Origin
Westminster, CO
Late night in Westminster on Saturday
Local time
12:17 AM
MDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Westminster, CO to Ponderosa Park, CO
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 8m
Distance
43.6 mi
70 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 3m
★
6 AM
1h 8m
8 AM
1h 19m
10 AM
1h 12m
12 PM
1h 11m
3 PM
1h 13m
5 PM
1h 19m
8 PM
1h 5m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Westminster, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Ponderosa Park, CO
Dianna Sarmiento
Trip Overview
The drive from Westminster, CO to Ponderosa Park, CO covers 43.6 miles and takes about 1h 8m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on North Valley Highway, Hilltop Road, Federal Boulevard for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 16.4 miles on North Valley Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $6.57 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 8m. Total distance: 43.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 8m 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
Expect a 1h 8m drive with frequent turns across 43.6 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 20 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
North Valley Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 16.4 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 early in the drive near West 77th Avenue.
Driving Effort
8/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 43.6 miles you will encounter 15 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: near the start (West 77th Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1.3 miles (US 287 / Federal Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 23.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 15 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
West 77th Avenue
Turn left onto West 77th Avenue
Navigation decision point
6
1.3 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
US 287 / Federal Boulevard
Turn right onto US 287 / Federal Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
8
23.2 mi into trip
|
~34m in
Take the exit toward E-470 North, CO 470 West: Limon, Grand Junction
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 194
Toward E-470 North, CO 470 West: Limon, Grand J...
8
23.3 mi into trip
|
~34m in
Keep slight left at fork toward E-470 North: Limon
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Exit 194
Toward E-470 North: Limon
7
28.6 mi into trip
|
~41m in
Take the exit toward CO 83
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 5
Toward CO 83
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Westminster, CO and Ponderosa Park, CO, road signs point toward E-470 North, Grand Junction and E-470 North: Limon.
E-470 North
23.2 mi in
|
~34m
Grand Junction
23.2 mi in
|
~34m
E-470 North: Limon
23.3 mi in
|
~34m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| North Valley Highway | 16.4 mi | 20m |
| Hilltop Road | 4.7 mi | 8m |
| Federal Boulevard | 4.6 mi | 9m |
| E-470 | 4.4 mi | 4m |
| South Parker Road | 3.9 mi | 6m |
| Flintwood Road | 3.4 mi | 6m |
| Ponderosa Lane | 1.8 mi | 4m |
| Lowell Boulevard | 0.6 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
North Valley Highway
— 16.4 mi, about 20m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Westminster, CO and Ponderosa Park, CO.
1
Start on Newton Street
114 ft
·
11 sec
·
Newton Street
2
Turn left onto West 77th Avenue
0.2 mi
·
40 sec
·
West 77th Avenue
3
At end of road, turn right onto Lowell Boulevard
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Lowell Boulevard
4
Turn left onto West 72nd Avenue
0.5 mi
·
50 sec
·
West 72nd Avenue
5
Turn right onto US 287
4.6 mi
·
9 min
·
Federal Boulevard
Use the right lane.
6
Turn left onto North Speer Boulevard
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
North Speer Boulevard
Use the left lane.
7
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
Toward I 25 South: Colorado Springs
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Merge onto I 25
16 mi
·
20 min
·
North Valley Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
15 sec
Exit 194
Toward E-470 North, CO 470 West: Limon, Grand Junction
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight left at fork
0.8 mi
·
1 min
Exit 194
Toward E-470 North: Limon
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
11
Merge onto E470
4.4 mi
·
4 min
·
E-470
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
48 sec
Exit 5
Toward CO 83
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Turn slight right
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
Toward CO 83 South: Parker Road
14
Merge onto CO 83
3.9 mi
·
6 min
·
South Parker Road
15
Turn left onto Hess Road
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Hess Road
Use the left lane.
16
Continue on CR 71
4.7 mi
·
8 min
·
Hilltop Road
17
Continue on CR 65
3.4 mi
·
6 min
·
Flintwood Road
18
Turn left onto Ponderosa Lane
1.8 mi
·
4 min
·
Ponderosa Lane
19
Turn left onto Verdos Drive
0.2 mi
·
39 sec
·
Verdos Drive
20
Arrive at destination
Verdos Drive
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 21.8 mi from Westminster, CO · 33m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
22 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 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 21.8 miles from Westminster, CO, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Ponderosa Park, CO
The final approach into Ponderosa Park, CO usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.57 one way
$13.14 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
15 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $6.96 | $13.91 |
| premium | $4.39 | $7.54 | $15.08 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.63 | $19.25 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.53
E-470
(4.4 mi)
$0.53
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Tolls
$1
Total
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 15.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 13.1 | 0 | $4.58 | $2.09 |
| Efficient EV | 10.9 | 0 | $3.82 | $1.74 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 17.4 | 0 | $6.10 | $2.79 |
Gas CO2
15 kg
EV CO2
5 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
Ponderosa Park, CO
Late night in Ponderosa Park on Saturday
Local time
12:17 AM
MDT
Current temp
43°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
3 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 8m 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 Westminster, CO to Ponderosa Park, CO covers 43.6 miles and takes about 1h 8m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are North Valley Highway, Hilltop Road, Federal Boulevard. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 21.8 miles from Westminster, CO. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $6.57 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 43.6 miles you will encounter 15 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: near the start (West 77th Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1.3 miles (US 287 / Federal Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 23.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Westminster, CO and Ponderosa Park, CO, road signs point toward E-470 North, Grand Junction and E-470 North: Limon.
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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