Seward to Ketchikan is 964.9 miles and takes about 49 hours 6 minutes via Alaska Marine Highway, with a fuel budget near $217 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This extensive trip navigates between two points within Alaska, primarily utilizing ferry services. You'll spend significant time on the water, covering 14 stops along the way. The longest single ferry leg stretches 334.5 miles, offering substantial time to appreciate the coastal scenery. Consider this route if you're looking for an immersive Alaskan experience that blends driving with maritime travel.
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
482.5 miles from Seward, AK
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 27h 51m into the drive
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Given the 49-hour 6-minute duration, it's recommended to spread this trip over 4 days to avoid excessive fatigue. Plan your ferry departures and arrivals carefully, as the Alaska Marine Highway is your primary mode of transport. With 14 stops, you'll have opportunities to disembark and stretch your legs. Ensure you budget for the $217 fuel cost, though this will primarily cover vehicle transport on ferries rather than traditional driving. The longest stretch of 334.5 miles means you'll have extended periods on the water, so pack accordingly.
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 482.5 miles from Seward, AK, or about 27h 51m 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 212 miles or 10h 8m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 482.5 miles or 27h 51m 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 241.2 miles or 12h 3m
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 22m
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 Seward, 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 Seward, AK
Aim for roughly 241 miles and 12.3 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Keep the middle miles efficient
Aim for roughly 241 miles and 12.3 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 3
Keep the middle miles efficient
Aim for roughly 241 miles and 12.3 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 4
Finish the approach into Ketchikan, AK
Aim for roughly 241 miles and 12.3 hours of wheel time on this day.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 212 miles from Seward, 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 10
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 962.8 — 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|Jefferson Street
Turn right onto Jefferson Street
Navigation decision point
4
0.1 mi into trip|~0m in|AK 9 / 3rd Avenue
Turn left onto AK 9 / 3rd Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
423.3 mi into trip|~24h 2m in|Alaska Marine Highway - Juneau-Yakutat
Turn sharp right onto Alaska Marine Highway - Juneau-Yakutat
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
5
685.8 mi into trip|~41h 2m in|Alaska Marine Highway - Ketchikan ↔ Juneau
962.8 mi into trip|~49h 3m in|AK 7 / Tongass Avenue
At end of road, turn right onto AK 7 / Tongass Avenue
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$188.65 one way
$377.30 round trip
$4.97/gal25.4 MPG avg338 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$5.28
$200.50
$401.00
premium
$5.46
$207.23
$414.45
diesel
$4.80
$182.19
$364.38
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$189
Hotel (3n)
$240–$420
Meals
$100–$200
Total
$529–$809
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 337.6 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $101 in charging
· 3 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
289.5
3
$101.31
$46.32
Efficient EV
241.2
2
$84.43
$38.60
EV Truck/SUV
386
4
$135.09
$61.75
Gas CO2
338 kg
EV CO2
113 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
Seward, AK
Morning
in Seward on Saturday
Local time
11:16 AM
AKDT
Current temp
50°F
Heavy Rain
SE 15 to 20 mph100% 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
Morning
in Ketchikan on Saturday
Local time
11:16 AM
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
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
16 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 6m 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 almost entirely water-based, with a 0% highway share. The longest continuous stretch you'll experience is 334.5 miles on the Alaska Marine Highway - Whittier-Yakutat ferry. The bulk of your travel will be on these ferry routes, with minimal time spent on conventional roads. You'll notice the vastness of the Alaskan coastline as you move between ports.
0% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
19 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 6m, 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 early in the drive near Jefferson 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 10 significant decision points across 964.9 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: near the start (Jefferson Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (AK 9 / 3rd Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 423.3 miles (Alaska Marine Highway - Juneau-Yakutat): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach.
Seward ("SOO-word") is a small port city (population ~2,700) located at the head of Resurrection Bay on the Kenai Peninsula in Southcentral Alaska. Seward was named in honor of William H. Seward, President Abraham Lincoln's Secretary of State, who was responsible for negotiating the purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867.
Top landmarks
•Seward Depot — American former rail depot
•Swetman House — historic residence in Seward, Alaska
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 241 miles on day one.
Yes — we found about 2 rest areas or service plazas 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 2 rest areas 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: near the start (Jefferson Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (AK 9 / 3rd Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 423.3 miles (Alaska Marine Highway - Juneau-Yakutat): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach.
Not recommended in a single day. At 49.1 hours each way, a round trip means 98.2 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.
