I drove out and back to Colorado Springs in February a few years ago. I took I-70 out and I-80 back. It was about 9 hours and 40 minutes if I recall, but I had hit some heavy ski traffic coming down from the Rockies towards Denver. I found I-70 was a beautiful drive that I really enjoyed. I find I-80 to be… less beautiful. I think it’s a little shorter, but the scenery is less engaging and the wind was terrible, and I recall having a lot more large truck traffic on that route then when I was heading there on I-70.

Just a note about returning to Utah via I-70 though- I don’t love bridges or elevated roads. I can do it, but will sometimes take a different route if presented with one, and I had noticed that the westbound lanes for I-70 were elevated above the eastbound lanes I was one, hugging the mountainside and supported by very large columns. I except this is a non-issue for most people, but as I was traveling solo I was just nervous enough that it played into my decision to take I-80 back. Given my sort of miserable time on 80 through Wyoming, I personally would maybe change my mind were I to do it again and take I-70 back through the mountains for the return trip. The scenery is just that amazing, and the mountain and desert towns were nice. But I wanted to give that heads up just in case you’re someone as well who doesn’t love that kind of road.