Origin
Mead, CO
Evening in Mead on Friday
Local time
5:39 PM
MDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Mead, CO to Denver, CO
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
41m
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 38m
★
6 AM
0h 41m
8 AM
0h 48m
10 AM
0h 44m
12 PM
0h 43m
3 PM
0h 44m
5 PM
0h 48m
8 PM
0h 39m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Mead, CO
Mikhail Nilov
Denver, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 35.8-mile drive from Mead to Denver, Colorado, is estimated to take about 41 minutes, making it a perfect day trip. You'll navigate primarily on local roads, including Welker Avenue and Dwight D, with no highway mileage, so expect a more engaged driving experience. The estimated fuel cost for this short journey is around $5, which is quite budget-friendly. Since it's a quick trip within the Mountain West region, you won't need an overnight stay, allowing for a flexible schedule. This route offers a straightforward connection between two points in Colorado.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 41m. Total distance: 35.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
41m 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
This route is characterized as a turn-heavy local drive, meaning you'll be making frequent adjustments rather than settling into long stretches of highway. With a 0% highway share, you can anticipate a more intimate and possibly slower-paced journey through local landscapes. The absence of a longest uninterrupted stretch indicates a continuous series of turns and road changes. This kind of drive often involves navigating through communities and varied terrain, requiring your full attention to the road ahead.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 16 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Welker Avenue 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 Mead, CO to Denver, CO is easy. At 41m 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 Mead, CO to Denver, CO is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Welker Avenue | — | — |
| Dwight D | — | — |
| North Valley Highway | — | — |
| 38th Avenue | — | — |
| Park Avenue | — | — |
| Park Avenue West | — | — |
| West 22nd Street | — | — |
| North Broadway | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
Welker Avenue
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Mead, CO and Denver, CO.
1
Start on 3rd Street
26 ft
·
6 sec
·
3rd Street
2
Turn left onto Welker Avenue
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Welker Avenue
3
Take the ramp right
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
4
Merge slight left onto Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
17 mi
·
17 min
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
5
Continue on North Valley Highway
0.6 mi
·
36 sec
·
North Valley Highway
6
Keep slight right to continue on North Valley Highway
8.8 mi
·
10 min
·
North Valley Highway
7
Keep slight right to continue on North Valley Highway
4.8 mi
·
6 min
·
North Valley Highway
8
Take the exit slight right toward 38th Avenue, Park Avenue, Downtown
0.3 mi
·
29 sec
·
38th Avenue, Park Avenue, Downtown
9
Keep slight left to continue on Park Avenue, Downtown
0.1 mi
·
11 sec
·
Park Avenue, Downtown
10
Continue on Park Avenue
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Park Avenue
11
Turn straight onto Park Avenue West
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Park Avenue West
12
Continue on West 22nd Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
West 22nd Street
13
Turn right onto North Broadway
1.0 mi
·
3 min
·
North Broadway
14
Turn left onto East 14th Avenue
0.1 mi
·
30 sec
·
East 14th Avenue
15
Turn left
358 ft
·
28 sec
16
Arrive at your destination
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
Denver, CO
Evening in Denver on Friday
Local time
5:39 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
41m 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 Mead, CO to Denver, CO covers 35.8 miles and takes about 41m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Welker Avenue, Dwight D, North Valley Highway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 17.9 miles from Mead, CO. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $5.39 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 Mead, CO to Denver, CO is easy. At 41m 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 Mead, CO to Denver, CO is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Mead, CO to Denver, 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.
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