Origin
Bennett, CO
Afternoon in Bennett on Friday
Local time
12:59 PM
MDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Bennett, CO to Thornton, CO
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
46m
Distance
36.7 mi
59 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 43m
★
6 AM
0h 47m
8 AM
0h 54m
10 AM
0h 49m
12 PM
0h 49m
3 PM
0h 50m
5 PM
0h 54m
8 PM
0h 44m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Bennett, CO
RDNE Stock project
Thornton, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Bennett to Thornton is 36.7 miles and takes about 46m via Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within Colorado, moving from the Mountain West region to another part of the Mountain West. Expect a local feel with frequent turns, making it more about navigating communities than covering vast distances. It's a straightforward, same-day trip, perfect for when you need to get from point A to point B without a major expedition.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 46m. Total distance: 36.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
46m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
This route is characterized by a turn-heavy local drive profile, meaning you'll be making several directional changes. While it features 36.7 miles of driving, a significant portion, 24.6 miles, is on the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. The highway share is moderate, indicating a mix of faster road segments and more intricate local streets. You'll experience a change in pace as you transition between these road types, so stay alert for those turns.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 20 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 24.6 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
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 CO 79 / Palmer Avenue.
Driving Effort
10/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 17 decision points packed into just 36.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 46m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (CO 79 / Palmer Avenue): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.3 miles (CO 36; CO 79 / East Colfax Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.6 miles (CO 79 / South 1st Street): Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 17 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
CO 79 / Palmer Avenue
At end of road, turn right onto CO 79 / Palmer Avenue
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
7
0.3 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
CO 36; CO 79 / East Colfax Avenue
Turn right onto CO 36; CO 79 / East Colfax Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
6
0.6 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
CO 79 / South 1st Street
Turn left onto CO 79 / South 1st Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
8
26.1 mi into trip
|
~30m in
|
I 270 / Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 270 / Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway toward I 270 West: Boulder
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 279A
Toward I 270 West: Boulder
7
35.2 mi into trip
|
~43m in
Take the exit toward Thornton Parkway
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 220
Toward Thornton Parkway
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway | 24.6 mi | 26m |
| Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway | 6.2 mi | 7m |
| North Valley Highway | 2.1 mi | 2m |
| South 1st Street | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Thornton Parkway | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| East Colfax Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Dorothy Boulevard | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| 6th Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
— 24.6 mi, about 26m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Bennett, CO and Thornton, CO.
1
Start on this road
73 ft
·
10 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left
184 ft
·
15 sec
3
Turn right onto 6th Street
0.1 mi
·
26 sec
·
6th Street
4
At end of road, turn right onto CO 79
121 ft
·
2 sec
·
Palmer Avenue
5
Turn left onto CO 79
511 ft
·
11 sec
·
Adams Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
6
Turn right onto CO 36; CO 79
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
·
East Colfax Avenue
Use the straight lane.
7
Turn left onto CO 79
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
South 1st Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
8
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
Toward I 70 West
9
Merge onto I 70
18 mi
·
18 min
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Continue on I 70
3.4 mi
·
4 min
·
Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight right at fork onto I 70
2.8 mi
·
3 min
·
Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway
Use the straight lane.
12
Keep slight right at fork onto I 270
6.6 mi
·
8 min
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Exit 279A
Toward I 270 West: Boulder
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
Toward I 25 North: Fort Collins
Use the slight right lane.
14
Merge onto I 25
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
North Valley Highway
15
Keep slight right at fork onto I 25
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
North Valley Highway
Use the slight right lane.
16
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
43 sec
Exit 220
Toward Thornton Parkway
Use the slight right lane.
17
Turn right onto Thornton Parkway
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Thornton Parkway
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
18
Turn right onto Dorothy Boulevard
0.2 mi
·
51 sec
·
Dorothy Boulevard
Use the right lane.
19
Turn right
116 ft
·
8 sec
20
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 18.4 mi from Bennett, CO · 20m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
18 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 36.7 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 18.4 miles from Bennett, CO, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Thornton, CO
Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Thornton, CO if you are unfamiliar with the area.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.53 one way
$11.06 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
13 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $5.85 | $11.71 |
| premium | $4.39 | $6.35 | $12.70 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $8.10 | $16.21 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 11 | 0 | $3.85 | $1.76 |
| Efficient EV | 9.2 | 0 | $3.21 | $1.47 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 14.7 | 0 | $5.14 | $2.35 |
Gas CO2
13 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (69% 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
Afternoon in Thornton on Friday
Local time
12:59 PM
MDT
Current temp
46°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
1 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
46m 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Bennett, CO to Thornton, CO covers 36.7 miles and takes about 46m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway, North Valley Highway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 18.4 miles from Bennett, CO. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $5.53 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This is a short but busy drive. With 17 decision points packed into just 36.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 46m.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (CO 79 / Palmer Avenue): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.3 miles (CO 36; CO 79 / East Colfax Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.6 miles (CO 79 / South 1st Street): Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Bennett, CO to Thornton, CO does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
How this page is built
Compiled by the Trip.ovh 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Thornton, CO
More from Bennett, CO
More trips to Thornton, CO
Explore more options from Bennett, CO or browse trips ending in Thornton, CO.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse CO road trips.