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Trip from Westminster, CO to Fort Collins, 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 11m

Distance

59 mi

95 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$9

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 17 min
4 AM
1h 6m ★
6 AM
1h 12m
8 AM
1h 23m
10 AM
1h 16m
12 PM
1h 14m
3 PM
1h 16m
5 PM
1h 22m
8 PM
1h 8m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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city in Adams and Jefferson counties in Colorado, United States

Westminster, CO

Wikimedia Commons

city and county seat of Larimer County, Colorado, United States

Fort Collins, CO

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Westminster, CO to Fort Collins, CO is 59 miles and takes about 1 hour 11 minutes via Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway and North Valley Highway, with a fuel budget near $9 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within the Mountain West region, specifically within Colorado, making it a straightforward local excursion. Expect a route with a higher proportion of local roads mixed with highway driving, suggesting you'll encounter more turns and potentially slower speeds in populated areas. It's a manageable distance, perfect for a day trip when you want a change of scenery without committing to an overnight stay.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway 41.7 mi 41m
North Valley Highway 7.5 mi 8m
East Mulberry Street 4 mi 7m
Federal Boulevard 1.5 mi 3m
Thornton Parkway 1.2 mi 2m
West 92nd Avenue 1 mi 2m
West 80th Avenue 0.5 mi 1m
West Mulberry Street 0.3 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway — 41.7 mi, about 41m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Westminster, CO and Fort Collins, 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 left onto US 287

1.5 mi · 3 min · Federal Boulevard
Use the left / straight lanes.
7

Turn right onto West 92nd Avenue

1.0 mi · 2 min · West 92nd Avenue
8

Continue on Thornton Parkway

1.2 mi · 2 min · Thornton Parkway
Use the straight / right lanes.
9

Turn left

0.3 mi · 46 sec
Toward I 25 North: Fort Collins, Cheyenne Use the left lane.
10

Merge onto I 25

2.2 mi · 2 min · North Valley Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Keep slight right at fork onto I 25

5.3 mi · 5 min · North Valley Highway
Use the straight / right lanes.
12

Continue on I 25

42 mi · 41 min · Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 23 sec
Exit 269B Toward CO 14 West: Fort Collins
14

Merge onto CO 14

4.0 mi · 7 min · East Mulberry Street
Use the straight lane.
15

Continue on West Mulberry Street

0.3 mi · 45 sec · West Mulberry Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
16

Turn right onto South Meldrum Street

499 ft · 29 sec · South Meldrum Street
17

Turn left onto West Magnolia Street

476 ft · 18 sec · West Magnolia Street
18

Continue on South Sherwood Street

0.2 mi · 39 sec · South Sherwood Street
19

Arrive at destination

South Sherwood Street

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

town in Weld County, Colorado, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Frederick, CO

30 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.

Popular next leg

Frederick, CO to Fort Collins, CO

42.1 mi · 50m

Pacing Suggestions

Northglenn, CO

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 13 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Firestone, CO

Meal break

The midpoint is around 29.5 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 13

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 7.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | West 78th Avenue

Turn right onto West 78th Avenue

Navigation decision point

5
0.3 mi into trip | ~0m in | North Turnpike Drive

At end of road, turn right onto North Turnpike Drive

Navigation decision point

7
0.3 mi into trip | ~1m in | Lowell Boulevard

Turn left onto Lowell Boulevard

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
7
4.7 mi into trip | ~10m in

Turn left toward I 25 North: Fort Collins, Cheyenne

Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the left lane. Toward I 25 North: Fort Collins, Cheyenne
6
7.2 mi into trip | ~14m 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 / right lanes.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$8.89 one way

$17.78 round trip

$3.83/gal 25.4 MPG avg 21 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.05 $9.41 $18.82
premium $4.39 $10.21 $20.41
diesel $5.61 $13.03 $26.05

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$9

Estimated CO2 emission: 20.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 17.7 0 $6.19 $2.83
Efficient EV 14.8 0 $5.16 $2.36
EV Truck/SUV 23.6 0 $8.26 $3.78

Gas CO2

21 kg

EV CO2

7 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.

Forecast as of Apr 17, 2026

Origin

Westminster, CO

Night in Westminster on Saturday

Local time

10:35 PM

MDT

Current temp

36°F

Mostly Cloudy

E 7 to 22 mph 7% chance Live forecast

Red Flag Warning

Red Flag Warning issued April 16 at 11:10PM MDT until April 17 at 4:00PM MDT by NWS Pueblo CO

Red Flag Warning

Red Flag Warning issued April 16 at 11:10PM MDT until April 17 at 6:00PM MDT by NWS Pueblo CO

Destination

Fort Collins, CO

Night in Fort Collins on Saturday

Local time

10:35 PM

MDT

Current temp

34°F

Mostly Cloudy

WNW 13 to 21 mph 7% chance Live forecast

Red Flag Warning

Red Flag Warning issued April 16 at 11:10PM MDT until April 17 at 4:00PM MDT by NWS Pueblo CO

Red Flag Warning

Red Flag Warning issued April 16 at 11:10PM MDT until April 17 at 6:00PM MDT by NWS Pueblo CO

46°F

Frederick, CO

30 mi in

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

2 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 11m on the road

The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

What kind of drive is this?

This trip offers a turn-heavy local drive experience, with about 33% of the journey on the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway and North Valley Highway. While there's a significant stretch of 41.7 miles on the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, the overall profile suggests a route that weaves through more developed areas. You'll likely notice the transition from highway speeds to navigating local streets, particularly as you approach your destination in Fort Collins. Be prepared for frequent adjustments in speed and direction on this more dynamic route.

Only 2% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 41.7 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 0.1 miles in near West 78th Avenue.

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 59 miles you will encounter 13 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 0.1 miles (West 78th Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (North Turnpike Drive): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (Lowell Boulevard): 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.

On the drive from Westminster, CO to Fort Collins, CO, road signs begin pointing toward Cheyenne along the way.

Cheyenne

4.7 mi in | ~10m

About the Cities

Starting in Westminster, CO

Full guide →

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.

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 11m. Total distance: 59 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 11m 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 41.7 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 Fort Collins, 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 0.1 miles (West 78th Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (North Turnpike Drive): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (Lowell Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Fort Collins, 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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