Drive Time
9h 59m
Distance
173.5 mi
279 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
2-day trip
Fuel Cost
$38
one way
Photo: Albert Koenig
The drive from Sitka, AK to Juneau, AK covers 173.5 miles and takes about 9h 59m 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 - Sitka-Juneau, Egan Drive, Halibut Point Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 153.9 miles on Alaska Marine Highway - Sitka-Juneau. At current regular gas prices, budget about $37.76 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
86.7 miles from Sitka, AK
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 5h 8m into the drive .
Expect a 9h 59m drive with frequent turns across 173.5 miles of local and secondary roads.
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 early in the drive near S-933 / Sawmill Creek Road.
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
The route itself is not hard, but at 9h 59m, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 10 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (S-933 / Sawmill Creek Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (F-99 / Halibut Point Road): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 160.9 miles (AK 7 / Glacier Highway): Navigation decision point.
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
Turn left onto S-933 / Sawmill Creek Road
Navigation decision point
Enter roundabout onto F-99 / Halibut Point Road
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
At end of road, turn right onto AK 7 / Glacier Highway
Navigation decision point
Turn left onto Highland Drive
Lane positioning matters here
Turn right
Navigation decision point
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska Marine Highway - Sitka-Juneau | 153.9 mi | 9h 29m |
| Egan Drive | 8.1 mi | 10m |
| Halibut Point Road | 6.6 mi | 11m |
| Glacier Highway | 4 mi | 4m |
| Glacier Avenue | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Sawmill Creek Road | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| West 9th Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Highland Drive | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Sitka, AK and Juneau, AK.
Start on Baranof Street
Turn left onto S-933
Enter roundabout onto F-99
Continue on F-99
Turn left
Turn straight onto Alaska Marine Highway - Sitka-Juneau
Continue
At end of road, turn right onto AK 7
Enter roundabout onto AK 7
Continue on AK 7
Turn straight onto AK 7
Turn left onto Highland Drive
Turn right onto Glacier Avenue
Turn left onto West 9th Street
Turn right
Arrive at destination
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.
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 4h 43m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 86.7 miles or 5h 8m 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 86.7 miles or 5h 8m
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 8h 34m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Juneau, AK than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Sitka, 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 Sitka, AK
Aim for roughly 87 miles and 5 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into Juneau, AK
Aim for roughly 87 miles and 5 hours of wheel time on this day.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 86.7 mi from Sitka, AK · 5h 8m into the drive
Mid-route town
Overnight candidate
87 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, AKNight 1
87 mi · about 5h in
A practical overnight split lands near Haines, AK after about 87 miles or 5 hours of driving.
Find hotelsA short stop after about 80 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 86.7 miles from Sitka, AK, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before Alaska Marine Highway - Sitka-Juneau if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 153.9 miles.
Overnight split
Hotel stopFor a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 87 miles or 5 hours on the road.
The final approach into Juneau, 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 Juneau, AK.
On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach Juneau, 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.
Regular Gas
$37.76 one way
$75.52 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.82 | $39.72 | $79.44 |
| premium | $6.02 | $41.13 | $82.27 |
| diesel | $5.64 | $38.55 | $77.09 |
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: 60.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.
Driving Electric?
About $18 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 52.1 | 0 | $18.22 | $8.33 |
| Efficient EV | 43.4 | 0 | $15.18 | $6.94 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 69.4 | 0 | $24.29 | $11.10 |
Gas CO2
61 kg
EV CO2
20 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. If you're planning ahead, check the forecast closer to your travel date.
Origin
Afternoon in Sitka on Saturday
Local time
2:17 PM
AKDT
Current temp
30°F
Forecast unavailable right now
Destination
Afternoon in Juneau on Saturday
Local time
2:17 PM
AKDT
Current temp
30°F
Forecast unavailable right now
Along the Route
76°F
Haines, AK
87 mi in
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
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
This is long enough that the arrival forecast matters almost as much as departure conditions. Recheck both ends before you roll.
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