Origin
Palmer, AK
Evening in Palmer on Saturday
Local time
6:46 PM
AKDT
Current temp
24°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Palmer, AK to Anchorage, AK
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
55m
Distance
43 mi
69 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 51m
★
6 AM
0h 56m
8 AM
1h 5m
10 AM
0h 59m
12 PM
0h 58m
3 PM
0h 59m
5 PM
1h 4m
8 PM
0h 53m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Palmer, AK
Wikimedia Commons
Anchorage, AK
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Palmer to Anchorage is 43 miles and takes about 55 minutes via Glenn Highway, East 5th Avenue, and West Evergreen Avenue, with a fuel budget near $9 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a straightforward, same-day drive connecting two locations within Alaska. Expect a route that features numerous turns, making it more of a local navigation experience than a long-haul highway journey. Given the short distance and duration, you'll find plenty of flexibility in your timing for this trip.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Glenn Highway | 40.1 mi | 48m |
| East 5th Avenue | 2.4 mi | 5m |
| West Evergreen Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| East Parks Highway | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| I Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| West 4th Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| South Colony Way | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Glenn Highway
— 40.1 mi, about 48m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Palmer, AK and Anchorage, AK.
1
Start on South Colony Way
12 ft
·
8 sec
·
South Colony Way
2
Turn left onto West Evergreen Avenue
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
·
West Evergreen Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
3
Turn left onto AK 1
7.0 mi
·
10 min
·
Glenn Highway
Use the left lane.
4
Merge onto AK 3
516 ft
·
6 sec
·
East Parks Highway
5
Continue on AK 1
33 mi
·
38 min
·
Glenn Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Continue on AK 1
2.4 mi
·
5 min
·
East 5th Avenue
Use the straight / left lanes.
7
Turn right onto I Street
358 ft
·
17 sec
·
I Street
8
Turn left onto West 4th Avenue
120 ft
·
9 sec
·
West 4th Avenue
9
Turn left
85 ft
·
6 sec
10
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
22 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
First break window
Fuel and coffeeA short stop after about 43 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 21.5 miles from Palmer, AK, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 65 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 43 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
West Evergreen Avenue
Turn left onto West Evergreen Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
4
0.3 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
AK 1 / Glenn Highway
Turn left onto AK 1 / Glenn Highway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
4
42.9 mi into trip
|
~55m in
|
I Street
Turn right onto I Street
Navigation decision point
5
43 mi into trip
|
~55m in
|
West 4th Avenue
Turn left onto West 4th Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
43 mi into trip
|
~55m in
Turn left
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$9.32 one way
$18.64 round trip
$5.51/gal
25.4 MPG avg
15 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.79 | $9.80 | $19.60 |
| premium | $5.98 | $10.12 | $20.25 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.49 | $18.99 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 15 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 12.9 | 0 | $4.52 | $2.06 |
| Efficient EV | 10.8 | 0 | $3.76 | $1.72 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 17.2 | 0 | $6.02 | $2.75 |
Gas CO2
15 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (67% 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
Anchorage, AK
Evening in Anchorage on Saturday
Local time
6:46 PM
AKDT
Current temp
27°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
3 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
55m 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?
This drive is characterized by its 'turn-heavy local drive' profile, meaning you'll encounter frequent changes in direction rather than extended periods on a single highway. With a 0% highway share, you won't be cruising on interstates here. The longest uninterrupted stretch is 40.1 miles on Glenn Highway, offering a brief period of more consistent travel before the local roads take over. As you progress, the route transitions from a more open highway feel to navigating through local streets, requiring your attention to navigation.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
10 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 40.1 mi on Glenn Highway.
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 early in the drive near West Evergreen Avenue.
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 55m 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: near the start (West Evergreen Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.3 miles (AK 1 / Glenn Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 42.9 miles (I Street): Navigation decision point.
About the Cities
Arriving 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 55m. Total distance: 43 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
55m 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 40.1 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 Evergreen Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.3 miles (AK 1 / Glenn Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 42.9 miles (I Street): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Anchorage, 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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