Origin
Windsor, CO
Late night in Windsor on Tuesday
Local time
4:26 AM
MDT
Current temp
58°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Windsor, CO to Fort Collins, 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
27m
Distance
16.8 mi
27 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 25m
★
6 AM
0h 28m
8 AM
0h 32m
10 AM
0h 29m
12 PM
0h 29m
3 PM
0h 29m
5 PM
0h 32m
8 PM
0h 26m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Windsor, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Fort Collins, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking to travel between Windsor and Fort Collins, this 17.2-mile connection is a straightforward local commute. You can expect to reach your destination in approximately 25 minutes, making this an ideal day trip that requires no overnight stay. With a fuel budget of just $2, it is a highly economical route within the Mountain West region. Navigating this path involves transitioning through 4th Street, Walnut Street, and 7th Street. Because the drive is short and efficient, it offers plenty of flexibility for your schedule, whether you are heading out for business or a quick visit.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway | 6.8 mi | 6m |
| East Mulberry Street | 4 mi | 7m |
| East County Road 32 | 2.4 mi | 4m |
| Main Street | 1.4 mi | 3m |
| Highway 392 | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| West Mulberry Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Walnut Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| South Sherwood Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
— 6.8 mi, about 6m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Windsor, CO and Fort Collins, CO.
1
Start on Elm Street
317 ft
·
16 sec
·
Elm Street
2
Turn right onto 4th Street
484 ft
·
26 sec
·
4th Street
3
Turn left onto Walnut Street
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
·
Walnut Street
4
Turn right onto 7th Street
499 ft
·
22 sec
·
7th Street
5
Turn left onto CO 392
1.4 mi
·
3 min
·
Main Street
Use the straight lane.
6
Continue on CO 392
0.5 mi
·
50 sec
·
Highway 392
Use the straight lane.
7
Continue on CO 392
2.4 mi
·
4 min
·
East County Road 32
Use the straight lane.
8
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
9
Merge onto I 25
6.8 mi
·
6 min
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
10
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
Exit 269B
Toward CO 14 West: Fort Collins
11
Merge onto CO 14
4.0 mi
·
7 min
·
East Mulberry Street
Use the straight lane.
12
Continue on West Mulberry Street
0.3 mi
·
45 sec
·
West Mulberry Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
13
Turn right onto South Meldrum Street
499 ft
·
29 sec
·
South Meldrum Street
14
Turn left onto West Magnolia Street
476 ft
·
18 sec
·
West Magnolia Street
15
Continue on South Sherwood Street
0.2 mi
·
39 sec
·
South Sherwood Street
16
Arrive at destination
South Sherwood Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 12.2 — 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
|
4th Street
Turn right onto 4th Street
Navigation decision point
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Walnut Street
Turn left onto Walnut Street
Navigation decision point
6
0.5 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
CO 392 / Main Street
Turn left onto CO 392 / Main Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
5
12 mi into trip
|
~17m in
Take the exit toward CO 14 West: Fort Collins
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 269B
Toward CO 14 West: Fort Collins
5
12.2 mi into trip
|
~17m in
|
CO 14 / East Mulberry Street
Merge onto CO 14 / East Mulberry Street
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.53 one way
$5.06 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $2.68 | $5.36 |
| premium | $4.39 | $2.91 | $5.81 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.71 | $7.42 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5 | 0 | $1.76 | $0.81 |
| Efficient EV | 4.2 | 0 | $1.47 | $0.67 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.7 | 0 | $2.35 | $1.08 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 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
Fort Collins, CO
Late night in Fort Collins on Tuesday
Local time
4:26 AM
MDT
Current temp
42°F
Chance Snow Showers
NNW 17 mph
36% chance
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
16 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
27m 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?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive rather than a high-speed highway experience, as this route consists of 0% highway travel. You will navigate various town streets, meaning there is no singular long, open stretch to settle into; in fact, the longest stretch on 4th Street measures 0 miles. This journey lacks the monotony of interstate driving, requiring more attention to local intersections and changing road patterns. Behind the wheel, you will feel the shift from the smaller-town layout of Windsor into the urban grid of Fort Collins, keeping the pace steady and grounded in local road conditions.
Only 3% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 6.8 mi on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near 4th Street.
Driving Effort
6/10
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 16.8 miles you will encounter 9 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 (4th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (Walnut Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (CO 392 / Main Street): Lane positioning matters here.
Detours Along the Way
Tagged by where each one fits in your drive — first break, midpoint, final stretch.
The Neighbor
Cafe
Near the end, right off the route
28min in
0.3 mi from route
~1 min detour
Fort Collins, CO
Hours: We-Sa 08:00-20:00; Su 09:00-20:00; Mo 08...
Visit websiteThe Crooked Cup
Cafe
Near the end, right off the route
28min in
0.3 mi from route
~1 min detour
Fort Collins, CO
Hours: Mo-Sa 07:00-18:00; Su 08:00-18:00
Visit websiteMugs Coffee Lounge
Cafe
Near the end, right off the route
28min in
0.4 mi from route
~1 min detour
Fort Collins, CO
Cuisine: coffee_shop
Hours: Mo-Su 06:00-21:00
Visit websiteBeantrees Drive-Thru Coffee Cafe
Cafe
Near the end, right off the route
25min in
0.1 mi from route
Fort Collins, CO
Roots & Leaves
Cafe
Near the end, right off the route
28min in
0.5 mi from route
~1 min detour
Fort Collins, CO
Hours: Mo-Fr 08:00-01:00, Sa,Su 08:00-02:00
Visit websiteMugs Coffee Lounge
Cafe
Near the end, right off the route
28min in
0.5 mi from route
~1 min detour
Fort Collins, CO
Qdoba
Fast_food
Near the end, right off the route
25min in
0.1 mi from route
Fort Collins, CO
Cuisine: mexican
Hours: 06:30-23:00
Visit websiteLucile's Creole Cafe
Restaurant
Near the end, right off the route
28min in
0.2 mi from route
~1 min detour
Fort Collins, CO
Cuisine: cajun;creole
Visit websiteOkole Maluna
Restaurant
Near the start, right off the route
0.2 mi from route
~1 min detour
Windsor, CO
Hours: Mo off; Tu-Sa 11:00-14:00,17:00-21:00; S...
Visit websiteTasty Harmony
Restaurant
Near the end, right off the route
28min in
0.3 mi from route
~1 min detour
Fort Collins, CO
Cuisine: american
Hours: Mo off; Tu-We 11:00-20:00; Th-Su 11:00-2...
Visit websiteSlyce Pizza Co.
Restaurant
Near the end, right off the route
28min in
0.3 mi from route
~1 min detour
Fort Collins
Cuisine: pizza
Hours: Mo-Th 11:00-23:00; Fr, Sa 11:00-03:00; S...
Visit websiteTaj Mahal
Restaurant
Near the end, right off the route
28min in
0.3 mi from route
~1 min detour
Fort Collins, CO
Cuisine: indian
Hours: Mo-Th 11:00-14:30,17:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:...
Visit websiteFort Collins City Park
Park
Near the end, right off the route
28min in
0.9 mi from route
~2 min detour
Avery House
Museum
Near the end, right off the route
28min in
0.2 mi from route
Hours: Sa-Su 00:00-24:00
Visit websiteAnnie's Grave
Memorial
Near the end, right off the route
28min in
0.4 mi from route
~1 min detour
Visit website
Strauss Cabin
Ruins
Around the midpoint, right off the route
16min in
0.4 mi from route
~1 min detour
Transcend
Artwork
Near the end, right off the route
28min in
0.5 mi from route
~1 min detour
Concrete Monster
Artwork
Near the end, right off the route
28min in
0.8 mi from route
~2 min detour
Upcyclone
Artwork
Near the end, right off the route
28min in
1 mi from route
~2 min detour
Points of interest from OpenStreetMap contributors. Listings may not reflect current hours or availability.
About the Cities
Arriving in Fort Collins, CO
Full guide →Fort Collins is a city of about 170,000 in north central region of the western U.S. state of Colorado. The seat of Larimer County, the city lies 59 miles (95 km) north of Denver on the Cache La Poudre River at the eastern edge of the Front Range foothills. Fort Collins is the home of Colorado State University and is a major research center.
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 27m. Total distance: 16.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
27m 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 6.8 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 (4th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (Walnut Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (CO 392 / Main Street): 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Fort Collins, CO
More trips to Fort Collins, CO
Explore more options from Windsor, CO or browse trips ending in Fort Collins, CO.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse CO road trips.