Origin
La Salle, CO
Afternoon in La Salle on Sunday
Local time
2:23 PM
MDT
Current temp
80°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from La Salle, CO to Fort Collins, CO
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
54m
Distance
36 mi
58 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 50m
★
6 AM
0h 55m
8 AM
1h 4m
10 AM
0h 58m
12 PM
0h 57m
3 PM
0h 58m
5 PM
1h 3m
8 PM
0h 52m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
La Salle, CO
Miguel Cuenca
Fort Collins, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
La Salle to Fort Collins is 36 miles and takes about 54 minutes via Highway 34 and Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a straightforward, single-day trip within Colorado's Mountain West region. You'll encounter a mixed drive, primarily using major roads that connect these two nearby communities. The relatively short distance and manageable duration make this an easy addition to a larger Colorado itinerary or a quick local excursion. Plan for a simple journey with minimal complexity.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Highway 34 | 14.9 mi | 24m |
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway | 11.6 mi | 11m |
| East Mulberry Street | 4 mi | 7m |
| 11th Avenue | 1 mi | 1m |
| Highway 85 | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| East Eisenhower Boulevard | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| CanAm Highway | 0.6 mi | <1m |
| North 2nd Street | 0.5 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Highway 34
— 14.9 mi, about 24m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between La Salle, CO and Fort Collins, CO.
1
Start on Main Street
168 ft
·
4 sec
·
Main Street
2
Continue on 1st Avenue
0.1 mi
·
23 sec
·
1st Avenue
3
Turn right onto US 85
0.5 mi
·
47 sec
·
North 2nd Street
Use the straight lane.
4
Continue on US 85
0.6 mi
·
53 sec
·
CanAm Highway
Use the straight lane.
5
Continue on US 85
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Highway 85
Use the straight lane.
6
Turn left onto 37th Street
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
37th Street
Use the left lane.
7
Turn right onto 11th Avenue
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
11th Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
Turn left onto US 34
15 mi
·
24 min
·
Highway 34
Use the left lane.
9
Continue on US 34
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
East Eisenhower Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
10
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 25 North: Fort Collins
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Merge onto I 25
12 mi
·
11 min
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
12
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
Exit 269B
Toward CO 14 West: Fort Collins
13
Merge onto CO 14
4.0 mi
·
7 min
·
East Mulberry Street
Use the straight lane.
14
Continue on West Mulberry Street
0.3 mi
·
45 sec
·
West Mulberry Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
15
Turn right onto South Meldrum Street
499 ft
·
29 sec
·
South Meldrum Street
16
Turn left onto West Magnolia Street
476 ft
·
18 sec
·
West Magnolia Street
17
Continue on South Sherwood Street
0.2 mi
·
39 sec
·
South Sherwood Street
18
Arrive at destination
South Sherwood Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
18 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.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 36 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 18 miles from La Salle, 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 105 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 31.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
US 85 / North 2nd Street
Turn right onto US 85 / North 2nd Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
6
2.2 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
37th Street
Turn left onto 37th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
2.3 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
11th Avenue
Turn right onto 11th Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
19 mi into trip
|
~31m in
Take the exit toward I 25 North: Fort Collins
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 25 North: Fort Collins
5
31.2 mi into trip
|
~44m in
Take the exit toward CO 14 West: Fort Collins
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 269B
Toward CO 14 West: Fort Collins
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.42 one way
$10.85 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
13 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $5.74 | $11.49 |
| premium | $4.39 | $6.23 | $12.46 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.95 | $15.90 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10.8 | 0 | $3.78 | $1.73 |
| Efficient EV | 9 | 0 | $3.15 | $1.44 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 14.4 | 0 | $5.04 | $2.30 |
Gas CO2
13 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (69% 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.
Destination
Fort Collins, CO
Afternoon in Fort Collins on Sunday
Local time
2:23 PM
MDT
Current temp
32°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
80°F
Johnstown, CO
18 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
48 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
54m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
This route offers a mixed drive experience, with 44% of your travel on highways. Expect stretches on Highway 34 and Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, which are generally efficient for covering ground. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 14.9 miles on Highway 34, allowing for a consistent pace. As you approach Fort Collins, you'll transition onto East Mulberry Street, a more local artery. Overall, the drive is characterized by smooth, predictable roadways that facilitate a quick and easy transit between La Salle and Fort Collins.
44% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 14.9 mi on Highway 34.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. 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 US 85 / North 2nd Street.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 10 decision points packed into just 36 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 0.2 miles (US 85 / North 2nd Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.2 miles (37th Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.3 miles (11th Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Arriving in Fort Collins, CO
Full guide →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).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 54m. Total distance: 36 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.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (44%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 14.9 miles on Highway 34. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 Fort Collins, 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 (US 85 / North 2nd Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.2 miles (37th Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.3 miles (11th Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Fort Collins, CO before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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