City comparison
Arvada, CO is about 20 miles (20 km) from Denver, CO in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 20 miles, or about 19 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Arvada, CO to Denver, CO takes about 2 min, covering roughly 20 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Denver has a population of 710,800, vs 123,066 in Arvada — about 5.8× larger by population. By land area, Denver covers about 155 sq mi vs 39 sq mi for Arvada.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Arvada | Denver | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,706/mo | $1,665/mo | 2.5% higher in Arvada |
| Median home value | $553,000 | $540,400 | 2.3% higher in Arvada |
| Median household income | $106,014 | $85,853 | 23.5% higher in Arvada |
| Groceries index | 100.2 | 101.2 | 1.0% higher in Denver |
| Utilities index | 90.1 | 91.2 | 1.2% higher in Denver |
| Transportation index | 100.0 | 99.9 | ≈ equal (Arvada slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 100.0 | 99.9 | ≈ equal (Arvada slightly higher) |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Arvada, you'd need $99,347 in Denver to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Denver, CO is about 0.7% cheaper overall than Arvada, CO, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 2% higher in Arvada than in Denver. If you earn $80,000 in Arvada, you'd need about $79,477 in Denver to keep the same standard of living.