Origin
Erie, CO
Late night in Erie on Tuesday
Local time
2:06 AM
MDT
Current temp
54°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Erie, 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
26m
Distance
17.8 mi
29 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 24m
★
6 AM
0h 26m
8 AM
0h 31m
10 AM
0h 28m
12 PM
0h 27m
3 PM
0h 28m
5 PM
0h 30m
8 PM
0h 25m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Erie, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Thornton, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 17.8-mile journey from Erie, CO to Thornton, CO takes approximately 26 minutes and is best suited as a single-day trip. You'll primarily navigate local roads, with only about 25% of the drive on highways like the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. The estimated fuel cost for this quick hop is a modest $3. Given its brevity, you won't need to worry about overnight stays, and you can easily fit this into your schedule. Both locations are situated within the Mountain West region, so you're staying within familiar territory for this brief excursion.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| North Valley Highway | 7.6 mi | 8m |
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway | 4.1 mi | 4m |
| Erie Parkway | 3.5 mi | 6m |
| Thornton Parkway | 1 mi | 2m |
| Briggs Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Dorothy Boulevard | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Wells Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
North Valley Highway
— 7.6 mi, about 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Erie, CO and Thornton, CO.
1
Start on Wells Street
0.1 mi
·
33 sec
·
Wells Street
2
Turn right onto Briggs Street
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Briggs Street
3
Turn left onto Erie Parkway
3.5 mi
·
6 min
·
Erie Parkway
4
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
Toward I 25 South
Use the right lane.
5
Merge onto I 25
4.1 mi
·
4 min
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Continue on I 25
0.6 mi
·
36 sec
·
North Valley Highway
7
Keep slight right at fork onto I 25
7.0 mi
·
8 min
·
North Valley Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
Exit 220
Toward Thornton Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight left at fork
116 ft
·
4 sec
Toward Thornton Parkway East
10
Turn left onto Thornton Parkway
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Thornton Parkway
Use the left / straight lanes.
11
Turn right onto Dorothy Boulevard
0.2 mi
·
51 sec
·
Dorothy Boulevard
Use the right lane.
12
Turn right
116 ft
·
8 sec
13
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 4.3 and 17.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
4.3 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Take the ramp toward I 25 South
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward I 25 South
6
9.3 mi into trip
|
~14m 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.
7
16.3 mi into trip
|
~22m in
Take the exit toward Thornton Parkway
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 220
Toward Thornton Parkway
6
16.6 mi into trip
|
~22m in
Keep slight left at fork toward Thornton Parkway East
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward Thornton Parkway East
6
17.6 mi into trip
|
~25m in
|
Dorothy Boulevard
Turn right onto Dorothy Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.68 one way
$5.36 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $2.84 | $5.68 |
| premium | $4.39 | $3.08 | $6.16 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.93 | $7.86 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.3 | 0 | $1.87 | $0.85 |
| Efficient EV | 4.5 | 0 | $1.56 | $0.71 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.1 | 0 | $2.49 | $1.14 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 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
Thornton, CO
Late night in Thornton on Tuesday
Local time
2:06 AM
MDT
Current temp
36°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
18 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
26m 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?
Expect a "turn-heavy local drive" for this route, meaning you'll be making frequent adjustments rather than settling into a long, straight highway stretch. While 25% of the trip involves highway driving, including a 7.6-mile segment on North Valley Highway, much of your time will be spent on local roads like Erie Parkway. This mix suggests a drive that requires attention to navigation and road changes, rather than a simple point-to-point cruise. The overall feel is more about traversing local communities than experiencing an open road.
Only 25% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 7.6 mi on North Valley Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
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 4.3 miles in.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 9 decision points packed into just 17.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 26m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 4.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 9.3 miles (I 25 / North Valley Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 16.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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 Erie, CO to Thornton, CO, road signs begin pointing toward Thornton Parkway East along the way.
Thornton Parkway East
16.6 mi in
|
~22m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 26m. Total distance: 17.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
26m 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 7.6 miles on North Valley 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 4.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 9.3 miles (I 25 / North Valley Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 16.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
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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