Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jun 3, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h
Distance
53.3 mi
86 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Colorado Springs, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Meridian, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Colorado Springs to Meridian is 53.3 miles and takes about 1 hour via Ronald Reagan Highway, with a fuel budget near $8 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Colorado and the Mountain West region, making it a straightforward drive. Given its brief duration and simple route, it's ideal for a quick transit or a leisurely day trip without much planning. You’ll primarily be on surface roads, so expect a steady pace rather than high-speed cruising.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Ronald Reagan Highway | 43.7 mi | 45m |
| Monument Valley Freeway | 5.7 mi | 6m |
| Peoria Street | 1.7 mi | 2m |
| RidgeGate Parkway | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Fisher Drive | 0.3 mi | 1m |
| West Bijou Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| East Pikes Peak Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| North Cascade Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 8 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~4,516 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~218 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
20.7×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 52 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Colorado Springs, CO and Meridian, CO.
Start on East Pikes Peak Avenue
Turn right onto North Cascade Avenue
Turn left onto West Bijou Street
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 25
Continue on I 25
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Turn straight onto RidgeGate Parkway
Turn left onto Peoria Street
Turn left onto Forest Lake Road
Turn left onto Fisher Drive
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
27 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.
A short stop after about 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 26.7 miles from Colorado Springs, 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.
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 50.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn right onto North Cascade Avenue
Navigation decision point
Turn left onto West Bijou Street
Lane positioning matters here
Merge onto I 25 / Monument Valley Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward Ridge Gate Parkway
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight right at fork toward Eastbound RidgeGate Parkway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$9.13 one way
$18.26 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.59 | $9.63 | $19.26 |
| premium | $4.93 | $10.35 | $20.69 |
| diesel | $5.35 | $11.23 | $22.45 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 18.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-06-01.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 16 | 0 | $5.60 | $2.56 |
| Efficient EV | 13.3 | 0 | $4.66 | $2.13 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 21.3 | 0 | $7.46 | $3.41 |
Gas CO2
19 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (68% 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Afternoon in Colorado Springs on Wednesday
Local time
2:05 PM
MDT
Current temp
52°F
Partly Cloudy
Destination
Afternoon in Meridian on Wednesday
Local time
2:05 PM
MDT
Current temp
52°F
Partly Cloudy
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
This drive is mostly surface roads, with only 11% on highways. You'll spend most of your time navigating local streets, with the longest continuous stretch on Ronald Reagan Highway covering 43.7 miles. Expect a consistent, moderate pace as you transition from highway segments to surface streets like Monument Valley Freeway and Peoria Street.
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near North Cascade Avenue.
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 53.3 miles you will encounter 9 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 0.2 miles (North Cascade Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (West Bijou Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1 miles (I 25 / Monument Valley Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
High-altitude sections with notable climbs
Total Climb
1,429 ft
Total Descent
1,511 ft
Highest Point
7,197 ft
~22.8 mi in
Elevation Range
1,271 ft
Notable High Points
Founded 1871
Colorado Springs is a city of about 490,000 in the western U.S. state of Colorado. The seat of El Paso County, the city lies 63 miles (101 km) south of Denver at the foot of Pikes Peak in South Central Colorado.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h. Total distance: 53.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (11%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, USGS 3DEP for elevation, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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