Origin
Thornton, CO
Morning in Thornton on Saturday
Local time
10:06 AM
MDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Thornton, CO to Lakewood, CO
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
27m
Distance
17.1 mi
28 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 25m
★
6 AM
0h 27m
8 AM
0h 32m
10 AM
0h 29m
12 PM
0h 28m
3 PM
0h 29m
5 PM
0h 32m
8 PM
0h 26m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Thornton, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Lakewood, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 17.1-mile drive from Thornton to Lakewood, Colorado, will take you about 27 minutes, making it a perfect one-day trip. You'll primarily navigate using North Valley Highway and West 6th Avenue Freeway, with a portion on North Wadsworth Boulevard. With a fuel cost estimated at $3, this is a very budget-friendly excursion. The overall feel is that of a turn-heavy local drive, so don't expect long stretches of open highway. Since it's within the same state and region, you'll stay within the Mountain West. This route is ideal for a quick, straightforward journey between these two Colorado communities.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 27m. Total distance: 17.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
27m 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 drive with a dynamic feel, characterized by frequent turns rather than long, monotonous stretches. Only 28% of this journey utilizes highways, meaning you'll spend a good amount of time on local roads. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 10 miles on North Valley Highway. As you transition between North Valley Highway, West 6th Avenue Freeway, and North Wadsworth Boulevard, the road's personality shifts, offering a varied driving experience that keeps you engaged. This isn't a high-speed interstate cruise, but rather a more involved local transit.
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 10 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 0.2 miles in near Thornton Parkway.
Driving Effort
9/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 10 decision points packed into just 17.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 27m.
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 10 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
11.6 mi into trip
|
~17m in
|
US 6
Take the exit onto US 6 toward US 6 West: 6th Avenue, Lakewood
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 209B
Toward US 6 West: 6th Avenue, Lakewood
6
15.4 mi into trip
|
~23m in
Take the exit toward CO 121 South: Wadsworth Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward CO 121 South: Wadsworth Boulevard
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| North Valley Highway | 10 mi | 13m |
| West 6th Avenue Freeway | 2.5 mi | 3m |
| North Wadsworth Boulevard | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| US 6 | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Thornton Parkway | 1 mi | 2m |
| Dorothy Boulevard | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| South Wadsworth Boulevard | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
North Valley Highway
— 10 mi, about 13m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Thornton, CO and Lakewood, 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
8.8 mi
·
12 min
·
North Valley Highway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
7
Take the exit onto US 6
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
US 6
Exit 209B
Toward US 6 West: 6th Avenue, Lakewood
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight left at fork onto US 6
0.1 mi
·
10 sec
·
US 6
Toward US 6
9
Merge onto US 6
2.5 mi
·
3 min
·
West 6th Avenue Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
Toward CO 121 South: Wadsworth Boulevard
Use the right lane.
11
Turn straight onto CO 121
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
North Wadsworth Boulevard
12
Continue on CO 121
369 ft
·
15 sec
·
South Wadsworth Boulevard
Use the left lane.
13
Arrive at destination
CO 121
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.58 one way
$5.15 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $2.73 | $5.46 |
| premium | $4.39 | $2.96 | $5.92 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.78 | $7.55 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.1 | 0 | $1.80 | $0.82 |
| Efficient EV | 4.3 | 0 | $1.50 | $0.68 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.8 | 0 | $2.39 | $1.09 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (67% 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
Lakewood, CO
Morning in Lakewood on Saturday
Local time
10:06 AM
MDT
Current temp
44°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
2 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
27m 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 Lakewood, CO covers 17.1 miles and takes about 27m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are North Valley Highway, West 6th Avenue Freeway, North Wadsworth Boulevard. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 8.6 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 $2.58 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 10 decision points packed into just 17.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 27m.
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.
The route from Thornton, CO to Lakewood, 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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