Origin
Thornton, CO
Morning in Thornton on Saturday
Local time
10:01 AM
MDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Thornton, CO to Frederick, CO
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
26m
Distance
19.1 mi
31 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Sparse
1 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 24m
★
6 AM
0h 26m
8 AM
0h 31m
10 AM
0h 28m
12 PM
0h 27m
3 PM
0h 28m
5 PM
0h 31m
8 PM
0h 25m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Thornton, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Frederick, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Thornton, CO to Frederick, CO covers 19.1 miles and takes about 26m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, North Valley Highway, CO 52 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 7.1 miles on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $2.88 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 26m. Total distance: 19.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
26m 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 26m drive with frequent turns across 19.1 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 20 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 7.1 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 early in the drive near Dorothy Boulevard.
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 15 decision points packed into just 19.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 26m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Dorothy Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles (Washington Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.4 miles (I 25 / North Valley Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 15 key pointsThese 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
6
0.6 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Washington Street
Turn right onto Washington Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
3.4 mi into trip
|
~6m 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 / right lanes.
8
15.8 mi into trip
|
~19m in
Take the exit toward CO 52: Dacono, Fort Lupton, Frederick, Niwot
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 235
Toward CO 52: Dacono, Fort Lupton, Frederick, N...
6
19.1 mi into trip
|
~26m in
At end of road, turn right
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Thornton, CO and Frederick, CO, road signs point toward Fort Lupton and Niwot.
Fort Lupton
15.8 mi in
|
~19m
Niwot
15.8 mi in
|
~19m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway | 7.1 mi | 7m |
| North Valley Highway | 6.4 mi | 7m |
| CO 52 | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| Washington Street | 1 mi | 2m |
| Colorado Boulevard | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| East 104th Avenue | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Thornton Parkway | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| 5th Street | 0.3 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
— 7.1 mi, about 7m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Thornton, CO and Frederick, 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
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
·
Thornton Parkway
4
Turn right onto Washington Street
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Washington Street
Use the right lane.
5
Turn left onto East 104th Avenue
0.5 mi
·
57 sec
·
East 104th Avenue
Use the left / straight lanes.
6
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
25 sec
Toward I 25 North
Use the right lane.
7
Merge onto I 25
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
North Valley Highway
8
Keep slight right at fork onto I 25
5.3 mi
·
5 min
·
North Valley Highway
Use the straight / right lanes.
9
Continue on I 25
7.1 mi
·
7 min
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
Exit 235
Toward CO 52: Dacono, Fort Lupton, Frederick, Niwot
Use the slight right lane.
11
Turn right onto CO 52
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
CO 52
Use the left lane.
12
Turn left onto Colorado Boulevard
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
·
Colorado Boulevard
Use the left lane.
13
Enter roundabout onto Colorado Boulevard
196 ft
·
4 sec
·
Colorado Boulevard
14
Continue on Colorado Boulevard
0.5 mi
·
51 sec
·
Colorado Boulevard
15
Enter roundabout onto 5th Street
15 ft
·
0 sec
·
5th Street
16
Continue on 5th Street
0.2 mi
·
1 min
·
5th Street
17
Turn left
90 ft
·
7 sec
18
Turn right
108 ft
·
10 sec
19
At end of road, turn right
46 ft
·
3 sec
20
Arrive at destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.88 one way
$5.76 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $3.05 | $6.09 |
| premium | $4.39 | $3.30 | $6.61 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.22 | $8.43 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.7 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 | 5.7 | 0 | $2.01 | $0.92 |
| Efficient EV | 4.8 | 0 | $1.67 | $0.76 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.6 | 0 | $2.67 | $1.22 |
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
Frederick, CO
Morning in Frederick on Saturday
Local time
10:01 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
26m 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 Frederick, CO covers 19.1 miles and takes about 26m 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, CO 52. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 9.5 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 $2.88 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 15 decision points packed into just 19.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 26m.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Dorothy Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles (Washington Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.4 miles (I 25 / North Valley Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Between Thornton, CO and Frederick, CO, road signs point toward Fort Lupton and Niwot.
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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