The drive from Manassa, CO to Lakewood, CO covers 261.6 miles and takes about 5h 12m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 25 Business, Santa Fe Avenue, Ronald Reagan Highway for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is mixed drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 86.9 miles on I 25 Business.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $39.42 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
130.8 miles from Manassa, CO
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 48m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 5h 12m. Total distance: 261.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
5h 12m drive, comfortable solo distance.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
The drive from Manassa, CO to Lakewood, CO covers 261.6 miles and takes about 5h 12m, using a mix of highways and local roads.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 23 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 25 Business is the longest continuous segment at about 86.9 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 12 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 2.8 miles in near US 285; CO 17.
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 261.6 miles you will encounter 12 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 2.8 miles (US 285; CO 17): Lane positioning matters here; at 96.7 miles (I 25 Business / Main Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 255.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 12 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
2.8 mi into trip|~5m in|US 285; CO 17
Turn right onto US 285; CO 17
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
5
96.7 mi into trip|~2h 11m in|I 25 Business / Main Street
Turn left onto I 25 Business / Main Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
255.7 mi into trip|~5h 2m in
Take the exit toward US 6 West: 6th Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 209A-B
Toward US 6 West: 6th Avenue
9
255.9 mi into trip|~5h 2m in
Keep slight right at fork toward US 6 West: 6th Avenue, Lakewood
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 209B
Toward US 6 West: 6th Avenue, Lakewood
6
259.9 mi into trip|~5h 8m in
Take the exit toward CO 121 South: Wadsworth Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward CO 121 South: Wadsworth Boulevard
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 25 Business
86.9 mi
1h 30m
Santa Fe Avenue
71.4 mi
1h 27m
Ronald Reagan Highway
60.9 mi
1h 5m
US 285
21.5 mi
35m
Monument Valley Freeway
8.5 mi
9m
Main Street
3.2 mi
6m
West 6th Avenue Freeway
2.5 mi
3m
US Highway 85/87
1.6 mi
2m
Longest stretch:
I 25 Business
— 86.9 mi, about 1h 30m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Manassa, CO and Lakewood, CO.
1
Start on North 5th Street
130 ft·7 sec·North 5th Street
2
Turn right onto CO 142
2.8 mi·5 min·Main Street
3
Turn right onto US 285; CO 17
21 mi·35 min·US 285; CO 17
Use the straight / left lanes.
4
Turn right onto Fourth Street
0.7 mi·1 min·Fourth Street
5
At end of road, turn left onto US 160; CO 17
521 ft·17 sec·Denver Avenue
6
Continue on US 160; CO 17
0.3 mi·41 sec·Broadway Avenue
7
Continue on US 160
71 mi·1 hr 27 min·Santa Fe Avenue
Use the straight lane.
8
Turn left onto I 25 Business
0.4 mi·43 sec·Main Street
Use the left lane.
9
Continue on I 25 Business
210 ft·3 sec·Main Street
10
Continue on I 25 Business
0.7 mi·1 min·Walsen Avenue
11
Continue on I 25 Business
1.6 mi·2 min·US Highway 85/87
12
Take the ramp onto I 25 Business
87 mi·1 hr 30 min·I 25 Business
Toward I 25 North: PuebloUse the straight / right lanes.
13
Continue on I 25; US 24
8.5 mi·9 min·Monument Valley Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Continue on I 25
61 mi·1 hr 5 min·Ronald Reagan Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Take the exit
0.2 mi·23 sec
Exit 209A-BToward US 6 West: 6th AvenueUse the slight right lane.
16
Keep slight right at fork
0.4 mi·53 sec
Exit 209BToward US 6 West: 6th Avenue, LakewoodUse the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Continue on US 6
0.9 mi·1 min·Dinosaur Diamond Prehistoric Highway
18
Keep slight left at fork onto US 6
0.1 mi·10 sec·US 6
Toward US 6
19
Merge onto US 6
2.5 mi·3 min·West 6th Avenue Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
20
Take the exit
0.2 mi·27 sec
Toward CO 121 South: Wadsworth BoulevardUse the right lane.
21
Turn straight onto CO 121
1.5 mi·3 min·North Wadsworth Boulevard
22
Continue on CO 121
369 ft·15 sec·South Wadsworth Boulevard
Use the left lane.
23
Arrive at destination
CO 121
Trip Plan
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 130.8 miles from Manassa, CO, or about 2h 48m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 86.9 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 58 miles or 1h 24m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 130.8 miles or 2h 48m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 4h 17m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Lakewood, CO than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Manassa, CO 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 Manassa, CO
This is one driving day of about 261.6 miles and 5h 12m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 58 miles from Manassa, CO.
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.
The longest stretch is on I 25 Business for about 86.9 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 130.8 mi from Manassa, CO
· 2h 48m into the drive
The midpoint is around 130.8 miles from Manassa, CO, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel check
Top up before I 25 Business if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 86.9 miles.
Arriving in Lakewood, CO
The final approach into Lakewood, CO 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 Lakewood, CO.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument
National Monument
Beneath a grassy mountain valley in central Colorado lies one of the richest and most diverse fossil deposits in the world. Petrified redwood stumps up to 14 feet wide and thousands of detailed fossil...
25 mi from route
~62 min detour
$10
near mile 189.5
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$39.42 one way
$78.83 round trip
$3.83/gal25.4 MPG avg92 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.05
$41.73
$83.46
premium
$4.39
$45.25
$90.51
diesel
$5.61
$57.76
$115.52
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$39
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$64–$89
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 91.5 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $27 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
78.5
0
$27.47
$12.56
Efficient EV
65.4
0
$22.89
$10.46
EV Truck/SUV
104.6
1
$36.62
$16.74
Gas CO2
92 kg
EV CO2
31 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.
Forecast as of Apr 16, 2026
Origin
Manassa, CO
Night
in Manassa on Friday
Local time
9:53 PM
MDT
Current temp
30°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Lakewood, CO
Night
in Lakewood on Friday
Local time
9:53 PM
MDT
Current temp
44°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
14 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
5h 12m on the road
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Manassa, CO to Lakewood, CO covers 261.6 miles and takes about 5h 12m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 25 Business, Santa Fe Avenue, Ronald Reagan Highway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 130.8 miles from Manassa, CO. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $39.42 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. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 261.6 miles you will encounter 12 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 2.8 miles (US 285; CO 17): Lane positioning matters here; at 96.7 miles (I 25 Business / Main Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 255.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Manassa, CO to Lakewood, 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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
