Origin
Mead, CO
Evening in Mead on Friday
Local time
5:39 PM
MDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Mead, 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
32m
Distance
27.5 mi
44 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 30m
★
6 AM
0h 33m
8 AM
0h 38m
10 AM
0h 35m
12 PM
0h 34m
3 PM
0h 35m
5 PM
0h 38m
8 PM
0h 31m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Mead, CO
Mikhail Nilov
Thornton, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 27.5-mile drive from Mead to Thornton, Colorado, is a quick trip that takes about 32 minutes. It's a perfect candidate for a single-day outing, requiring no overnight stops. You'll primarily navigate using the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, North Valley Highway, and Thornton Parkway. With an estimated fuel cost of $4, this route is budget-friendly. The drive offers a straightforward experience within the Mountain West region of Colorado, making it a convenient local journey.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 32m. Total distance: 27.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
32m 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
Expect a turn-heavy local drive on this route. While it has some highway sections, the profile suggests frequent turns and local road navigation. The Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway accounts for the longest uninterrupted stretch at 17.3 miles, offering a taste of more open driving. However, the overall character is defined by its 4 out of 10 highway share, indicating a significant portion will be on local roads. This mix means you'll likely experience varying speed limits and more interaction with local traffic patterns.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 12 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 17.3 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 1.1 miles in near I 25 / Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway.
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 9 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 32m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.1 miles (I 25 / Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 19 miles (I 25 / North Valley Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 26 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 9 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
1.1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
I 25 / Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Merge onto I 25 / Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
19 mi into trip
|
~20m 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 / slight right lanes.
7
26 mi into trip
|
~28m in
Take the exit toward Thornton Parkway
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 220
Toward Thornton Parkway
6
26.3 mi into trip
|
~29m in
Keep slight left at fork toward Thornton Parkway East
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward Thornton Parkway East
6
27.3 mi into trip
|
~31m in
|
Dorothy Boulevard
Turn right onto Dorothy Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway | 17.3 mi | 17m |
| North Valley Highway | 7.6 mi | 8m |
| Thornton Parkway | 1 mi | 2m |
| Welker Avenue | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| Dorothy Boulevard | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| 3rd Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
— 17.3 mi, about 17m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Mead, CO and Thornton, CO.
1
Start on 3rd Street
27 ft
·
6 sec
·
3rd Street
2
Turn left onto Welker Avenue
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Welker Avenue
3
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
4
Merge onto I 25
17 mi
·
17 min
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Continue on I 25
0.6 mi
·
36 sec
·
North Valley Highway
6
Keep slight right at fork onto I 25
7.0 mi
·
8 min
·
North Valley Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
Exit 220
Toward Thornton Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight left at fork
116 ft
·
4 sec
Toward Thornton Parkway East
9
Turn left onto Thornton Parkway
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Thornton Parkway
Use the left / straight lanes.
10
Turn right onto Dorothy Boulevard
0.2 mi
·
51 sec
·
Dorothy Boulevard
Use the right lane.
11
Turn right
116 ft
·
8 sec
12
Arrive at destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.14 one way
$8.29 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $4.39 | $8.77 |
| premium | $4.39 | $4.76 | $9.51 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.07 | $12.14 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
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
Thornton, CO
Evening in Thornton on Friday
Local time
5:39 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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
32m 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 Mead, CO to Thornton, CO covers 27.5 miles and takes about 32m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, North Valley Highway, Thornton Parkway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 13.7 miles from Mead, CO. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.14 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 9 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 32m.
The main spots that need attention: at 1.1 miles (I 25 / Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 19 miles (I 25 / North Valley Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 26 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Mead, 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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