Origin
Fort Collins, CO
Night in Fort Collins on Friday
Local time
10:07 PM
MDT
Current temp
44°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Fort Collins, 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
36m
Distance
29.6 mi
48 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 33m
★
6 AM
0h 36m
8 AM
0h 42m
10 AM
0h 38m
12 PM
0h 38m
3 PM
0h 39m
5 PM
0h 42m
8 PM
0h 34m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Fort Collins, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Mead, CO
Mikhail Nilov
Trip Overview
The drive from Fort Collins, CO to Mead, CO covers 29.6 miles and takes about 36m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on West Magnolia Street, South Meldrum Street, West Mulberry Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.46 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 36m. Total distance: 29.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
36m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 36m drive with frequent turns across 29.6 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 11 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
West Magnolia Street is one of the defining roads on this drive.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive.
Driving Effort
1/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Fort Collins, CO to Mead, CO is easy. At 36m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Fort Collins, CO to Mead, CO is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| West Magnolia Street | — | — |
| South Meldrum Street | — | — |
| West Mulberry Street | — | — |
| East Mulberry Street | — | — |
| I 25 South | — | — |
| Dwight D | — | — |
| Mead | — | — |
| East Welker Avenue | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
West Magnolia Street
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Fort Collins, CO and Mead, CO.
1
Start on South Sherwood Street
0.2 mi
·
41 sec
·
South Sherwood Street
2
Continue on West Magnolia Street
476 ft
·
20 sec
·
West Magnolia Street
3
Turn right onto South Meldrum Street
499 ft
·
29 sec
·
South Meldrum Street
4
Turn left onto West Mulberry Street
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
·
West Mulberry Street
5
Continue on East Mulberry Street
3.9 mi
·
7 min
·
East Mulberry Street
6
Take the exit slight right toward I 25 South: Denver
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
·
I 25 South: Denver
7
Merge slight left onto Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
24 mi
·
23 min
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
8
Take the exit slight right toward Mead
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
Mead
9
Turn right onto East Welker Avenue
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
East Welker Avenue
10
Turn right onto 3rd Street
26 ft
·
1 sec
·
3rd Street
11
Arrive at your destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.46 one way
$8.92 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $4.72 | $9.44 |
| premium | $4.39 | $5.12 | $10.24 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.54 | $13.07 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.4 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 | 8.9 | 0 | $3.11 | $1.42 |
| Efficient EV | 7.4 | 0 | $2.59 | $1.18 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.8 | 0 | $4.14 | $1.89 |
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
Mead, CO
Night in Mead on Friday
Local time
10:07 PM
MDT
Current temp
46°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
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
36m 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 Fort Collins, CO to Mead, CO covers 29.6 miles and takes about 36m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are West Magnolia Street, South Meldrum Street, West Mulberry Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 14.8 miles from Fort Collins, CO. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.46 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.
The drive from Fort Collins, CO to Mead, CO is easy. At 36m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Fort Collins, CO to Mead, CO is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Fort Collins, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Mead, CO
More trips to Mead, CO
Explore more options from Fort Collins, CO or browse trips ending in Mead, CO.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse CO road trips.