Origin
Thornton, CO
Late night in Thornton on Friday
Local time
5:47 AM
MDT
Current temp
62°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Thornton, CO to Niwot, CO
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
40m
Distance
27.5 mi
44 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 37m
★
6 AM
0h 41m
8 AM
0h 48m
10 AM
0h 43m
12 PM
0h 43m
3 PM
0h 44m
5 PM
0h 47m
8 PM
0h 39m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Thornton, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Niwot, CO
Mikhail Nilov
Trip Overview
The drive from Thornton, CO to Niwot, CO covers 27.5 miles and takes about 40m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on CO 52, Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, North Valley Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed highway & surface. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 10.1 miles on CO 52. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.64 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| CO 52 | 10.1 mi | 17m |
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway | 7.1 mi | 7m |
| North Valley Highway | 6.4 mi | 7m |
| North 79th Street | 1 mi | 2m |
| Washington Street | 1 mi | 2m |
| East 104th Avenue | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Thornton Parkway | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Dorothy Boulevard | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
CO 52
— 10.1 mi, about 17m
Traffic on I-25
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 4 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~4,819 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~278 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
17.3×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a
6a
noon
6p
11p
Averaged across 102 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Thornton, CO and Niwot, 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
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
·
Thornton Parkway
4
Turn right onto Washington Street
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Washington Street
Use the right lane.
5
Turn left onto East 104th Avenue
0.5 mi
·
57 sec
·
East 104th Avenue
Use the left / straight lanes.
6
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
25 sec
Toward I 25 North
Use the right lane.
7
Merge onto I 25
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
North Valley Highway
8
Keep slight right at fork onto I 25
5.3 mi
·
5 min
·
North Valley Highway
Use the straight / right lanes.
9
Continue on I 25
7.1 mi
·
7 min
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
10
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
48 sec
Exit 235
Toward CO 52: Dacono, Fort Lupton, Frederick, Niwot
Use the slight right lane.
11
Turn left onto CO 52
10 mi
·
17 min
·
CO 52
Use the left lane.
12
Turn right onto CR 25
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
North 79th Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
13
At end of road, turn left onto CR 34
199 ft
·
4 sec
·
Niwot Road
14
Turn slight right onto 2nd Avenue
0.1 mi
·
34 sec
·
2nd Avenue
15
Turn right onto Franklin Street
453 ft
·
19 sec
·
Franklin Street
16
Arrive at destination
Franklin Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 125 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 26.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Dorothy Boulevard
Turn left onto Dorothy Boulevard
Navigation decision point
6
0.6 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Washington Street
Turn right onto Washington Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
3.4 mi into trip
|
~6m 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 / right lanes.
8
15.8 mi into trip
|
~19m in
Take the exit toward CO 52: Dacono, Fort Lupton, Frederick, Niwot
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 235
Toward CO 52: Dacono, Fort Lupton, Frederick, N...
6
26.2 mi into trip
|
~37m in
|
CR 25 / North 79th Street
Turn right onto CR 25 / North 79th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.64 one way
$9.28 round trip
$4.29/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $4.90 | $9.79 |
| premium | $4.89 | $5.29 | $10.58 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $6.06 | $12.12 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.3 | 0 | $2.89 | $1.32 |
| Efficient EV | 6.9 | 0 | $2.41 | $1.10 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11 | 0 | $3.85 | $1.76 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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
Niwot, CO
Late night in Niwot on Friday
Local time
5:47 AM
MDT
Current temp
58°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
4 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
40m 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?
27.5 mi in 40m — 38% highway, the rest on surface roads. Biggest road: CO 52.
38% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.1 mi on CO 52.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Dorothy Boulevard.
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 12 decision points packed into just 27.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 40m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Dorothy Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles (Washington Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.4 miles (I 25 / North Valley Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
High-altitude sections with notable climbs
5,382 ft
4,959 ft
Total Climb
429 ft
Total Descent
682 ft
Highest Point
5,382 ft
~3.9 mi in
Elevation Range
423 ft
Notable High Points
5,382 ft at ~3.9 miles
+8 ft prominence
5,210 ft at ~7.9 miles
+25 ft prominence
5,201 ft at ~11.8 miles
+16 ft prominence
5,303 ft at ~25.5 miles
+133 ft prominence
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.
Between Thornton, CO and Niwot, CO, road signs point toward Fort Lupton and Frederick.
Fort Lupton
15.8 mi in
|
~19m
Frederick
15.8 mi in
|
~19m
About the Cities
Starting in Thornton, CO
Full guide →Founded 1956
Thornton is a city of about 144,000 in the Denver Metropolitan Area of the western U.S. state of Colorado. The city lies northwest of Denver in Adams and Weld counties. It is a diverse community with a strong commitment to quality of life and environmental issues.
Arriving in Niwot, CO
Full guide →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 40m. Total distance: 27.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
40m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (38%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 10.1 miles on CO 52. 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 Niwot, 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: near the start (Dorothy Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles (Washington Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.4 miles (I 25 / North Valley Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Niwot, 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, EIA for fuel prices, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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