Origin
Lochbuie, CO
Morning in Lochbuie on Friday
Local time
11:50 AM
MDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Lochbuie, 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
24m
Distance
19.6 mi
32 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 22m
★
6 AM
0h 24m
8 AM
0h 28m
10 AM
0h 26m
12 PM
0h 25m
3 PM
0h 26m
5 PM
0h 28m
8 PM
0h 23m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Lochbuie, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Thornton, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Lochbuie, CO to Thornton, CO covers 19.6 miles and takes about 24m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I-76, East 168th Avenue, I 76 West for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $2.95 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 24m. Total distance: 19.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
24m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 24m drive with frequent turns across 19.6 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 13 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I-76 is one of the defining roads on this drive.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive.
Driving Effort
1/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Lochbuie, CO to Thornton, CO is easy. At 24m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Lochbuie, CO to Thornton, CO is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I-76 | — | — |
| East 168th Avenue | — | — |
| I 76 West | — | — |
| Heartland Expressway | — | — |
| 88th Avenue | — | — |
| East 88th Avenue | — | — |
| Colorado Boulevard | — | — |
| Thornton Parkway | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
I-76
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lochbuie, CO and Thornton, CO.
1
Start on County Road 37
0.4 mi
·
58 sec
·
County Road 37
2
At the end of the road, turn right onto I-76 Frontage Road
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
I-76 Frontage Road
3
Enter the roundabout and take exit 3 toward East 168th Avenue
253 ft
·
5 sec
·
East 168th Avenue
4
Exit the roundabout onto East 168th Avenue
108 ft
·
2 sec
·
East 168th Avenue
5
Take the ramp slight right toward I 76 West
0.4 mi
·
46 sec
·
I 76 West
6
Merge slight left onto Heartland Expressway
14 mi
·
14 min
·
Heartland Expressway
7
Take the exit slight right toward 88th Avenue
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
·
88th Avenue
8
Turn right onto East 88th Avenue
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
East 88th Avenue
9
Turn right onto Colorado Boulevard
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Colorado Boulevard
10
Turn left onto Thornton Parkway
1.7 mi
·
3 min
·
Thornton Parkway
11
Turn left onto Dorothy Boulevard
0.2 mi
·
51 sec
·
Dorothy Boulevard
12
Turn right
118 ft
·
9 sec
13
Arrive at your destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.95 one way
$5.91 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $3.13 | $6.25 |
| premium | $4.39 | $3.39 | $6.78 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.33 | $8.65 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.9 | 0 | $2.06 | $0.94 |
| Efficient EV | 4.9 | 0 | $1.72 | $0.78 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.8 | 0 | $2.74 | $1.25 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
11:50 AM
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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
24m 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 Lochbuie, CO to Thornton, CO covers 19.6 miles and takes about 24m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I-76, East 168th Avenue, I 76 West. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 9.8 miles from Lochbuie, CO. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.95 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.
The drive from Lochbuie, CO to Thornton, CO is easy. At 24m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Lochbuie, CO to Thornton, CO is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Lochbuie, 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.
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