Origin
Westminster, CO
Late night in Westminster on Tuesday
Local time
3:04 AM
MDT
Current temp
36°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Westminster, CO to Columbine Valley, 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
33m
Distance
18.7 mi
30 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 31m
★
6 AM
0h 33m
8 AM
0h 39m
10 AM
0h 35m
12 PM
0h 35m
3 PM
0h 36m
5 PM
0h 39m
8 PM
0h 32m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Westminster, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Columbine Valley, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Westminster, CO to Columbine Valley, CO is 18.7 miles and takes about 33 minutes via US 85, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a short, straightforward trip within the Mountain West region, ideal for a single-day excursion. You'll be navigating primarily through suburban and urban environments, so expect consistent traffic and infrastructure. The drive is mostly on major roadways, making it a convenient option for local travel or a quick connection between points in the Denver metropolitan area. Plan for this to be a quick hop rather than an extensive journey.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 85 | 7.2 mi | 9m |
| Federal Boulevard | 4.6 mi | 9m |
| North Valley Highway | 3.1 mi | 4m |
| West Bowles Avenue | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Lowell Boulevard | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| North Speer Boulevard | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| West 72nd Avenue | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| South Middlefield Road | 0.4 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
US 85
— 7.2 mi, about 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Westminster, CO and Columbine Valley, CO.
1
Start on Newton Street
114 ft
·
11 sec
·
Newton Street
2
Turn left onto West 77th Avenue
0.2 mi
·
40 sec
·
West 77th Avenue
3
At end of road, turn right onto Lowell Boulevard
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Lowell Boulevard
4
Turn left onto West 72nd Avenue
0.5 mi
·
50 sec
·
West 72nd Avenue
5
Turn right onto US 287
4.6 mi
·
9 min
·
Federal Boulevard
Use the right lane.
6
Turn left onto North Speer Boulevard
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
North Speer Boulevard
Use the left lane.
7
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
Toward I 25 South: Colorado Springs
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Merge onto I 25
3.1 mi
·
4 min
·
North Valley Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit onto US 85
7.2 mi
·
9 min
·
US 85
Exit 207B
Toward US 85: Santa Fe Drive
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Turn right onto West Bowles Avenue
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
West Bowles Avenue
11
Turn left onto South Middlefield Road
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
South Middlefield Road
12
Turn left onto Niblick Lane
0.2 mi
·
53 sec
·
Niblick Lane
13
Arrive at destination
Niblick Lane
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 9.9 — 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
|
West 77th Avenue
Turn left onto West 77th Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Lowell Boulevard
At end of road, turn right onto Lowell Boulevard
Navigation decision point
6
1.3 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
US 287 / Federal Boulevard
Turn right onto US 287 / Federal Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
5.9 mi into trip
|
~12m in
|
North Speer Boulevard
Turn left onto North Speer Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
9.9 mi into trip
|
~18m in
|
US 85
Take the exit onto US 85 toward US 85: Santa Fe Drive
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 207B
Toward US 85: Santa Fe Drive
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.82 one way
$5.64 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $2.98 | $5.97 |
| premium | $4.39 | $3.23 | $6.47 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.13 | $8.26 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.6 | 0 | $1.96 | $0.90 |
| Efficient EV | 4.7 | 0 | $1.64 | $0.75 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.5 | 0 | $2.62 | $1.20 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
Columbine Valley, CO
Late night in Columbine Valley on Tuesday
Local time
3:04 AM
MDT
Current temp
35°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
1 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
33m 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 about 39% of the total mileage on highways. You'll encounter stretches on US 85, Federal Boulevard, and North Valley Highway, indicating a blend of faster highway travel and more local road conditions. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll experience is about 7.2 miles on US 85. As you progress, you'll notice the transition from potentially more open highway driving to the closer proximity of urban development. Expect a varied pace, with opportunities for quicker travel interspersed with more typical in-town driving.
39% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 7.2 mi on US 85.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near West 77th Avenue.
Driving Effort
5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 18.7 miles you will encounter 10 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 (West 77th Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (Lowell Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 1.3 miles (US 287 / Federal Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting 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 33m. Total distance: 18.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
33m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (39%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 7.2 miles on US 85. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 (West 77th Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (Lowell Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 1.3 miles (US 287 / Federal Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Columbine Valley, 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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