Origin
Fort Morgan, CO
Morning in Fort Morgan on Saturday
Local time
11:56 AM
MDT
Current temp
42°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Fort Morgan, CO to Arvada, CO
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 27m
Distance
81.7 mi
132 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$12
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 21m
★
6 AM
1h 28m
8 AM
1h 41m
10 AM
1h 33m
12 PM
1h 31m
3 PM
1h 33m
5 PM
1h 41m
8 PM
1h 24m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Fort Morgan, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Arvada, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Fort Morgan, CO to Arvada, CO covers 81.7 miles and takes about 1h 27m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 76, Ralston Road, Main Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 78.1 miles on I 76. At current regular gas prices, budget about $12.31 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 76 | 78.1 mi | 1h 19m |
| Ralston Road | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| Main Street | 1 mi | 2m |
| Sheridan Boulevard | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| East Kiowa Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Ammons Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| State Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 76
— 78.1 mi, about 1h 19m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Fort Morgan, CO and Arvada, CO.
1
Start on State Street
136 ft
·
5 sec
·
State Street
2
Turn right onto East Kiowa Avenue
359 ft
·
13 sec
·
East Kiowa Avenue
3
Turn right onto Main Street
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Main Street
Use the straight lane.
4
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
Toward I 76 West
Use the left lane.
5
Merge onto I 76
78 mi
·
1 hr 19 min
·
I 76
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
26 sec
Exit 1B
Toward CO 95: Sheridan Boulevard
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Turn right onto CO 95
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
·
Sheridan Boulevard
8
Turn left onto Ralston Road
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Ralston Road
Use the left lane.
9
Turn right onto Ammons Street
227 ft
·
13 sec
·
Ammons Street
10
Turn left
41 ft
·
3 sec
11
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
41 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 18 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 40.9 miles from Fort Morgan, CO, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before I 76 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 78.1 miles.
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 0.1 and 79.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Main Street
Turn right onto Main Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
7
1.1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the ramp toward I 76 West
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I 76 West
5
1.3 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
I 76
Merge onto I 76
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
79.4 mi into trip
|
~1h 22m in
Take the exit toward CO 95: Sheridan Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 1B
Toward CO 95: Sheridan Boulevard
5
79.8 mi into trip
|
~1h 23m in
|
Ralston Road
Turn left onto Ralston Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$12.31 one way
$24.62 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
29 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $13.03 | $26.07 |
| premium | $4.39 | $14.13 | $28.27 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $18.04 | $36.08 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$12
Estimated CO2 emission: 28.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $9 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 24.5 | 0 | $8.58 | $3.92 |
| Efficient EV | 20.4 | 0 | $7.15 | $3.27 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 32.7 | 0 | $11.44 | $5.23 |
Gas CO2
29 kg
EV CO2
10 kg (66% 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
Arvada, CO
Morning in Arvada on Saturday
Local time
11:56 AM
MDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
44°F
Brighton, CO
41 mi in
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
4 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 27m 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.
What kind of drive is this?
81.7 mi in 1h 27m, mostly highway — 78.1 mi of that is on I 76.
96% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
11 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 78.1 mi on I 76.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 76 and Ralston Road. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Main Street.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 27m drive. You will face about 9 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Main Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 1.3 miles (I 76): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Arriving in Arvada, CO
Full guide →Arvada is a city of about 125,000 in the Denver Metropolitan Area of the U.S. state of Colorado. A former farming community in Jefferson and Adams counties, the city is now a residential suburb of Denver. Olde Town Arvada lies 7 miles (11 km) northwest of the Colorado State Capitol and 9 miles (14 km) east of the Front Range foothills.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 27m. Total distance: 81.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 27m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (96%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 78.1 miles on I 76. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Main Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 1.3 miles (I 76): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Arvada, CO before heading back.
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.
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