Origin
Palmer, AK
Late night in Palmer on Wednesday
Local time
3:41 AM
AKDT
Current temp
27°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Palmer, AK to Cordova, AK
Data updated 0 seconds ago
Drive Time
9h
Distance
211.2 mi
340 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
2-day trip
Fuel Cost
$46
one way
EV Charging
Loading...
station data
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
8h 52m
★
6 AM
9h 0m
8 AM
9h 17m
10 AM
9h 6m
12 PM
9h 4m
3 PM
9h 7m
5 PM
9h 16m
8 PM
8h 56m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Palmer, AK
Wikimedia Commons
Cordova, AK
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Palmer, AK to Cordova, AK covers 211.2 miles and takes about 9h behind the wheel. It usually feels better as a 2-day road trip than as one long push.
The route leans on West Evergreen Avenue, Glenn Highway, East Parks Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $45.77 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
2 planned breaks
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
105.6 miles from Palmer, AK
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 4h 30m into the drive .
Loading map...
Drive Character
Expect a 9h drive with frequent turns across 211.2 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 23 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
West Evergreen Avenue 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. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way.
Route Complexity
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
The route itself is not hard, but at 9h, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 0 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Palmer, AK to Cordova, AK is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| West Evergreen Avenue | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Glenn Highway | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| East Parks Highway | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| East 5th Avenue | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Gambell Street | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Seward Highway | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Portage Glacier Road | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Portage Glacier Highway | Unavailable | Refreshing |
Per-road distance and duration are being refreshed from OSRM for this route.
Longest stretch:
West Evergreen Avenue
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Palmer, AK and Cordova, AK.
1
Start on South Colony Way
13 ft
·
9 sec
·
South Colony Way
2
Turn left onto West Evergreen Avenue
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
·
West Evergreen Avenue
3
Turn left onto Glenn Highway
7.0 mi
·
10 min
·
Glenn Highway
4
Merge slight left onto East Parks Highway
515 ft
·
6 sec
·
East Parks Highway
5
Continue on Glenn Highway
33 mi
·
38 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-Cordova
109 mi
·
6 hr 45 min
·
Alaska Marine Highway - Whittier-Cordova
15
Continue straight
410 ft
·
30 sec
16
Turn right
184 ft
·
3 sec
17
Turn slight right onto Ferry Terminal Access Road
253 ft
·
4 sec
·
Ferry Terminal Access Road
18
Continue on New England Cannery Road
0.2 mi
·
17 sec
·
New England Cannery Road
19
Continue on Orca Inlet Road
0.2 mi
·
15 sec
·
Orca Inlet Road
20
Continue on Ocean Dock Road
0.1 mi
·
11 sec
·
Ocean Dock Road
21
Continue on 1st Street
0.5 mi
·
46 sec
·
1st Street
22
Turn right onto Adams Avenue
3 ft
·
Adams Avenue
23
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 2 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 105.6 miles from Palmer, AK, or about 4h 30m 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 3h 24m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 105.6 miles or 4h 30m 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 105.6 miles or 4h 30m
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 7h 23m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Cordova, AK than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Palmer, 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 Palmer, AK
Aim for roughly 106 miles and 4.5 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into Cordova, AK
Aim for roughly 106 miles and 4.5 hours of wheel time on this day.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Palmer, AK.
This route usually feels better as a 2-day drive than as one long push.
Plan about 2 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 105.6 mi from Palmer, AK · 4h 30m into the drive
Mid-route town
Overnight candidate
106 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 Anchorage, AKOvernight Options
Night 1
106 mi · about 4.5h in
A practical overnight split lands near Anchorage, AK after about 106 miles or 4.5 hours of driving.
Find hotelsPacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 80 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 105.6 miles from Palmer, AK, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Overnight split
Hotel stopFor a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 106 miles or 4.5 hours on the road.
Arriving in Cordova, AK
The final approach into Cordova, 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 Cordova, AK.
On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach Cordova, 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
$45.77 one way
$91.55 round trip
$5.51/gal
25.4 MPG avg
74 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.79 | $48.14 | $96.27 |
| premium | $5.98 | $49.72 | $99.45 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $46.63 | $93.26 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$46
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$176–$286
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 73.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $22 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 63.4 | 0 | $22.18 | $10.14 |
| Efficient EV | 52.8 | 0 | $18.48 | $8.45 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 84.5 | 1 | $29.57 | $13.52 |
Gas CO2
74 kg
EV CO2
25 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.
Destination
Cordova, AK
Late night in Cordova on Wednesday
Local time
3:41 AM
AKDT
Current temp
42°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
9h 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 Palmer, AK to Cordova, AK covers 211.2 miles and takes about 9h without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are West Evergreen Avenue, Glenn Highway, East 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 2-day drive. A sensible stopping point is after roughly 106 miles on day one.
The midpoint is about 105.6 miles from Palmer, AK. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $45.77 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 2 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
The route itself is not hard, but at 9h, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 0 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Palmer, AK to Cordova, AK is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Palmer, AK to Cordova, AK does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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