One-way car rental from Denver: Denver's rental counters are off the terminal, by company shuttle
You can rent a car in Denver and return it in another US city with any of the seven big brands. The drop fee, if any, shows in the quote. Colorado Springs is the closest city on the list below, about 87 miles and 1 hr 36 min by road from DEN.
Key figures
Where do you pick up a rental car at DEN?
Denver International Airport (DEN)
Where the cars are. No consolidated rental car centre yet (one is planned). Rental car companies are on airport property but away from the terminal; counters are off-site and reached by courtesy shuttle. 2
Getting there. Free company courtesy shuttles from Jeppesen Terminal Level 5, Island 4, outside doors 505 to 513 (east side) and 504 to 512 (west side). Frequency and hours not found. 2
Brands on site. Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Fox, Hertz, National, Payless, Sixt, Thrifty 2
Read on each airport's own website on 15 November 2026 unless marked reported elsewhere.
Colorado Springs is 87 miles from DEN, Kansas City is 598
The list covers the nearest large cities outside the Denver area and the big cities within a day's drive. Each one has its own airport if you want to fly on from there.
| Drive to | State | Miles | Drive time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado Springs, CO | CO | 87 | 1 hr 36 min |
| Cheyenne, WY | WY | 106 | 1 hr 54 min |
| Albuquerque, NM | NM | 465 | 8 hr 6 min |
| Salt Lake City, UT | UT | 527 | 9 hr |
| Omaha, NE | NE | 534 | 9 hr 6 min |
| Kansas City, MO | MO | 598 | 10 hr 12 min |
Fastest road route from Denver International Airport to each city centre, free-flowing traffic with no stops or rest breaks 3. Checked 15 November 2026. These estimates tend to run a little long against map apps, and real trips take longer.
Every brand at DEN quotes the drop fee at booking
National says there is typically no drop charge between airport locations, so an airport return in the destination city is worth pricing first. Avis says most locations charge no one-way fee. Enterprise, National and Alamo collect any drop charge at pick-up. Full rules for each brand are on the one-way car rental guide.
- Book the return location in advance. Budget and Sixt charge extra for an unannounced return elsewhere.
- The minimum age is 21 at most brands and 20 at Hertz, with a fee under 25.
- Add your flight number to any car booked at your destination, which waives the no-show fee at the brands AutoSlash checked 4.
Denver on 13 and 14 November
- Friday 13 November: 450 flights cancelled 1
Searches during the stop
- Colorado ranked 7 of the 12 states listed for "rental car" (52 on a 100 scale). 5
- Colorado ranked 4 of the 12 states listed for "one way car rental" (51 on a 100 scale). 5
- The Denver CO metro area ranked 12 for "one way car rental" (40). 5
- Colorado ranked 7 of the 12 states listed for "hotel near airport" (49 on a 100 scale). 5
- The Denver CO metro area ranked 7 for "hotel near airport" (50). 5
Google Trends, United States, 7 to 14 November 2026. Values are relative, with 100 for the highest area. Only the top 12 states and metros were recorded for each term.
Trains and coaches leave Denver too
Amtrak runs the California Zephyr and Winter Park Express (seasonal) from Denver.
| Mode | Operator | Station or stops | Routes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Train | Amtrak | Denver Union Station (DEN), 1701 Wynkoop Street, Denver, CO 80202 | California Zephyr, Winter Park Express (seasonal) 6 |
| Bus | Greyhound | Denver Union Station Bus Concourse, 1700 Wewatta St (lower-level bus slips), and Denver Union Station, 1701 Wynkoop St. | Intercity coach 7 |
| Bus | FlixBus | Same two Union Station stops: Bus Concourse, 1700 Wewatta St, and 1701 Wynkoop St. | Intercity coach 8 |
Read on each operator's own station or city page on 15 November 2026 unless marked reported elsewhere. Check timetables with the operator.
Questions about one-way rentals from Denver
Can I rent a car one way from Denver?
Yes. Hertz, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, National, Alamo and Sixt all allow one-way rentals between US cities. All seven are listed on site at DEN. Any drop fee appears in the quote before you pay.
Where do I pick up a rental car at DEN?
No consolidated rental car centre yet (one is planned). Free company courtesy shuttles from Jeppesen Terminal Level 5, Island 4, outside doors 505 to 513 (east side) and 504 to 512 (west side).
How long is the drive from Denver to Colorado Springs?
About 87 miles and 1 hr 36 min from DEN in free-flowing traffic, by a routing estimate on OpenStreetMap road data. Allow longer for traffic and stops.
Is there a train or bus from Denver instead?
Amtrak trains run from Denver. Intercity coaches are run by FlixBus and Greyhound.
More for travellers leaving Denver
- One-way car rental rules at seven brands, and whether insurance pays for the car
- Ground stop status and the 13 November record
- Claim tool for refunds and receipts
Other cities: Chicago · Las Vegas · New York · Seattle · Atlanta · Boston · Fort Lauderdale · Nashville · Orlando
Check your flight, then write the claim
The flight check takes about a minute and gives the rule that applies to your trip. The claim tool writes the letters.
- Check my flightWhat the airline and your insurer or card owe you.
- Write the claim lettersRefund, expenses and insurance letters that cite the rule.
- Airline phone lines and chatRebooking and refund contacts for 12 US airlines.
- Should I go to the airport?Live FAA ground stops and delay programmes, and what each means.
Sources for this page
8 sources
Numbers in boxes point to this list. "Checked at source" means the page itself was read on the date shown. "Reported elsewhere" means the wording came from a search extract, a secondary page or a page that only partly loaded, so check it against the original before relying on it. "Not confirmed" means sources conflict or the document is old. Event figures for 13 and 14 November are sourced in full on the methodology and sources page.
- FlightAware via Denver7 Checked at source
- Denver International Airport rental car page Reported elsewhere · checked 15 November 2026
- OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap road data Reported elsewhere · checked 15 November 2026
- AutoSlash Checked at source · checked 26 May 2026
- Google Trends, US, past 7 days, collected Saturday 14 November 2026, 6:45pm to 7:03pm ET Checked at source · checked 14 November 2026
- Amtrak: Denver Union Station (DEN), 1701 Wynkoop Street, Denver, CO 80202 Reported elsewhere · checked 15 November 2026
- Greyhound Denver stops Checked at source · checked 15 November 2026
- FlixBus Denver stops Checked at source · checked 15 November 2026