Origin
Derby, CO
Late night in Derby on Tuesday
Local time
4:56 AM
MDT
Current temp
58°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Derby, CO to Fort Collins, 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 12m
Distance
61.3 mi
99 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 7m
★
6 AM
1h 13m
8 AM
1h 24m
10 AM
1h 17m
12 PM
1h 15m
3 PM
1h 17m
5 PM
1h 24m
8 PM
1h 9m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Derby, CO
@coldbeer
Fort Collins, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 61.3-mile drive from Derby to Fort Collins, Colorado, is designed for a single day, taking about 1 hour and 12 minutes to complete. You'll primarily navigate via the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway and North Valley Highway before reaching East Mulberry Street. With a projected fuel cost of around $9, this trip is an economical option for a quick excursion within the Mountain West region. The route offers a practical, turn-heavy local drive experience, making it suitable for a spontaneous day trip rather than requiring an overnight stay. Its manageable distance and duration mean you can easily fit it into a busy schedule.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway | 42.2 mi | 42m |
| North Valley Highway | 10.4 mi | 12m |
| East Mulberry Street | 4 mi | 7m |
| East 74th Avenue | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Heartland Expressway | 0.7 mi | <1m |
| North Vasquez Boulevard | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| West Mulberry Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Kimberly Street | 0.3 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
— 42.2 mi, about 42m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Derby, CO and Fort Collins, CO.
1
Start on Kimberly Street
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Kimberly Street
2
At end of road, turn right onto East 77th Avenue
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
·
East 77th Avenue
3
Turn left onto US 6; US 85
0.4 mi
·
37 sec
·
North Vasquez Boulevard
4
Turn right onto CO 224
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
East 74th Avenue
5
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
Toward I 76 West: Denver
6
Merge onto I 76
0.7 mi
·
48 sec
·
Heartland Expressway
7
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
11 sec
Exit 6
Toward I 270: Limon, Boulder
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight right at fork
0.4 mi
·
41 sec
Toward I 270 West: Fort Collins, Boulder
9
Merge onto I 270
0.5 mi
·
42 sec
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
Toward I 25 North: Fort Collins
Use the slight right lane.
11
Merge onto I 25
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
North Valley Highway
12
Keep slight right at fork onto I 25
4.3 mi
·
5 min
·
North Valley Highway
Use the slight right lane.
13
Keep slight right at fork onto I 25
5.3 mi
·
5 min
·
North Valley Highway
Use the straight / right lanes.
14
Continue on I 25
42 mi
·
41 min
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
Exit 269B
Toward CO 14 West: Fort Collins
16
Merge onto CO 14
4.0 mi
·
7 min
·
East Mulberry Street
Use the straight lane.
17
Continue on West Mulberry Street
0.3 mi
·
45 sec
·
West Mulberry Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
18
Turn right onto South Meldrum Street
499 ft
·
29 sec
·
South Meldrum Street
19
Turn left onto West Magnolia Street
476 ft
·
18 sec
·
West Magnolia Street
20
Continue on South Sherwood Street
0.2 mi
·
39 sec
·
South Sherwood Street
21
Arrive at destination
South Sherwood Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
31 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 13 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 30.6 miles from Derby, 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 155 decision points cluster between mile 3 and 9.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
3 mi into trip
|
~6m in
Take the exit toward I 270: Limon, Boulder
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 6
Toward I 270: Limon, Boulder
6
3.1 mi into trip
|
~6m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 270 West: Fort Collins, Boulder
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 270 West: Fort Collins, Boulder
6
4.1 mi into trip
|
~7m in
Take the exit toward I 25 North: Fort Collins
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 25 North: Fort Collins
6
5.2 mi into trip
|
~9m 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 slight right lane.
6
9.5 mi into trip
|
~15m 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 / right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$9.24 one way
$18.47 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
21 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $9.78 | $19.56 |
| premium | $4.39 | $10.60 | $21.21 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $13.53 | $27.07 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 21.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 18.4 | 0 | $6.44 | $2.94 |
| Efficient EV | 15.3 | 0 | $5.36 | $2.45 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 24.5 | 0 | $8.58 | $3.92 |
Gas CO2
21 kg
EV CO2
7 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
Fort Collins, CO
Late night in Fort Collins on Tuesday
Local time
4:56 AM
MDT
Current temp
32°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
54°F
Frederick, CO
31 mi in
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
26 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
1h 12m 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 route that involves a fair number of turns, characteristic of a local drive. While 100% of this journey is on highways, the experience isn't a monotonous interstate slog. You'll encounter your longest uninterrupted stretch of 42.2 miles on the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, offering a period of consistent travel. The road's personality shifts as you progress, moving from the broader highway stretches to more localized sections as you approach your destination. This blend of highway driving and local road navigation keeps the journey engaging.
Only 1% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
21 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 42.2 mi on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
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 3 miles in.
Driving Effort
10/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 61.3 miles you will encounter 15 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 3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 3.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 4.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Derby, CO to Fort Collins, CO, road signs begin pointing toward Boulder along the way.
Boulder
3.1 mi in
|
~6m
About the Cities
Arriving in Fort Collins, CO
Full guide →Fort Collins is a city of about 170,000 in north central region of the western U.S. state of Colorado. The seat of Larimer County, the city lies 59 miles (95 km) north of Denver on the Cache La Poudre River at the eastern edge of the Front Range foothills. Fort Collins is the home of Colorado State University and is a major research center.
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 12m. Total distance: 61.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 12m 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 42.2 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 Fort Collins, 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 3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 3.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 4.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Fort Collins, 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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