Origin
Wellington, CO
Late night in Wellington on Sunday
Local time
5:27 AM
MDT
Current temp
41°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Wellington, CO to Arvada, CO
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 15m
Distance
68 mi
110 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$10
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 10m
★
6 AM
1h 16m
8 AM
1h 28m
10 AM
1h 20m
12 PM
1h 19m
3 PM
1h 20m
5 PM
1h 27m
8 PM
1h 12m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Wellington, CO
Adrien Olichon
Arvada, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Wellington to Arvada is 68 miles and takes about 1 hour 15 minutes via Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, with a fuel budget near $10 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within the Mountain West region, connecting two points in Colorado. Expect a local feel for much of this trip, rather than a pure interstate cruise. It's a straightforward journey that's easy to fit into a single day, making it a convenient option for connecting these two areas.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway | 49.9 mi | 49m |
| North Valley Highway | 10.9 mi | 13m |
| Heartland Expressway | 3.2 mi | 3m |
| Ralston Road | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| Cleveland Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Sheridan Boulevard | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Ammons Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
— 49.9 mi, about 49m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Wellington, CO and Arvada, CO.
1
Start on CO 1
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Cleveland Avenue
2
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
3
Merge onto I 25
50 mi
·
49 min
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
Continue on I 25
0.6 mi
·
36 sec
·
North Valley Highway
5
Keep slight right at fork onto I 25
8.8 mi
·
10 min
·
North Valley Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Keep slight right at fork onto I 25
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
North Valley Highway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.9 mi
·
1 min
Exit 216
Toward I 76 West: Arvada, Grand Junction
Use the slight right lane.
8
Merge onto I 76
3.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Heartland Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
26 sec
Exit 1B
Toward CO 95: Sheridan Boulevard
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Turn right onto CO 95
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
·
Sheridan Boulevard
11
Turn left onto Ralston Road
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Ralston Road
Use the left lane.
12
Turn right onto Ammons Street
227 ft
·
13 sec
·
Ammons Street
13
Turn left
41 ft
·
3 sec
14
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
34 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 15 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 34 miles from Wellington, 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 115 decision points cluster between mile 0.7 and 65.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.7 mi into trip
|
~1m 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
51.3 mi into trip
|
~52m 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.
6
60.1 mi into trip
|
~1h 2m 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 left lanes.
8
61.5 mi into trip
|
~1h 5m in
Take the exit toward I 76 West: Arvada, Grand Junction
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 216
Toward I 76 West: Arvada, Grand Junction
7
65.7 mi into trip
|
~1h 10m in
Take the exit toward CO 95: Sheridan Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 1B
Toward CO 95: Sheridan Boulevard
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$10.25 one way
$20.49 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
24 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $10.85 | $21.70 |
| premium | $4.39 | $11.76 | $23.53 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $15.01 | $30.03 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 23.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 20.4 | 0 | $7.14 | $3.26 |
| Efficient EV | 17 | 0 | $5.95 | $2.72 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 27.2 | 0 | $9.52 | $4.35 |
Gas CO2
24 kg
EV CO2
8 kg (67% 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
Arvada, CO
Late night in Arvada on Sunday
Local time
5:27 AM
MDT
Current temp
46°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
5 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 15m 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 is characterized as a turn-heavy local drive, with only a 5% share of highway driving. You'll experience a mix of roads, including segments on the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, North Valley Highway, and Heartland Expressway. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 49.9 miles on the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. Be prepared for frequent turns and a more intimate connection with the local landscape as you navigate this path.
Only 5% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 49.9 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 0.7 miles in near I 25 / Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway.
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 68 miles you will encounter 11 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 0.7 miles (I 25 / Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 51.3 miles (I 25 / North Valley Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 60.1 miles (I 25 / North Valley Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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.
On the drive from Wellington, CO to Arvada, CO, road signs begin pointing toward Grand Junction along the way.
Grand Junction
61.5 mi in
|
~1h 5m
About the Cities
Arriving in Arvada, CO
Full guide →Arvada is a city of about 125,000 in the Denver Metropolitan Area of the U.S. state of Colorado. A former farming community in Jefferson and Adams counties, the city is now a residential suburb of Denver. Olde Town Arvada lies 7 miles (11 km) northwest of the Colorado State Capitol and 9 miles (14 km) east of the Front Range foothills.
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 15m. Total distance: 68 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 15m 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 49.9 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 Arvada, 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 0.7 miles (I 25 / Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 51.3 miles (I 25 / North Valley Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 60.1 miles (I 25 / North Valley Highway): 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 Arvada, 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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