How far is Longmont from the Sundance venues?

Longmont sits 16 miles north of the Boulder venues — a quick run down the Diagonal Highway, and an easy base to work the festival from.

By car

Downtown Longmont to downtown Boulder is about 16 miles on CO 119 (the Diagonal Highway) and nearer 20 on US 287. Both run roughly 25 to 30 minutes when traffic is normal, so the shorter route is not reliably the faster one. Either way it is a straight run across the plain with no mountain driving and no pass to worry about in January.

What festival week does to that drive is the open question — this is Boulder’s first Sundance, so there is no previous January to compare against. Treat 25 to 30 minutes as the floor and leave yourself a little room.

By bus

RTD’s BOLT route connects Longmont and Boulder along CO 119, with stops including Hover, Niwot Park-n-Ride, 63rd and Broadway. As of October 2026 it runs roughly 4:56am to 1:26am Monday to Friday, 6:32am to 1:14am Saturday, and 6:37am to 12:21am Sunday.

That late weekday end time is the part worth knowing: it is after the last evening screening lets out, so a car is not the only way home from a 9pm film. Check RTD for live times before you rely on a specific trip — schedules change, and ours is a snapshot.

Once you are in Boulder

The festival is built as a park-once event. Boulder is running park-and-ride hubs with dedicated festival shuttles, the HOP bus is free during the festival dates, and the city has said it will offer free e-bike share passes. So the useful plan from Longmont is to make one trip in and then leave the car alone.

What it adds up to

A half-hour run each way, with the BOLT bus covering the trip home after a late film. What you get in exchange is a downtown with the rooms, the restaurants and the tasting rooms to fill the hours around a screening — covered in where to stay for Sundance.