Origin
Denver, CO
Night in Denver on Thursday
Local time
9:12 PM
MDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Denver, CO to Meridian, CO
Last recalculated Apr 17, 2026
Drive Time
28m
Distance
18.1 mi
29 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 26m
★
6 AM
0h 28m
8 AM
0h 33m
10 AM
0h 30m
12 PM
0h 30m
3 PM
0h 30m
5 PM
0h 33m
8 PM
0h 27m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Denver, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Meridian, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 18.1-mile drive from Denver to Meridian, Colorado, will only take about 28 minutes, making it an ideal quick trip. With a modest fuel cost of around $3, it’s an economical choice for a local excursion. The route primarily uses South Valley Highway, Logan Street, and Grant Street. Since it's such a brief journey within the Mountain West region, it's perfectly suited for a single day trip, allowing you to reach your destination without needing an overnight stay. Its turn-heavy local drive profile means you'll be navigating city streets and potentially experiencing more frequent stops.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 28m. Total distance: 18.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
28m 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 turn-heavy local drive on this route, with no highway mileage to speak of. Your longest uninterrupted stretch will be 10.3 miles along South Valley Highway. This means you'll be navigating a series of streets and intersections rather than cruising on an open road. The character of the drive is one of frequent adjustments and local navigation, offering a different pace than a highway journey. You'll likely experience a more engaged driving experience as you manage turns and traffic signals.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 21 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
South Valley Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 10.3 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 4.5 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 17 decision points packed into just 18.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 28m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 4.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 14.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 15.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 17 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
7
4.5 mi into trip
|
~9m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 25 South
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
Toward I 25 South
8
14.9 mi into trip
|
~22m 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
15.1 mi into trip
|
~22m 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
7
16.7 mi into trip
|
~24m in
Take the exit toward Peoria Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 2
Toward Peoria Street
7
16.9 mi into trip
|
~25m in
Keep slight left at fork toward Peoria Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Exit 2
Toward Peoria Street
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Denver, CO and Meridian, CO, road signs point toward E-470 North, Grand Junction and E-470 North: Limon.
E-470 North
14.9 mi in
|
~22m
Grand Junction
14.9 mi in
|
~22m
E-470 North: Limon
15.1 mi in
|
~22m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| South Valley Highway | 10.3 mi | 11m |
| Logan Street | 1.8 mi | 3m |
| Grant Street | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| E-470 | 0.8 mi | <1m |
| Peoria Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| East Buchtel South Boulevard | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Fisher Drive | 0.3 mi | 1m |
| East Speer Boulevard | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
South Valley Highway
— 10.3 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Denver, CO and Meridian, CO.
1
Start on this road
379 ft
·
29 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right
62 ft
·
8 sec
3
Turn right onto I 70 Business; US 40; US 287
358 ft
·
14 sec
·
East Colfax Avenue
4
Turn right onto Grant Street
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Grant Street
Use the right lane.
5
Turn left onto East Speer Boulevard
451 ft
·
13 sec
·
East Speer Boulevard
Use the left lane.
6
Turn right onto Logan Street
1.8 mi
·
3 min
·
Logan Street
Use the right lane.
7
Turn left onto East Buchtel South Boulevard
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
·
East Buchtel South Boulevard
Use the left lane.
8
Continue on East Buchtel South Boulevard
0.2 mi
·
17 sec
·
East Buchtel South Boulevard
9
Take the ramp
0.8 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 25 South
10
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
Toward I 25 South
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
11
Merge onto I 25
10 mi
·
11 min
·
South Valley Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
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.
13
Keep slight left at fork
0.8 mi
·
1 min
Exit 194
Toward E-470 North: Limon
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
14
Merge onto E470
0.8 mi
·
46 sec
·
E-470
15
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
Exit 2
Toward Peoria Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Keep slight left at fork
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
Exit 2
Toward Peoria Street
17
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
Toward Peoria Street
18
Turn straight onto Peoria Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Peoria Street
19
Turn right onto Forest Lake Road
203 ft
·
14 sec
·
Forest Lake Road
20
Turn left onto Fisher Drive
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Fisher Drive
21
Arrive at destination
Fisher Drive
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.73 one way
$5.45 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $2.89 | $5.77 |
| premium | $4.39 | $3.13 | $6.26 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.00 | $7.99 |
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
$3
Tolls
$0
Total
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.3 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 | 5.4 | 0 | $1.90 | $0.87 |
| Efficient EV | 4.5 | 0 | $1.58 | $0.72 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.2 | 0 | $2.53 | $1.16 |
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
Meridian, CO
Night in Meridian on Thursday
Local time
9:12 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
28m 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 Denver, CO to Meridian, CO covers 18.1 miles and takes about 28m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are South Valley Highway, Logan Street, Grant Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 9 miles from Denver, CO. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.73 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 17 decision points packed into just 18.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 28m.
The main spots that need attention: at 4.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 14.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 15.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Between Denver, CO and Meridian, CO, road signs point toward E-470 North, Grand Junction and E-470 North: Limon.
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