Origin
Mead, CO
Afternoon in Mead on Saturday
Local time
12:58 PM
MDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Mead, 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
43m
Distance
35.8 mi
58 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 40m
★
6 AM
0h 44m
8 AM
0h 51m
10 AM
0h 47m
12 PM
0h 46m
3 PM
0h 47m
5 PM
0h 51m
8 PM
0h 42m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Mead, CO
Mikhail Nilov
Arvada, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Mead to Arvada is 35.8 miles and takes about 43 minutes via Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short drive stays within the Mountain West region, specifically within Colorado. Expect a local, turn-heavy drive that won't feel like a long haul. It's a straightforward trip connecting two points in the state, perfect for a quick transit or a day trip with minimal time commitment.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway | 17.3 mi | 17m |
| North Valley Highway | 10.9 mi | 13m |
| Heartland Expressway | 3.2 mi | 3m |
| Ralston Road | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| Welker Avenue | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| Sheridan Boulevard | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Ammons Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| 3rd Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
— 17.3 mi, about 17m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Mead, CO and Arvada, CO.
1
Start on 3rd Street
27 ft
·
6 sec
·
3rd Street
2
Turn left onto Welker Avenue
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Welker Avenue
3
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
4
Merge onto I 25
17 mi
·
17 min
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Continue on I 25
0.6 mi
·
36 sec
·
North Valley Highway
6
Keep slight right at fork onto I 25
8.8 mi
·
10 min
·
North Valley Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight right at fork onto I 25
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
North Valley Highway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.9 mi
·
1 min
Exit 216
Toward I 76 West: Arvada, Grand Junction
Use the slight right lane.
9
Merge onto I 76
3.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Heartland Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
26 sec
Exit 1B
Toward CO 95: Sheridan Boulevard
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Turn right onto CO 95
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
·
Sheridan Boulevard
12
Turn left onto Ralston Road
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Ralston Road
Use the left lane.
13
Turn right onto Ammons Street
227 ft
·
13 sec
·
Ammons Street
14
Turn left
41 ft
·
3 sec
15
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 125 decision points cluster between mile 1.1 and 33.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
1.1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
I 25 / Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Merge onto I 25 / Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
19 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
I 25 / North Valley Highway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 25 / North Valley Highway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
27.8 mi into trip
|
~31m in
|
I 25 / North Valley Highway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 25 / North Valley Highway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
8
29.3 mi into trip
|
~33m in
Take the exit toward I 76 West: Arvada, Grand Junction
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 216
Toward I 76 West: Arvada, Grand Junction
7
33.4 mi into trip
|
~39m 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
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.39 one way
$10.79 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
13 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $5.71 | $11.42 |
| premium | $4.39 | $6.19 | $12.39 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.90 | $15.81 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10.7 | 0 | $3.76 | $1.72 |
| Efficient EV | 9 | 0 | $3.13 | $1.43 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 14.3 | 0 | $5.01 | $2.29 |
Gas CO2
13 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (69% 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
Afternoon in Arvada on Saturday
Local time
12:58 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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
43m 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?
This route is characterized by frequent turns, making it a more engaged driving experience than a simple interstate cruise. With only a 9% highway share, you'll spend most of your time on local roads. The longest continuous stretch you'll encounter is 17.3 miles on the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. Expect the drive to involve navigating through various local routes rather than a single, continuous highway.
Only 9% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 17.3 mi on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
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 1.1 miles in near I 25 / Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway.
Driving Effort
9/10
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 12 decision points packed into just 35.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 43m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.1 miles (I 25 / Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 19 miles (I 25 / North Valley Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 27.8 miles (I 25 / North Valley Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
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 Mead, CO to Arvada, CO, road signs begin pointing toward Grand Junction along the way.
Grand Junction
29.3 mi in
|
~33m
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 43m. Total distance: 35.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
43m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 17.3 miles on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Arvada, CO before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
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 1.1 miles (I 25 / Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 19 miles (I 25 / North Valley Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 27.8 miles (I 25 / North Valley Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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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