The drive from Lakewood, CO to Brush, CO covers 96.1 miles and takes about 1h 45m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Heartland Expressway, South Wadsworth Boulevard, Colorado Avenue for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is highway-focused drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 88.8 miles on Heartland Expressway.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $14.48 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
48 miles from Lakewood, CO
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 55m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 45m. Total distance: 96.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 45m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (92%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 1h 45m highway drive covering 96.1 miles, with most of the trip on Heartland Expressway and South Wadsworth Boulevard. The longest continuous stretch is about 88.8 miles on Heartland Expressway.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 10 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Heartland Expressway is the longest continuous segment at about 88.8 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Heartland Expressway and South Wadsworth Boulevard. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 5.4 miles in.
Driving Effort6/10
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 96.1 miles you will encounter 8 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 5.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 6.3 miles (I 76 / Heartland Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 8 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
5.4 mi into trip|~10m in
Take the ramp toward I 70 East, I 76 East: Denver, Fort Morgan
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 70 East, I 76 East: Denver, Fort Morga...
7
5.7 mi into trip|~11m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 76 East: Fort Morgan
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / right lanes.
Toward I 76 East: Fort Morgan
5
6.3 mi into trip|~12m in|I 76 / Heartland Expressway
Merge onto I 76 / Heartland Expressway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
18.2 mi into trip|~25m in|I 76 / Heartland Expressway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 76 / Heartland Expressway toward I 76 East: Fort Morgan
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward I 76 East: Fort Morgan
6
95.4 mi into trip|~1h 43m in|CO 71 / Colorado Avenue
Turn right onto CO 71 / Colorado Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Lakewood, CO to Brush, CO, road signs begin pointing toward Fort Morgan along the way.
Fort Morgan
5.4 mi in|~10m
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Heartland Expressway
88.8 mi
1h 30m
South Wadsworth Boulevard
5.4 mi
10m
Colorado Avenue
0.5 mi
1m
Clayton Street
0.1 mi
<1m
Howard Street
<0.1 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Heartland Expressway
— 88.8 mi, about 1h 30m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lakewood, CO and Brush, CO.
1
Start on CO 121
5.4 mi·10 min·South Wadsworth Boulevard
Use the straight / right lanes.
2
Take the ramp
0.3 mi·34 sec
Toward I 70 East, I 76 East: Denver, Fort MorganUse the straight / slight right lanes.
3
Keep slight left at fork
0.6 mi·1 min
Toward I 76 East: Fort MorganUse the left / right lanes.
4
Merge onto I 76
12 mi·13 min·Heartland Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Keep slight right at fork onto I 76
77 mi·1 hr 17 min·Heartland Expressway
Toward I 76 East: Fort MorganUse the slight left / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.3 mi·36 sec
Toward CO 71: Brush, Snyder
7
Turn right onto CO 71
0.5 mi·1 min·Colorado Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
Turn right onto Howard Street
398 ft·15 sec·Howard Street
9
Turn left onto Clayton Street
0.1 mi·15 sec·Clayton Street
10
Arrive at destination
Clayton 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 48 miles from Lakewood, CO, or about 55m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 88.8 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 21 miles or 28m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 48 miles or 55m 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 26m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Brush, CO than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Lakewood, CO so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Lakewood, CO
This is one driving day of about 96.1 miles and 1h 45m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 21 miles from Lakewood, CO.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on Heartland Expressway for about 88.8 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 48 mi from Lakewood, CO
· 55m into the drive
Station data from NREL Alternative Fuel Stations database.
Driving Electric?
About $10 in charging
· 0 stops
· 68% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
28.8
0
$10.09
$4.61
Efficient EV
24
0
$8.41
$3.84
EV Truck/SUV
38.4
0
$13.45
$6.15
Gas CO2
34 kg
EV CO2
11 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.
Forecast as of Apr 18, 2026
Origin
Lakewood, CO
Late night
in Lakewood on Saturday
Local time
4:17 AM
MDT
Current temp
44°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Brush, CO
Late night
in Brush on Saturday
Local time
4:17 AM
MDT
Current temp
21°F
Partly Cloudy
W 8 mph2% chanceLive forecast
Freeze Warning
Freeze Warning issued April 18 at 1:05AM MDT until April 18 at 8:00AM MDT by NWS Goodland KS
Freeze Warning
Freeze Warning issued April 18 at 12:52AM MDT until April 18 at 8:00AM MDT by NWS Pueblo CO
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
23 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
1h 45m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Lakewood, CO to Brush, CO covers 96.1 miles and takes about 1h 45m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Heartland Expressway, South Wadsworth Boulevard, Colorado Avenue. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 48 miles from Lakewood, CO. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $14.48 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 96.1 miles you will encounter 8 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 5.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 6.3 miles (I 76 / Heartland Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
On the drive from Lakewood, CO to Brush, CO, road signs begin pointing toward Fort Morgan along the way.
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, NREL for EV charging, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
