Origin
Mead, CO
Night in Mead on Friday
Local time
10:45 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 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
46m
Distance
35.7 mi
57 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 43m
★
6 AM
0h 46m
8 AM
0h 54m
10 AM
0h 49m
12 PM
0h 48m
3 PM
0h 49m
5 PM
0h 54m
8 PM
0h 44m
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 46m. Total distance: 35.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
46m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
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.
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 17.3 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
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 19 miles in near I 25 / North Valley 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 10 decision points packed into just 35.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 46m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: 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; at 32.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 10 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
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
32.6 mi into trip
|
~37m in
Take the exit toward 38th Avenue, Park Avenue, Downtown
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 213
Toward 38th Avenue, Park Avenue, Downtown
9
32.9 mi into trip
|
~38m in
Keep slight left at fork toward Park Avenue, Downtown
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward Park Avenue, Downtown
7
35.6 mi into trip
|
~45m in
Turn left
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left 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 Mead, CO to Denver, CO, road signs begin pointing toward Downtown along the way.
Downtown
32.6 mi in
|
~37m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway | 17.3 mi | 17m |
| North Valley Highway | 14.2 mi | 17m |
| North Broadway | 1 mi | 3m |
| Welker Avenue | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| Park Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Park Avenue West | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| West 22nd Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| East 14th Avenue | 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 Denver, 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
4.8 mi
·
6 min
·
North Valley Highway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
28 sec
Exit 213
Toward 38th Avenue, Park Avenue, Downtown
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.1 mi
·
11 sec
Toward Park Avenue, Downtown
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
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
Use the straight / right lanes.
13
Turn right onto North Broadway
1.0 mi
·
3 min
·
North Broadway
Use the straight / right lanes.
14
Turn left onto East 14th Avenue
0.1 mi
·
29 sec
·
East 14th Avenue
Use the left lane.
15
Turn left
358 ft
·
27 sec
Use the straight / left lanes.
16
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 17.8 mi from Mead, CO · 19m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
18 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 35.7 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 17.8 miles from Mead, CO, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Denver, CO
Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Denver, CO if you are unfamiliar with the area.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.38 one way
$10.76 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
13 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $5.70 | $11.39 |
| premium | $4.39 | $6.18 | $12.35 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.88 | $15.76 |
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 · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10.7 | 0 | $3.75 | $1.71 |
| Efficient EV | 8.9 | 0 | $3.12 | $1.43 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 14.3 | 0 | $5.00 | $2.28 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (67% 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
Night in Denver on Friday
Local time
10:45 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
46m 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 35.7 miles and takes about 46m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, North Valley Highway, North Broadway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 17.8 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 $5.38 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 is a short but busy drive. With 10 decision points packed into just 35.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 46m.
The main spots that need attention: 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; at 32.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
On the drive from Mead, CO to Denver, CO, road signs begin pointing toward Downtown 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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