Origin
Mead, CO
Morning in Mead on Tuesday
Local time
9:18 AM
MDT
Current temp
34°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Mead, CO to Westminster, 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
39m
Distance
30.9 mi
50 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 36m
★
6 AM
0h 40m
8 AM
0h 46m
10 AM
0h 42m
12 PM
0h 41m
3 PM
0h 42m
5 PM
0h 46m
8 PM
0h 38m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Mead, CO
Mikhail Nilov
Westminster, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Mead, CO to Westminster, CO is 30.9 miles and takes about 39m via Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This quick trip stays within the Mountain West region, connecting two points in Colorado. Expect a local, turn-heavy drive that's more about navigating neighborhoods and local roads than open highway cruising. It's a straightforward journey, perfect for a short day trip or an easy relocation without needing an overnight stay.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway | 17.3 mi | 17m |
| North Valley Highway | 7.6 mi | 8m |
| Federal Boulevard | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| Thornton Parkway | 1 mi | 2m |
| West 92nd Avenue | 1 mi | 2m |
| Welker Avenue | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| West 80th Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Lowell Boulevard | 0.4 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
— 17.3 mi, about 17m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Mead, CO and Westminster, CO.
1
Start on 3rd Street
27 ft
·
6 sec
·
3rd Street
2
Turn left onto Welker Avenue
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Welker Avenue
3
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
4
Merge onto I 25
17 mi
·
17 min
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Continue on I 25
0.6 mi
·
36 sec
·
North Valley Highway
6
Keep slight right at fork onto I 25
7.0 mi
·
8 min
·
North Valley Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
Exit 220
Toward Thornton Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight right at fork
210 ft
·
4 sec
Toward Thornton Parkway West, Water World, Thornton Park-n-Ride
9
Turn straight onto Thornton Parkway
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Thornton Parkway
10
Continue on West 92nd Avenue
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
West 92nd Avenue
11
Turn left onto US 287
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
Federal Boulevard
Use the left lane.
12
Turn right onto West 80th Avenue
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
West 80th Avenue
Use the right lane.
13
Turn left onto Lowell Boulevard
0.4 mi
·
44 sec
·
Lowell Boulevard
Use the left lane.
14
Turn right onto West 77th Avenue
0.2 mi
·
41 sec
·
West 77th Avenue
15
Turn right onto Newton Street
114 ft
·
5 sec
·
Newton Street
16
Arrive at destination
Newton Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 115 decision points cluster between mile 1.1 and 30.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
1.1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
I 25 / Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Merge onto I 25 / Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
19 mi into trip
|
~20m 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.
7
26 mi into trip
|
~28m in
Take the exit toward Thornton Parkway
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 220
Toward Thornton Parkway
7
26.3 mi into trip
|
~29m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Thornton Parkway West, Water World, Thornton Park-n-Ride
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward Thornton Parkway West, Water World, Thor...
6
30.3 mi into trip
|
~38m in
|
Lowell Boulevard
Turn left onto Lowell Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.66 one way
$9.31 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $4.93 | $9.86 |
| premium | $4.39 | $5.35 | $10.69 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.82 | $13.64 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.3 | 0 | $3.24 | $1.48 |
| Efficient EV | 7.7 | 0 | $2.70 | $1.24 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.4 | 0 | $4.33 | $1.98 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% 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
Westminster, CO
Morning in Westminster on Tuesday
Local time
9:18 AM
MDT
Current temp
36°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
2 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
39m 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 drive is characterized as a "Turn-heavy local drive," meaning you'll be making frequent turns and navigating through more populated areas rather than long, open stretches. With a highway share of only 3, the majority of your time will be spent on local roads. The longest uninterrupted stretch is 17.3 miles on the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, offering a brief period of faster travel before you transition back to more intricate local routes. Be prepared for a dynamic driving experience with constant adjustments.
Only 3% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 17.3 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 around 1.1 miles in near I 25 / Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 30.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 39m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.1 miles (I 25 / Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 19 miles (I 25 / North Valley Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 26 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Mead, CO and Westminster, CO, road signs point toward Thornton Parkway West, Water World and Thornton Park-N-Ride.
Thornton Parkway West
26.3 mi in
|
~29m
Water World
26.3 mi in
|
~29m
Thornton Park-N-Ride
26.3 mi in
|
~29m
About the Cities
Arriving in Westminster, CO
Full guide →Founded 1859
Westminster is a city of about 115,000 in the Denver Metropolitan Area of the western U.S. state of Colorado. The city lies northwest of Denver in Adams and Jefferson counties.
Top landmarks
- • Bowles House — listed on the NRHP in Colorado
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 39m. Total distance: 30.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
39m 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 17.3 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 Westminster, 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 1.1 miles (I 25 / Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 19 miles (I 25 / North Valley Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 26 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 Westminster, 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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