Origin
Metlakatla, AK
Night in Metlakatla on Friday
Local time
9:54 PM
AKDT
Current temp
41°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Metlakatla, AK to Ketchikan, AK
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
55m
Distance
22.9 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 51m
★
6 AM
0h 56m
8 AM
1h 5m
10 AM
0h 59m
12 PM
0h 58m
3 PM
0h 59m
5 PM
1h 4m
8 PM
0h 53m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Metlakatla, AK
Wikimedia Commons
Ketchikan, AK
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Metlakatla, AK to Ketchikan, AK covers 22.9 miles and takes about 55m 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 $4.96 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 55m. Total distance: 22.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
55m 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 55m drive with frequent turns across 22.9 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 11 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 1.4 miles in near Ferry Terminal Roas.
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 55m drive. You will face about 4 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.4 miles (Ferry Terminal Roas): Navigation decision point; at 20.9 miles (AK 7 / Tongass Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 22.8 miles (AK 7 / Front Street): Navigation decision point.
Critical Maneuvers
4 of 4 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
1.4 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
Ferry Terminal Roas
Turn left onto Ferry Terminal Roas
Navigation decision point
4
20.9 mi into trip
|
~51m in
|
AK 7 / Tongass Avenue
At end of road, turn right onto AK 7 / Tongass Avenue
Navigation decision point
3
22.8 mi into trip
|
~55m in
|
AK 7 / Front Street
Turn right onto AK 7 / Front Street
Navigation decision point
4
22.9 mi into trip
|
~55m in
Turn right
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska Marine Highway - Ketchikan ↔ Metlakatla | 19.3 mi | 44m |
| Tongass Avenue | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| 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 |
| Berth 3 Apron | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Front Street | <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 Metlakatla, AK and Ketchikan, AK.
1
Start on 4th Avenue
175 ft
·
7 sec
·
4th Avenue
2
Continue on Tait Street
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Tait Street
3
Continue on Walden Point Road
1.1 mi
·
4 min
·
Walden Point Road
4
Turn left onto Ferry Terminal Roas
460 ft
·
33 sec
·
Ferry Terminal Roas
5
Continue on Alaska Marine Highway - Ketchikan ↔ Metlakatla
19 mi
·
44 min
·
Alaska Marine Highway - Ketchikan ↔ Metlakatla
6
Continue on Berth 3 Apron
457 ft
·
39 sec
·
Berth 3 Apron
7
At end of road, turn right onto AK 7
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Tongass Avenue
8
Turn right onto AK 7
0.4 mi
·
38 sec
·
Water Street
9
Turn right onto AK 7
400 ft
·
12 sec
·
Front Street
10
Turn right
8 ft
·
0 sec
11
Arrive at destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.96 one way
$9.93 round trip
$5.51/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.79 | $5.22 | $10.44 |
| premium | $5.98 | $5.39 | $10.78 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.06 | $10.11 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 8 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 | $2.40 | $1.10 |
| Efficient EV | 5.7 | 0 | $2.00 | $0.92 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.2 | 0 | $3.21 | $1.47 |
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
Ketchikan, AK
Night in Ketchikan on Friday
Local time
9:54 PM
AKDT
Current temp
49°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 warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
55m 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 Metlakatla, AK to Ketchikan, AK covers 22.9 miles and takes about 55m 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 Metlakatla, AK. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.96 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 55m drive. You will face about 4 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 1.4 miles (Ferry Terminal Roas): Navigation decision point; at 20.9 miles (AK 7 / Tongass Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 22.8 miles (AK 7 / Front Street): Navigation decision point.
The route from Metlakatla, AK to Ketchikan, 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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