Origin
Westminster, CO
Late night in Westminster on Tuesday
Local time
4:48 AM
MDT
Current temp
36°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Westminster, CO to Derby, 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
14m
Distance
7.6 mi
12 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Good
5 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 14m
★
6 AM
0h 15m
8 AM
0h 17m
10 AM
0h 16m
12 PM
0h 15m
3 PM
0h 16m
5 PM
0h 17m
8 PM
0h 14m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Westminster, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Derby, CO
@coldbeer
Trip Overview
This short 7.6-mile drive from Westminster to Derby, Colorado, is easily manageable in about 14 minutes, making it a perfect candidate for a single-day trip. You'll primarily navigate on the Denver–Boulder Turnpike and Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, with a portion of East 74th Avenue also in the mix. With a fuel cost estimated at just $1, this route is incredibly budget-friendly. Given its brevity and the mixed drive profile, no overnight stay is necessary. Both your origin and destination are within the Mountain West region, so you won't be crossing any major geographical divides on this quick journey.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Denver–Boulder Turnpike | 1.8 mi | 2m |
| East 74th Avenue | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway | 0.6 mi | <1m |
| Heartland Expressway | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| West 76th Avenue | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| North Vasquez Boulevard | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Kimberly Street | 0.3 mi | 1m |
| Irving Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Denver–Boulder Turnpike
— 1.8 mi, about 2m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Westminster, CO and Derby, CO.
1
Start on Newton Street
0.1 mi
·
39 sec
·
Newton Street
2
Turn left onto West 76th Avenue
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
West 76th Avenue
3
Turn right onto Irving Street
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
·
Irving Street
4
Turn left onto West 74th Avenue
0.2 mi
·
58 sec
·
West 74th Avenue
5
Turn left onto US 287
0.1 mi
·
23 sec
·
Federal Boulevard
Use the straight / left lanes.
6
Take the ramp
0.5 mi
·
54 sec
Toward US 36 East: Denver
Use the slight right lane.
7
Merge onto US 36
0.5 mi
·
36 sec
·
Denver–Boulder Turnpike
8
Keep slight right at fork onto US 36
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Denver–Boulder Turnpike
Toward I 25: Denver, Fort Collins
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Continue on I 270
0.6 mi
·
41 sec
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
1.2 mi
·
2 min
Exit 1
Toward I 76 East: Fort Morgan
11
Merge onto I 76
0.5 mi
·
35 sec
·
Heartland Expressway
12
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
Exit 8
Toward CO 224
Use the slight right lane.
13
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi
·
13 sec
Toward CO 224: Commerce City, 74th Avenue
Use the slight right lane.
14
Turn straight onto CO 224
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
East 74th Avenue
15
At end of road, turn left onto US 6; US 85
0.4 mi
·
37 sec
·
North Vasquez Boulevard
Use the left lane.
16
Turn right onto East 77th Avenue
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
East 77th Avenue
Use the right lane.
17
Turn left onto Kimberly Street
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Kimberly Street
18
Arrive at destination
Kimberly Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 145 decision points cluster between mile 0.8 and 6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.8 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
West 74th Avenue
Turn left onto West 74th Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
1.1 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
US 287 / Federal Boulevard
Turn left onto US 287 / Federal Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
8
2.3 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
US 36 / Denver–Boulder Turnpike
Keep slight right at fork onto US 36 / Denver–Boulder Turnpike toward I 25: Denver, Fort Collins
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 25: Denver, Fort Collins
7
5.9 mi into trip
|
~10m in
Take the exit toward CO 224
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 8
Toward CO 224
9
6 mi into trip
|
~11m in
Keep slight right at fork toward CO 224: Commerce City, 74th Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward CO 224: Commerce City, 74th Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.15 one way
$2.29 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $1.21 | $2.42 |
| premium | $4.39 | $1.31 | $2.63 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $1.68 | $3.36 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.13
Denver–Boulder Turnpike
(1.8 mi)
$0.13
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Tolls
$0
Total
$1
Estimated CO2 emission: 2.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2.3 | 0 | $0.80 | $0.36 |
| Efficient EV | 1.9 | 0 | $0.66 | $0.30 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 3 | 0 | $1.06 | $0.49 |
Gas CO2
3 kg
EV CO2
1 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
Derby, CO
Late night in Derby on Tuesday
Local time
4:48 AM
MDT
Current temp
58°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 warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
14m 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 mixed drive on this short excursion, with about 30% of your travel time spent on highways. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 1.8 miles on the Denver–Boulder Turnpike. While much of the route involves efficient travel on major arteries like the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, you'll also experience local road segments on East 74th Avenue. This blend means you'll transition between quicker highway speeds and more typical urban driving conditions as you progress from Westminster to Derby.
30% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 1.8 mi on Denver–Boulder Turnpike.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
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 0.8 miles in near West 74th Avenue.
Driving Effort
9/10
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 14 decision points packed into just 7.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 14m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.8 miles (West 74th Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1.1 miles (US 287 / Federal Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.3 miles (US 36 / Denver–Boulder Turnpike): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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 Westminster, CO to Derby, CO, road signs begin pointing toward Fort Collins along the way.
Fort Collins
2.3 mi in
|
~5m
|
via US 36
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 14m. Total distance: 7.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
14m 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 1.8 miles on Denver–Boulder Turnpike. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.13 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.
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 Derby, 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 0.8 miles (West 74th Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1.1 miles (US 287 / Federal Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.3 miles (US 36 / Denver–Boulder Turnpike): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Derby, 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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