Origin
Colorado, TX
Night in Colorado on Wednesday
Local time
9:04 PM
CDT
Current temp
63°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Colorado, TX to Fort Worth, TX
Last recalculated Apr 16, 2026
Drive Time
3h 59m
Distance
227.3 mi
366 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$34
one way
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
3h 47m
★
6 AM
3h 59m
8 AM
4h 25m
10 AM
4h 9m
12 PM
4h 6m
3 PM
4h 10m
5 PM
4h 24m
8 PM
3h 52m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Colorado, TX
Thomas balabaud
Fort Worth, TX
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Traveling from Colorado City to Fort Worth covers 227.3 miles across the Great Plains, making for a manageable journey that typically takes about 3 hours and 59 minutes. Because this is a straightforward trek, it works perfectly as a single-day trip, meaning you won't need to worry about booking an overnight stay unless you prefer a slower pace. Budgeting roughly $35 for fuel should cover your needs for the duration of the drive. You will primarily utilize the Purple Heart Trail, Pickle Parkway, and I-35W to reach your destination. Since both your start and end points are located within the Great Plains, you can expect a consistent regional landscape throughout the transit. It is a practical, no-nonsense route that gets you from point A to point B efficiently.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
113.7 miles from Colorado, TX
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 59m into the drive .
Drive Character
This trip features a mixed drive profile, with 56% of the journey spent on highways. You will experience a significant stretch of open road, with your longest segment covering 97.7 miles along the Purple Heart Trail. Expect the character of the road to shift as you transition between these major corridors, moving from the more rural stretches onto the busier, high-traffic environment of I-35W as you approach Fort Worth. While the drive is largely functional, the variety in road types keeps the experience from feeling like a singular, monotonous grind. Navigating these different road classifications requires you to stay alert, especially as you trade the steadier pace of the parkway for the complex highway systems near the city.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 18 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Hill Road is one of the defining roads on this drive.
Elevation Profile
Gently rolling terrain
901 ft
360 ft
Total Climb
1,003 ft
Total Descent
712 ft
Highest Point
901 ft
~81.2 mi in
Elevation Range
541 ft
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way.
Route Complexity
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
This is a straightforward 3h 59m drive. You will face about 0 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Colorado, TX to Fort Worth, TX is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Hill Road | — | — |
| TX 71 West | — | — |
| Highway 130 | — | — |
| TX 45 | — | — |
| Pickle Parkway | — | — |
| I 35 North | — | — |
| Purple Heart Trail | — | — |
| South Jack Kultgen Expressway | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
Hill Road
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Colorado, TX and Fort Worth, TX.
1
Start on Old Lake Road
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Old Lake Road
2
Continue on Hill Road
0.8 mi
·
2 min
·
Hill Road
3
Continue on Hill Road
217 ft
·
15 sec
·
Hill Road
4
Turn left
33 mi
·
36 min
5
Take the exit slight right toward TX 71 West, TX 45 Toll, TX 130 Toll: Austin, Waco, San Antonio
0.3 mi
·
22 sec
·
TX 71 West, TX 45 Toll, TX 130 Toll: Austin, Waco, San Antonio
6
Turn right onto State Highway 130
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
State Highway 130
7
Take the ramp straight toward TX 45 Toll North, TX 130 Toll North
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
·
TX 45 Toll North, TX 130 Toll North
8
Merge slight left onto Pickle Parkway
37 mi
·
35 min
·
Pickle Parkway
9
Keep slight left to continue on I 35 North: Waco
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
·
I 35 North: Waco
10
Merge slight left onto Purple Heart Trail
65 mi
·
1 hr 6 min
·
Purple Heart Trail
11
Continue on South Jack Kultgen Expressway
6.6 mi
·
7 min
·
South Jack Kultgen Expressway
12
Continue on Purple Heart Trail
33 mi
·
33 min
·
Purple Heart Trail
13
Keep slight left to continue on I 35W: Fort Worth
49 mi
·
51 min
·
I 35W: Fort Worth
14
Take the exit slight right toward Allen Avenue
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
·
Allen Avenue
15
Turn straight onto South Freeway
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
·
South Freeway
16
Turn left onto East Allen Avenue
210 ft
·
13 sec
·
East Allen Avenue
17
Turn left onto South Freeway
259 ft
·
5 sec
·
South Freeway
18
Arrive at your destination
Trip Plan
To make the most of your 227.3-mile journey, try to plan for at least one stop to break up the drive. Since the trip takes nearly four hours, departure time is flexible, but leaving early in the morning can help you avoid potential congestion on the final approach to Fort Worth. Keep a close eye on your fuel gauge during the 97.7-mile stretch on the Purple Heart Trail, as service stations may be spaced differently than on the busier interstates. Because this route is designed for a single day, you have the advantage of spontaneity; you can easily adjust your pace to accommodate traffic or personal fatigue. Use your one planned stop strategically to refresh before hitting the busier sections of I-35W.
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 113.7 miles from Colorado, TX, or about 1h 59m into the drive.
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 50 miles or 52m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 113.7 miles or 1h 59m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 3h 16m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Fort Worth, TX than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Colorado, TX so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Colorado, TX
This is one driving day of about 227.3 miles and 3h 59m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 50 miles from Colorado, TX.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 113.7 mi from Colorado, TX · 1h 59m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
114 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 50 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 113.7 miles from Colorado, TX, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Fort Worth, TX
The final approach into Fort Worth, TX usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Fort Worth, TX.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$34.35 one way
$68.69 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
80 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.20 | $37.59 | $75.19 |
| premium | $4.54 | $40.58 | $81.17 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $50.18 | $100.37 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$34
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$59–$84
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 79.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $24 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 68.2 | 0 | $23.87 | $10.91 |
| Efficient EV | 56.8 | 0 | $19.89 | $9.09 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 90.9 | 1 | $31.82 | $14.55 |
Gas CO2
80 kg
EV CO2
27 kg (66% less)
Plan for 0 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.
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 Worth, TX
Night in Fort Worth on Wednesday
Local time
9:04 PM
CDT
Current temp
74°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
60°F
Belton, TX
114 mi in
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
11 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
3h 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Colorado, TX to Fort Worth, TX covers 227.3 miles and takes about 3h 59m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Hill Road, TX 71 West, Highway 130. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 113.7 miles from Colorado, TX. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $34.35 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left. A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
This is a straightforward 3h 59m drive. You will face about 0 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Colorado, TX to Fort Worth, TX is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Colorado, TX to Fort Worth, TX does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Gently rolling terrain. The route ranges from 360 ft to 901 ft elevation with about 1,003 ft of total climbing.
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