Fort Collins to Nederland is 71 miles and takes about 1 hour 39 minutes via Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, with a fuel budget near $11 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. With most of the drive on surface roads, expect a more scenic and potentially slower pace than a pure interstate experience. It's a manageable distance, making it a good option for a single-day excursion where you can take your time.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
35.5 miles from Fort Collins, CO
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 41m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
28.7 mi
28m
Boulder Canyon Drive
15.2 mi
27m
Diagonal Highway
9.3 mi
12m
East Ken Pratt Boulevard
5.4 mi
8m
East Mulberry Street
3.9 mi
7m
Highway 119
3 mi
3m
Canyon Boulevard
2 mi
4m
Foothills Parkway
1.1 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
— 28.7 mi, about 28m
Traffic on I-25
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 2 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~2,825 veh/hr typical
· worst 3,372
Quietest
2 AM
~208 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
13.6×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 52 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Fort Collins, CO and Nederland, CO.
1
Start on South Sherwood Street
0.2 mi·41 sec·South Sherwood Street
2
Continue on West Magnolia Street
476 ft·20 sec·West Magnolia Street
3
Turn right onto South Meldrum Street
499 ft·29 sec·South Meldrum Street
4
Turn left onto West Mulberry Street
0.3 mi·42 sec·West Mulberry Street
5
Continue on East Mulberry Street
3.9 mi·7 min·East Mulberry Street
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.3 mi·33 sec
Toward I 25 South: DenverUse the right lane.
7
Merge onto I 25
29 mi·28 min·Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
8
Take the exit
0.3 mi·29 sec
Exit 240Toward CO 119 WestUse the slight right lane.
9
Turn right onto CO 119
3.0 mi·3 min·Highway 119
10
Continue on CO 119
5.4 mi·8 min·East Ken Pratt Boulevard
Use the straight / right lanes.
11
Continue on CO 119
9.3 mi·12 min·Diagonal Highway
Use the straight lane.
12
Continue on CO 157
1.1 mi·1 min·Foothills Parkway
13
Take the exit
0.1 mi·19 sec
Toward Pearl StreetUse the right lane.
14
Keep slight right at fork
262 ft·7 sec
15
Turn straight onto Pearl Parkway
0.3 mi·41 sec·Pearl Parkway
16
Continue on Pearl Street
0.3 mi·53 sec·Pearl Street
Use the straight lane.
17
Turn left onto US 36; CO 119
0.3 mi·49 sec·28th Street
Use the left lane.
18
Turn right onto CO 119
2.0 mi·4 min·Canyon Boulevard
Use the straight / right lanes.
19
Continue on CO 119
15 mi·27 min·Boulder Canyon Drive
Use the straight lane.
20
Enter roundabout onto CO 119; CO 72
121 ft·2 sec·North Bridge Street
21
Continue on CO 119; CO 72
409 ft·12 sec·North Bridge Street
22
Arrive at destination
CO 119; CO 72
Trip Plan
Given the 1 hour 39 minute drive time, it's easy to complete this trip in a single day. Consider leaving Fort Collins in the morning to maximize your time in Nederland. The majority of this route is on surface roads, so plan for a slightly slower pace than you might expect from the total mileage. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, as the longest stretch without a significant change in road type is 28.7 miles, and fuel stops might be less frequent once you're off the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway.
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.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 35.5 miles from Fort Collins, CO, or about 41m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 28.7 miles.
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 16 miles or 21m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 35.5 miles or 41m 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 20m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Nederland, CO than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Fort Collins, CO so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Fort Collins, CO
This is one driving day of about 71 miles and 1h 39m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 16 miles from Fort Collins, CO.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway for about 28.7 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 10
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 52.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.2 mi into trip|~1m in|South Meldrum Street
Turn right onto South Meldrum Street
Navigation decision point
5
0.3 mi into trip|~1m in|West Mulberry Street
Turn left onto West Mulberry Street
Navigation decision point
6
4.5 mi into trip|~9m in
Take the exit toward I 25 South: Denver
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward I 25 South: Denver
7
33.4 mi into trip|~38m in
Take the exit toward CO 119 West
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 240
Toward CO 119 West
6
52.5 mi into trip|~1h 4m in
Take the exit toward Pearl Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward Pearl Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$11.08 one way
$22.16 round trip
$3.96/gal25.4 MPG avg25 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.22
$11.79
$23.59
premium
$4.54
$12.68
$25.36
diesel
$5.40
$15.10
$30.21
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$11
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$36–$61
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 24.8 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging
· 0 stops
· 68% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
21.3
0
$7.46
$3.41
Efficient EV
17.8
0
$6.21
$2.84
EV Truck/SUV
28.4
0
$9.94
$4.54
Gas CO2
25 kg
EV CO2
8 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.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Forecast as of Apr 24, 2026
Origin
Fort Collins, CO
Evening
in Fort Collins on Saturday
Local time
5:47 PM
MDT
Current temp
71°F
Sunny
SSW 6 to 16 mph3% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Nederland, CO
Evening
in Nederland on Saturday
Local time
5:47 PM
MDT
Current temp
27°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
44 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 39m on the road
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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This route is mostly surface roads, with only 6% on the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. You'll experience 28.7 miles on the highway before transitioning to surface streets. Expect a more rural cruising feel once you leave the main highway, with fewer exits and more local traffic to navigate.
Only 6% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 28.7 mi on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
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 0.2 miles in near South Meldrum Street.
Driving Effort7/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 71 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 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.
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.
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 39m. Total distance: 71 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 39m drive, comfortable solo distance.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 28.7 miles on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 6 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
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 Nederland, 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 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.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Nederland, CO before heading back.
