Origin
Anchorage, AK
Evening in Anchorage on Saturday
Local time
6:44 PM
AKDT
Current temp
27°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Anchorage, AK to Eagle River, AK
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
21m
Distance
15.1 mi
24 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 20m
★
6 AM
0h 22m
8 AM
0h 26m
10 AM
0h 23m
12 PM
0h 23m
3 PM
0h 23m
5 PM
0h 26m
8 PM
0h 21m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Anchorage, AK
Wikimedia Commons
Eagle River, AK
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 15.1-mile trip from Anchorage to Eagle River, Alaska, is a quick 21-minute drive. It's perfect as a single-day excursion, requiring no overnight stays. You'll primarily navigate the Glenn Highway, West 4th Avenue, and East 3rd Avenue. With a modest fuel cost estimated at $3, this drive is an easy addition to any Alaska itinerary. The route offers a straightforward local feel, making it a convenient local transit rather than an epic journey.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Glenn Highway | 11.8 mi | 13m |
| West 4th Avenue | 1.3 mi | 3m |
| East 3rd Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| East 5th Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Commercial Drive | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Old Glenn Highway | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Reeve Boulevard | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Post Road | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Glenn Highway
— 11.8 mi, about 13m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Anchorage, AK and Eagle River, AK.
1
Start on this road
85 ft
·
8 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right onto West 4th Avenue
1.3 mi
·
3 min
·
West 4th Avenue
3
Continue on Post Road
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
·
Post Road
4
Turn right onto East 3rd Avenue
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
East 3rd Avenue
5
Continue on Commercial Drive
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
Commercial Drive
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
Turn right onto Reeve Boulevard
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
·
Reeve Boulevard
Use the straight / right lanes.
7
Turn left onto AK 1
0.3 mi
·
48 sec
·
East 5th Avenue
8
Continue on AK 1
12 mi
·
13 min
·
Glenn Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
Toward Eagle River
10
Keep slight right at fork
363 ft
·
8 sec
Toward Eagle River, Downtown
11
Turn straight onto Old Glenn Highway
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
Old Glenn Highway
12
Turn right onto Monte Road
414 ft
·
14 sec
·
Monte Road
13
Arrive at destination
Monte Road
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 65 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 15 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
West 4th Avenue
Turn right onto West 4th Avenue
Navigation decision point
7
2.2 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
Reeve Boulevard
Turn right onto Reeve Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
4
14.5 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Take the exit toward Eagle River
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward Eagle River
7
14.7 mi into trip
|
~21m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Eagle River, Downtown
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward Eagle River, Downtown
4
15 mi into trip
|
~21m in
|
Monte Road
Turn right onto Monte Road
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.27 one way
$6.55 round trip
$5.51/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.79 | $3.44 | $6.88 |
| premium | $5.98 | $3.56 | $7.11 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.33 | $6.67 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.5 | 0 | $1.59 | $0.72 |
| Efficient EV | 3.8 | 0 | $1.32 | $0.60 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6 | 0 | $2.11 | $0.97 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
Eagle River, AK
Evening in Eagle River on Saturday
Local time
6:44 PM
AKDT
Current temp
41°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
14 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
21m 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.
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive for this short hop between Anchorage and Eagle River. While it has a 0% highway share, the longest uninterrupted stretch is 11.8 miles on the Glenn Highway, offering a brief taste of more open road. The drive's character is defined by its frequent turns and local road segments, indicating a need for attention as you navigate through communities. This isn't a scenic cruise but rather a functional transit within the Alaskan landscape.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 11.8 mi on Glenn Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 6 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near West 4th Avenue.
Driving Effort
5/10
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 15.1 miles you will encounter 6 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 (West 4th Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 2.2 miles (Reeve Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 14.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
About the Cities
Starting in Anchorage, AK
Full guide →Anchorage is the largest city in Alaska, in the Southcentral region. Anchorage is a cosmopolitan port city with a population of 291 247 (2020). It is a consolidated city-borough referred to as a municipality. The urbanized city is defined by Muldoon Road to the east, Rabbit Creek Road to the south, and Cook Inlet to the north and west. Several small suburbs are within the Municipality of Anchorage while physically outside what most Anchorageites would call the "Anchorage" proper area. These include Eagle River and Chugiak to the north and Girdwood to the south.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 21m. Total distance: 15.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
21m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 11.8 miles on Glenn Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
Mostly yes along the main roads, but rural stretches through AK can have sparse or no coverage. Before you leave, download offline Google Maps or Apple Maps for the route, and consider downloading music or podcasts instead of streaming. If you depend on data for navigation, keep a paper backup of the turn-by-turn directions.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (West 4th Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 2.2 miles (Reeve Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 14.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Eagle River, AK before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner 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 Eagle River, AK
More trips to Eagle River, AK
Explore more options from Anchorage, AK or browse trips ending in Eagle River, AK.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse AK road trips.