Origin
Edgewater, CO
Morning in Edgewater on Friday
Local time
10:49 AM
MDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Edgewater, 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
22m
Distance
12.3 mi
20 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 20m
★
6 AM
0h 22m
8 AM
0h 26m
10 AM
0h 24m
12 PM
0h 23m
3 PM
0h 24m
5 PM
0h 26m
8 PM
0h 21m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Edgewater, CO
Malcolm Garret
Thornton, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Edgewater, CO to Thornton, CO is 12.3 miles and takes about 22 minutes via Heartland Expressway, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short hop stays within the Mountain West region, making it a straightforward local journey. You'll primarily navigate major roadways, so expect a steady pace without significant scenic detours. Given its brevity, this drive is ideal for a quick errand or a simple transfer between nearby areas without needing an overnight stay.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 22m. Total distance: 12.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
22m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (32%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile.
Drive Character
This is a mixed drive, with about 32% of your journey on highways. You'll experience stretches of faster-paced travel, including a continuous 3-mile segment on Heartland Expressway. The route generally follows established urban and suburban corridors, so expect a blend of efficient main roads and potentially some local intersections as you approach your destination. It's not a route defined by winding country lanes but rather by navigating through developed areas.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 15 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Heartland Expressway is the longest continuous segment at about 3 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
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 around 6.9 miles in.
Driving Effort
9/10
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 13 decision points packed into just 12.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 22m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 6.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 7.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 9.5 miles (I 25 / North Valley Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 13 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
8
6.9 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Take the exit toward I 25: Fort Collins, Colorado Springs
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 5
Toward I 25: Fort Collins, Colorado Springs
7
7.1 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 25 North: Fort Collins
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward I 25 North: Fort Collins
6
9.5 mi into trip
|
~16m 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
10.8 mi into trip
|
~18m 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
12.1 mi into trip
|
~21m in
|
Dorothy Boulevard
Turn right onto Dorothy Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
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 Edgewater, CO to Thornton, CO, road signs begin pointing toward Colorado Springs along the way.
Colorado Springs
6.9 mi in
|
~12m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Heartland Expressway | 3 mi | 3m |
| Sheridan Boulevard | 2.8 mi | 5m |
| North Valley Highway | 2.2 mi | 2m |
| Thornton Parkway | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| West 26th Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Dorothy Boulevard | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Ingalls Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| West 25th Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Heartland Expressway
— 3 mi, about 3m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Edgewater, CO and Thornton, CO.
1
Start on West 25th Avenue
75 ft
·
8 sec
·
West 25th Avenue
2
Turn left onto Ingalls Street
0.1 mi
·
30 sec
·
Ingalls Street
3
Turn right onto CR 34
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
West 26th Avenue
4
Turn left onto CO 95
2.8 mi
·
5 min
·
Sheridan Boulevard
Use the left lane.
5
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
57 sec
Toward I 76 East
6
Merge onto I 76
3.0 mi
·
3 min
·
Heartland Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
Exit 5
Toward I 25: Fort Collins, Colorado Springs
Use the slight right lane.
8
Keep slight left at fork
1.4 mi
·
2 min
Toward I 25 North: Fort Collins
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
9
Merge onto I 25
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
North Valley Highway
10
Keep slight right at fork onto I 25
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
North Valley Highway
Use the slight right lane.
11
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
43 sec
Exit 220
Toward Thornton Parkway
Use the slight right lane.
12
Turn right onto Thornton Parkway
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Thornton Parkway
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
13
Turn right onto Dorothy Boulevard
0.2 mi
·
51 sec
·
Dorothy Boulevard
Use the right lane.
14
Turn right
116 ft
·
8 sec
15
Arrive at destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.85 one way
$3.71 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $1.96 | $3.92 |
| premium | $4.39 | $2.13 | $4.26 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.72 | $5.43 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.7 | 0 | $1.29 | $0.59 |
| Efficient EV | 3.1 | 0 | $1.08 | $0.49 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4.9 | 0 | $1.72 | $0.79 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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
Morning in Thornton on Friday
Local time
10:49 AM
MDT
Current temp
41°F
Rain And Snow Showers
NNE 8 to 14 mph
79% chance
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
5 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
22m 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Edgewater, CO to Thornton, CO covers 12.3 miles and takes about 22m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Heartland Expressway, Sheridan Boulevard, North Valley Highway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 6.2 miles from Edgewater, CO. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $1.85 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 13 decision points packed into just 12.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 22m.
The main spots that need attention: at 6.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 7.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 9.5 miles (I 25 / North Valley Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
On the drive from Edgewater, CO to Thornton, CO, road signs begin pointing toward Colorado Springs along the way.
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.
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