What is the per diem for truck drivers in Colorado?

Truck drivers use one rate everywhere in the lower 48 states: $80 a day for meals, for trips from October 1, 2026 (IRS Notice 2026-60). Drivers who log their hours for the DOT write off 80% of it.

Is per diem taxable in Colorado?

Not on your federal return when your boss pays it at or under the government rate and you report your trip to them. Anything above the rate counts as wages on your W-2.

Colorado Per Diem Rates and Calculator 2026-27

Q: Can I use the per diem if I'm self-employed?

Yes, for meals. The IRS lets self-employed people use the government meal rate instead of adding up meal receipts, and you write off half of it. For the hotel, you write off what you paid and keep the receipt.

For trips from October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2027, the per diem in most of Colorado is $113 a night for a hotel and $68 a day for meals. The per diem is higher in 15 Colorado cities, including Denver, Aspen, and Vail.

Type your trip dates below to see what you can write off or get paid back, and get a free PDF. Going to one of those cities? Pick it from the list below the calculator.

Who is this trip for?

Day you leave

Day you get home

What you paid for the hotel (if you know it)

Meals

The government sets meals in most of Colorado at $68 a day, and $51 on the day you leave and the day you get home. For your 4 days, that's $238. You can write off half.

$119

Hotel

Type what you paid above. You can write off every dollar.

What you can write off for this trip

$119

That saves you about $40 in taxes.

11/2/2026	Colorado	CO	Travel day	68
11/3/2026	Colorado	CO	Full day	68
11/4/2026	Colorado	CO	Full day	68
11/5/2026	Colorado	CO	Travel day	68

Keep this trip's receipts in Shoeboxed

The free PDF shows what you can write off, where it goes on your tax form, and the math. No email, no signup.

Keep every trip of the year in the free Shoeboxed Per Diem Log

It's a Google Sheet. Paste in each trip, and it adds up what you can write off for the whole year.

Get the free Per Diem Log (Google Sheet)

Updated October 31, 2026 by Doug, owner of Shoeboxed. Rates from the GSA, the government office for travel.

Colorado cities that get a higher per diem

Going to one of these cities? Click it to see its hotel rate for each month and figure your trip.

City	Meals per day	Hotel per night
Aspen	$92	$173 to $419
Boulder and Broomfield	$80	$125 to $173
Colorado Springs	$86	$128 to $176
Cortez	$74	$113 to $140
Crested Butte and Gunnison	$86	$140 to $179
Denver and Aurora	$92	$170 to $227
Douglas	$80	$113 to $139
Durango	$80	$122 to $190
Fort Collins and Loveland	$80	$120 to $157
Grand Lake	$86	$128 to $182
Montrose	$74	$143 to $194
Silverthorne and Breckenridge	$92	$164 to $296
Steamboat Springs	$92	$126 to $299
Telluride	$92	$186 to $367
Vail	$92	$205 to $417

Everywhere else in Colorado, the per diem is $113 a night for a hotel and $68 a day for meals.

The $68 meal rate covers breakfast ($16), lunch ($19), dinner ($28), and $5 for tips. On the day you leave and the day you get home, you get 3/4 of it, $51.

Traveling somewhere else? Here are the per diem rates for every state and city.

Who can use the Colorado per diem

If you work for yourself, the IRS lets you use the government meal rate instead of adding up meal receipts, and you write off half of it. You write off the hotel at what you paid.

If you drive a truck, you get $80 a day for meals anywhere in the lower 48. Drivers who log their hours for the DOT write off 80% of it. Click "I drive a truck" in the calculator.

If your boss pays you back, a per diem up to the government rate is tax-free when you report your trip to them. Click "My boss pays me back" for a finished expense report.

Keep every receipt from the trip anyway. They prove where you were each day, and the IRS wants the hotel receipt. Snap them with the Shoeboxed app as you go.

Common Colorado per diem questions

From October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2027, the government per diem is $113 a night for a hotel and $68 a day for meals in most of Colorado. The per diem is higher in 15 Colorado cities: Aspen, Boulder, Colorado Springs, Cortez, Crested Butte, Denver, Douglas, Durango, Fort Collins, Grand Lake, Montrose, Silverthorne, Steamboat Springs, Telluride, and Vail.