Origin
Ketchikan, AK
Evening in Ketchikan on Friday
Local time
5:29 PM
AKDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Ketchikan, AK to Metlakatla, AK
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
56m
Distance
23.1 mi
37 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 52m
★
6 AM
0h 56m
8 AM
1h 6m
10 AM
1h 0m
12 PM
0h 59m
3 PM
1h 0m
5 PM
1h 5m
8 PM
0h 54m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Ketchikan, AK
Wikimedia Commons
Metlakatla, AK
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Ketchikan, AK to Metlakatla, AK covers 23.1 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 Alaska Marine Highway - Ketchikan ↔ Metlakatla, Tongass Avenue, Walden Point Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 19.3 miles on Alaska Marine Highway - Ketchikan ↔ Metlakatla. At current regular gas prices, budget about $5.01 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 56m. Total distance: 23.1 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 23.1 miles of local and secondary roads.
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.
Alaska Marine Highway - Ketchikan ↔ Metlakatla is the longest continuous segment at about 19.3 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near AK 7 / Water Street.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 56m drive. You will face about 5 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (AK 7 / Water Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.2 miles: Navigation decision point; at 2.2 miles: Navigation decision point.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 5 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
AK 7 / Water Street
At end of road, turn right onto AK 7 / Water Street
Navigation decision point
4
2.2 mi into trip
|
~4m in
Turn left
Navigation decision point
5
2.2 mi into trip
|
~4m in
Turn left
Navigation decision point
5
2.2 mi into trip
|
~4m in
At end of road, turn right
Navigation decision point
4
21.6 mi into trip
|
~50m in
|
Walden Point Road
Turn right onto Walden Point Road
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska Marine Highway - Ketchikan ↔ Metlakatla | 19.3 mi | 44m |
| Tongass Avenue | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| Walden Point Road | 1.1 mi | 4m |
| Water Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Tait Street | 0.3 mi | 1m |
| Ferry Terminal Roas | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| 4th Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Alaska Marine Highway - Ketchikan ↔ Metlakatla
— 19.3 mi, about 44m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Ketchikan, AK and Metlakatla, AK.
1
Start on this road
0.1 mi
·
34 sec
·
this road
2
At end of road, turn right onto AK 7
218 ft
·
11 sec
·
Water Street
3
Continue on Water Street
0.4 mi
·
37 sec
·
Water Street
4
Turn left onto AK 7
1.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Tongass Avenue
5
Turn left
128 ft
·
9 sec
6
Turn left
180 ft
·
5 sec
7
At end of road, turn right
335 ft
·
34 sec
8
Turn straight onto Alaska Marine Highway - Ketchikan ↔ Metlakatla
19 mi
·
44 min
·
Alaska Marine Highway - Ketchikan ↔ Metlakatla
9
Continue on Ferry Terminal Roas
460 ft
·
36 sec
·
Ferry Terminal Roas
10
Turn right onto Walden Point Road
1.1 mi
·
4 min
·
Walden Point Road
11
Continue on Tait Street
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Tait Street
12
Turn left onto 4th Avenue
175 ft
·
7 sec
·
4th Avenue
13
Arrive at destination
4th Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.01 one way
$10.01 round trip
$5.51/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.79 | $5.26 | $10.53 |
| premium | $5.98 | $5.44 | $10.88 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.10 | $10.20 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.9 | 0 | $2.43 | $1.11 |
| Efficient EV | 5.8 | 0 | $2.02 | $0.92 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.2 | 0 | $3.23 | $1.48 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
Metlakatla, AK
Evening in Metlakatla on Friday
Local time
5:29 PM
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
8 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 Ketchikan, AK to Metlakatla, AK covers 23.1 miles and takes about 56m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Alaska Marine Highway - Ketchikan ↔ Metlakatla, Tongass Avenue, Walden Point Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 11.5 miles from Ketchikan, AK. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $5.01 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 is a straightforward 56m drive. You will face about 5 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (AK 7 / Water Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.2 miles: Navigation decision point; at 2.2 miles: Navigation decision point.
The route from Ketchikan, AK to Metlakatla, AK does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
How this page is built
Compiled by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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