City comparison
Littleton, CO is about 20 miles (40 km) from Thornton, CO in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 30 miles, or about 29 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Littleton, CO to Thornton, CO takes about 3 min, covering roughly 20 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Thornton has a population of 141,799, vs 45,531 in Littleton — about 3.1× larger by population. By land area, Thornton covers about 37 sq mi vs 13 sq mi for Littleton.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Littleton | Thornton | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,554/mo | $1,758/mo | 13.1% higher in Thornton |
| Median home value | $552,100 | $445,200 | 24.0% higher in Littleton |
| Median household income | $90,273 | $95,064 | 5.3% higher in Thornton |
| Groceries index | 101.2 | 101.2 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 91.2 | 91.2 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 99.9 | 99.9 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 99.9 | 99.9 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Littleton, you'd need $100,516 in Thornton to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Littleton, CO is about 0.5% cheaper overall than Thornton, CO, based on our cost-of-living index. If you earn $80,000 in Littleton, you'd need about $80,412 in Thornton to keep the same standard of living.