Origin
Brighton, CO
Morning in Brighton on Tuesday
Local time
6:21 AM
MDT
Current temp
33°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Brighton, CO to Thornton, CO
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
22m
Distance
14 mi
23 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Fair
3 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 20m
★
6 AM
0h 22m
8 AM
0h 26m
10 AM
0h 24m
12 PM
0h 23m
3 PM
0h 24m
5 PM
0h 26m
8 PM
0h 21m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Brighton, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Thornton, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a quick connection within the Mountain West, the 14.2-mile journey from Brighton to Thornton is an efficient option. You can expect this trip to take approximately 23 minutes under normal conditions, making it a perfect candidate for a single-day excursion. Navigating the route requires you to transition through South Main Street, West Bridge Street, and US 85 south. Because the total distance is so short, you will not need to worry about overnight accommodations or heavy travel planning. With fuel costs estimated at just $2, this is an incredibly budget-friendly way to move between these two Colorado cities.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| CanAm Highway | 7.5 mi | 8m |
| East 104th Avenue | 2.5 mi | 4m |
| Thornton Parkway | 2.2 mi | 4m |
| Riverdale Road | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Dorothy Boulevard | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| West Bridge Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| South Main Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Bush Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
CanAm Highway
— 7.5 mi, about 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Brighton, CO and Thornton, CO.
1
Start on Bush Street
414 ft
·
14 sec
·
Bush Street
2
Turn right onto South Main Street
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
·
South Main Street
3
Turn left onto West Bridge Street
427 ft
·
8 sec
·
West Bridge Street
Use the left lane.
4
Enter roundabout onto CO 7
142 ft
·
2 sec
·
West Bridge Street
5
Continue on CO 7
266 ft
·
4 sec
·
West Bridge Street
6
Enter roundabout
304 ft
·
5 sec
Toward US 85 south
7
Continue
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
Toward US 85 south
8
Merge onto US 85
7.5 mi
·
8 min
·
CanAm Highway
Use the left lane.
9
Turn right onto CO 44
2.5 mi
·
4 min
·
East 104th Avenue
Use the right lane.
10
Turn left onto Riverdale Road
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Riverdale Road
Use the left lane.
11
Turn right onto Thornton Parkway
2.2 mi
·
4 min
·
Thornton Parkway
Use the right lane.
12
Turn left onto Dorothy Boulevard
0.2 mi
·
51 sec
·
Dorothy Boulevard
Use the left lane.
13
Turn right
116 ft
·
8 sec
14
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 115 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 13.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
South Main Street
Turn right onto South Main Street
Navigation decision point
7
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
West Bridge Street
Turn left onto West Bridge Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
0.3 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
CO 7 / West Bridge Street
Enter roundabout onto CO 7 / West Bridge Street
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
6
0.3 mi into trip
|
~0m in
Enter roundabout toward US 85 south
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Toward US 85 south
6
13.8 mi into trip
|
~21m in
|
Dorothy Boulevard
Turn left onto Dorothy Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.11 one way
$4.22 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $2.23 | $4.47 |
| premium | $4.39 | $2.42 | $4.84 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.09 | $6.18 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.2 | 0 | $1.47 | $0.67 |
| Efficient EV | 3.5 | 0 | $1.22 | $0.56 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.6 | 0 | $1.96 | $0.90 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
Thornton, CO
Morning in Thornton on Tuesday
Local time
6:21 AM
MDT
Current temp
60°F
Showers And Thunderstorms Likely
N 8 to 16 mph
67% chance
Live forecast
Freeze Warning
Freeze Warning issued April 14 at 10:10AM MDT until April 15 at 9:00AM MDT by NWS Grand Junction CO
Freeze Warning
Freeze Warning issued April 14 at 10:10AM MDT until April 15 at 9:00AM MDT by NWS Grand Junction CO
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
27 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
22m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive rather than a high-speed interstate cruise, as this route features zero highway driving. You will spend your time navigating local surface streets, meaning there is no long, monotonous stretch of open road to contend with; in fact, the longest uninterrupted segment is 0 miles on South Main Street. Because you are avoiding major highways entirely, your focus will be on managing frequent intersections and local traffic patterns. This drive offers a practical, hands-on experience behind the wheel that changes character as you navigate the transitions between Brighton and Thornton.
Only 15% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 7.5 mi on CanAm Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 11 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near South Main Street.
Driving Effort
6/10
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 14 miles you will encounter 11 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 0.1 miles (South Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (West Bridge Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.3 miles (CO 7 / West Bridge Street): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
About the Cities
Starting in Brighton, CO
Full guide →Founded 1887
Brighton is a city of about 42,000 in the Denver Metropolitan Area of the western U.S. state of Colorado. The seat of Adams County and also extending into adjacent Weld County, the city lies northeast of Denver along the South Platte River. A former farming community, Brighton is now a residential suburb of Denver.
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 22m. Total distance: 14 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
22m 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 7.5 miles on CanAm 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 Thornton, 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 0.1 miles (South Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (West Bridge Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.3 miles (CO 7 / West Bridge Street): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Thornton, CO before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner 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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