Origin
Thornton, CO
Morning in Thornton on Friday
Local time
10:19 AM
MDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Thornton, CO to Edgewater, 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
12.4 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 21m
★
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.
Thornton, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Edgewater, CO
Malcolm Garret
Trip Overview
The drive from Thornton, CO to Edgewater, CO covers 12.4 miles and takes about 22m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Heartland Expressway, Sheridan Boulevard, North Valley Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 3.2 miles on Heartland Expressway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $1.87 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 22m. Total distance: 12.4 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 (34%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile.
Drive Character
The drive from Thornton, CO to Edgewater, CO covers 12.4 miles and takes about 22m, using a mix of highways and local roads.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 14 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 3.2 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 0.2 miles in near Thornton Parkway.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 12.4 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 0.2 miles (Thornton Parkway): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 2.8 miles (I 25 / North Valley Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 12 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
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.
6
1.2 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Turn left toward I 25 South: Colorado Springs
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
Toward I 25 South: Colorado Springs
6
2.8 mi into trip
|
~5m 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 left lanes.
8
4.2 mi into trip
|
~7m in
Take the exit toward I 76 West: Arvada, Grand Junction
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 216
Toward I 76 West: Arvada, Grand Junction
7
8.4 mi into trip
|
~13m in
Take the exit toward CO 95: Sheridan Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 1B
Toward CO 95: Sheridan Boulevard
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 Thornton, CO to Edgewater, CO, road signs begin pointing toward Grand Junction along the way.
Grand Junction
4.2 mi in
|
~7m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Heartland Expressway | 3.2 mi | 3m |
| Sheridan Boulevard | 2.9 mi | 6m |
| North Valley Highway | 2.7 mi | 3m |
| Thornton Parkway | 1 mi | 2m |
| 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
— 3.2 mi, about 3m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Thornton, CO and Edgewater, 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
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Thornton Parkway
Use the left / straight lanes.
4
Turn left
0.4 mi
·
40 sec
Toward I 25 South: Colorado Springs
Use the straight / left lanes.
5
Merge onto I 25
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
North Valley Highway
6
Keep slight right at fork onto I 25
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
North Valley Highway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.9 mi
·
1 min
Exit 216
Toward I 76 West: Arvada, Grand Junction
Use the slight right lane.
8
Merge onto I 76
3.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Heartland Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
Exit 1B
Toward CO 95: Sheridan Boulevard
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Turn left onto CO 95
2.9 mi
·
6 min
·
Sheridan Boulevard
Use the left / straight lanes.
11
Turn right onto CR 34
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
West 26th Avenue
12
Turn left onto Ingalls Street
0.1 mi
·
31 sec
·
Ingalls Street
13
Turn right onto West 25th Avenue
75 ft
·
3 sec
·
West 25th Avenue
14
Arrive at destination
West 25th Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.87 one way
$3.74 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $1.98 | $3.96 |
| premium | $4.39 | $2.15 | $4.29 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.74 | $5.48 |
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 | $1.30 | $0.60 |
| Efficient EV | 3.1 | 0 | $1.09 | $0.50 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5 | 0 | $1.74 | $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
Edgewater, CO
Morning in Edgewater on Friday
Local time
10:19 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
22m 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 Thornton, CO to Edgewater, CO covers 12.4 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 Thornton, CO. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $1.87 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 12 decision points packed into just 12.4 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 0.2 miles (Thornton Parkway): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 2.8 miles (I 25 / North Valley Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
On the drive from Thornton, CO to Edgewater, CO, road signs begin pointing toward Grand Junction 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Edgewater, CO
More trips to Edgewater, CO
Explore more options from Thornton, CO or browse trips ending in Edgewater, CO.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse CO road trips.