Skip to main content

Trip from Eagle River, AK to Metlakatla, AK

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

49h 32m

Distance

968.6 mi

1,559 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

4-day trip

Fuel Cost

$210

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 134 min
4 AM
48h 48m ★
6 AM
49h 33m
8 AM
51h 2m
10 AM
50h 4m
12 PM
49h 55m
3 PM
50h 8m
5 PM
50h 57m
8 PM
49h 6m

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

community in Alaska, USA

Eagle River, AK

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Metlakatla, AK, AK

Metlakatla, AK

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Eagle River, AK to Metlakatla, AK covers 968.6 miles and takes about 49h 32m behind the wheel. It usually feels better as a 4-day road trip than as one long push.

The route leans on Old Glenn Highway, Artillery Road, Glenn Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is long-distance drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $209.93 one way before food or hotel costs.

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

484.3 miles from Eagle River, AK

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 24h 46m into the drive .

Who Is This Route For?

Solo Traveler

49h 32m drive, plan rest stops for pacing.

Scenic Drive

Long-distance drive route profile.

Drive Character

At 968.6 miles and 49h 32m of driving, this is a route where fuel stops, weather, and timing matter more than any single turn. The main roads are Old Glenn Highway and Artillery Road.

Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 28 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Old Glenn Highway is one of the defining roads on this drive.

How Hard Is This Drive?

At 49h 32m, 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.

Driving Effort 7/10

Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

Navigation is easy, but the length (49h 32m) means fatigue is the real challenge. The route is 0% highway with very few tricky spots, so this is more about pacing than navigation skill.

Where does it get tricky?

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Eagle River, AK to Metlakatla, AK is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Old Glenn Highway
Artillery Road
Glenn Highway
East 5th Avenue
Gambell Street
Seward Highway
Portage Glacier Road
Portage Glacier Highway

Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.

Longest stretch: Old Glenn Highway — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Eagle River, AK and Metlakatla, AK.

1

Start on Monte Road

413 ft · 19 sec · Monte Road
2

At the end of the road, turn left onto Old Glenn Highway

0.2 mi · 27 sec · Old Glenn Highway
3

Continue on Artillery Road

0.1 mi · 17 sec · Artillery Road
4

Take the ramp slight right

0.2 mi · 28 sec
5

Merge slight left onto Glenn Highway

12 mi · 13 min · Glenn Highway
6

Continue on East 5th Avenue

1.5 mi · 3 min · East 5th Avenue
7

Turn left onto Gambell Street

1.1 mi · 2 min · Gambell Street
8

Continue on Seward Highway

47 mi · 57 min · Seward Highway
9

Turn left onto Portage Glacier Road

5.0 mi · 7 min · Portage Glacier Road
10

Continue on Portage Glacier Highway

4.7 mi · 10 min · Portage Glacier Highway
11

Continue on West Camp Road

1.5 mi · 2 min · West Camp Road
12

Turn right

171 ft · 8 sec
13

Turn left

249 ft · 4 sec
14

Turn straight onto Alaska Marine Highway - Whittier-Yakutat

334 mi · 22 hr · Alaska Marine Highway - Whittier-Yakutat
15

Turn sharp right onto Alaska Marine Highway - Juneau-Yakutat

263 mi · 17 hr · Alaska Marine Highway - Juneau-Yakutat
16

Turn sharp right onto Alaska Marine Highway - Ketchikan ↔ Juneau

277 mi · 8 hr · Alaska Marine Highway - Ketchikan ↔ Juneau
17

Continue on Main Berth Ramp

197 ft · 34 sec · Main Berth Ramp
18

Continue on Ketchikan Ferry Terminal Road

0.1 mi · 19 sec · Ketchikan Ferry Terminal Road
19

At the end of the road, turn right onto Tongass Avenue

226 ft · 7 sec · Tongass Avenue
20

Turn right

128 ft · 9 sec
21

Turn left

180 ft · 6 sec
22

At the end of the road, turn right

335 ft · 34 sec
23

Turn straight onto Alaska Marine Highway - Ketchikan ↔ Metlakatla

19 mi · 44 min · Alaska Marine Highway - Ketchikan ↔ Metlakatla
24

Continue on Ferry Terminal Roas

459 ft · 37 sec · Ferry Terminal Roas
25

Turn right onto Walden Point Road

1.1 mi · 4 min · Walden Point Road
26

Continue on Tait Street

0.3 mi · 1 min · Tait Street
27

Turn left onto 4th Avenue

174 ft · 8 sec · 4th Avenue
28

Arrive at your destination

Trip Plan

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 484.3 miles from Eagle River, AK, or about 24h 46m into the drive.

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 213 miles or 10h 53m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 484.3 miles or 24h 46m 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 242.1 miles or 12h 23m

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 46h 28m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Metlakatla, AK than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Eagle River, AK so your first major turns are already loaded.

+

Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.

+

Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.

+

Pick one backup stop option before the midpoint in case traffic changes your pacing.

+

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 Eagle River, AK

Aim for roughly 242 miles and 12.4 hours of wheel time on this day.

Day 2

Keep the middle miles efficient

Aim for roughly 242 miles and 12.4 hours of wheel time on this day.

Day 3

Keep the middle miles efficient

Aim for roughly 242 miles and 12.4 hours of wheel time on this day.

Day 4

Finish the approach into Metlakatla, AK

Aim for roughly 242 miles and 12.4 hours of wheel time on this day.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 213 miles from Eagle River, 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.

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 484.3 mi from Eagle River, AK · 24h 46m into the drive

consolidated city-borough, and largest city in Alaska, United States of America

First major stop

Coffee and fuel

Anchorage, AK

320 mi into the route

Best for: Coffee, fuel, and an easy first stretch

This is a natural early stop once the first hours of the drive are behind you.

Popular next leg

Anchorage, AK to Palmer, AK

43.1 mi · 56m

city in Alaska, USA

Second major stop

Overnight candidate

Palmer, AK

639 mi into the route

Best for: Hotel check-in, dinner, and a fresh start

This lines up well with a realistic day-end stop if you are breaking the drive into stages.

Find hotels in Palmer, AK

Overnight Options

Night 1

Anchorage, AK

242 mi · about 12.4h in

A practical overnight split lands near Anchorage, AK after about 242 miles or 12.4 hours of driving.

Find hotels

Night 2

Anchorage, AK

484 mi · about 24.8h in

A practical overnight split lands near Anchorage, AK after about 484 miles or 24.8 hours of driving.

Find hotels

Night 3

Bear Creek, AK

726 mi · about 37.2h in

A practical overnight split lands near Bear Creek, AK after about 726 miles or 37.2 hours of driving.

Find hotels

Pacing Suggestions

Anchorage, AK

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 213 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Anchorage, AK

Meal break

The midpoint is around 484.3 miles from Eagle River, AK, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Overnight split

Hotel stop

For a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 242 miles or 12.4 hours on the road.

Final-third reset

Rest stop

Plan one more short stretch-and-water break in the final third of the drive so the last arrival window feels easier.

Arriving in Metlakatla, AK

The final approach into Metlakatla, AK usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Metlakatla, AK.

On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach Metlakatla, AK with some flexibility left in the schedule.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$209.93 one way

$419.85 round trip

$5.51/gal 25.4 MPG avg 339 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $5.79 $220.76 $441.51
premium $5.98 $228.04 $456.08
diesel $5.61 $213.85 $427.71

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$210

Hotel (3n)

$240–$420

Meals

$100–$200

Total

$550–$830

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 338.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $102 in charging · 3 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 290.6 3 $101.70 $46.49
Efficient EV 242.2 2 $84.75 $38.74
EV Truck/SUV 387.4 4 $135.60 $61.99

Gas CO2

339 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 Apr 15, 2026

Origin

Eagle River, AK

Late night in Eagle River on Friday

Local time

12:17 AM

AKDT

Current temp

41°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Metlakatla, AK

Late night in Metlakatla on Friday

Local time

12:17 AM

AKDT

Current temp

41°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

24°F

Palmer, AK

639 mi in

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

Very similar conditions

Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.

Road read

49h 32m 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Eagle River, AK to Metlakatla, AK covers 968.6 miles and takes about 49h 32m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Old Glenn Highway, Artillery Road, Glenn Highway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

Consider an overnight stop or starting very early.

Yes. This route is usually more comfortable as a 4-day drive. A sensible stopping point is after roughly 242 miles on day one.

The midpoint is about 484.3 miles from Eagle River, AK. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $209.93 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.

Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour. This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.

Plan about 14 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.

Navigation is easy, but the length (49h 32m) means fatigue is the real challenge. The route is 0% highway with very few tricky spots, so this is more about pacing than navigation skill.

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Eagle River, AK to Metlakatla, AK is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

The route from Eagle River, AK to Metlakatla, 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.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

Explore more options from Eagle River, AK or browse trips ending in Metlakatla, AK.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse AK road trips.