Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
54m
Distance
43.5 mi
70 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Federal Heights, CO
Mark Stebnicki
Loveland, CO
Wikimedia Commons
The drive from Federal Heights, CO to Loveland, CO covers 43.5 miles and takes about 54m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, North Valley Highway, 14th Street Southeast for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 27.3 miles on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $7.34 one way before food or hotel costs.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway | 27.3 mi | 27m |
| North Valley Highway | 7.5 mi | 8m |
| 14th Street Southeast | 3.7 mi | 6m |
| South Lincoln Avenue | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Thornton Parkway | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Pecos Street | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| East State Highway 402 | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| West 85th Avenue | 0.4 mi | 1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 16 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~4,564 veh/hr typical
Quietest
1 AM
~381 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
12×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 104 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Federal Heights, CO and Loveland, CO.
Start on West 85th Avenue
At end of road, turn right onto Pecos Street
Turn right onto Thornton Parkway
Turn left
Merge onto I 25
Keep slight right at fork onto I 25
Continue on I 25
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Enter roundabout onto CO 402
Continue on CO 402
Enter roundabout onto CO 402
Continue on CO 402
Continue on CO 402
Take the ramp
Merge onto US 287
Turn left onto East 6th Street
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
22 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 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 21.8 miles from Federal Heights, 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 0.4 and 37.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
At end of road, turn right onto Pecos Street
Lane positioning matters here
Turn right onto Thornton Parkway
Lane positioning matters here
Turn left toward I 25 North: Fort Collins, Cheyenne
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork onto I 25 / North Valley Highway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight left at fork toward SH 402: Loveland and Greeley Canal
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Regular Gas
$7.34 one way
$14.68 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $7.75 | $15.49 |
| premium | $4.89 | $8.37 | $16.74 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $9.59 | $19.18 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 15.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 13.1 | 0 | $4.57 | $2.09 |
| Efficient EV | 10.9 | 0 | $3.81 | $1.74 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 17.4 | 0 | $6.09 | $2.78 |
Gas CO2
15 kg
EV CO2
5 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Late night in Federal Heights on Friday
Local time
5:51 AM
MDT
Current temp
64°F
Mostly Clear
Destination
Late night in Loveland on Friday
Local time
5:51 AM
MDT
Current temp
62°F
Mostly Clear
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
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.
43.5 mi in 54m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.
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 0.4 miles in near Pecos Street.
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 43.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 54m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles (Pecos Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.2 miles (Thornton Parkway): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
High-altitude sections with notable climbs
Total Climb
272 ft
Total Descent
586 ft
Highest Point
5,298 ft
Elevation Range
426 ft
Notable High Points
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Federal Heights, CO and Loveland, CO, road signs point toward Cheyenne and Sh 402: Loveland And Greeley Canal.
Cheyenne
Sh 402: Loveland And Greeley Canal
Founded 1877
Loveland is a city in the region of Colorado. There is a large population of artists in Loveland, which has drawn three foundries, an art museum, and the annual sculpture shows in August. The city lies on the Big Thompson River in Larimer County 26 miles (42 km) east of Rocky Mountain National Park and 46 miles (74 km) north of Denver. In 2020, the population of the City of Loveland was 78,000. The city is a popular retirement haven and a major business center.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 54m. Total distance: 43.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
54m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
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, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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