Origin
Coal Creek, CO
Afternoon in Coal Creek on Saturday
Local time
12:04 PM
MDT
Current temp
77°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Coal Creek, CO to Thornton, CO
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
2h 39m
Distance
122.5 mi
197 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$18
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
2h 29m
★
6 AM
2h 40m
8 AM
3h 1m
10 AM
2h 47m
12 PM
2h 45m
3 PM
2h 48m
5 PM
3h 0m
8 PM
2h 33m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Coal Creek, CO
Braeson Holland
Thornton, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Coal Creek, CO to Thornton, CO covers 122.5 miles and takes about 2h 39m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Ronald Reagan Highway, CO 115, Monument Valley Freeway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed highway & surface. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 70.1 miles on Ronald Reagan Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $18.46 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
61.3 miles from Coal Creek, CO
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 28m into the drive .
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Ronald Reagan Highway | 70.1 mi | 1h 18m |
| CO 115 | 36.8 mi | 51m |
| Monument Valley Freeway | 7.7 mi | 8m |
| West Main Street | 2.1 mi | 4m |
| County Road 13 | 1.8 mi | 7m |
| North Valley Highway | 1.3 mi | 1m |
| Thornton Parkway | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Main Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Ronald Reagan Highway
— 70.1 mi, about 1h 18m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Coal Creek, CO and Thornton, CO.
1
Start on Main Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Main Street
2
Continue on County Road 13
1.8 mi
·
7 min
·
County Road 13
3
Continue on South Frazier Avenue
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
South Frazier Avenue
4
Turn right onto West Main Street
2.1 mi
·
4 min
·
West Main Street
5
Continue on CO 115
3.6 mi
·
6 min
·
CO 115
6
Enter roundabout onto CO 115
121 ft
·
2 sec
·
CO 115
7
Continue on CO 115
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
CO 115
8
Continue on CO 115
32 mi
·
43 min
·
CO 115
Use the straight lane.
9
Turn left
0.1 mi
·
14 sec
Toward I 25 North, US 24 West: Denver
Use the left lane.
10
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
Toward I 25 North, US 24 West: Denver
Use the straight / right lanes.
11
Merge onto I 25; US 24
7.7 mi
·
8 min
·
Monument Valley Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Continue on I 25
70 mi
·
1 hr 18 min
·
Ronald Reagan Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight right at fork onto I 25
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
North Valley Highway
Use the slight right lane.
14
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
43 sec
Exit 220
Toward Thornton Parkway
Use the slight right lane.
15
Turn right onto Thornton Parkway
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Thornton Parkway
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
16
Turn right onto Dorothy Boulevard
0.2 mi
·
51 sec
·
Dorothy Boulevard
Use the right lane.
17
Turn right
116 ft
·
8 sec
18
Arrive at destination
Trip Plan
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 61.3 miles from Coal Creek, CO, or about 1h 28m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 70.1 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 27 miles or 46m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 61.3 miles or 1h 28m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 2h 12m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Thornton, CO than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Coal Creek, CO so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Coal Creek, CO
This is one driving day of about 122.5 miles and 2h 39m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 27 miles from Coal Creek, CO.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on Ronald Reagan Highway for about 70.1 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
61 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 27 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 61.3 miles from Coal Creek, CO, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before Ronald Reagan Highway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 70.1 miles.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 41.5 and 122.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
41.5 mi into trip
|
~1h 6m in
Turn left toward I 25 North, US 24 West: Denver
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the left lane.
Toward I 25 North, US 24 West: Denver
7
41.6 mi into trip
|
~1h 6m in
Take the ramp toward I 25 North, US 24 West: Denver
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / right lanes.
Toward I 25 North, US 24 West: Denver
6
119.7 mi into trip
|
~2h 34m 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 slight right lane.
7
121 mi into trip
|
~2h 35m 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
6
122.3 mi into trip
|
~2h 38m in
|
Dorothy Boulevard
Turn right onto Dorothy Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$18.46 one way
$36.91 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
43 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $19.54 | $39.08 |
| premium | $4.39 | $21.19 | $42.38 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $27.05 | $54.09 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$18
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$43–$68
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 42.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $13 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 36.8 | 0 | $12.86 | $5.88 |
| Efficient EV | 30.6 | 0 | $10.72 | $4.90 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 49 | 0 | $17.15 | $7.84 |
Gas CO2
43 kg
EV CO2
14 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
Afternoon in Thornton on Saturday
Local time
12:04 PM
MDT
Current temp
73°F
Partly Sunny
W 9 mph
3% chance
Live forecast
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
2h 39m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument
National Monument
Beneath a grassy mountain valley in central Colorado lies one of the richest and most diverse fossil deposits in the world. Petrified redwood stumps up to 14 feet wide and thousands of detailed fossil...
24 mi from route
~60 min detour
$10
near mile 46.5
View on nps.gov
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
What kind of drive is this?
122.5 mi in 2h 39m — 37% highway, the rest on surface roads. Biggest road: Ronald Reagan Highway.
37% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 70.1 mi on Ronald Reagan Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 41.5 miles in.
Driving Effort
5/10
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 122.5 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 41.5 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 41.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 119.7 miles (I 25 / North Valley Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 39m. Total distance: 122.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 39m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (37%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 70.1 miles on Ronald Reagan Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.
The main spots that need attention: at 41.5 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 41.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 119.7 miles (I 25 / North Valley Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
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 Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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