Origin
Hudson, CO
Late night in Hudson on Tuesday
Local time
5:41 AM
MDT
Current temp
58°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Hudson, 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
31m
Distance
25.7 mi
41 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Fair
3 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 29m
★
6 AM
0h 32m
8 AM
0h 37m
10 AM
0h 34m
12 PM
0h 33m
3 PM
0h 34m
5 PM
0h 37m
8 PM
0h 30m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Hudson, CO
Renan Tagliaferro
Thornton, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Hudson, CO to Thornton, CO is 25.7 miles and takes about 31m via Heartland Expressway and Thornton Parkway, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short drive stays within the Mountain West region, specifically Colorado, making it a straightforward local trip. You'll primarily be on well-maintained roads, and with only a 31-minute estimated travel time, it’s a quick hop between two communities. This route is ideal if you need to get from point A to point B efficiently without a significant time commitment.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Heartland Expressway | 20.6 mi | 21m |
| Thornton Parkway | 1.7 mi | 3m |
| East 88th Avenue | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| Colorado Boulevard | 1 mi | 1m |
| Dorothy Boulevard | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| East Bison Highway | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Main Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Hudson Drive | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Heartland Expressway
— 20.6 mi, about 21m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Hudson, CO and Thornton, CO.
1
Start on Hudson Drive
214 ft
·
8 sec
·
Hudson Drive
2
Turn right onto CO 52
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
·
Main Street
3
Continue on CO 52
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
·
East Bison Highway
4
Enter roundabout
274 ft
·
4 sec
Toward I 76 West
5
Continue
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
Toward I 76 West
6
Merge onto I 76
21 mi
·
21 min
·
Heartland Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
Exit 10
Toward 88th Avenue
Use the slight right lane.
8
Turn right onto East 88th Avenue
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
East 88th Avenue
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
9
Turn right onto Colorado Boulevard
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Colorado Boulevard
Use the right lane.
10
Turn left onto Thornton Parkway
1.7 mi
·
3 min
·
Thornton Parkway
Use the left lane.
11
Turn left onto Dorothy Boulevard
0.2 mi
·
51 sec
·
Dorothy Boulevard
Use the left lane.
12
Turn right
116 ft
·
8 sec
13
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 0.3 and 25.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.3 mi into trip
|
~0m in
Enter roundabout toward I 76 West
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Toward I 76 West
5
0.5 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
I 76 / Heartland Expressway
Merge onto I 76 / Heartland Expressway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
21.1 mi into trip
|
~22m in
Take the exit toward 88th Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 10
Toward 88th Avenue
6
22.8 mi into trip
|
~25m in
|
Colorado Boulevard
Turn right onto Colorado Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
25.5 mi into trip
|
~30m in
|
Dorothy Boulevard
Turn left onto Dorothy Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.87 one way
$7.74 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $4.10 | $8.20 |
| premium | $4.39 | $4.45 | $8.89 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.67 | $11.35 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.7 | 0 | $2.70 | $1.23 |
| Efficient EV | 6.4 | 0 | $2.25 | $1.03 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.3 | 0 | $3.60 | $1.64 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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
5:41 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
22 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
31m 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?
This drive is mostly highway, with 86% of the route on faster roads. You'll experience a continuous 20.6-mile stretch on Heartland Expressway before transitioning to surface streets like Thornton Parkway and East 88th Avenue. Expect a lot of exits and merges as you navigate this primarily highway profile. The final section will feel more like local cruising as you approach your destination.
86% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 20.6 mi on Heartland Expressway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Heartland Expressway and Thornton Parkway. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.3 miles in.
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 25.7 miles you will encounter 10 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 0.3 miles: Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 0.5 miles (I 76 / Heartland Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 21.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 31m. Total distance: 25.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
31m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (86%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 20.6 miles on Heartland Expressway. 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 0.3 miles: Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 0.5 miles (I 76 / Heartland Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 21.1 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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