Ketchikan, AK to Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK is 1336.5 miles and takes about 57h 43m via Alaska Marine Highway - Whittier-Yakutat, George Parks Highway, Alaska Marine Highway - Ketchikan ↔ Juneau, with a fuel budget near $290 and not enough daylight to finish in a day. This extensive journey spans the entirety of Alaska, connecting its southeastern panhandle to the interior. You'll navigate a combination of ferry routes and significant interior highways, offering a true Alaskan experience. With 16 planned stops and a recommended 4 days, this is a long-haul adventure designed for those who want to immerse themselves in the state's vast landscapes. Consider this route if you're prepared for a multi-day expedition across diverse Alaskan environments.
Trip Pace
Best split across 4 days
Treat the return leg as its own travel day rather than an afterthought.
Break Rhythm
16 planned breaks
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
668.2 miles from Ketchikan, AK
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 33h 25m into the drive
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Toward Wasilla, FairbanksUse the slight left / slight right lanes.
22
Continue on AK 3
4.2 mi·5 min·West Parks Highway
Use the left / straight lanes.
23
Continue on AK 3
300 mi·5 hr 58 min·George Parks Highway
Use the straight lane.
24
Take the exit
0.2 mi·24 sec
25
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi·28 sec
26
Turn left onto Geist Road
1.6 mi·2 min·Geist Road
27
Continue on Johansen Expressway
4.2 mi·5 min·Johansen Expressway
Use the left lane.
28
Turn left onto AK 2
2.6 mi·3 min·Steese Highway
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
29
Take the exit
0.3 mi·38 sec
Toward Chena Hot Springs Road
30
Keep slight left at fork
397 ft·10 sec
Toward Chena Hot Springs Road
31
Keep slight right at fork onto Chena Hot Springs Road
31 mi·43 min·Chena Hot Springs Road
32
Turn right
0.3 mi·1 min
33
Continue on Nugget Cabin Winter Trail
7.5 mi·1 hr 12 min·Nugget Cabin Winter Trail
34
Arrive at destination
Nugget Cabin Winter Trail
Trip Plan
Given the 57h 43m duration, splitting this trip over the recommended 4 days is essential for a safe and enjoyable experience. Start your journey early in the day to maximize daylight hours, especially considering the ferry portions. Keep a close eye on your fuel levels, particularly when transitioning between ferry legs and interior highways, as services can be spread out. Plan your 16 stops strategically to include rest breaks and opportunities to refuel. A key tip for this route is to book your Alaska Marine Highway ferry reservations well in advance, as they are crucial to the itinerary and can fill up quickly.
Morning Departure
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Evening Departure
This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
This drive is better paced as a 4-day trip.
Plan roughly 16 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 668.2 miles from Ketchikan, AK, or about 33h 25m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 334.5 miles.
Consider an overnight stop or starting very early.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 220 miles or 6h 23m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 668.2 miles or 33h 25m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Overnight split
Day 1 wrap after about 334.1 miles or 11h 39m
Stop before fatigue turns the last few hours into a grind. You want day two to start fresh, not just resumed.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 55h 18m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
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Open the route before leaving Ketchikan, AK so your first major turns are already loaded.
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Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
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Pick one backup stop option before the midpoint in case traffic changes your pacing.
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Treat this as a 4-day road trip and book the overnight stop before the busiest arrival window.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Ketchikan, AK
Aim for roughly 334 miles and 14.4 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Keep the middle miles efficient
Aim for roughly 334 miles and 14.4 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 3
Keep the middle miles efficient
Aim for roughly 334 miles and 14.4 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 4
Finish the approach into Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK
Aim for roughly 334 miles and 14.4 hours of wheel time on this day.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 220 miles from Ketchikan, AK.
This route usually feels better as a 4-day drive than as one long push.
Plan about 16 real breaks rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on Alaska Marine Highway - Whittier-Yakutat for about 334.5 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 17
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 1297.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.1 mi into trip|~0m in|AK 7 / Water Street
At end of road, turn right onto AK 7 / Water Street
Navigation decision point
5
2.3 mi into trip|~5m in|Ketchikan Ferry Terminal Road
Turn left onto Ketchikan Ferry Terminal Road
Navigation decision point
5
279.1 mi into trip|~8h 6m in|Alaska Marine Highway - Juneau-Yakutat
Turn sharp left onto Alaska Marine Highway - Juneau-Yakutat
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
8
970 mi into trip|~49h 8m in|AK 3 / East Parks Highway
Keep slight left at fork onto AK 3 / East Parks Highway toward Wasilla, Fairbanks
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward Wasilla, Fairbanks
6
1297.5 mi into trip|~55h 46m in
Keep slight left at fork toward Chena Hot Springs Road
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward Chena Hot Springs Road
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$289.66 one way
$579.33 round trip
$5.51/gal25.4 MPG avg468 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$5.79
$304.61
$609.21
premium
$5.98
$314.66
$629.31
diesel
$5.61
$295.08
$590.16
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$290
Hotel (3n)
$240–$420
Meals
$100–$200
Total
$630–$910
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 467.6 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $140 in charging
· 4 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
401
4
$140.33
$64.15
Efficient EV
334.1
3
$116.94
$53.46
EV Truck/SUV
534.6
6
$187.11
$85.54
Gas CO2
468 kg
EV CO2
156 kg (67% less)
This is a long EV road trip requiring 4 charging stops. Plan your route around charger locations and allow extra time for charging.
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.
Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026
Origin
Ketchikan, AK
Evening
in Ketchikan on Saturday
Local time
5:15 PM
AKDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK
Evening
in Fairbanks North Star Borough on Saturday
Local time
5:15 PM
AKDT
Current temp
21°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
26°F
Gateway, AK
334 mi in
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
For long drives, weather on day two can matter just as much as conditions at departure, so check the whole travel window rather than only the first day.
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
28 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
57h 43m on the road
This is long enough that the arrival forecast matters almost as much as departure conditions. Recheck both ends before you roll.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This extensive route is characterized by its substantial use of the Alaska Marine Highway system, making up its entire highway share. You'll experience the longest uninterrupted stretch of 334.5 miles on the Alaska Marine Highway - Whittier-Yakutat, which involves significant time on the water. As you transition to the George Parks Highway, expect a change to a more traditional, long-distance road trip feel through interior Alaska. The overall driving experience is a mix of serene ferry passage and open highway cruising, with no monotonous interstate sections to contend with.
0% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
34 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 334.5 mi on Alaska Marine Highway - Whittier-Yakutat.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
At 57h 43m, this is a long-haul route where pacing matters more than any single turn. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near AK 7 / Water Street.
Driving Effort7/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 17 significant decision points across 1336.5 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (AK 7 / Water Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.3 miles (Ketchikan Ferry Terminal Road): Navigation decision point; at 279.1 miles (Alaska Marine Highway - Juneau-Yakutat): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Ketchikan, AK and Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK, road signs point toward Wasilla and Fairbanks.
Wasilla
970 mi in|~49h 8m|via AK 3
Fairbanks
970 mi in|~49h 8m|via AK 3
Who Is This Route For?
Solo Traveler
57h 43m drive, plan rest stops for pacing.
Scenic Drive
Long-haul drive route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 334.5 miles on Alaska Marine Highway - Whittier-Yakutat. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — a 4-day pace is more comfortable than one long haul. A sensible stopping point is after roughly 334 miles on day one.
We did not find dedicated rest areas on this route. For a drive this long, plan bathroom and stretch breaks around gas stations, fast-food stops, or small-town downtowns — check the Nearby Places section for options.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 16 meaningful breaks. Dedicated rest areas are limited, so plan gas or food stops as your bathroom breaks.
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 (AK 7 / Water Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.3 miles (Ketchikan Ferry Terminal Road): Navigation decision point; at 279.1 miles (Alaska Marine Highway - Juneau-Yakutat): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach.
Not recommended in a single day. At 57.7 hours each way, a round trip means 115.5 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK before the return drive.
