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Trip from Fairbanks, AK to Wrangell, AK

Data updated 0 seconds ago

Drive Time

58h 24m

Distance

1206.2 mi

1,941 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

4-day trip

Fuel Cost

$261

one way

EV Charging

Loading...

station data

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 158 min
4 AM
57h 32m ★
6 AM
58h 25m
8 AM
60h 10m
10 AM
59h 1m
12 PM
58h 51m
3 PM
59h 7m
5 PM
60h 4m
8 PM
57h 53m

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

city in Alaska, USA

Fairbanks, AK

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Wrangell, AK, AK

Wrangell, AK

Barnabas Davoti

Trip Overview

The drive from Fairbanks, AK to Wrangell, AK covers 1206.2 miles and takes about 58h 24m behind the wheel. It usually feels better as a 4-day road trip than as one long push.

The route leans on Noble Street, Airport Way, George Parks Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is long-distance drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $261.42 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

16 planned breaks

Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.

Midpoint

603.1 miles from Fairbanks, AK

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 29h 12m into the drive .

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Drive Character

At 1206.2 miles and 58h 24m of driving, this is a route where fuel stops, weather, and timing matter more than any single turn. The main roads are Noble Street and Airport Way.

Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 27 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Noble Street is one of the defining roads on this drive.

How Hard Is This Drive?

At 58h 24m, 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.

Route Complexity 7/10

Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers

This is a demanding drive. With 0 significant decision points across 1206.2 miles, you will need to stay alert — especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

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

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Noble Street Unavailable Refreshing
Airport Way Unavailable Refreshing
George Parks Highway Unavailable Refreshing
West Parks Highway Unavailable Refreshing
Glenn Highway Unavailable Refreshing
East 5th Avenue Unavailable Refreshing
Gambell Street Unavailable Refreshing
Seward Highway Unavailable Refreshing

Per-road distance and duration are being refreshed from OSRM for this route.

Longest stretch: Noble Street — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Fairbanks, AK and Wrangell, AK.

1

Start on 12th Avenue

436 ft · 21 sec · 12th Avenue
2

Turn right onto Noble Street

0.2 mi · 26 sec · Noble Street
3

Turn right onto Airport Way

3.3 mi · 5 min · Airport Way
4

Take the ramp slight right

0.6 mi · 1 min
5

Merge slight left onto George Parks Highway

301 mi · 6 hr · George Parks Highway
6

Continue on West Parks Highway

19 mi · 26 min · West Parks Highway
7

Continue on Glenn Highway

33 mi · 38 min · Glenn Highway
8

Continue on East 5th Avenue

1.5 mi · 3 min · East 5th Avenue
9

Turn left onto Gambell Street

1.1 mi · 2 min · Gambell Street
10

Continue on Seward Highway

47 mi · 57 min · Seward Highway
11

Turn left onto Portage Glacier Road

5.0 mi · 7 min · Portage Glacier Road
12

Continue on Portage Glacier Highway

4.7 mi · 10 min · Portage Glacier Highway
13

Continue on West Camp Road

1.5 mi · 2 min · West Camp Road
14

Turn right

171 ft · 8 sec
15

Turn left

249 ft · 4 sec
16

Turn straight onto Alaska Marine Highway - Whittier-Yakutat

334 mi · 22 hr · Alaska Marine Highway - Whittier-Yakutat
17

Turn sharp right onto Alaska Marine Highway - Juneau-Yakutat

263 mi · 17 hr · Alaska Marine Highway - Juneau-Yakutat
18

Continue straight

174 ft · 6 sec
19

Turn right

351 ft · 26 sec
20

Continue on Alaska Marine Highway - Petersburg-Juneau

144 mi · 7 hr 45 min · Alaska Marine Highway - Petersburg-Juneau
21

Turn sharp right onto Alaska Marine Highway - Wrangell-Petersburg

46 mi · 3 hr · Alaska Marine Highway - Wrangell-Petersburg
22

Continue straight

397 ft · 11 sec
23

Continue on 2nd Street

0.2 mi · 31 sec · 2nd Street
24

Continue on Church Street

0.4 mi · 58 sec · Church Street
25

Turn left onto Bennett Street

308 ft · 10 sec · Bennett Street
26

Turn right

89 ft · 7 sec
27

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 16 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 603.1 miles from Fairbanks, AK, or about 29h 12m 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 220 miles or 10h 39m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 603.1 miles or 29h 12m 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 301.6 miles or 14h 36m

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 55h 30m

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

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Fairbanks, 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 Fairbanks, AK

Aim for roughly 302 miles and 14.6 hours of wheel time on this day.

Day 2

Keep the middle miles efficient

Aim for roughly 302 miles and 14.6 hours of wheel time on this day.

Day 3

Keep the middle miles efficient

Aim for roughly 302 miles and 14.6 hours of wheel time on this day.

Day 4

Finish the approach into Wrangell, AK

Aim for roughly 302 miles and 14.6 hours of wheel time on this day.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 220 miles from Fairbanks, AK.
This route usually feels better as a 4-day drive than as one long push.
Plan about 16 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 603.1 mi from Fairbanks, AK · 29h 12m into the drive

Downtown Ester, AK, AK

Early stop town

Coffee and fuel

Ester, AK

302 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.

Downtown Willow, AK, AK

Mid-route town

Overnight candidate

Willow, AK

603 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 Willow, AK

Popular next leg

Willow, AK to Eagle River, AK

57.2 mi · 1h 17m

community in Alaska, USA

Late stop town

Final reset

Eagle River, AK

905 mi into the route

Best for: Food, fuel, and one last short break

This is a smart final reset before the arrival run into Wrangell, AK.

Overnight Options

Night 1

Ester, AK

302 mi · about 14.6h in

A practical overnight split lands near Ester, AK after about 302 miles or 14.6 hours of driving.

Find hotels

Night 2

Willow, AK

603 mi · about 29.2h in

A practical overnight split lands near Willow, AK after about 603 miles or 29.2 hours of driving.

Find hotels

Night 3

Eagle River, AK

905 mi · about 43.8h in

A practical overnight split lands near Eagle River, AK after about 905 miles or 43.8 hours of driving.

Find hotels

Pacing Suggestions

Healy, AK

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 220 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Willow, AK

Meal break

The midpoint is around 603.1 miles from Fairbanks, 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 302 miles or 14.6 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 Wrangell, AK

The final approach into Wrangell, 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 Wrangell, AK.

On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach Wrangell, 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

$261.42 one way

$522.84 round trip

$5.51/gal 25.4 MPG avg 422 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $5.79 $274.91 $549.82
premium $5.98 $283.98 $567.96
diesel $5.61 $266.31 $532.63

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$261

Hotel (3n)

$240–$420

Meals

$100–$200

Total

$601–$881

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 422 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $127 in charging · 4 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 361.9 4 $126.65 $57.90
Efficient EV 301.6 3 $105.54 $48.25
EV Truck/SUV 482.5 6 $168.87 $77.20

Gas CO2

422 kg

EV CO2

141 kg (67% less)

This is a long EV road trip requiring 4 charging stops. Plan your route around charger locations and allow extra time for charging.

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 data refreshed 13 hours ago

Origin

Fairbanks, AK

Morning in Fairbanks on Wednesday

Local time

9:19 AM

AKDT

Current temp

35°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Wrangell, AK

Morning in Wrangell on Wednesday

Local time

9:19 AM

AKDT

Current temp

50°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

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

15 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

58h 24m 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 Fairbanks, AK to Wrangell, AK covers 1206.2 miles and takes about 58h 24m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Noble Street, Airport Way, George Parks 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 302 miles on day one.
The midpoint is about 603.1 miles from Fairbanks, AK. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $261.42 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 16 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
This is a demanding drive. With 0 significant decision points across 1206.2 miles, you will need to stay alert — especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Fairbanks, AK to Wrangell, AK is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Fairbanks, AK to Wrangell, AK does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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