Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 8, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
2h 16m
Distance
118.1 mi
190 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$20
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Fort Collins, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Gleneagle, CO
Mikhail Nilov
Fort Collins to Gleneagle is 118.1 miles and takes about 2h 16m via North Valley Highway and Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, with a fuel budget near $20 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Colorado, moving from the Mountain West region to another part of the Mountain West. Expect a drive primarily on surface roads, offering a more local feel compared to interstate travel. With no planned stops and a relatively short duration, this route is well-suited for a single-day excursion, allowing ample time for your destination.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
59.1 miles from Fort Collins, CO
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 6m into the drive .
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| North Valley Highway | 69.2 mi | 1h 18m |
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway | 41.4 mi | 41m |
| East Mulberry Street | 3.9 mi | 7m |
| Baptist Road | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| Gleneagle Drive | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| West Mulberry Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Palm Springs Drive | 0.3 mi | 1m |
| South Sherwood Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 34 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~5,089 veh/hr typical · worst 5,883
Quietest
2 AM
~361 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
14.1×
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 Gleneagle, 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
Continue on I 25
Keep slight right at fork onto I 25
Keep slight right at fork onto I 25
Take the exit
Turn left onto Baptist Road
Turn right onto Gleneagle Drive
Turn right onto Palm Springs Drive
Arrive at destination
Given the 2h 16m estimated drive time, leaving Fort Collins in the morning or early afternoon should allow you to reach Gleneagle with plenty of daylight. Since there are no recommended stops and the drive is under 3 hours, you can be flexible with your departure. The fuel cost is estimated at $20, so ensure your tank is full before you leave Fort Collins to avoid needing to stop for gas. Keep an eye on local traffic patterns, especially as you approach your destination, as the route utilizes primarily surface roads.
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 26 miles or 31m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 59.1 miles or 1h 6m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 48m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Gleneagle, CO than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Fort Collins, CO so your first major turns are already loaded.
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Fort Collins, CO
This is one driving day of about 118.1 miles and 2h 16m.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
59 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 26 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 59.1 miles from Fort Collins, CO, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before North Valley Highway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 69.2 miles.
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 4.5 and 117.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Take the exit toward I 25 South: Denver
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight right at fork onto I 25 / North Valley Highway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight right at fork onto I 25 / North Valley Highway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward Baptist Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Turn right onto Gleneagle Drive
Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$19.93 one way
$39.86 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $21.03 | $42.06 |
| premium | $4.89 | $22.73 | $45.45 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $26.03 | $52.07 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$20
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$45–$70
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 41.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $12 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 35.4 | 0 | $12.40 | $5.67 |
| Efficient EV | 29.5 | 0 | $10.33 | $4.72 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 47.2 | 0 | $16.53 | $7.56 |
Gas CO2
41 kg
EV CO2
14 kg (66% 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 Monday
Local time
10:10 PM
MDT
Current temp
92°F
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
Destination
Night in Gleneagle on Monday
Local time
10:10 PM
MDT
Current temp
90°F
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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.
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
National Monument
Beneath a grassy mountain valley in central Colorado lies one of the richest and most diverse fossil deposits in the world. Petrified redwood stumps up to 14 feet wide and thousands of detailed fossil...
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
This drive is mostly surface roads, meaning you won't be on the interstate for any significant portion. The longest continuous stretch on North Valley Highway is 69.2 miles. You'll experience a change from highway cruising to surface road driving, with frequent intersections and varying speed limits. Expect to navigate through developed areas with a higher density of exits and local traffic.
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 4.5 miles in.
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 118.1 miles you will encounter 10 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 4.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 46.8 miles (I 25 / North Valley Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 55.6 miles (I 25 / North Valley Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
High-altitude sections with notable climbs
Total Climb
2,758 ft
Total Descent
828 ft
Highest Point
7,196 ft
~109.7 mi in
Elevation Range
2,346 ft
Notable High Points
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 2h 16m. Total distance: 118.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 16m drive, comfortable solo distance.
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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