Origin
Thornton, CO
Afternoon in Thornton on Saturday
Local time
12:05 PM
MDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Thornton, CO to Coal Creek, CO
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
55m
Distance
27.4 mi
44 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 51m
★
6 AM
0h 56m
8 AM
1h 5m
10 AM
0h 59m
12 PM
0h 58m
3 PM
0h 59m
5 PM
1h 4m
8 PM
0h 53m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Thornton, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Coal Creek, CO
Braeson Holland
Trip Overview
The drive from Thornton, CO to Coal Creek, CO covers 27.4 miles and takes about 55m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on CO 72, West 86th Parkway, West 88th Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 13.4 miles on CO 72. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.13 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| CO 72 | 13.4 mi | 21m |
| West 86th Parkway | 3.3 mi | 6m |
| West 88th Avenue | 2.8 mi | 5m |
| West 92nd Avenue | 2.5 mi | 5m |
| Thornton Parkway | 2 mi | 4m |
| Copperdale Lane | 1.2 mi | 4m |
| Coal Creek Heights Drive | 1 mi | 4m |
| Sheridan Boulevard | 0.5 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
CO 72
— 13.4 mi, about 21m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Thornton, CO and Coal Creek, CO.
1
Start on this road
76 ft
·
12 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto Dorothy Boulevard
0.2 mi
·
58 sec
·
Dorothy Boulevard
3
At end of road, turn left onto Thornton Parkway
2.0 mi
·
4 min
·
Thornton Parkway
Use the left / straight lanes.
4
Continue on West 92nd Avenue
2.5 mi
·
5 min
·
West 92nd Avenue
Use the left / straight lanes.
5
Turn left onto Sheridan Boulevard
0.5 mi
·
56 sec
·
Sheridan Boulevard
Use the left lane.
6
Turn slight right
253 ft
·
9 sec
Use the right lane.
7
Turn straight onto West 88th Avenue
2.8 mi
·
5 min
·
West 88th Avenue
Use the left / straight lanes.
8
Continue on West 86th Parkway
3.3 mi
·
6 min
·
West 86th Parkway
Use the straight lane.
9
Continue on CO 72
2.7 mi
·
3 min
·
CO 72
Use the straight lane.
10
Continue on CO 72
11 mi
·
17 min
·
CO 72
Use the straight lane.
11
Turn left onto Copperdale Lane
1.2 mi
·
4 min
·
Copperdale Lane
12
Turn left onto Ridge Road
0.1 mi
·
28 sec
·
Ridge Road
13
Continue on Ridge Road
0.1 mi
·
35 sec
·
Ridge Road
14
Turn right onto Coal Creek Heights Drive
1.0 mi
·
4 min
·
Coal Creek Heights Drive
15
Continue on Beauty Lane
516 ft
·
22 sec
·
Beauty Lane
16
Arrive at destination
Beauty Lane
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 26.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Dorothy Boulevard
Turn left onto Dorothy Boulevard
Navigation decision point
7
0.2 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Thornton Parkway
At end of road, turn left onto Thornton Parkway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
4
4.8 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
Sheridan Boulevard
Turn left onto Sheridan Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
4
26 mi into trip
|
~50m in
|
Ridge Road
Turn left onto Ridge Road
Navigation decision point
4
26.3 mi into trip
|
~51m in
|
Coal Creek Heights Drive
Turn right onto Coal Creek Heights Drive
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.13 one way
$8.26 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $4.37 | $8.74 |
| premium | $4.39 | $4.74 | $9.48 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.05 | $12.10 |
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 | 8.2 | 0 | $2.88 | $1.32 |
| Efficient EV | 6.9 | 0 | $2.40 | $1.10 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11 | 0 | $3.84 | $1.75 |
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
Coal Creek, CO
Afternoon in Coal Creek on Saturday
Local time
12:05 PM
MDT
Current temp
56°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
10 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
55m 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.
What kind of drive is this?
27.4 mi in 55m, mostly highway — 13.4 mi of that is on CO 72.
69% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 13.4 mi on CO 72.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on CO 72 and West 86th Parkway. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Dorothy Boulevard.
Driving Effort
6/10
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 27.4 miles you will encounter 8 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: near the start (Dorothy Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (Thornton Parkway): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.8 miles (Sheridan Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 55m. Total distance: 27.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
55m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (69%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 13.4 miles on CO 72. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Coal Creek, CO before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Dorothy Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (Thornton Parkway): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.8 miles (Sheridan Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Coal Creek, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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