Fastest Denver Public Transit Options to Ball Arena

Ball Arena has plenty of parking lots, but who wants to drive and pay for all that?

Luckily, the home of the Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche and major concerts is well-situated for travel options other than driving a car — and we're not talking about Lyft and Uber. Bus and light rail fares with RTD cost $2.75 for a three-hour pass and $5.50 for the entire day and can easily be purchased on the RTD app.

The lowest charge for parking at Ball Arena is $20 for Colorado Mammoth lacrosse games. For Avs and Nuggets games, most lots are $30 and often rise to a $35 minimum during concerts. Those options won't be around forever, either, as the Kroenke family, which owns the Avs, Nuggets and much of the stadium's surrounding land, plans to transform that area into mixed-use development over the next couple of decades.

Not to worry: instead of battling traffic, you can choose from several light rail stations and 92 bus stops less than a mile from the arena, with five bus routes to pick from that don’t even require crossing a major street to reach the arena’s doors. Whether you're pregaming for the playoffs or a concert or just looking to imbibe before entering to avoid $20 tall boys, public transit provides an ideal alternative for designated drivers and ride-share.

Read on for instructions and tips for how to take transit to Ball Arena.

(First tip: open food and beverages aren’t allowed on RTD vehicles, so finish snacking and drink up before you board.)

Taking Light Rail to Ball Arena

The E and W light rail lines are great ways to get to Ball Arena using transit. Both lines stop at a dedicated station for the Arena and Elitch Gardens that leads to a convenient walking bridge straight to the stadium.

Both the E and W lines run until at least midnight every day, with hours extended to around 1:30 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, so late concerts or overtime games shouldn't stop transit riders from being able to get home.

The E line runs from Lone Tree through the Denver Tech Center to Union Station in downtown Denver, serving the Ball Arena-Elitch Gardens station on the way.

Theoretically, the E line comes every fifteen minutes, but riders report massive inconsistencies in train arrivals and departures, with regular delays of at least ten minutes. Speed restrictions during track safety upgrades have been in place since last May, but the E Line is only currently impacted going southbound between the Yale and Southmoor stops, according to the RTD speed restrictions dashboard.

Plan to show up about an hour early if taking this line to give a cushion for train delays. If you're early because the train runs on time, ride one extra stop to Union Station to explore or grab a quick drink before heading into the game.
The W line, on the other hand, hasn’t been impacted by construction delays. The rail line runs from the Jefferson County Government Station in Golden through Lakewood to Union Station, linking up to follow the same last four stops as the E line from the Auraria West Station to Union Station.

Along the W Line, the City of Lakewood has compiled some amazing local history to check out, so no need to worry about boredom on the journey. On the way back in the dark we’re assuming you’ll be feeling the post-game highs or lows and won’t care

Both rail lines offer park-and-ride services at several stops, particularly stops farther from the city center. Use the RTD app or a web browser to access the RTD trip planner function, which lists park-and-ride light rail stations.

Parking is free if your car is registered within the RTD service area. An easy way to know: if your ballot included issue 7A regarding RTD’s TABOR exemption in the November 2024 election, you’re set to park for the duration of the game.

If your vehicle isn’t registered within the RTD district, you’ll have to pay $4.00, which is still less than parking at the arena even combined with your RTD ticket.

Dozens of RTD Bus Routes Get to Ball Arena

Those who don’t live along the E or W line still have plenty of public transit options to get to Ball Arena.

Many bus routes will bring riders from the suburbs to downtown Denver. Arvada riders can take the 52 route, Aurora passengers can take the 15L and people traveling from Wheat Ridge can board the 38.

From there, Ball Arena (and many of downtown's bars and restaurants) is an easy walk away. Or, riders can grab the 43 bus at Fifteenth and Stout streets or California and 19th streets to get dropped off at Eleventh and Larimer, which is a short walk from the stadium.

Five bus routes take riders almost directly to the stadium, stopping on Auraria Parkway right next to Ball Arena. The first is the 1, which goes from Wadsworth Boulevard in Lakewood to downtown Denver. The 6 runs from Aurora down Sixth Avenue to the Auraria Campus. The 15L runs up and down Colfax through downtown Denver and will drop riders right by Ball Arena. Tip: don’t get on the regular 15, which goes toward Union Station rather than branching off to Ball Arena.

The 20, which runs on a limited schedule from the National Renewable Energy Lab in Golden to Union Station and then very frequently from Union Station to the Colfax and Billings stop in Aurora and back, is another option. Lastly, the 43, which runs from Central Park through Five Points to the Auraria Campus, will drop riders within a block of Ball Arena.

As for those routes that get people into downtown Denver just across Speer from the arena, the 9 from Lakewood, 10 from Aurora, 19 from Federal Heights, 28 from Central Park to Lakewood, 38 from Wheat Ridge or 52 from Arvada will all work.

One final hack: any route that will get you to Union Station is a good idea. From there, it’s an easy walk. On super cold nights, you could grab the Free Mall Ride a couple of stops to Wazee Street and walk across Speer Boulevard to get directly to Ball Arena, but it won’t save you time on your journey.