Origin
Anchorage, AK
Late night in Anchorage on Friday
Local time
2:23 AM
AKDT
Current temp
27°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Anchorage, AK to Eagle River, AK
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
21m
Distance
15.1 mi
24 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 20m
★
6 AM
0h 22m
8 AM
0h 26m
10 AM
0h 23m
12 PM
0h 23m
3 PM
0h 23m
5 PM
0h 26m
8 PM
0h 21m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Anchorage, AK
Wikimedia Commons
Eagle River, AK
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 15.1-mile trip from Anchorage to Eagle River, Alaska, is a quick 21-minute drive. It's perfect as a single-day excursion, requiring no overnight stays. You'll primarily navigate the Glenn Highway, West 4th Avenue, and East 3rd Avenue. With a modest fuel cost estimated at $3, this drive is an easy addition to any Alaska itinerary. The route offers a straightforward local feel, making it a convenient local transit rather than an epic journey.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 21m. Total distance: 15.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
21m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a turn-heavy local drive for this short hop between Anchorage and Eagle River. While it has a 0% highway share, the longest uninterrupted stretch is 11.8 miles on the Glenn Highway, offering a brief taste of more open road. The drive's character is defined by its frequent turns and local road segments, indicating a need for attention as you navigate through communities. This isn't a scenic cruise but rather a functional transit within the Alaskan landscape.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 13 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Glenn Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 11.8 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 6 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near West 4th Avenue.
Driving Effort
5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 15.1 miles you will encounter 6 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (West 4th Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 2.2 miles (Reeve Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 14.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 6 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
West 4th Avenue
Turn right onto West 4th Avenue
Navigation decision point
7
2.2 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
Reeve Boulevard
Turn right onto Reeve Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
4
14.5 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Take the exit toward Eagle River
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward Eagle River
7
14.7 mi into trip
|
~21m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Eagle River, Downtown
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward Eagle River, Downtown
4
15 mi into trip
|
~21m in
|
Monte Road
Turn right onto Monte Road
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Glenn Highway | 11.8 mi | 13m |
| West 4th Avenue | 1.3 mi | 3m |
| East 3rd Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| East 5th Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Commercial Drive | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Old Glenn Highway | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Reeve Boulevard | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Post Road | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Glenn Highway
— 11.8 mi, about 13m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Anchorage, AK and Eagle River, AK.
1
Start on this road
85 ft
·
8 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right onto West 4th Avenue
1.3 mi
·
3 min
·
West 4th Avenue
3
Continue on Post Road
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
·
Post Road
4
Turn right onto East 3rd Avenue
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
East 3rd Avenue
5
Continue on Commercial Drive
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
Commercial Drive
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
Turn right onto Reeve Boulevard
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
·
Reeve Boulevard
Use the straight / right lanes.
7
Turn left onto AK 1
0.3 mi
·
48 sec
·
East 5th Avenue
8
Continue on AK 1
12 mi
·
13 min
·
Glenn Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
Toward Eagle River
10
Keep slight right at fork
363 ft
·
8 sec
Toward Eagle River, Downtown
11
Turn straight onto Old Glenn Highway
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
Old Glenn Highway
12
Turn right onto Monte Road
414 ft
·
14 sec
·
Monte Road
13
Arrive at destination
Monte Road
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.27 one way
$6.55 round trip
$5.51/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.79 | $3.44 | $6.88 |
| premium | $5.98 | $3.56 | $7.11 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.33 | $6.67 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.5 | 0 | $1.59 | $0.72 |
| Efficient EV | 3.8 | 0 | $1.32 | $0.60 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6 | 0 | $2.11 | $0.97 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
Eagle River, AK
Late night in Eagle River on Friday
Local time
2:23 AM
AKDT
Current temp
41°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
14 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
21m 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Anchorage, AK to Eagle River, AK covers 15.1 miles and takes about 21m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Glenn Highway, West 4th Avenue, East 3rd Avenue. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 7.5 miles from Anchorage, AK. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $3.27 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 15.1 miles you will encounter 6 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (West 4th Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 2.2 miles (Reeve Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 14.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
The route from Anchorage, AK to Eagle River, AK does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
How this page is built
Compiled and maintained by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy (Helsinki). Each route is built from authoritative open government and mapping datasets rather than crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from OSRM over OpenStreetMap. Fuel cost uses EIA weekly regional averages. Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our methodology page documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.
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