Origin
Thornton, CO
Morning in Thornton on Friday
Local time
6:04 AM
MDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Thornton, CO to Pierce, CO
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 24m
Distance
66.8 mi
108 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$10
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 18m
★
6 AM
1h 24m
8 AM
1h 37m
10 AM
1h 29m
12 PM
1h 27m
3 PM
1h 29m
5 PM
1h 37m
8 PM
1h 20m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Thornton, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Pierce, CO
Bobby n Lazy Jim
Trip Overview
The drive from Thornton, CO to Pierce, CO covers 66.8 miles and takes about 1h 24m 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, East Highway 14, North Valley Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 41.4 miles on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $10.06 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 24m. Total distance: 66.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 24m 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 1h 24m drive with frequent turns across 66.8 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 18 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 41.4 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 14 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Dorothy Boulevard.
Driving Effort
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 66.8 miles you will encounter 14 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): Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles (Washington Street): Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 14 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
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Thornton Parkway
At end of road, turn left onto Thornton Parkway
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.
5
2 mi into trip
|
~4m in
Take the ramp toward I 25 North
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward I 25 North
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.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway | 41.4 mi | 41m |
| East Highway 14 | 10 mi | 16m |
| North Valley Highway | 6.4 mi | 7m |
| County Road 29 | 3 mi | 4m |
| County Road 88 | 1.7 mi | 5m |
| Washington Street | 1 mi | 2m |
| East Mulberry Street | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| 5th Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
— 41.4 mi, about 41m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Thornton, CO and Pierce, 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
41 mi
·
41 min
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
Exit 269A
Toward CO 14 East: Ault
11
Turn straight onto CO 14
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
East Mulberry Street
Use the straight lane.
12
Continue on CO 14
10.0 mi
·
16 min
·
East Highway 14
Use the straight lane.
13
Turn left onto County Road 29
3.0 mi
·
4 min
·
County Road 29
14
Turn right onto County Road 88
1.7 mi
·
5 min
·
County Road 88
15
Turn left onto 5th Street
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
5th Street
16
Turn right onto West Main Avenue
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
·
West Main Avenue
17
Turn left onto 2nd Street
33 ft
·
1 sec
·
2nd Street
18
Arrive at destination
2nd Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 33.4 mi from Thornton, CO · 37m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
33 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 15 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 33.4 miles from Thornton, CO, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Pierce, CO
The final approach into Pierce, CO usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$10.06 one way
$20.13 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
23 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $10.66 | $21.31 |
| premium | $4.39 | $11.56 | $23.11 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $14.75 | $29.50 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 23.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 20 | 0 | $7.01 | $3.21 |
| Efficient EV | 16.7 | 0 | $5.85 | $2.67 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 26.7 | 0 | $9.35 | $4.28 |
Gas CO2
23 kg
EV CO2
8 kg (65% 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
Pierce, CO
Morning in Pierce on Friday
Local time
6:04 AM
MDT
Current temp
78°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
80°F
Johnstown, CO
33 mi in
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
32 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
1h 24m 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 Pierce, CO covers 66.8 miles and takes about 1h 24m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, East Highway 14, North Valley Highway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 33.4 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 $10.06 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 66.8 miles you will encounter 14 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): Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles (Washington Street): Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Thornton, CO to Pierce, CO does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
How this page is built
Compiled and maintained by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy (Helsinki). Each route is built from authoritative open government and mapping datasets rather than crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from OSRM over OpenStreetMap. Fuel cost uses EIA weekly regional averages. Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our methodology page documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.
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