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Trip from Soldotna, AK to Nikiski, AK

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

43m

Distance

25.1 mi

40 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$5

one way

EV Charging

Fair

3 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 11 min
4 AM
0h 40m ★
6 AM
0h 44m
8 AM
0h 51m
10 AM
0h 46m
12 PM
0h 46m
3 PM
0h 47m
5 PM
0h 51m
8 PM
0h 42m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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Download GPX
city in Alaska, USA

Soldotna, AK

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Nikiski, AK, AK

Nikiski, AK

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Connecting Soldotna to Nikiski is a straightforward 25.1-mile journey that typically takes about 43 minutes to complete. Because of the short distance, this trip is easily managed as a quick day outing, requiring no overnight stays. You will primarily navigate via the Sterling Highway, Kalifornsky Beach Road, and Bridge Access Road to reach your destination within the same Alaska region. Budgeting approximately $5 for fuel should be sufficient for this local trek. This route serves as a practical link between these two Alaskan communities, offering a functional drive rather than a long-distance expedition.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Kenai Spur Highway 10.6 mi 16m
Kalifornsky Beach Road 6 mi 8m
Bridge Access Road 3.3 mi 5m
Miller Loop Road 1.9 mi 3m
Sterling Highway 1.4 mi 3m
Bastien Drive 1 mi 3m
Island Lake Road 0.8 mi 3m
Rachet Avenue <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Kenai Spur Highway — 10.6 mi, about 16m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Soldotna, AK and Nikiski, AK.

1

Start on this road

282 ft · 26 sec · this road
2

Turn sharp right onto AK 1

1.4 mi · 3 min · Sterling Highway
3

Turn right onto Kalifornsky Beach Road

6.0 mi · 8 min · Kalifornsky Beach Road
4

Turn right onto Bridge Access Road

3.3 mi · 5 min · Bridge Access Road
5

Turn left onto Kenai Spur Highway

11 mi · 16 min · Kenai Spur Highway
6

Turn right onto Miller Loop Road

1.2 mi · 2 min · Miller Loop Road
7

Continue on Miller Loop Road

0.7 mi · 1 min · Miller Loop Road
8

Turn left onto Island Lake Road

0.8 mi · 3 min · Island Lake Road
9

Turn right onto Bastien Drive

1.0 mi · 3 min · Bastien Drive
10

Continue on Rachet Avenue

508 ft · 22 sec · Rachet Avenue
11

Arrive at destination

Rachet Avenue

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 7

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 24 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | AK 1 / Sterling Highway

Turn sharp right onto AK 1 / Sterling Highway

Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach

3
1.4 mi into trip | ~3m in | Kalifornsky Beach Road

Turn right onto Kalifornsky Beach Road

Navigation decision point

4
10.7 mi into trip | ~17m in | Kenai Spur Highway

Turn left onto Kenai Spur Highway

Navigation decision point

4
21.3 mi into trip | ~33m in | Miller Loop Road

Turn right onto Miller Loop Road

Navigation decision point

4
24 mi into trip | ~39m in | Bastien Drive

Turn right onto Bastien Drive

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$5.44 one way

$10.88 round trip

$5.51/gal 25.4 MPG avg 9 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $5.79 $5.72 $11.44
premium $5.98 $5.91 $11.82
diesel $5.61 $5.54 $11.08

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$5

Estimated CO2 emission: 8.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 7.5 0 $2.64 $1.20
Efficient EV 6.3 0 $2.20 $1.00
EV Truck/SUV 10 0 $3.51 $1.61

Gas CO2

9 kg

EV CO2

3 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.

Forecast as of Apr 13, 2026

Origin

Soldotna, AK

Late night in Soldotna on Sunday

Local time

12:06 AM

AKDT

Current temp

45°F

Mostly Sunny

NW 5 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Winter Weather Advisory

Winter Weather Advisory issued April 13 at 3:11PM AKDT until April 14 at 7:00AM AKDT by NWS Fairbanks AK

Winter Weather Advisory

Winter Weather Advisory issued April 13 at 3:11PM AKDT until April 14 at 7:00AM AKDT by NWS Fairbanks AK

Destination

Nikiski, AK

Late night in Nikiski on Sunday

Local time

12:06 AM

AKDT

Current temp

43°F

Mostly Sunny

NW 5 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Winter Weather Advisory

Winter Weather Advisory issued April 13 at 3:11PM AKDT until April 14 at 7:00AM AKDT by NWS Fairbanks AK

Winter Weather Advisory

Winter Weather Advisory issued April 13 at 3:11PM AKDT until April 14 at 7:00AM AKDT by NWS Fairbanks AK

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

2 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

43m on the road

The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.

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 rather than a monotonous interstate grind, as this route features zero percent highway share. You will navigate through varying road conditions that require your full attention, as the path relies entirely on local connector roads rather than high-speed thoroughfares. The road’s personality is defined by its technical nature, keeping you engaged as you transition between the specified arterial roads. Since there are no long, uninterrupted stretches, you should prepare for a drive that demands consistent navigation through local turns.

Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
11 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.6 mi on Kenai Spur 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 around 0.1 miles in near AK 1 / Sterling Highway.

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 43m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (AK 1 / Sterling Highway): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 1.4 miles (Kalifornsky Beach Road): Navigation decision point; at 10.7 miles (Kenai Spur Highway): Navigation decision point.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 43m. Total distance: 25.1 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

43m 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 10.6 miles on Kenai Spur 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: at 0.1 miles (AK 1 / Sterling Highway): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 1.4 miles (Kalifornsky Beach Road): Navigation decision point; at 10.7 miles (Kenai Spur Highway): Navigation decision point.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Nikiski, 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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