Origin
Kenai, AK
Afternoon in Kenai on Sunday
Local time
12:24 PM
AKDT
Current temp
26°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Kenai, AK to Soldotna, AK
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
18m
Distance
11.3 mi
18 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Fair
3 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 17m
★
6 AM
0h 19m
8 AM
0h 22m
10 AM
0h 20m
12 PM
0h 20m
3 PM
0h 20m
5 PM
0h 22m
8 PM
0h 18m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Kenai, AK
John De Leon
Soldotna, AK
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This quick 11.3-mile drive from Kenai to Soldotna in Alaska is designed for a single day, taking approximately 18 minutes to complete. You'll primarily navigate Broad Street and the Kenai Spur Highway, with a brief segment on Bridge Access Road. With no highway driving and a minimal fuel cost estimated at $2, this route offers a straightforward local experience. It's an easy excursion, perfect for a short hop between nearby Alaskan communities without needing an overnight stay. Consider this a convenient local transfer rather than a destination in itself.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Kalifornsky Beach Road | 6 mi | 8m |
| Bridge Access Road | 3.3 mi | 5m |
| Sterling Highway | 1.4 mi | 3m |
| Kenai Spur Highway | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Frontage Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Broad Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Kalifornsky Beach Road
— 6 mi, about 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Kenai, AK and Soldotna, AK.
1
Start on Frontage Road
465 ft
·
25 sec
·
Frontage Road
2
Turn left onto Broad Street
91 ft
·
5 sec
·
Broad Street
3
Turn right onto Kenai Spur Highway
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Kenai Spur Highway
4
Turn right onto Bridge Access Road
3.3 mi
·
5 min
·
Bridge Access Road
5
Turn left onto Kalifornsky Beach Road
6.0 mi
·
8 min
·
Kalifornsky Beach Road
6
Turn left onto AK 1
1.4 mi
·
3 min
·
Sterling Highway
7
Turn sharp left
282 ft
·
20 sec
8
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 65 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 11.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Broad Street
Turn left onto Broad Street
Navigation decision point
3
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Kenai Spur Highway
Turn right onto Kenai Spur Highway
Navigation decision point
4
0.6 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Bridge Access Road
Turn right onto Bridge Access Road
Navigation decision point
3
3.9 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
Kalifornsky Beach Road
Turn left onto Kalifornsky Beach Road
Navigation decision point
5
11.3 mi into trip
|
~18m in
Turn sharp left
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.45 one way
$4.90 round trip
$5.51/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.79 | $2.58 | $5.15 |
| premium | $5.98 | $2.66 | $5.32 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.49 | $4.99 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.4 | 0 | $1.19 | $0.54 |
| Efficient EV | 2.8 | 0 | $0.99 | $0.45 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4.5 | 0 | $1.58 | $0.72 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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
Soldotna, AK
Afternoon in Soldotna on Sunday
Local time
12:24 PM
AKDT
Current temp
21°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
5 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
18m 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 with no highway percentage, meaning you'll be navigating through town and on local roads for the entire 11.3 miles. The longest uninterrupted stretch is not applicable here, as the route is short and involves frequent turns. You'll transition from Broad Street onto the Kenai Spur Highway, eventually connecting to Bridge Access Road. This route offers a continuous local driving feel, perfect for those who prefer to stay off major highways and experience the immediate surroundings.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
8 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 6 mi on Kalifornsky Beach Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Broad Street.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 18m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Broad Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (Kenai Spur Highway): Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles (Bridge Access Road): Navigation decision point.
About the Cities
Starting in Kenai, AK
Full guide →Kenai is a town of 8,000 people (2018) in Southcentral Alaska.
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 18m. Total distance: 11.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
18m 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
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 6 miles on Kalifornsky Beach Road. 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: at 0.1 miles (Broad Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (Kenai Spur Highway): Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles (Bridge Access Road): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Soldotna, 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.
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