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Trip from Thornton, CO to Ellicott, CO

Data updated 5 hours ago

Drive Time

2h 1m

Distance

100.5 mi

162 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$15

one way

EV Charging

None

0 DC fast

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 26 min
4 AM
1h 53m ★
6 AM
2h 2m
8 AM
2h 19m
10 AM
2h 8m
12 PM
2h 6m
3 PM
2h 9m
5 PM
2h 18m
8 PM
1h 57m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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city in Adams and Weld counties in Colorado, United States

Thornton, CO

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Ellicott, CO, CO

Ellicott, CO

Mark Stebnicki

Trip Overview

The drive from Thornton, CO to Ellicott, CO covers 100.5 miles and takes about 2h 1m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on North Valley Highway, Highway 94, North Powers Boulevard for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 66.2 miles on North Valley Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $15.14 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.

Break Rhythm

0 planned breaks

A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.

Midpoint

50.2 miles from Thornton, CO

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 58m into the drive .

Loading map...

Drive Character

Expect a 2h 1m drive with frequent turns across 100.5 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.
North Valley Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 66.2 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Dorothy Boulevard.

Route Complexity 5/10

Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 100.5 miles you will encounter 9 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 1.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 9 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

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.
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.
7
67.8 mi into trip | ~1h 18m in

Take the exit toward Interquest Parkway

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane. Exit 153 Toward Interquest Parkway

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
North Valley Highway 66.2 mi 1h 14m
Highway 94 16.1 mi 19m
North Powers Boulevard 10.1 mi 13m
Constitution Avenue 2 mi 3m
Interquest Parkway 1.9 mi 3m
Marksheffel Road 1.9 mi 3m
Thornton Parkway 1 mi 2m
Dorothy Boulevard 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: North Valley Highway — 66.2 mi, about 1h 14m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Thornton, CO and Ellicott, 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

65 mi · 1 hr 12 min · North Valley Highway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
7

Take the exit

0.7 mi · 1 min
Exit 153 Toward Interquest Parkway Use the right lane.
8

Continue on Interquest Parkway

1.9 mi · 3 min · Interquest Parkway
Use the left lane.
9

Turn right onto CO 21

10 mi · 13 min · North Powers Boulevard
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Turn left onto Constitution Avenue

2.0 mi · 3 min · Constitution Avenue
Use the left lane.
11

Turn right onto Marksheffel Road

1.9 mi · 3 min · Marksheffel Road
12

Turn left onto CO 94

16 mi · 19 min · Highway 94
13

Arrive at destination

CO 94

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.

Evening Departure

Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 50.2 miles from Thornton, CO, or about 58m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 66.2 miles.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

Departure

Before you leave

Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.

First stop

Around 80 miles or 1h 35m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 50.2 miles or 58m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 1h 39m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Ellicott, CO than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Thornton, CO so your first major turns are already loaded.

+

Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.

+

Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Thornton, CO

This is one driving day of about 100.5 miles and 2h 1m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Thornton, CO.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
You may only need one short stretch stop if conditions stay smooth.
The longest stretch is on North Valley Highway for about 66.2 miles.

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 50.2 mi from Thornton, CO · 58m into the drive

county seat of Douglas County, Colorado, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Castle Rock, CO

50 mi into the route

Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset

This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.

Pacing Suggestions

Colorado Springs, CO

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 80 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Castle Rock, CO

Meal break

The midpoint is around 50.2 miles from Thornton, CO, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Before the longest stretch

Fuel check

Top up before North Valley Highway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 66.2 miles.

Arriving in Ellicott, CO

The final approach into Ellicott, CO usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Ellicott, CO.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

National Parks Near This Route

Worth a detour if your schedule allows.

Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument

Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument

National Monument

Beneath a grassy mountain valley in central Colorado lies one of the richest and most diverse fossil deposits in the world. Petrified redwood stumps up to 14 feet wide and thousands of detailed fossil...

25 mi from route ~63 min detour $10 near mile 62.4
View on nps.gov

Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$15.14 one way

$30.28 round trip

$3.83/gal 25.4 MPG avg 35 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.05 $16.03 $32.07
premium $4.39 $17.39 $34.77
diesel $5.61 $22.19 $44.38

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$15

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$40–$65

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 35.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $11 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 30.2 0 $10.55 $4.82
Efficient EV 25.1 0 $8.79 $4.02
EV Truck/SUV 40.2 0 $14.07 $6.43

Gas CO2

35 kg

EV CO2

12 kg (66% 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.

Forecast data refreshed 3 hours ago

Origin

Thornton, CO

Night in Thornton on Tuesday

Local time

10:50 PM

MDT

Current temp

46°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Ellicott, CO

Night in Ellicott on Tuesday

Local time

10:50 PM

MDT

Current temp

70°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Seasonal Notes

Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.

Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.

Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.

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

24 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

2h 1m 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 Ellicott, CO covers 100.5 miles and takes about 2h 1m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are North Valley Highway, Highway 94, North Powers Boulevard. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 50.2 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 $15.14 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 drive requires moderate attention. Across 100.5 miles you will encounter 9 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
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 1.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Thornton, CO to Ellicott, CO does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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