Origin
Sitka, AK
Late night in Sitka on Wednesday
Local time
3:31 AM
AKDT
Current temp
38°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Sitka, AK to Petersburg, AK
Data updated 0 seconds ago
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
Loading...
station data
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
11h 50m
★
6 AM
12h 1m
8 AM
12h 22m
10 AM
12h 8m
12 PM
12h 6m
3 PM
12h 10m
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.
Sitka, AK
Wikimedia Commons
Petersburg, AK
Vitali Adutskevich
Trip Overview
The drive from Sitka, AK to Petersburg, 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 Sawmill Creek Road, Halibut Point Road, Alaska Marine Highway - Petersburg-Sitka for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. 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 Sitka, AK
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 6h into the drive .
Loading map...
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 11 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Sawmill Creek Road 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. Navigation is very simple — set it and forget it for most of the drive.
Route Complexity
1/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Navigation is easy, but the length (12h) means fatigue is the real challenge. The route is 0% highway with very few tricky spots.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Sitka, AK to Petersburg, AK is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Sawmill Creek Road | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Halibut Point Road | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Alaska Marine Highway - Petersburg-Sitka | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| South Nordic Drive | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Fram Street | Unavailable | Refreshing |
Per-road distance and duration are being refreshed from OSRM for this route.
Longest stretch:
Sawmill Creek Road
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Sitka, AK and Petersburg, AK.
1
Start on Baranof Street
220 ft
·
15 sec
·
Baranof Street
2
Turn left onto Sawmill Creek Road
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
Sawmill Creek Road
3
Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward Halibut Point Road
59 ft
·
1 sec
·
Halibut Point Road
4
Exit the roundabout onto Halibut Point Road
6.6 mi
·
11 min
·
Halibut Point Road
5
Turn left
0.1 mi
·
48 sec
6
Turn straight onto Alaska Marine Highway - Petersburg-Sitka
180 mi
·
11 hr 44 min
·
Alaska Marine Highway - Petersburg-Sitka
7
Continue straight
0.1 mi
·
45 sec
8
Keep slight left
154 ft
·
17 sec
9
At the end of the road, turn left onto South Nordic Drive
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
South Nordic Drive
10
Turn right onto Fram Street
377 ft
·
17 sec
·
Fram Street
11
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 3 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 94 miles from Sitka, AK, or about 6h 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 5h 6m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 94 miles or 6h 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
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 9h 51m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Petersburg, AK than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
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 94 miles and 6 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into Petersburg, AK
Aim for roughly 94 miles and 6 hours of wheel time on this day.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Sitka, 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.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 94 mi from Sitka, AK · 6h into the drive
Mid-route town
Overnight candidate
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, AKOvernight Options
Night 1
94 mi · about 6h in
A practical overnight split lands near Port Alexander, AK after about 94 miles or 6 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 94 miles from Sitka, 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 94 miles or 6 hours on the road.
Final-third reset
Rest stopPlan one more short stretch-and-water break in the final third of the drive so the last arrival window feels easier.
Arriving in Petersburg, AK
The final approach into Petersburg, 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 Petersburg, AK.
On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach Petersburg, 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
$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.
Destination
Petersburg, AK
Late night in Petersburg on Wednesday
Local time
3:31 AM
AKDT
Current temp
--
Unavailable
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.
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 Sitka, AK to Petersburg, 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 Sawmill Creek Road, Halibut Point Road, Alaska Marine Highway - Petersburg-Sitka. 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 Sitka, 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.
Navigation is easy, but the length (12h) means fatigue is the real challenge. The route is 0% highway with very few tricky spots.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Sitka, AK to Petersburg, AK is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Sitka, AK to Petersburg, AK does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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