Origin
Palmer, AK
Evening in Palmer on Saturday
Local time
6:47 PM
AKDT
Current temp
24°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Palmer, AK to Big Lake, AK
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
53m
Distance
32.2 mi
52 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Good
6 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 49m
★
6 AM
0h 54m
8 AM
1h 3m
10 AM
0h 57m
12 PM
0h 56m
3 PM
0h 57m
5 PM
1h 2m
8 PM
0h 51m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Palmer, AK
Wikimedia Commons
Big Lake, AK
Albert Koenig
Trip Overview
This short, 32.2-mile journey from Palmer to Big Lake in Alaska is easily manageable as a day trip, taking approximately 53 minutes to complete. You'll navigate primarily using the East Palmer-Wasilla Highway and East Parks Highway before transitioning to West Big Lake Road. With a modest fuel cost estimated at $7, this drive offers a straightforward local transit experience. Given its brevity and the absence of designated stops in the data, you have the flexibility to depart whenever suits your schedule. The entire trip stays within the state of Alaska, connecting two distinct Alaskan locales.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| East Palmer-Wasilla Highway | 9.5 mi | 15m |
| East Parks Highway | 7.6 mi | 11m |
| West Big Lake Road | 3.6 mi | 5m |
| West Susitna Parkway | 3.6 mi | 7m |
| West Parks Highway | 3.5 mi | 5m |
| South Big Lake Road | 3 mi | 4m |
| South Jay Sedor Street | 0.6 mi | 2m |
| East Palmer Wasilla Highway | 0.4 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
East Palmer-Wasilla Highway
— 9.5 mi, about 15m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Palmer, AK and Big Lake, 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
Continue on East Palmer Wasilla Highway
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
East Palmer Wasilla Highway
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
4
Turn straight onto East Palmer-Wasilla Highway
9.5 mi
·
15 min
·
East Palmer-Wasilla Highway
Use the straight lane.
5
Turn right onto AK 3
7.6 mi
·
11 min
·
East Parks Highway
Use the right lane.
6
Continue on AK 3
3.5 mi
·
5 min
·
West Parks Highway
Use the left / straight lanes.
7
Turn left onto West Big Lake Road
3.6 mi
·
5 min
·
West Big Lake Road
8
Enter roundabout onto South Big Lake Road
197 ft
·
5 sec
·
South Big Lake Road
9
Continue on South Big Lake Road
2.9 mi
·
4 min
·
South Big Lake Road
10
Continue on West Susitna Parkway
3.6 mi
·
7 min
·
West Susitna Parkway
11
Turn right onto South Jay Sedor Street
0.6 mi
·
2 min
·
South Jay Sedor Street
12
Turn right onto West Tinkerbell Court
0.2 mi
·
35 sec
·
West Tinkerbell Court
13
Continue on South Crocodile Way
345 ft
·
15 sec
·
South Crocodile Way
14
Arrive at destination
South Crocodile Way
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
16 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 32 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 16.1 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 31.4 — 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.
3
0.7 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
East Palmer-Wasilla Highway
Turn straight onto East Palmer-Wasilla Highway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
4
10.2 mi into trip
|
~16m in
|
AK 3 / East Parks Highway
Turn right onto AK 3 / East Parks Highway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
4
24.9 mi into trip
|
~38m in
|
South Big Lake Road
Enter roundabout onto South Big Lake Road
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
4
31.4 mi into trip
|
~50m in
|
South Jay Sedor Street
Turn right onto South Jay Sedor Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.98 one way
$13.96 round trip
$5.51/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.79 | $7.34 | $14.68 |
| premium | $5.98 | $7.58 | $15.16 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.11 | $14.22 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.7 | 0 | $3.38 | $1.55 |
| Efficient EV | 8.1 | 0 | $2.82 | $1.29 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.9 | 0 | $4.51 | $2.06 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% 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
Big Lake, AK
Evening in Big Lake on Saturday
Local time
6:47 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
53m 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' for this Alaskan excursion. While 11% of the route involves highway driving, much of your time will be spent on local roads. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 9.5 miles on the East Palmer-Wasilla Highway. This suggests a driving experience that involves frequent adjustments and navigating through community areas rather than long, open highway stretches. The character of the road will likely shift from more arterial routes to quieter local thoroughfares as you approach Big Lake.
Only 11% 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: 9.5 mi on East Palmer-Wasilla 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 53m 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 0.7 miles (East Palmer-Wasilla Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 10.2 miles (AK 3 / East Parks Highway): Lane positioning matters here.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 53m. Total distance: 32.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
53m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (11%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 9.5 miles on East Palmer-Wasilla 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 0.7 miles (East Palmer-Wasilla Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 10.2 miles (AK 3 / East Parks Highway): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Big Lake, 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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