Fort Collins, CO to Twin Lakes, CO is 58.5 miles and takes about 1 hour 7 minutes via Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, with a fuel budget near $9 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip keeps you within the Mountain West region, traveling between two points in Colorado. The route primarily utilizes surface roads for most of the drive, offering a more local feel. With a short duration and minimal stops recommended, this is a straightforward option for a quick excursion.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
41.4 mi
41m
North Valley Highway
10.5 mi
12m
East Mulberry Street
3.9 mi
7m
Denver–Boulder Turnpike
0.6 mi
<1m
Pecos Street
0.5 mi
1m
West Mulberry Street
0.3 mi
<1m
South Sherwood Street
0.2 mi
<1m
South Meldrum Street
<0.1 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
— 41.4 mi, about 41m
Traffic on I-25
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 8 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~4,447 veh/hr typical
Quietest
1 AM
~384 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
11.6×
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 Twin Lakes, 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
41 mi·41 min·Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Continue on I 25
0.6 mi·36 sec·North Valley Highway
9
Keep slight right at fork onto I 25
8.8 mi·10 min·North Valley Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight right at fork onto I 25
1.1 mi·1 min·North Valley Highway
11
Take the exit
0.3 mi·37 sec
Exit 217AToward US 36 West: Westminster, BoulderUse the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight left at fork
189 ft·6 sec
Toward CO 224
13
Continue on this road
0.2 mi·27 sec·this road
Toward US 36 WestUse the left / straight lanes.
14
Merge onto US 36
0.6 mi·42 sec·Denver–Boulder Turnpike
15
Take the exit
0.2 mi·25 sec
Toward Pecos StreetUse the slight right lane.
16
Turn straight onto Pecos Street
0.5 mi·1 min·Pecos Street
17
Turn left onto West 70th Place
240 ft·10 sec·West 70th Place
18
Arrive at destination
West 70th Place
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
The midpoint is around 29.3 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.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 12
5 decision points cluster between mile 4.5 and 57.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
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
6
46.8 mi into trip|~51m 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 / slight right lanes.
8
56.7 mi into trip|~1h 3m in
Take the exit toward US 36 West: Westminster, 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 217A
Toward US 36 West: Westminster, Boulder
6
56.9 mi into trip|~1h 4m in
Keep slight left at fork toward CO 224
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward CO 224
6
57.8 mi into trip|~1h 5m in
Take the exit toward Pecos Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward Pecos Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.92 one way
$17.84 round trip
$3.87/gal25.4 MPG avg21 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.12
$9.48
$18.96
premium
$4.45
$10.26
$20.51
diesel
$4.80
$11.05
$22.09
Estimated Tolls: $0.04
Denver–Boulder Turnpike
(0.6 mi)$0.04
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Tolls
$0
Total
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 20.5 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging
· 0 stops
· 65% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
17.6
0
$6.14
$2.81
Efficient EV
14.6
0
$5.12
$2.34
EV Truck/SUV
23.4
0
$8.19
$3.74
Gas CO2
20 kg
EV CO2
7 kg (65% 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 Jul 9, 2026
Origin
Fort Collins, CO
Morning
in Fort Collins on Sunday
Local time
11:43 AM
MDT
Current temp
62°F
Partly Cloudy
NNE 3 mph1% chanceLive forecast
Flash Flood Watch
Flash Flood Watch issued July 9 at 3:07AM MDT until July 9 at 8:00PM MDT by NWS Pueblo CO
Flash Flood Watch
Flash Flood Watch issued July 9 at 3:07AM MDT until July 9 at 8:00PM MDT by NWS Pueblo CO
Destination
Twin Lakes, CO
Morning
in Twin Lakes on Sunday
Local time
11:43 AM
MDT
Current temp
63°F
Mostly Cloudy
WNW 5 mph3% chanceLive forecast
Flash Flood Watch
Flash Flood Watch issued July 9 at 3:07AM MDT until July 9 at 8:00PM MDT by NWS Pueblo CO
Flash Flood Watch
Flash Flood Watch issued July 9 at 3:07AM MDT until July 9 at 8:00PM MDT by NWS Pueblo CO
93°F
Erie, CO
29 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
1 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
1h 7m 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 drive is mostly surface roads, with only a small portion on highways. You'll spend the majority of your time on local streets, covering 58.5 miles in just over an hour. The longest stretch on a highway is 41.4 miles along the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. Expect to navigate through more developed areas with frequent intersections rather than long stretches of uninterrupted highway cruising.
Only 1% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 41.4 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 4.5 miles in.
Driving Effort10/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 58.5 miles you will encounter 12 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 56.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
High-altitude sections with notable climbs
5,326 ft4,850 ft
Total Climb
688 ft
Total Descent
445 ft
Highest Point
5,326 ft
~54.3 mi in
Elevation Range
476 ft
Notable High Points
4,958 ft at ~12.5 miles+32 ft prominence
5,031 ft at ~20.9 miles+26 ft prominence
5,326 ft at ~54.3 miles+38 ft prominence
Detours Along the Way
Tagged by where each one fits in your drive — first break, midpoint, final stretch.
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 7m. Total distance: 58.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 7m 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 41.4 miles on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.04 in tolls one way, starting with Denver–Boulder Turnpike. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.
Yes — we found about 4 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 Twin Lakes, 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 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 56.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Twin Lakes, CO before heading back.
