Origin
Thornton, CO
Late night in Thornton on Saturday
Local time
4:50 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
Unknown
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 Dorothy Boulevard, Thornton Parkway, Washington Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. 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.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
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.
Dorothy Boulevard is one of the defining roads on this drive.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive.
Driving Effort
1/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Thornton, CO to Frederick, CO is easy. At 26m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Thornton, CO to Frederick, CO is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Dorothy Boulevard | — | — |
| Thornton Parkway | — | — |
| Washington Street | — | — |
| East 104th Avenue | — | — |
| I 25 North | — | — |
| North Valley Highway | — | — |
| Dwight D | — | — |
| CO 52 | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
Dorothy Boulevard
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Thornton, CO and Frederick, CO.
1
Start on the route
75 ft
·
12 sec
·
the route
2
Turn left onto Dorothy Boulevard
0.2 mi
·
59 sec
·
Dorothy Boulevard
3
At the end of the road, turn left onto Thornton Parkway
0.3 mi
·
44 sec
·
Thornton Parkway
4
Turn right onto Washington Street
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Washington Street
5
Turn left onto East 104th Avenue
0.5 mi
·
57 sec
·
East 104th Avenue
6
Take the ramp slight right toward I 25 North
0.3 mi
·
26 sec
·
I 25 North
7
Merge slight left onto North Valley Highway
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
North Valley Highway
8
Keep slight right to continue on North Valley Highway
5.3 mi
·
5 min
·
North Valley Highway
9
Continue on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
7.1 mi
·
7 min
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
10
Take the exit slight right toward CO 52: Dacono, Fort Lupton, Frederick, Niwot
0.3 mi
·
44 sec
·
CO 52: Dacono, Fort Lupton, Frederick, Niwot
11
Turn right
1.9 mi
·
3 min
12
Turn left onto Colorado Boulevard
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
·
Colorado Boulevard
13
Enter the roundabout and take exit 1 toward Colorado Boulevard
197 ft
·
4 sec
·
Colorado Boulevard
14
Exit the roundabout onto Colorado Boulevard
0.5 mi
·
51 sec
·
Colorado Boulevard
15
Enter the roundabout and take exit 1 toward 5th Street
16 ft
·
1 sec
·
5th Street
16
Exit the roundabout onto 5th Street
0.2 mi
·
1 min
·
5th Street
17
Turn left
89 ft
·
8 sec
18
Turn right
108 ft
·
10 sec
19
At the end of the road, turn right
46 ft
·
3 sec
20
Arrive at your 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
Late night in Frederick on Saturday
Local time
4:50 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 Dorothy Boulevard, Thornton Parkway, Washington Street. 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.
The drive from Thornton, CO to Frederick, CO is easy. At 26m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Thornton, CO to Frederick, CO is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Thornton, CO to Frederick, 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Frederick, CO
More trips to Frederick, CO
Explore more options from Thornton, CO or browse trips ending in Frederick, CO.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse CO road trips.