Origin
Colorado Springs, CO
Afternoon in Colorado Springs on Saturday
Local time
1:11 PM
MDT
Current temp
44°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Colorado Springs, CO to Mead, CO
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 59m
Distance
105 mi
169 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$16
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 51m
★
6 AM
2h 0m
8 AM
2h 17m
10 AM
2h 6m
12 PM
2h 4m
3 PM
2h 6m
5 PM
2h 16m
8 PM
1h 54m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Mead, CO
Mikhail Nilov
Trip Overview
The drive from Colorado Springs, CO to Mead, CO covers 105 miles and takes about 1h 59m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Ronald Reagan Highway, Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, North Valley Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 70.1 miles on Ronald Reagan Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $15.82 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
52.5 miles from Colorado Springs, CO
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h into the drive .
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Ronald Reagan Highway | 70.1 mi | 1h 18m |
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway | 17.3 mi | 17m |
| North Valley Highway | 9.6 mi | 11m |
| Monument Valley Freeway | 5.7 mi | 6m |
| East Welker Avenue | 1 mi | 2m |
| West Bijou Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| East Pikes Peak Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| North Cascade Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Ronald Reagan Highway
— 70.1 mi, about 1h 18m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Colorado Springs, CO and Mead, CO.
1
Start on East Pikes Peak Avenue
0.2 mi
·
47 sec
·
East Pikes Peak Avenue
2
Turn right onto North Cascade Avenue
0.2 mi
·
42 sec
·
North Cascade Avenue
3
Turn left onto West Bijou Street
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
·
West Bijou Street
Use the left lane.
4
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
51 sec
Toward I 25
5
Merge onto I 25
5.7 mi
·
6 min
·
Monument Valley Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Continue on I 25
70 mi
·
1 hr 18 min
·
Ronald Reagan Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight right at fork onto I 25
4.3 mi
·
5 min
·
North Valley Highway
Use the slight right lane.
8
Keep slight right at fork onto I 25
5.3 mi
·
5 min
·
North Valley Highway
Use the straight / right lanes.
9
Continue on I 25
17 mi
·
17 min
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
Toward Mead
11
Turn left onto East Welker Avenue
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
East Welker Avenue
12
Turn right onto 3rd Street
27 ft
·
0 sec
·
3rd Street
13
Arrive at destination
3rd Street
Trip Plan
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 52.5 miles from Colorado Springs, CO, or about 1h into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 70.1 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 23 miles or 27m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 52.5 miles or 1h in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 38m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Mead, CO than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Colorado Springs, CO so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Colorado Springs, CO
This is one driving day of about 105 miles and 1h 59m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 23 miles from Colorado Springs, CO.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on Ronald Reagan Highway for about 70.1 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
53 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 23 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 52.5 miles from Colorado Springs, 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 95 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 81.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
North Cascade Avenue
Turn right onto North Cascade Avenue
Navigation decision point
6
0.4 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
West Bijou Street
Turn left onto West Bijou Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
I 25 / Monument Valley Freeway
Merge onto I 25 / Monument Valley Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
76.8 mi into trip
|
~1h 27m 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 slight right lane.
6
81.2 mi into trip
|
~1h 33m 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
$15.82 one way
$31.64 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
37 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $16.75 | $33.50 |
| premium | $4.39 | $18.16 | $36.33 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $23.18 | $46.37 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$16
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$41–$66
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 36.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $11 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 31.5 | 0 | $11.02 | $5.04 |
| Efficient EV | 26.3 | 0 | $9.19 | $4.20 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 42 | 0 | $14.70 | $6.72 |
Gas CO2
37 kg
EV CO2
12 kg (68% 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
Mead, CO
Afternoon in Mead on Saturday
Local time
1:11 PM
MDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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 warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
1h 59m 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.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument
National Monument
Beneath a grassy mountain valley in central Colorado lies one of the richest and most diverse fossil deposits in the world. Petrified redwood stumps up to 14 feet wide and thousands of detailed fossil...
24 mi from route
~60 min detour
$10
near mile 3.6
View on nps.gov
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a 1h 59m drive with frequent turns across 105 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 13 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Ronald Reagan Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 70.1 miles.
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 0.2 miles in near North Cascade Avenue.
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 105 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 0.2 miles (North Cascade Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (West Bijou Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1 miles (I 25 / Monument Valley Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 59m. Total distance: 105 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 59m drive, comfortable solo distance.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Colorado Springs, CO to Mead, CO covers 105 miles and takes about 1h 59m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Ronald Reagan Highway, Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, North Valley Highway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 52.5 miles from Colorado Springs, CO. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $15.82 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 drive requires moderate attention. Across 105 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.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (North Cascade Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (West Bijou Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1 miles (I 25 / Monument Valley Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Colorado Springs, CO to Mead, CO does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
How this page is built
Compiled by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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