suburban gives 41.5 cubic feet with all three rows up and 98.8 with the third folded. Ski bags are long rather than bulky, so the constraint is usually shape, not volume — tell us the passenger count, bag count and ski bag count and we will size the vehicle.
- Where do I meet my driver at Denver airport?
- Pre-arranged private cars meet passengers on Level 5 of the Jeppesen Terminal, at Island 2. Your driver waits at the vehicle in the designated pickup area, not inside the terminal.
- What happens if my flight is delayed?
- Airport waiting is included in the price. A delayed flight is not a rebooking.