Origin
Wasilla, AK
Evening in Wasilla on Saturday
Local time
6:47 PM
AKDT
Current temp
44°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Wasilla, 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
35m
Distance
20.9 mi
34 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Fair
2 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 32m
★
6 AM
0h 35m
8 AM
0h 41m
10 AM
0h 37m
12 PM
0h 37m
3 PM
0h 38m
5 PM
0h 41m
8 PM
0h 33m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Wasilla, AK
Wikimedia Commons
Big Lake, AK
Albert Koenig
Trip Overview
This short 20.9-mile drive from Wasilla to Big Lake in Alaska is easily manageable as a day trip, taking about 35 minutes to complete. With a modest fuel cost estimate of $5, it's an economical option for a quick journey. The route primarily utilizes East Parks Highway and West Big Lake Road, featuring a 17% highway share. Given its brief duration and lack of designated stops, you'll have plenty of flexibility in your timing. This is a straightforward local drive connecting two points within Alaska.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| East Parks Highway | 6.5 mi | 9m |
| 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 |
| West Tinkerbell Court | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| South Crocodile Way | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
East Parks Highway
— 6.5 mi, about 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Wasilla, AK and Big Lake, AK.
1
Start on Main Street
26 ft
·
8 sec
·
Main Street
2
Turn left onto AK 3
6.5 mi
·
9 min
·
East Parks Highway
Use the left lane.
3
Continue on AK 3
3.5 mi
·
5 min
·
West Parks Highway
Use the left / straight lanes.
4
Turn left onto West Big Lake Road
3.6 mi
·
5 min
·
West Big Lake Road
5
Enter roundabout onto South Big Lake Road
197 ft
·
5 sec
·
South Big Lake Road
6
Continue on South Big Lake Road
2.9 mi
·
4 min
·
South Big Lake Road
7
Continue on West Susitna Parkway
3.6 mi
·
7 min
·
West Susitna Parkway
8
Turn right onto South Jay Sedor Street
0.6 mi
·
2 min
·
South Jay Sedor Street
9
Turn right onto West Tinkerbell Court
0.2 mi
·
35 sec
·
West Tinkerbell Court
10
Continue on South Crocodile Way
345 ft
·
15 sec
·
South Crocodile Way
11
Arrive at destination
South Crocodile Way
Heads-up: tricky spots
4 of 44 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 20.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
AK 3 / East Parks Highway
Turn left onto AK 3 / East Parks Highway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
3
10 mi into trip
|
~14m in
|
West Big Lake Road
Turn left onto West Big Lake Road
Navigation decision point
4
13.6 mi into trip
|
~19m in
|
South Big Lake Road
Enter roundabout onto South Big Lake Road
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
4
20.1 mi into trip
|
~32m in
|
South Jay Sedor Street
Turn right onto South Jay Sedor Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.53 one way
$9.06 round trip
$5.51/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.79 | $4.76 | $9.53 |
| premium | $5.98 | $4.92 | $9.84 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.61 | $9.23 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.3 | 0 | $2.19 | $1.00 |
| Efficient EV | 5.2 | 0 | $1.83 | $0.84 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.4 | 0 | $2.93 | $1.34 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
17 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
35m 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 on this route. While 17% of the journey involves highway driving, much of it will be on local roads like West Big Lake Road and West Susitna Parkway. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 6.5 miles on East Parks Highway. This profile suggests a driving experience that requires attention to turns and local road conditions rather than long stretches of high-speed cruising.
Only 17% 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: 6.5 mi on East Parks Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
2/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near AK 3 / East Parks Highway.
Driving Effort
2/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Wasilla, AK to Big Lake, AK is easy. At 35m with 17% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (AK 3 / East Parks Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 10 miles (West Big Lake Road): Navigation decision point; at 13.6 miles (South Big Lake Road): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 35m. Total distance: 20.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
35m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (17%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 6.5 miles on East Parks 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 (AK 3 / East Parks Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 10 miles (West Big Lake Road): Navigation decision point; at 13.6 miles (South Big Lake Road): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
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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