Origin
North Pole, AK
Night in North Pole on Saturday
Local time
11:47 PM
AKDT
Current temp
36°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from North Pole, AK to Fairbanks, AK
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
19m
Distance
13.8 mi
22 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Sparse
1 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 18m
★
6 AM
0h 20m
8 AM
0h 23m
10 AM
0h 21m
12 PM
0h 20m
3 PM
0h 21m
5 PM
0h 23m
8 PM
0h 18m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
North Pole, AK
Wikimedia Commons
Fairbanks, AK
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are traveling between North Pole and Fairbanks, Alaska, you are looking at a quick 13.6-mile commute. This trip typically takes about 17 minutes, making it a straightforward drive that easily fits into a single day without needing an overnight stay. You will navigate primarily via Snowman Lane, 4th Avenue, and South Santa Claus Lane rather than major interstate systems. With fuel costs estimated at around $3, it is an extremely budget-friendly transit between these two Alaskan communities. Since the entire route stays within the same region, you can expect a familiar, localized driving experience throughout the journey.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Richardson Highway | 12.4 mi | 16m |
| South Santa Claus Lane | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Airport Way | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Noble Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| North Santa Claus Lane | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Badger Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| 12th Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| 4th Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Richardson Highway
— 12.4 mi, about 16m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between North Pole, AK and Fairbanks, AK.
1
Start on Fourth Avenue
196 ft
·
10 sec
·
Fourth Avenue
2
Turn right onto Snowman Lane
146 ft
·
11 sec
·
Snowman Lane
3
Turn left onto 4th Avenue
348 ft
·
17 sec
·
4th Avenue
4
Turn right onto South Santa Claus Lane
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
·
South Santa Claus Lane
5
Enter roundabout onto North Santa Claus Lane
120 ft
·
2 sec
·
North Santa Claus Lane
6
Continue on North Santa Claus Lane
465 ft
·
9 sec
·
North Santa Claus Lane
7
Turn slight left onto Badger Road
442 ft
·
12 sec
·
Badger Road
8
Continue on Badger Road
85 ft
·
1 sec
·
Badger Road
9
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
10
Merge onto AK 2
12 mi
·
16 min
·
Richardson Highway
Use the straight lane.
11
Turn left onto Airport Way
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
Airport Way
Use the left / straight lanes.
12
Turn right onto Noble Street
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
·
Noble Street
13
Turn left onto 12th Avenue
436 ft
·
19 sec
·
12th Avenue
14
Arrive at destination
12th Avenue
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 13.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Snowman Lane
Turn right onto Snowman Lane
Navigation decision point
4
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
4th Avenue
Turn left onto 4th Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
0.5 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
North Santa Claus Lane
Enter roundabout onto North Santa Claus Lane
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
5
0.9 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
AK 2 / Richardson Highway
Merge onto AK 2 / Richardson Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
5
13.5 mi into trip
|
~18m in
|
Noble Street
Turn right onto Noble Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.99 one way
$5.98 round trip
$5.51/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.79 | $3.15 | $6.29 |
| premium | $5.98 | $3.25 | $6.50 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.05 | $6.09 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.1 | 0 | $1.45 | $0.66 |
| Efficient EV | 3.5 | 0 | $1.21 | $0.55 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.5 | 0 | $1.93 | $0.88 |
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
Fairbanks, AK
Night in Fairbanks on Saturday
Local time
11:47 PM
AKDT
Current temp
35°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
1 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
19m 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 as you transition from North Pole into the heart of Fairbanks. Because this route utilizes local streets rather than highways, your highway share for the trip is 0%. You won't encounter long, monotonous stretches of open road here; instead, the drive requires your full attention as you maneuver through town streets. The infrastructure is designed for local connectivity, offering a stark contrast to the vast, high-speed stretches found elsewhere in the state. Stay alert for frequent changes in direction as you navigate the turn-heavy path toward your destination.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 12.4 mi on Richardson Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
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 early in the drive near Snowman Lane.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 19m drive. You will face about 9 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Snowman Lane): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (4th Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (North Santa Claus Lane): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
498 ft
444 ft
Total Climb
0 ft
Total Descent
54 ft
Highest Point
498 ft
Elevation Range
54 ft
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 19m. Total distance: 13.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
19m 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 12.4 miles on Richardson 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 (Snowman Lane): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (4th Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (North Santa Claus Lane): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Fairbanks, 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, EIA for fuel prices, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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