Origin
Parker, CO
Late night in Parker on Tuesday
Local time
4:39 AM
MDT
Current temp
58°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Parker, 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
46m
Distance
32.5 mi
52 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 43m
★
6 AM
0h 47m
8 AM
0h 55m
10 AM
0h 50m
12 PM
0h 49m
3 PM
0h 50m
5 PM
0h 54m
8 PM
0h 45m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Parker, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Westminster, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Parker, CO to Westminster, CO is 32.5 miles and takes about 46m via South Parker Road and I-225, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within the Mountain West region, specifically Colorado, making it a straightforward local trip. It's a relatively short distance, suitable for a single-day excursion. You'll encounter a mix of road types, so be prepared for varied driving conditions. This route is best suited for those looking for a direct and efficient connection between these two Denver-area communities.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| South Parker Road | 10.4 mi | 15m |
| I 225 | 7.5 mi | 8m |
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway | 6.6 mi | 8m |
| Denver–Boulder Turnpike | 2.1 mi | 2m |
| Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway | 2.1 mi | 2m |
| West 80th Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Lowell Boulevard | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Federal Boulevard | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
South Parker Road
— 10.4 mi, about 15m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Parker, CO and Westminster, CO.
1
Start on South Pikes Peak Drive
100 ft
·
8 sec
·
South Pikes Peak Drive
2
Turn right onto East Mainstreet
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
East Mainstreet
3
Turn right onto CO 83
10 mi
·
15 min
·
South Parker Road
Use the right lane.
4
Take the exit
295 ft
·
7 sec
Toward I 225 South, I 225 North
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
Toward I 225 North
Use the slight right lane.
6
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
Toward I 225 North
Use the left / right lanes.
7
Merge onto I 225
7.5 mi
·
8 min
·
I 225
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight left at fork
0.8 mi
·
1 min
Exit 12A
Toward I 70 West: Denver
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
46 sec
Toward I 70 West: Denver
10
Merge onto I 70
2.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway
Use the straight lane.
11
Keep slight right at fork onto I 270
6.6 mi
·
8 min
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Exit 279A
Toward I 270 West: Boulder
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Continue on US 36
2.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Denver–Boulder Turnpike
13
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
Toward US 287: Federal Boulevard
Use the slight right lane.
14
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
Toward US 287 North: Federal Boulevard
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Turn straight onto US 287
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
·
Federal Boulevard
16
Turn left onto West 80th Avenue
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
West 80th Avenue
Use the left lane.
17
Turn left onto Lowell Boulevard
0.4 mi
·
44 sec
·
Lowell Boulevard
Use the left lane.
18
Turn right onto West 77th Avenue
0.2 mi
·
41 sec
·
West 77th Avenue
19
Turn right onto Newton Street
114 ft
·
5 sec
·
Newton Street
20
Arrive at destination
Newton Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
16 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 32.5 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 16.2 miles from Parker, 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 165 decision points cluster between mile 10.7 and 30.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
10.7 mi into trip
|
~16m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 225 North
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 225 North
8
10.9 mi into trip
|
~16m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 225 North
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / right lanes.
Toward I 225 North
8
18.7 mi into trip
|
~26m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 70 West: Denver
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 12A
Toward I 70 West: Denver
8
21.9 mi into trip
|
~30m in
|
I 270 / Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 270 / Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway toward I 270 West: Boulder
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 279A
Toward I 270 West: Boulder
8
30.8 mi into trip
|
~42m in
Keep slight right at fork toward US 287 North: Federal Boulevard
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward US 287 North: Federal Boulevard
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.90 one way
$9.79 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $5.18 | $10.37 |
| premium | $4.39 | $5.62 | $11.24 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.18 | $14.35 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.15
Denver–Boulder Turnpike
(2.1 mi)
$0.15
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Tolls
$0
Total
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.4 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 | 9.8 | 0 | $3.41 | $1.56 |
| Efficient EV | 8.1 | 0 | $2.84 | $1.30 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13 | 0 | $4.55 | $2.08 |
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
Late night in Westminster on Tuesday
Local time
4:39 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
22 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
46m 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?
About 30% of this 32.5-mile route is on highways, meaning you'll spend a good portion on surface streets. The longest continuous stretch on a single road is 10.4 miles on South Parker Road. Expect some merging and traffic as you transition between the surface roads and the Interstate. The profile is mixed highway and surface, so be ready for changes in speed limits and road conditions.
30% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.4 mi on South Parker Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
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 10.7 miles in.
Driving Effort
10/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 16 decision points packed into just 32.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 46m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 10.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 10.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 18.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
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 46m. Total distance: 32.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
46m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (30%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 10.4 miles on South Parker Road. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.15 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 3 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 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 10.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 10.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 18.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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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