Origin
Westminster, CO
Night in Westminster on Wednesday
Local time
11:16 PM
MDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Westminster, CO to Estes Park, CO
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 3, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 25m
Distance
56.4 mi
91 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$10
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 19m
★
6 AM
1h 26m
8 AM
1h 39m
10 AM
1h 30m
12 PM
1h 29m
3 PM
1h 31m
5 PM
1h 38m
8 PM
1h 22m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Westminster, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Estes Park, CO
Jacob Moore
Trip Overview
The drive from Westminster, CO to Estes Park, CO covers 56.4 miles and takes about 1h 25m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Denver–Boulder Turnpike, 28th Street, East Highway 36 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed highway & surface. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 17.3 miles on Denver–Boulder Turnpike. At current regular gas prices, budget about $9.52 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Denver–Boulder Turnpike | 17.3 mi | 20m |
| 28th Street | 15.5 mi | 22m |
| East Highway 36 | 12 mi | 19m |
| North Saint Vrain Avenue | 7.6 mi | 13m |
| Ute Highway | 1 mi | 1m |
| West Main Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| West 80th Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Main Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Denver–Boulder Turnpike
— 17.3 mi, about 20m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Westminster, CO and Estes Park, CO.
1
Start on Newton Street
0.1 mi
·
26 sec
·
Newton Street
2
Turn right onto West 78th Avenue
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
·
West 78th Avenue
3
At end of road, turn right onto North Turnpike Drive
106 ft
·
10 sec
·
North Turnpike Drive
4
Turn left onto Lowell Boulevard
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
·
Lowell Boulevard
Use the left lane.
5
Turn right onto West 80th Avenue
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
West 80th Avenue
6
Turn right onto US 287
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
·
Federal Boulevard
Use the right lane.
7
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
Toward US 36 West: Boulder
Use the right lane.
8
Merge onto US 36
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
Denver–Boulder Turnpike
9
Keep slight right at fork onto US 36
2.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Denver–Boulder Turnpike
10
Keep slight right at fork onto US 36
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Denver–Boulder Turnpike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight right at fork onto US 36
2.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Denver–Boulder Turnpike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight right at fork onto US 36
2.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Denver–Boulder Turnpike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight right at fork onto US 36
2.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Denver–Boulder Turnpike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Keep slight right at fork onto US 36
2.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Denver–Boulder Turnpike
15
Keep slight left at fork onto US 36
2.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Denver–Boulder Turnpike
Use the straight lane.
16
Continue on US 36
16 mi
·
22 min
·
28th Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
17
Turn left onto US 36
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Ute Highway
Use the left / straight lanes.
18
Continue on US 36
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Main Street
Use the straight lane.
19
Continue on US 36
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
West Main Street
Use the slight right lane.
20
Continue on US 36
6.1 mi
·
10 min
·
North Saint Vrain Avenue
Use the straight lane.
21
Continue on US 36
12 mi
·
19 min
·
East Highway 36
Use the straight lane.
22
Continue on US 36
0.5 mi
·
51 sec
·
North Saint Vrain Avenue
Use the straight lane.
23
Enter roundabout onto US 36
56 ft
·
0 sec
·
North Saint Vrain Avenue
24
Continue on US 36
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
North Saint Vrain Avenue
Use the left / straight lanes.
25
Turn left onto US 36; US 34 BUS
0.3 mi
·
53 sec
·
East Elkhorn Avenue
26
Turn right onto Virginia Drive
219 ft
·
7 sec
·
Virginia Drive
Use the straight / right lanes.
27
Arrive at destination
Park Lane
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
28 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 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 28.2 miles from Westminster, 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 195 decision points cluster between mile 0.3 and 56.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
0.3 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Lowell Boulevard
Turn left onto Lowell Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
US 287 / Federal Boulevard
Turn right onto US 287 / Federal Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
5 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
US 36 / Denver–Boulder Turnpike
Keep slight right at fork onto US 36 / Denver–Boulder Turnpike
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
6.9 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
US 36 / Denver–Boulder Turnpike
Keep slight right at fork onto US 36 / Denver–Boulder Turnpike
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
56.4 mi into trip
|
~1h 25m in
|
Virginia Drive
Turn right onto Virginia Drive
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$9.52 one way
$19.03 round trip
$4.29/gal
25.4 MPG avg
20 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $10.04 | $20.09 |
| premium | $4.89 | $10.85 | $21.71 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $12.43 | $24.86 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.21
Denver–Boulder Turnpike
(17.3 mi)
$1.21
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$10
Tolls
$1
Total
$11
Estimated CO2 emission: 19.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 16.9 | 0 | $5.92 | $2.71 |
| Efficient EV | 14.1 | 0 | $4.94 | $2.26 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 22.6 | 0 | $7.90 | $3.61 |
Gas CO2
20 kg
EV CO2
7 kg (65% 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
Estes Park, CO
Night in Estes Park on Wednesday
Local time
11:16 PM
MDT
Current temp
48°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
13 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
1h 25m 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?
56.4 mi in 1h 25m — 52% highway, the rest on surface roads. Biggest road: Denver–Boulder Turnpike.
52% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
27 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 17.3 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 0.3 miles in near Lowell Boulevard.
Driving Effort
9/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 56.4 miles you will encounter 19 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 0.3 miles (Lowell Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 1 miles (US 287 / Federal Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 5 miles (US 36 / Denver–Boulder Turnpike): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mountain driving with significant elevation changes
8,046 ft
5,286 ft
Total Climb
3,077 ft
Total Descent
929 ft
Highest Point
8,046 ft
~52.4 mi in
Elevation Range
2,760 ft
Notable High Points
5,474 ft at ~4 miles
+14 ft prominence
5,508 ft at ~12.1 miles
+48 ft prominence
5,583 ft at ~28.2 miles
+58 ft prominence
8,046 ft at ~52.4 miles
+517 ft prominence
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
Arriving in Estes Park, CO
Full guide →Founded 1859
Estes Park is a town in the Front Range region of the state of Colorado in America. It is located 90 miles northwest of Denver, on the eastern slope of the Front Range in north central Colorado. Estes Park sits at the east entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park.
Top landmarks
- • The Stanley Hotel — historic hotel in Estes Park, Colorado
- • Park Theatre — movie theater in Estes Park, Colorado, United States
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 25m. Total distance: 56.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 25m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (52%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 17.3 miles on Denver–Boulder Turnpike. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $1.21 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 Estes Park, 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 0.3 miles (Lowell Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 1 miles (US 287 / Federal Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 5 miles (US 36 / Denver–Boulder Turnpike): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Rocky Mountain National Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Estes Park, 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, EIA for fuel prices, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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