Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 6, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
49m
Distance
41.2 mi
66 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Fort Collins, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Dacono, CO
Ofspace LLC, Culture
Fort Collins to Dacono is 41.2 miles and takes about 49m via Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, with a fuel budget near $7 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within Colorado, connecting two points in the Mountain West region. It's a short hop, primarily on surface roads, making it a straightforward trip. Given the minimal distance and estimated fuel cost, this route is ideal for a quick errand or connecting two nearby areas without much fuss.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway | 33.7 mi | 33m |
| East Mulberry Street | 3.9 mi | 7m |
| CO 52 | 2 mi | 3m |
| West Mulberry Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| South Sherwood Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| 6th Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Ash Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| South Meldrum Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 4 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~3,038 veh/hr typical · worst 3,710
Quietest
2 AM
~205 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
14.8×
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 Fort Collins, CO and Dacono, CO.
Start on South Sherwood Street
Continue on West Magnolia Street
Turn right onto South Meldrum Street
Turn left onto West Mulberry Street
Continue on East Mulberry Street
Take the exit
Merge onto I 25
Take the exit
Turn straight
Continue on CO 52
Turn straight
Turn slight right onto Colorado Boulevard
Turn left onto 6th Street
Turn right onto Ash Street
Turn left
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
21 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 41 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 20.6 miles from Fort Collins, 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 41 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn right onto South Meldrum Street
Navigation decision point
Turn left onto West Mulberry Street
Navigation decision point
Take the exit toward I 25 South: Denver
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward CO 52: Dacono, Fort Lupton
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Turn left onto 6th Street
Navigation decision point
Regular Gas
$6.95 one way
$13.90 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $7.34 | $14.67 |
| premium | $4.89 | $7.93 | $15.86 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $9.08 | $18.16 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 14.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 12.4 | 0 | $4.33 | $1.98 |
| Efficient EV | 10.3 | 0 | $3.61 | $1.65 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 16.5 | 0 | $5.77 | $2.64 |
Gas CO2
14 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (64% 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
Night in Fort Collins on Saturday
Local time
11:57 PM
MDT
Current temp
57°F
Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Partly Cloudy
Destination
Night in Dacono on Saturday
Local time
11:57 PM
MDT
Current temp
58°F
Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Partly Cloudy
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.
This drive features a low highway percentage, with only about 5% of the 41.2 miles on major highways. You'll spend the vast majority of your time on surface roads, as indicated by the "Mostly surface roads" profile. The longest continuous stretch on a highway is 33.7 miles on the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. Expect to transition from highway cruising to more local road navigation as you approach your destination.
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near South Meldrum Street.
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 41.2 miles you will encounter 8 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 (South Meldrum Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (West Mulberry Street): Navigation decision point; at 4.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
High-altitude sections with notable climbs
Total Climb
763 ft
Total Descent
743 ft
Highest Point
5,089 ft
~26.5 mi in
Elevation Range
242 ft
Notable High Points
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Fort Collins, CO to Dacono, CO, road signs begin pointing toward Fort Lupton along the way.
Fort Lupton
Founded 1864
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).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 49m. Total distance: 41.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
49m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (5%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
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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