Trip from Juneau, AK to Sitka, AK

Drive Time

15h 13m

Distance

175.8 mi

283 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

2-day trip

Fuel Cost

$38

one way

EV Charging

Loading...

station data

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 41 min
4 AM
14h 59m ★
6 AM
15h 13m
8 AM
15h 40m
10 AM
15h 23m
12 PM
15h 20m
3 PM
15h 24m
5 PM
15h 39m
8 PM
15h 5m

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

Downtown Juneau, AK, AK

Juneau, AK

Albert Koenig

Downtown Sitka, AK, AK

Sitka, AK

Tima Miroshnichenko

Trip Overview

The drive from Juneau, AK to Sitka, AK covers 175.8 miles and takes about 15h 13m behind the wheel. It usually feels better as a 2-day road trip than as one long push.

The route leans on West 9th Street, Glacier Avenue, Highland Drive for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $38.26 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Best split across 2 days

Treat the return leg as its own travel day rather than an afterthought.

Break Rhythm

4 planned breaks

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

Midpoint

87.9 miles from Juneau, AK

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 7h 36m into the drive .

Drive Character

Expect a 15h 13m drive with frequent turns across 175.8 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 16 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
West 9th Street is one of the defining roads on this drive.

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.

Route Complexity 1/10

Very easy - short and simple to drive

Navigation is easy, but the length (15h 13m) means fatigue is the real challenge. The route is 0% highway with very few tricky spots.

Where does it get tricky?

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

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
West 9th Street Unavailable Refreshing
Glacier Avenue Unavailable Refreshing
Highland Drive Unavailable Refreshing
Egan Drive Unavailable Refreshing
Glacier Highway Unavailable Refreshing
DeHart's Traffic Circle Unavailable Refreshing
Alaska Marine Highway - Sitka-Juneau Unavailable Refreshing
Halibut Point Road Unavailable Refreshing

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

Longest stretch: West 9th Street — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Juneau, AK and Sitka, AK.

1

Start on the route

33 ft · 8 sec · the route
2

Turn left onto West 9th Street

361 ft · 12 sec · West 9th Street
3

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

0.4 mi · 48 sec · Glacier Avenue
4

Turn left onto Highland Drive

302 ft · 8 sec · Highland Drive
5

Turn right onto Egan Drive

8.1 mi · 10 min · Egan Drive
6

Continue on Glacier Highway

2.3 mi · 2 min · Glacier Highway
7

Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward DeHart's Traffic Circle

207 ft · 3 sec · DeHart's Traffic Circle
8

Exit the rotary onto Glacier Highway

1.6 mi · 1 min · Glacier Highway
9

Turn left

384 ft · 5 sec
10

Turn slight left onto Alaska Marine Highway - Sitka-Juneau

154 mi · 9 hr 29 min · Alaska Marine Highway - Sitka-Juneau
11

Continue straight

0.1 mi · 50 sec
12

At the end of the road, turn right onto Halibut Point Road

6.6 mi · 11 min · Halibut Point Road
13

Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward Sawmill Creek Road

118 ft · 2 sec · Sawmill Creek Road
14

Exit the roundabout onto Sawmill Creek Road

0.1 mi · 17 sec · Sawmill Creek Road
15

Turn right onto Baranof Street

220 ft · 10 sec · Baranof Street
16

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 2-day trip.
Plan roughly 4 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 87.9 miles from Juneau, AK, or about 7h 36m 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 80 miles or 6h 55m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 87.9 miles or 7h 36m 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 87.9 miles or 7h 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 12h 28m

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

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Juneau, 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 2-day road trip and book the overnight stop before the busiest arrival window.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Juneau, AK

Aim for roughly 88 miles and 7.6 hours of wheel time on this day.

Day 2

Finish the approach into Sitka, AK

Aim for roughly 88 miles and 7.6 hours of wheel time on this day.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Juneau, AK.
This route usually feels better as a 2-day drive than as one long push.
Plan about 4 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 87.9 mi from Juneau, AK · 7h 36m into the drive

Downtown Haines, AK, AK

Mid-route town

Overnight candidate

Haines, AK

88 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 Haines, AK

Overnight Options

Night 1

Haines, AK

88 mi · about 7.6h in

A practical overnight split lands near Haines, AK after about 88 miles or 7.6 hours of driving.

Find hotels

Pacing Suggestions

Haines, AK

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 80 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Haines, AK

Meal break

The midpoint is around 87.9 miles from Juneau, 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 88 miles or 7.6 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 Sitka, AK

The final approach into Sitka, 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 Sitka, AK.

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

$38.26 one way

$76.52 round trip

$5.53/gal 25.4 MPG avg 62 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $5.82 $40.25 $80.49
premium $6.02 $41.68 $83.36
diesel $5.64 $39.06 $78.11

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$38

Hotel (1n)

$80–$140

Meals

$50–$100

Total

$168–$278

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 61.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.

Driving Electric?

About $18 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 52.7 0 $18.46 $8.44
Efficient EV 44 0 $15.38 $7.03
EV Truck/SUV 70.3 0 $24.61 $11.25

Gas CO2

62 kg

EV CO2

21 kg (66% 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.

Forecast data refreshed 3 days ago

Origin

Juneau, AK

Afternoon in Juneau on Sunday

Local time

2:05 PM

AKDT

Current temp

30°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Sitka, AK

Afternoon in Sitka on Sunday

Local time

2:05 PM

AKDT

Current temp

30°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

Very similar conditions

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

Road read

15h 13m 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 Juneau, AK to Sitka, AK covers 175.8 miles and takes about 15h 13m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are West 9th Street, Glacier Avenue, Highland Drive. 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 2-day drive. A sensible stopping point is after roughly 88 miles on day one.
The midpoint is about 87.9 miles from Juneau, AK. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $38.26 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 4 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 (15h 13m) means fatigue is the real challenge. The route is 0% highway with very few tricky spots.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Juneau, AK to Sitka, AK is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Juneau, AK to Sitka, AK does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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Explore More

Return Trip

Sitka, AK to Juneau, AK

Plan the drive back the other way.

173.5 mi 9h 59m

Explore more options from Juneau, AK or browse trips ending in Sitka, AK.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse AK road trips.

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