Origin
Butte, AK
Late night in Butte on Friday
Local time
3:06 AM
AKDT
Current temp
42°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Butte, AK to Anchorage, AK
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
56m
Distance
42.2 mi
68 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 52m
★
6 AM
0h 56m
8 AM
1h 5m
10 AM
0h 59m
12 PM
0h 59m
3 PM
1h 0m
5 PM
1h 5m
8 PM
0h 53m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Butte, AK
Tima Miroshnichenko
Anchorage, AK
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Butte, AK to Anchorage, AK covers 42.2 miles and takes about 56m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Glenn Highway, Old Glenn Highway, East 5th Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 27.5 miles on Glenn Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $9.15 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 56m. Total distance: 42.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
56m 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
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 56m drive with frequent turns across 42.2 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 9 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 27.5 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
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 around 0.1 miles in near Old Glenn Highway.
Driving Effort
2/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Butte, AK to Anchorage, AK is easy. At 56m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Old Glenn Highway): Navigation decision point; at 12.1 miles (AK 1 / Glenn Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 42.1 miles (I Street): Navigation decision point.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 6 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
3
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Old Glenn Highway
Turn left onto Old Glenn Highway
Navigation decision point
5
12.1 mi into trip
|
~17m in
|
AK 1 / Glenn Highway
Merge onto AK 1 / Glenn Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
42.1 mi into trip
|
~55m in
|
I Street
Turn right onto I Street
Navigation decision point
5
42.2 mi into trip
|
~55m in
|
West 4th Avenue
Turn left onto West 4th Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
42.2 mi into trip
|
~56m in
Turn left
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Glenn Highway | 27.5 mi | 31m |
| Old Glenn Highway | 11.6 mi | 16m |
| East 5th Avenue | 2.4 mi | 5m |
| East Plumley Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| I Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| West 4th Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Glenn Highway
— 27.5 mi, about 31m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Butte, AK and Anchorage, AK.
1
Start on East Plumley Road
369 ft
·
15 sec
·
East Plumley Road
2
Turn left onto Old Glenn Highway
12 mi
·
16 min
·
Old Glenn Highway
3
Take the ramp
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward AK 1 South: Anchorage
4
Merge onto AK 1
28 mi
·
31 min
·
Glenn Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Continue on AK 1
2.4 mi
·
5 min
·
East 5th Avenue
Use the straight / left lanes.
6
Turn right onto I Street
358 ft
·
17 sec
·
I Street
7
Turn left onto West 4th Avenue
120 ft
·
9 sec
·
West 4th Avenue
8
Turn left
85 ft
·
6 sec
9
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 21.1 mi from Butte, AK · 28m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
21 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
First break window
Fuel and coffeeA short stop after about 42 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 21.1 miles from Butte, AK, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Anchorage, AK
Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Anchorage, AK if you are unfamiliar with the area.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$9.15 one way
$18.29 round trip
$5.51/gal
25.4 MPG avg
15 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.79 | $9.62 | $19.24 |
| premium | $5.98 | $9.94 | $19.87 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.32 | $18.63 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 14.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 12.7 | 0 | $4.43 | $2.03 |
| Efficient EV | 10.6 | 0 | $3.69 | $1.69 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 16.9 | 0 | $5.91 | $2.70 |
Gas CO2
15 kg
EV CO2
5 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.
Destination
Anchorage, AK
Late night in Anchorage on Friday
Local time
3:06 AM
AKDT
Current temp
27°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
26°F
Gateway, AK
21 mi in
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
15 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
56m 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 Butte, AK to Anchorage, AK covers 42.2 miles and takes about 56m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Glenn Highway, Old Glenn Highway, East 5th Avenue. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 21.1 miles from Butte, AK. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $9.15 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.
The drive from Butte, AK to Anchorage, AK is easy. At 56m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Old Glenn Highway): Navigation decision point; at 12.1 miles (AK 1 / Glenn Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 42.1 miles (I Street): Navigation decision point.
The route from Butte, AK to Anchorage, 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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