Origin
Thornton, CO
Late night in Thornton on Tuesday
Local time
4:49 AM
MDT
Current temp
36°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Thornton, CO to Commerce City, 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
14m
Distance
8.3 mi
13 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 14m
★
6 AM
0h 15m
8 AM
0h 17m
10 AM
0h 16m
12 PM
0h 16m
3 PM
0h 16m
5 PM
0h 17m
8 PM
0h 14m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Thornton, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Commerce City, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 8.3-mile journey from Thornton to Commerce City, Colorado, is designed for a single day, taking approximately 14 minutes to complete. You'll primarily navigate local roads, with a small portion on the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway and North Valley Highway, making it a straightforward drive within the Mountain West region. With an estimated fuel cost of just $1, this trip is highly budget-friendly and doesn't require any overnight stays. Its brevity means you can easily fit it into your schedule without needing extensive planning.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway | 3.2 mi | 4m |
| North Valley Highway | 2 mi | 2m |
| Thornton Parkway | 1 mi | 2m |
| North Vasquez Boulevard | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Dorothy Boulevard | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Dexter Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
— 3.2 mi, about 4m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Thornton, CO and Commerce City, CO.
1
Start on this road
76 ft
·
12 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto Dorothy Boulevard
0.2 mi
·
58 sec
·
Dorothy Boulevard
3
At end of road, turn left onto Thornton Parkway
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Thornton Parkway
Use the left / straight lanes.
4
Turn left
0.4 mi
·
40 sec
Toward I 25 South: Colorado Springs
Use the straight / left lanes.
5
Merge onto I 25
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
North Valley Highway
6
Keep slight right at fork onto I 25
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
North Valley Highway
7
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Exit 217B
Toward I 270 East: Aurora, Limon
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
8
Merge onto I 270
3.2 mi
·
4 min
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
9
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
Exit 2B
Toward US 85, CO 2 North: Vasquez Boulevard
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Merge onto US 6; US 85; CO 2
0.4 mi
·
36 sec
·
North Vasquez Boulevard
11
Turn left onto Dexter Street
0.2 mi
·
52 sec
·
Dexter Street
Use the left lane.
12
Turn left
0.1 mi
·
53 sec
13
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 115 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
0.2 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Thornton Parkway
At end of road, turn left onto Thornton Parkway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
6
1.2 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Turn left toward I 25 South: Colorado Springs
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
Toward I 25 South: Colorado Springs
8
3.6 mi into trip
|
~6m in
Take the exit toward I 270 East: Aurora, Limon
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
Exit 217B
Toward I 270 East: Aurora, Limon
8
7.4 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Take the exit toward US 85, CO 2 North: Vasquez Boulevard
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 2B
Toward US 85, CO 2 North: Vasquez Boulevard
6
8 mi into trip
|
~13m in
|
Dexter Street
Turn left onto Dexter Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.25 one way
$2.50 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $1.32 | $2.65 |
| premium | $4.39 | $1.44 | $2.87 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $1.83 | $3.67 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Estimated CO2 emission: 2.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2.5 | 0 | $0.87 | $0.40 |
| Efficient EV | 2.1 | 0 | $0.73 | $0.33 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 3.3 | 0 | $1.16 | $0.53 |
Gas CO2
3 kg
EV CO2
1 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
Commerce City, CO
Late night in Commerce City on Tuesday
Local time
4:49 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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
14m 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 8.3-mile route. While only 12% of the journey involves highway driving, the longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 3.2 miles on the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. The majority of your time will be spent on local roads like Thornton Parkway, requiring frequent adjustments to speed and direction. This isn't a fast-paced interstate cruise; rather, it's a more engaged driving experience through local thoroughfares.
Only 12% 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: 3.2 mi on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
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 0.2 miles in near Thornton Parkway.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 8.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 14m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (Thornton Parkway): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 3.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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 Thornton, CO to Commerce City, CO, road signs begin pointing toward Limon along the way.
Limon
3.6 mi in
|
~6m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 14m. Total distance: 8.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
14m 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 3.2 miles on Dwight D. Eisenhower 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 Commerce City, 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 0.2 miles (Thornton Parkway): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 3.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Commerce City, 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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