Origin
Arvada, CO
Afternoon in Arvada on Thursday
Local time
4:26 PM
MDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Arvada, CO to Meridian, CO
Last recalculated Apr 16, 2026
Drive Time
41m
Distance
28.7 mi
46 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 38m
★
6 AM
0h 41m
8 AM
0h 48m
10 AM
0h 44m
12 PM
0h 43m
3 PM
0h 44m
5 PM
0h 48m
8 PM
0h 39m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Arvada, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Meridian, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Arvada, CO to Meridian, CO covers 28.7 miles and takes about 41m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on North Valley Highway, I 70, Ralston Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 18.2 miles on North Valley Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.32 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 41m. Total distance: 28.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
41m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 41m drive with frequent turns across 28.7 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 24 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
North Valley Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 18.2 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
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 6.3 miles in.
Driving Effort
10/10
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 21 decision points packed into just 28.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 41m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 6.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 6.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 6.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 21 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
8
6.3 mi into trip
|
~11m in
Take the exit toward I 25: Fort Collins, Colorado Springs
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 274
Toward I 25: Fort Collins, Colorado Springs
9
6.5 mi into trip
|
~11m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 25 South: Washington Street, Colorado Springs
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward I 25 South: Washington Street, Colorado...
8
6.7 mi into trip
|
~11m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 25 South: Colorado Springs
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 25 South: Colorado Springs
8
25.5 mi into trip
|
~35m in
Take the exit toward E-470 North, CO 470 West: Limon, Grand Junction
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 194
Toward E-470 North, CO 470 West: Limon, Grand J...
8
25.7 mi into trip
|
~35m in
Keep slight left at fork toward E-470 North: Limon
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Exit 194
Toward E-470 North: Limon
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Arvada, CO and Meridian, CO, road signs point toward Colorado Springs, E-470 North, Grand Junction and E-470 North: Limon.
Colorado Springs
6.3 mi in
|
~11m
E-470 North
25.5 mi in
|
~35m
Grand Junction
25.5 mi in
|
~35m
E-470 North: Limon
25.7 mi in
|
~35m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| North Valley Highway | 18.2 mi | 22m |
| I 70 | 3 mi | 4m |
| Ralston Road | 1.8 mi | 3m |
| Sheridan Boulevard | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| E-470 | 0.8 mi | <1m |
| Peoria Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Fisher Drive | 0.3 mi | 1m |
| Grand Army of the Republic Highway | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
North Valley Highway
— 18.2 mi, about 22m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Arvada, CO and Meridian, CO.
1
Start on this road
41 ft
·
5 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right onto Ammons Street
58 ft
·
7 sec
·
Ammons Street
3
Turn left
313 ft
·
25 sec
4
At end of road, turn right onto Allison Street
172 ft
·
13 sec
·
Allison Street
5
Turn left onto Ralston Road
1.8 mi
·
3 min
·
Ralston Road
Use the left / straight lanes.
6
Turn right onto CO 95
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Sheridan Boulevard
Use the right lane.
7
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
Toward I 70 East
Use the right lane.
8
Merge onto I 70
3.0 mi
·
4 min
·
I 70
Use the right lane.
9
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
Exit 274
Toward I 25: Fort Collins, Colorado Springs
Use the slight right lane.
10
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi
·
14 sec
Toward I 25 South: Washington Street, Colorado Springs
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
Toward I 25 South: Colorado Springs
Use the slight right lane.
12
Merge onto Grand Army of the Republic Highway
0.2 mi
·
11 sec
·
Grand Army of the Republic Highway
Toward I 25 South
13
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
Toward I 25 South: Colorado Springs
14
Merge onto I 25
18 mi
·
22 min
·
North Valley Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
15 sec
Exit 194
Toward E-470 North, CO 470 West: Limon, Grand Junction
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Keep slight left at fork
0.8 mi
·
1 min
Exit 194
Toward E-470 North: Limon
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
17
Merge onto E470
0.8 mi
·
46 sec
·
E-470
18
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
Exit 2
Toward Peoria Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19
Keep slight left at fork
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
Exit 2
Toward Peoria Street
20
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
Toward Peoria Street
21
Turn straight onto Peoria Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Peoria Street
22
Turn right onto Forest Lake Road
203 ft
·
14 sec
·
Forest Lake Road
23
Turn left onto Fisher Drive
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Fisher Drive
24
Arrive at destination
Fisher Drive
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.32 one way
$8.65 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $4.58 | $9.16 |
| premium | $4.39 | $4.96 | $9.93 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.34 | $12.67 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.09
E-470
(0.8 mi)
$0.09
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Tolls
$0
Total
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 10 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.6 | 0 | $3.01 | $1.38 |
| Efficient EV | 7.2 | 0 | $2.51 | $1.15 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.5 | 0 | $4.02 | $1.84 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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
Meridian, CO
Afternoon in Meridian on Thursday
Local time
4:26 PM
MDT
Current temp
45°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
1 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
41m 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Arvada, CO to Meridian, CO covers 28.7 miles and takes about 41m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are North Valley Highway, I 70, Ralston Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 14.3 miles from Arvada, CO. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.32 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This is a short but busy drive. With 21 decision points packed into just 28.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 41m.
The main spots that need attention: at 6.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 6.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 6.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Between Arvada, CO and Meridian, CO, road signs point toward Colorado Springs, E-470 North, Grand Junction and E-470 North: Limon.
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