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Trip from Petersburg, AK to Sitka, AK

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

12h

Distance

188.1 mi

303 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

2-day trip

Fuel Cost

$41

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 32 min
4 AM
11h 50m ★
6 AM
12h 1m
8 AM
12h 22m
10 AM
12h 8m
12 PM
12h 6m
3 PM
12h 9m
5 PM
12h 21m
8 PM
11h 54m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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Downtown Petersburg, AK, AK

Petersburg, AK

Vitali Adutskevich

Downtown Sitka, AK, AK

Sitka, AK

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Petersburg, AK to Sitka, AK covers 188.1 miles and takes about 12h behind the wheel. It usually feels better as a 2-day road trip than as one long push.

The route leans on Alaska Marine Highway - Petersburg-Sitka, Halibut Point Road, North Nordic Drive for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 180 miles on Alaska Marine Highway - Petersburg-Sitka. At current regular gas prices, budget about $40.77 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

3 planned breaks

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

Midpoint

94 miles from Petersburg, AK

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 6h 6m into the drive .

Who Is This Route For?

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 3 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

12h drive, plan rest stops for pacing.

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.

Drive Character

Expect a 12h drive with frequent turns across 188.1 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 10 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Alaska Marine Highway - Petersburg-Sitka is the longest continuous segment at about 180 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 5 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near AK 7 / North Nordic Drive.

Driving Effort 6/10

Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 188.1 miles you will encounter 5 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (AK 7 / North Nordic Drive): Navigation decision point; at 1 miles: Navigation decision point; at 181.3 miles (F-99 / Halibut Point Road): Navigation decision point.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 5 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

3
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | AK 7 / North Nordic Drive

Turn left onto AK 7 / North Nordic Drive

Navigation decision point

4
1 mi into trip | ~1m in

Turn right

Navigation decision point

4
181.3 mi into trip | ~11h 48m in | F-99 / Halibut Point Road

At end of road, turn right onto F-99 / Halibut Point Road

Navigation decision point

4
187.9 mi into trip | ~12h in | S-933 / Sawmill Creek Road

Enter roundabout onto S-933 / Sawmill Creek Road

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

5
188 mi into trip | ~12h in | Baranof Street

Turn right onto Baranof Street

Navigation decision point

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Alaska Marine Highway - Petersburg-Sitka 180 mi 11h 44m
Halibut Point Road 6.6 mi 11m
North Nordic Drive 0.9 mi 1m
Sawmill Creek Road 0.2 mi <1m
Fram Street <0.1 mi <1m
Baranof Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Alaska Marine Highway - Petersburg-Sitka — 180 mi, about 11h 44m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

1

Start on Fram Street

376 ft · 21 sec · Fram Street
2

Turn left onto AK 7

0.9 mi · 1 min · North Nordic Drive
3

Turn right

0.1 mi · 56 sec
4

Turn straight onto Alaska Marine Highway - Petersburg-Sitka

180 mi · 11 hr 44 min · Alaska Marine Highway - Petersburg-Sitka
5

Continue

0.1 mi · 50 sec
6

At end of road, turn right onto F-99

6.6 mi · 11 min · Halibut Point Road
7

Enter roundabout onto S-933

117 ft · 1 sec · Sawmill Creek Road
8

Continue on S-933

0.1 mi · 17 sec · Sawmill Creek Road
9

Turn right onto Baranof Street

221 ft · 9 sec · Baranof Street
10

Arrive at destination

Baranof Street

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 3 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 94 miles from Petersburg, AK, or about 6h 6m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 180 miles.

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 41 miles or 2h 39m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 94 miles or 6h 6m 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 94 miles or 6h 6m

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 10h 2m

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 Petersburg, 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 Petersburg, AK

Aim for roughly 94 miles and 6 hours of wheel time on this day.

Day 2

Finish the approach into Sitka, AK

Aim for roughly 94 miles and 6 hours of wheel time on this day.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 41 miles from Petersburg, AK.
This route usually feels better as a 2-day drive than as one long push.
Plan about 3 real breaks rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on Alaska Marine Highway - Petersburg-Sitka for about 180 miles.

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 94 mi from Petersburg, AK · 6h 6m into the drive

Downtown Port Alexander, AK, AK

Mid-route town

Overnight candidate

Port Alexander, AK

94 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 Port Alexander, AK

Overnight Options

Night 1

Port Alexander, AK

94 mi · about 6h in

A practical overnight split lands near Port Alexander, AK after about 94 miles or 6 hours of driving.

Find hotels

Pacing Suggestions

Port Alexander, AK

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 41 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Halfway reset

Meal break

The midpoint is around 94 miles from Petersburg, AK, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Before the longest stretch

Fuel check

Top up before Alaska Marine Highway - Petersburg-Sitka if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 180 miles.

Overnight split

Hotel stop

For a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 94 miles or 6 hours on the road.

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.

After long uninterrupted mileage, take five minutes before the last urban segment to reset and refocus on exits, merges, and city traffic.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

National Parks Near This Route

Worth a detour if your schedule allows.

Sitka National Historical Park

Sitka National Historical Park

National Historical Park

On an island amid towering spruce and hemlock, Sitka National Historical Park preserves the site of a battle between invading Russian traders and Indigenous Kiks.ádi Tlingit. Totem poles from Tlingit...

1 mi from route ~2 min detour Free near mile 188.1
View on nps.gov

Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$40.77 one way

$81.53 round trip

$5.51/gal 25.4 MPG avg 66 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $5.79 $42.87 $85.74
premium $5.98 $44.28 $88.57
diesel $5.61 $41.53 $83.06

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$41

Hotel (1n)

$80–$140

Meals

$50–$100

Total

$171–$281

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 65.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $20 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 56.4 0 $19.75 $9.03
Efficient EV 47 0 $16.46 $7.52
EV Truck/SUV 75.2 0 $26.33 $12.04

Gas CO2

66 kg

EV CO2

22 kg (67% 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 as of Apr 14, 2026

Origin

Petersburg, AK

Morning in Petersburg on Saturday

Local time

9:09 AM

AKDT

Current temp

44°F

Mostly Cloudy

NW 5 mph 12% chance Live forecast

Winter Weather Advisory

Winter Weather Advisory issued April 14 at 11:43AM AKDT until April 16 at 4:00PM AKDT by NWS Fairbanks AK

Destination

Sitka, AK

Morning in Sitka on Saturday

Local time

9:09 AM

AKDT

Current temp

38°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

6 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

12h 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 Petersburg, AK to Sitka, AK covers 188.1 miles and takes about 12h without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Alaska Marine Highway - Petersburg-Sitka, Halibut Point Road, North Nordic 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 94 miles on day one.

The midpoint is about 94 miles from Petersburg, AK. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $40.77 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 3 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 188.1 miles you will encounter 5 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.

The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (AK 7 / North Nordic Drive): Navigation decision point; at 1 miles: Navigation decision point; at 181.3 miles (F-99 / Halibut Point Road): Navigation decision point.

The route from Petersburg, AK to Sitka, AK does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

Yes. Nearby national parks include Sitka National Historical Park.

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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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Return Trip

Sitka, AK to Petersburg, AK

Plan the drive back the other way.

188.1 mi 12h

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