Driving Roads / Million Dollar Highway

Million Dollar Highway

US 550 hugging a mountainside with no guardrail on the Million Dollar Highway between Silverton and Ouray
Photo: Mike McBey, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The roughly 25-mile Ouray-to-Silverton stretch of US-550 climbs over 11,000-foot Red Mountain Pass with sheer drop-offs and famously few guardrails. It runs about 25 miles along US-550 (Ouray to Silverton) in Colorado. Drive time: about 50 minutes one way.

Length
about 25 mi
Drive time
about 50 min
High point
11,018 ft at Red Mountain Pass

Best time to go: Late spring to early fall for dry pavement. The road stays open in winter but avalanches are frequent and can block it, and the 8% north side is treacherous in snow.

Map of Million Dollar Highway from Ouray, CO to Silverton, CO
Route: Ouray, CO to Silverton, CO, about 22.6 mi. Map © Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

Sources: Length · High point · Best time. Drive time is the route time for the mapped route without stops, from Mapbox.

What to track on Million Dollar Highway

Record the cliff-edge pass crossing and keep it in your drive log with the time and distance. A careful-cornering road where smoothness beats speed.

Narrow lanes, steep grades and big drop-offs with limited guardrails demand low speeds, full attention, and extra caution in rain or snow.

Record your run on Million Dollar Highway

Open Road keeps every drive: the route on a map, the time and the distance. On iPhone and Android.

Download on the App StoreGet it on Google Play

Questions, answered

How long is Million Dollar Highway?
Million Dollar Highway runs about 25 miles along US-550 (Ouray to Silverton). Drive time: about 50 minutes one way.
Where is Million Dollar Highway?
Million Dollar Highway is in Colorado, following US-550 (Ouray to Silverton).
How high does Million Dollar Highway climb?
The high point is 11,018 ft at Red Mountain Pass.
When is the best time to drive Million Dollar Highway?
Late spring to early fall for dry pavement. The road stays open in winter but avalanches are frequent and can block it, and the 8% north side is treacherous in snow.
What's the best app to track a drive on Million Dollar Highway?
Open Road records the whole run and saves it to your drive log with the route, distance and drive time, and the road joins your map of every road you have driven. It is on iPhone and Android.