Origin
Berthoud, CO
Late night in Berthoud on Tuesday
Local time
2:09 AM
MDT
Current temp
33°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Berthoud, CO to Lakewood, CO
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 3m
Distance
51.7 mi
83 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 58m
★
6 AM
1h 4m
8 AM
1h 14m
10 AM
1h 7m
12 PM
1h 6m
3 PM
1h 8m
5 PM
1h 13m
8 PM
1h 0m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Berthoud, CO
ThisIsEngineering
Lakewood, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 51.7-mile drive from Berthoud, Colorado to Lakewood, Colorado is a straightforward, one-day trip that should take about 1 hour and 3 minutes. You'll primarily be on the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway and North Valley Highway, with a brief stint on East Highway 56. With a projected fuel cost of around $8, this route is quite budget-friendly. The overall feel is that of a turn-heavy local drive, so don't expect a smooth, high-speed cruise. Since it's a relatively short distance and duration, it's perfectly suited for a single day of travel within the Mountain West region.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway | 22.3 mi | 22m |
| North Valley Highway | 18.2 mi | 23m |
| East Highway 56 | 3.8 mi | 4m |
| West 6th Avenue Freeway | 2.5 mi | 3m |
| North Wadsworth Boulevard | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| US 6 | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| East County Road 8 | 1 mi | 1m |
| Mountain Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
— 22.3 mi, about 22m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Berthoud, CO and Lakewood, CO.
1
Start on Lake Avenue
335 ft
·
16 sec
·
Lake Avenue
2
Turn right onto North 4th Street
0.2 mi
·
38 sec
·
North 4th Street
3
Turn left onto CO 56
0.3 mi
·
57 sec
·
Mountain Avenue
4
Enter roundabout onto CO 56
99 ft
·
5 sec
·
East County Road 8
5
Continue on CO 56
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
East County Road 8
6
Continue on CO 56
3.8 mi
·
4 min
·
East Highway 56
7
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
Toward I 25 South: Denver
8
Merge onto I 25
22 mi
·
22 min
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Continue on I 25
0.6 mi
·
36 sec
·
North Valley Highway
10
Keep slight right at fork onto I 25
8.8 mi
·
10 min
·
North Valley Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight right at fork onto I 25
8.8 mi
·
12 min
·
North Valley Highway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
12
Take the exit onto US 6
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
US 6
Exit 209B
Toward US 6 West: 6th Avenue, Lakewood
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight left at fork onto US 6
0.1 mi
·
10 sec
·
US 6
Toward US 6
14
Merge onto US 6
2.5 mi
·
3 min
·
West 6th Avenue Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
Toward CO 121 South: Wadsworth Boulevard
Use the right lane.
16
Turn straight onto CO 121
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
North Wadsworth Boulevard
17
Continue on CO 121
369 ft
·
15 sec
·
South Wadsworth Boulevard
Use the left lane.
18
Arrive at destination
CO 121
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
26 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 25.9 miles from Berthoud, CO, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 125 decision points cluster between mile 0.3 and 50 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.3 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
CO 56 / Mountain Avenue
Turn left onto CO 56 / Mountain Avenue
Navigation decision point
6
28.6 mi into trip
|
~31m in
|
I 25 / North Valley Highway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 25 / North Valley Highway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
37.4 mi into trip
|
~42m in
|
I 25 / North Valley Highway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 25 / North Valley Highway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
8
46.2 mi into trip
|
~54m in
|
US 6
Take the exit onto US 6 toward US 6 West: 6th Avenue, Lakewood
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 209B
Toward US 6 West: 6th Avenue, Lakewood
6
50 mi into trip
|
~59m in
Take the exit toward CO 121 South: Wadsworth Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward CO 121 South: Wadsworth Boulevard
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.79 one way
$15.58 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
18 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $8.25 | $16.50 |
| premium | $4.39 | $8.94 | $17.89 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $11.41 | $22.83 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 18.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 15.5 | 0 | $5.43 | $2.48 |
| Efficient EV | 12.9 | 0 | $4.52 | $2.07 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 20.7 | 0 | $7.24 | $3.31 |
Gas CO2
18 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (67% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Lakewood, CO
Late night in Lakewood on Tuesday
Local time
2:09 AM
MDT
Current temp
34°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
1 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
1h 3m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a drive characterized by frequent turns, as indicated by its 'Turn-heavy local drive' profile. While 15% of the journey is on highways, much of it will feel like navigating local roads. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 22.3 miles on the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, offering a brief period of more consistent travel before the road becomes more intricate. The road's personality shifts between faster highway sections and slower, more involved local road segments, requiring your attention throughout the 1 hour and 3 minute duration.
Only 15% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 22.3 mi on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.3 miles in near CO 56 / Mountain Avenue.
Driving Effort
9/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 51.7 miles you will encounter 12 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.3 miles (CO 56 / Mountain Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 28.6 miles (I 25 / North Valley Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 37.4 miles (I 25 / North Valley Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Berthoud, CO
Full guide →Berthoud is a city in the Front Range region of Colorado. Berthoud is a small town (less than 5000 residents) located just south of Loveland.
Arriving in Lakewood, CO
Full guide →Lakewood is a city of about 160,000 in the Denver Metropolitan Area of the western U.S. state of Colorado. The city lies in Jefferson County, immediately west of Denver and east of the Front Range foothills.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 3m. Total distance: 51.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 3m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 22.3 miles on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Lakewood, CO before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.3 miles (CO 56 / Mountain Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 28.6 miles (I 25 / North Valley Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 37.4 miles (I 25 / North Valley Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Lakewood, CO before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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