Origin
Thornton, CO
Late night in Thornton on Saturday
Local time
1:37 AM
MDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Thornton, CO to Meridian, CO
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
41m
Distance
29.4 mi
47 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 38m
★
6 AM
0h 42m
8 AM
0h 49m
10 AM
0h 44m
12 PM
0h 43m
3 PM
0h 44m
5 PM
0h 48m
8 PM
0h 40m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Thornton, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Meridian, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 29.4-mile drive from Thornton, CO to Meridian, CO is easily manageable in about 41 minutes, making it a perfect day trip. The route utilizes a mix of main roads including North Valley Highway, Thornton Parkway, and E-470, with a significant portion on highways. With an estimated fuel cost of just $4, this is a budget-friendly excursion. The drive has a turn-heavy local feel, so plan for frequent adjustments. Since it's a brief journey within the Mountain West region, no overnight stays are necessary, offering flexibility in your schedule.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 41m. Total distance: 29.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
41m 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 turn-heavy local drive on this route, which comprises a 3% highway share. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 24.6 miles on North Valley Highway. This journey blends faster-paced highway segments with more intricate local road navigation, requiring your attention as you maneuver through different road types. The road character shifts as you progress, offering a dynamic driving experience rather than a monotonous stretch.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 16 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 24.6 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
10/10
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 13 decision points packed into just 29.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 41m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (Thornton Parkway): Lane positioning matters here; at 26.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 26.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 13 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.
8
26.2 mi into trip
|
~35m in
Take the exit toward E-470 North, CO 470 West: Limon, Grand Junction
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 194
Toward E-470 North, CO 470 West: Limon, Grand J...
8
26.4 mi into trip
|
~35m in
Keep slight left at fork toward E-470 North: Limon
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Exit 194
Toward E-470 North: Limon
7
28 mi into trip
|
~38m in
Take the exit toward Peoria Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 2
Toward Peoria Street
7
28.2 mi into trip
|
~38m in
Keep slight left at fork toward Peoria Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Exit 2
Toward Peoria Street
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 Meridian, CO, road signs point toward E-470 North, Grand Junction and E-470 North: Limon.
E-470 North
26.2 mi in
|
~35m
Grand Junction
26.2 mi in
|
~35m
E-470 North: Limon
26.4 mi in
|
~35m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| North Valley Highway | 24.6 mi | 31m |
| Thornton Parkway | 1 mi | 2m |
| E-470 | 0.8 mi | <1m |
| Peoria Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Fisher Drive | 0.3 mi | 1m |
| Dorothy Boulevard | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Forest Lake Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
North Valley Highway
— 24.6 mi, about 31m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Thornton, CO and Meridian, 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
23 mi
·
29 min
·
North Valley Highway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
15 sec
Exit 194
Toward E-470 North, CO 470 West: Limon, Grand Junction
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight left at fork
0.8 mi
·
1 min
Exit 194
Toward E-470 North: Limon
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
9
Merge onto E470
0.8 mi
·
46 sec
·
E-470
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
Exit 2
Toward Peoria Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight left at fork
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
Exit 2
Toward Peoria Street
12
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
Toward Peoria Street
13
Turn straight onto Peoria Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Peoria Street
14
Turn right onto Forest Lake Road
203 ft
·
14 sec
·
Forest Lake Road
15
Turn left onto Fisher Drive
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Fisher Drive
16
Arrive at destination
Fisher Drive
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.43 one way
$8.86 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $4.69 | $9.38 |
| premium | $4.39 | $5.09 | $10.17 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.49 | $12.98 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.09
E-470
(0.8 mi)
$0.09
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Tolls
$0
Total
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.3 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 | 8.8 | 0 | $3.09 | $1.41 |
| Efficient EV | 7.4 | 0 | $2.57 | $1.18 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.8 | 0 | $4.12 | $1.88 |
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
Meridian, CO
Late night in Meridian on Saturday
Local time
1:37 AM
MDT
Current temp
45°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
1 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
41m 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 Meridian, CO covers 29.4 miles and takes about 41m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are North Valley Highway, Thornton Parkway, E-470. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 14.7 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 $4.43 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 13 decision points packed into just 29.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 41m.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (Thornton Parkway): Lane positioning matters here; at 26.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 26.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Between Thornton, CO and Meridian, CO, road signs point toward E-470 North, Grand Junction and E-470 North: Limon.
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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