Meadow Lakes to Ketchikan is 986.1 miles and takes about 49 hours 33 minutes via Alaska Marine Highway routes, with a fuel budget near $211 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This extensive trip spans across Alaska, connecting two distinct regions of the state. Given the duration, it's best suited for travelers with ample time who want to experience a significant portion of Alaska's diverse landscapes. Planning for multiple days is essential to comfortably complete this long-haul drive.
Trip Pace
Best split across 4 days
Treat the return leg as its own travel day rather than an afterthought.
Break Rhythm
14 planned breaks
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
493.1 miles from Meadow Lakes, AK
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 27h 37m into the drive
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With a total duration of nearly 50 hours, it's recommended to split this drive over 4 days. Begin your journey early in the morning to maximize daylight hours for any land-based travel segments and to get a head start on the ferry schedules. Pay close attention to ferry departure and arrival times, as these are critical to the flow of this trip. Budgeting around $211 for fuel accounts for the land portions, but ferry costs are separate and should be factored in. The longest stretch being 334.5 miles means you'll have substantial time on a single ferry, so pack accordingly for comfort.
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 14 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 493.1 miles from Meadow Lakes, AK, or about 27h 37m 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 217 miles or 9h 30m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 493.1 miles or 27h 37m 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 246.5 miles or 11h 27m
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 47h 48m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Ketchikan, AK than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
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Open the route before leaving Meadow Lakes, 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.
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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 Meadow Lakes, AK
Aim for roughly 247 miles and 12.4 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Keep the middle miles efficient
Aim for roughly 247 miles and 12.4 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 3
Keep the middle miles efficient
Aim for roughly 247 miles and 12.4 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 4
Finish the approach into Ketchikan, AK
Aim for roughly 247 miles and 12.4 hours of wheel time on this day.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 217 miles from Meadow Lakes, AK.
This route usually feels better as a 4-day drive than as one long push.
Plan about 14 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 14
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 984 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.2 mi into trip|~0m in|Starr Road
Turn left onto Starr Road
Navigation decision point
5
7.7 mi into trip|~15m in|AK 3 / East Parks Highway
At end of road, turn left onto AK 3 / East Parks Highway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
444.5 mi into trip|~24h 28m in|Alaska Marine Highway - Juneau-Yakutat
Turn sharp right onto Alaska Marine Highway - Juneau-Yakutat
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
5
707.1 mi into trip|~41h 28m in|Alaska Marine Highway - Ketchikan ↔ Juneau
984 mi into trip|~49h 29m in|AK 7 / Tongass Avenue
At end of road, turn right onto AK 7 / Tongass Avenue
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$192.79 one way
$385.59 round trip
$4.97/gal25.4 MPG avg345 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$5.28
$204.91
$409.81
premium
$5.46
$211.78
$423.56
diesel
$4.80
$186.19
$372.39
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$193
Hotel (3n)
$240–$420
Meals
$100–$200
Total
$533–$813
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 345 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $104 in charging
· 3 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
295.8
3
$103.54
$47.33
Efficient EV
246.5
2
$86.28
$39.44
EV Truck/SUV
394.4
4
$138.05
$63.11
Gas CO2
345 kg
EV CO2
115 kg (67% less)
Plan for 3 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.
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 Jul 16, 2026
Origin
Meadow Lakes, AK
Evening
in Meadow Lakes on Saturday
Local time
5:28 PM
AKDT
Current temp
59°F
Light Rain
S 0 to 5 mph82% chanceLive forecast
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued July 16 at 10:56AM AKDT by NWS Juneau AK
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued July 16 at 10:42AM AKDT by NWS Juneau AK
Destination
Ketchikan, AK
Evening
in Ketchikan on Saturday
Local time
5:28 PM
AKDT
Current temp
66°F
Sunny
NW 10 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued July 16 at 10:56AM AKDT by NWS Juneau AK
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued July 16 at 10:42AM AKDT by NWS Juneau AK
64°F
Gateway, AK
325 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
7 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
49h 33m 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 route is primarily composed of ferry travel, with a 0% highway share. Your longest continuous stretch will be 334.5 miles on the Alaska Marine Highway - Whittier-Yakutat ferry. Expect to spend a significant amount of time on the water, transitioning between ferry segments. The experience will be characterized by the unique logistics of inter-island and coastal travel in Alaska.
0% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
29 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 49h 33m, 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 0.2 miles in near Starr Road.
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 14 significant decision points across 986.1 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 0.2 miles (Starr Road): Navigation decision point; at 7.7 miles (AK 3 / East Parks Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 444.5 miles (Alaska Marine Highway - Juneau-Yakutat): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach.
Ketchikan is a scenic town of approximately 14,000 people (2014) along the Tongass Narrows, at the foot of Deer Mountain, on Revillagigedo Island in Southeast Alaska. It is the southernmost and fourth largest city in Alaska.
Top landmarks
•Ketchikan Federal Building
•Burkhart-Dibrell House — historic house in Alaska, United States
•Gilmore Building — building in Ketchikan, United States of America
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 247 miles on day one.
Yes — we found about 1 rest area or service plaza within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
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 Ketchikan, 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 14 meaningful breaks. There are 1 rest area along the route for bathroom stops.
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 0.2 miles (Starr Road): Navigation decision point; at 7.7 miles (AK 3 / East Parks Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 444.5 miles (Alaska Marine Highway - Juneau-Yakutat): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach.
Not recommended in a single day. At 49.6 hours each way, a round trip means 99.1 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Ketchikan, AK before the return drive.
