Origin
Windsor, CO
Late night in Windsor on Sunday
Local time
1:48 AM
MDT
Current temp
80°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Windsor, CO to Westminster, 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 4m
Distance
52.1 mi
84 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 0m
★
6 AM
1h 5m
8 AM
1h 15m
10 AM
1h 8m
12 PM
1h 7m
3 PM
1h 9m
5 PM
1h 15m
8 PM
1h 2m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Windsor, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Westminster, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Windsor to Westminster is 52.1 miles and takes about 1 hour 4 minutes via Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, with a fuel budget near $8 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within Colorado, taking you from the Mountain West region to the same region. Expect a local, turn-heavy experience rather than a straightforward interstate cruise. With a total duration under two hours, this trip is ideal for a single-day excursion, allowing for flexibility in your departure time and plenty of room for spontaneous stops along the way.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway | 34.4 mi | 34m |
| North Valley Highway | 7.6 mi | 8m |
| East County Road 32 | 2.5 mi | 4m |
| Federal Boulevard | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| Main Street | 1.4 mi | 3m |
| Thornton Parkway | 1 mi | 2m |
| West 92nd Avenue | 1 mi | 2m |
| Highway 392 | 0.5 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
— 34.4 mi, about 34m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Windsor, CO and Westminster, 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
2.5 mi
·
4 min
·
East County Road 32
Use the straight lane.
8
Turn left
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
Toward I 25 South
Use the left lane.
9
Merge onto I 25
34 mi
·
34 min
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Continue on I 25
0.6 mi
·
36 sec
·
North Valley Highway
11
Keep slight right at fork onto I 25
7.0 mi
·
8 min
·
North Valley Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
Exit 220
Toward Thornton Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight right at fork
210 ft
·
4 sec
Toward Thornton Parkway West, Water World, Thornton Park-n-Ride
14
Turn straight onto Thornton Parkway
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Thornton Parkway
15
Continue on West 92nd Avenue
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
West 92nd Avenue
16
Turn left onto US 287
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
Federal Boulevard
Use the left lane.
17
Turn right onto West 80th Avenue
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
West 80th Avenue
Use the right lane.
18
Turn left onto Lowell Boulevard
0.4 mi
·
44 sec
·
Lowell Boulevard
Use the left lane.
19
Turn right onto West 77th Avenue
0.2 mi
·
41 sec
·
West 77th Avenue
20
Turn right onto Newton Street
114 ft
·
5 sec
·
Newton Street
21
Arrive at destination
Newton Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
26 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 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 26 miles from Windsor, 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 145 decision points cluster between mile 0.5 and 47.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
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.
7
5 mi into trip
|
~10m in
Turn left toward I 25 South
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I 25 South
6
40.2 mi into trip
|
~45m 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 / slight right lanes.
7
47.2 mi into trip
|
~54m in
Take the exit toward Thornton Parkway
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 220
Toward Thornton Parkway
7
47.4 mi into trip
|
~54m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Thornton Parkway West, Water World, Thornton Park-n-Ride
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward Thornton Parkway West, Water World, Thor...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.85 one way
$15.70 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
18 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $8.31 | $16.62 |
| premium | $4.39 | $9.01 | $18.03 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $11.50 | $23.01 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 18.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 15.6 | 0 | $5.47 | $2.50 |
| Efficient EV | 13 | 0 | $4.56 | $2.08 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 20.8 | 0 | $7.29 | $3.33 |
Gas CO2
18 kg
EV CO2
6 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
Westminster, CO
Late night in Westminster on Sunday
Local time
1:48 AM
MDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
77°F
Lafayette, CO
26 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
34 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 4m 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 leans towards a turn-heavy local drive, with about 34.4 miles on the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway forming the longest uninterrupted stretch. You'll find yourself navigating a mix of highways and local roads, with a highway share of around 30%. The character of the drive shifts as you progress, moving from more open highway sections to increasingly local road segments. Be prepared for frequent turns and adjustments as you make your way south.
Only 3% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
21 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 34.4 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 0.5 miles in near CO 392 / Main Street.
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 52.1 miles you will encounter 14 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 0.5 miles (CO 392 / Main Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 5 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 40.2 miles (I 25 / North Valley Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Windsor, CO and Westminster, CO, road signs point toward Thornton Parkway West, Water World and Thornton Park-N-Ride.
Thornton Parkway West
47.4 mi in
|
~54m
Water World
47.4 mi in
|
~54m
Thornton Park-N-Ride
47.4 mi in
|
~54m
About the Cities
Arriving 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 4m. Total distance: 52.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 4m 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 34.4 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 Westminster, 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 0.5 miles (CO 392 / Main Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 5 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 40.2 miles (I 25 / North Valley Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Westminster, 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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