Origin
Littleton, CO
Late night in Littleton on Tuesday
Local time
3:20 AM
MDT
Current temp
35°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Littleton, CO to Fort Collins, CO
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 27m
Distance
73.6 mi
118 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$11
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 21m
★
6 AM
1h 28m
8 AM
1h 41m
10 AM
1h 33m
12 PM
1h 31m
3 PM
1h 33m
5 PM
1h 41m
8 PM
1h 24m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Littleton, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Fort Collins, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Stretching 73.9 miles from Littleton to Fort Collins, this trip typically takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes of drive time. Because the duration is quite manageable, this route works perfectly as a straightforward day trip, meaning you won't need to worry about overnight logistics. You should budget approximately $11 for fuel to cover the distance between these two Mountain West locations. Navigating through local streets like South Nevada Street, West Main Street, and US 85 keeps the journey grounded in the region's local infrastructure. It is a practical, no-nonsense connection that gets you from point A to point B without requiring a multi-day itinerary.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway | 41.7 mi | 41m |
| South Valley Highway | 10 mi | 13m |
| North Valley Highway | 9.6 mi | 11m |
| South Santa Fe Drive | 6.4 mi | 7m |
| East Mulberry Street | 4 mi | 7m |
| US 85 | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| West Mulberry Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| South Sherwood Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
— 41.7 mi, about 41m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Littleton, CO and Fort Collins, CO.
1
Start on this road
35 ft
·
4 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right
157 ft
·
13 sec
3
Turn right onto South Nevada Street
176 ft
·
15 sec
·
South Nevada Street
4
Turn left onto West Main Street
0.1 mi
·
29 sec
·
West Main Street
5
Take the ramp
380 ft
·
10 sec
Toward US 85
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Merge onto US 85
6.4 mi
·
7 min
·
South Santa Fe Drive
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit onto US 85
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
US 85
Toward I 25 North: Fort Collins
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
Merge onto I 25
10 mi
·
13 min
·
South Valley Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight right at fork onto I 25
4.3 mi
·
5 min
·
North Valley Highway
Use the slight right lane.
10
Keep slight right at fork onto I 25
5.3 mi
·
5 min
·
North Valley Highway
Use the straight / right lanes.
11
Continue on I 25
42 mi
·
41 min
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
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
37 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 16 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 36.8 miles from Littleton, 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 135 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 21.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
Turn right
Navigation decision point
7
0.2 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Take the ramp toward US 85
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward US 85
6
6.7 mi into trip
|
~8m in
|
US 85
Take the exit onto US 85 toward I 25 North: Fort Collins
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Toward I 25 North: Fort Collins
6
17.5 mi into trip
|
~24m 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 slight right lane.
6
21.9 mi into trip
|
~30m 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 / right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$11.09 one way
$22.18 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
26 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $11.74 | $23.48 |
| premium | $4.39 | $12.73 | $25.46 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $16.25 | $32.50 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$11
Estimated CO2 emission: 25.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $8 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 22.1 | 0 | $7.73 | $3.53 |
| Efficient EV | 18.4 | 0 | $6.44 | $2.94 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 29.4 | 0 | $10.30 | $4.71 |
Gas CO2
26 kg
EV CO2
9 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.
Destination
Fort Collins, CO
Late night in Fort Collins on Tuesday
Local time
3:20 AM
MDT
Current temp
32°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
3 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 27m 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?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive rather than a monotonous interstate cruise, as this route features a 0% highway share. You will navigate through various local roads, requiring your full attention as you transition between urban and suburban environments. Since there is no single long, uninterrupted stretch of highway, the personality of the drive remains consistent and engaging throughout the 73.9-mile journey. Be prepared for frequent turns and a steady pace that reflects the local character of the roads. This is a hands-on driving experience that demands awareness of your surroundings as you navigate away from Littleton and toward Fort Collins.
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: 41.7 mi on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
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 early in the drive.
Driving Effort
8/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 73.6 miles you will encounter 13 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: near the start: Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 6.7 miles (US 85): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Littleton, CO
Full guide →Littleton is a city of about 45,000 in the Denver Metropolitan Area of the western U.S. state of Colorado. The seat of Arapahoe County and also extending into adjacent Arapahoe and Douglas counties, the city lies south of Denver along the South Platte River. A former farming community, Littleton is now a residential suburb of Denver.
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 1h 27m. Total distance: 73.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 27m 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 41.7 miles on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. 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: near the start: Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 6.7 miles (US 85): 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 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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