Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
52h 34m
Distance
1097.9 mi
1,767 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
4-day trip
Fuel Cost
$238
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Skagway-Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, AK
Albert Koenig
Fairbanks, AK
Wikimedia Commons
The drive from Skagway-Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, AK to Fairbanks, AK covers 1097.9 miles and takes about 52h 34m behind the wheel. It usually feels better as a 4-day road trip than as one long push.
The route leans on Alaska Marine Highway - Whittier-Yakutat, George Parks Highway, Alaska Marine Highway - Juneau-Yakutat for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is long-distance drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 334.5 miles on Alaska Marine Highway - Whittier-Yakutat. At current regular gas prices, budget about $237.95 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Best split across 4 days
Treat the return leg as its own travel day rather than an afterthought.
Break Rhythm
15 planned breaks
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
549 miles from Skagway-Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, AK
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 35h 20m into the drive .
Solo Traveler
52h 34m drive, plan rest stops for pacing.
Scenic Drive
Long-distance drive route profile.
At 1097.9 miles and 52h 34m of driving, this is a route where fuel stops, weather, and timing matter more than any single turn. The main roads are Alaska Marine Highway - Whittier-Yakutat and George Parks Highway.
At 52h 34m, this is a long-haul route where pacing matters more than any single turn. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 8.6 miles in near State Dock Road.
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 11 significant decision points across 1097.9 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 8.6 miles (State Dock Road): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 82.9 miles (Alaska Marine Highway - Juneau-Yakutat): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 345.5 miles (Alaska Marine Highway - Whittier-Yakutat): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach.
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
Turn sharp right onto State Dock Road
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
Turn sharp right onto Alaska Marine Highway - Juneau-Yakutat
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
Turn sharp left onto Alaska Marine Highway - Whittier-Yakutat
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
Keep slight left at fork onto AK 3 / East Parks Highway toward Wasilla, Fairbanks
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward East Airport Way
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Skagway-Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, AK to Fairbanks, AK, road signs begin pointing toward Wasilla along the way.
Wasilla
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska Marine Highway - Whittier-Yakutat | 334.5 mi | 22h |
| George Parks Highway | 301.4 mi | 6h |
| Alaska Marine Highway - Juneau-Yakutat | 262.6 mi | 17h |
| Alaska Marine Highway - Gustavus - Juneau | 72.7 mi | 4h 30m |
| Seward Highway | 47.2 mi | 58m |
| Glenn Highway | 33 mi | 38m |
| East Parks Highway | 14.5 mi | 20m |
| Portage Glacier Road | 5 mi | 6m |
Step-by-step road directions between Skagway-Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, AK and Fairbanks, AK.
Start on this road
Turn right onto Park Road
Continue on Mountain View Road
Continue on Gustavus Road
Turn sharp right onto State Dock Road
Turn straight onto Alaska Marine Highway - Gustavus - Juneau
Turn sharp right onto Alaska Marine Highway - Juneau-Yakutat
Turn sharp left onto Alaska Marine Highway - Whittier-Yakutat
Continue
At end of road, turn right onto West Camp Road
Continue on West Camp Road
Continue on Portage Glacier Highway
Continue on FFH 35
Turn right onto AK 1
Continue on AK 1
Turn right onto AK 1
Continue on AK 1
Continue on AK 1
Keep slight left at fork onto AK 3
Continue on AK 3
Continue on AK 3
Take the exit
Continue on Airport Way
Turn left onto Cushman Street
Turn right onto 12th Avenue
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 220 miles or 13h 49m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 549 miles or 35h 20m 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 274.5 miles or 17h 21m
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 51h 19m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Fairbanks, AK than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Skagway-Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, 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 4-day road trip and book the overnight stop before the busiest arrival window.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Skagway-Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, AK
Aim for roughly 274 miles and 13.1 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Keep the middle miles efficient
Aim for roughly 274 miles and 13.1 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 3
Keep the middle miles efficient
Aim for roughly 274 miles and 13.1 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 4
Finish the approach into Fairbanks, AK
Aim for roughly 274 miles and 13.1 hours of wheel time on this day.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 549 mi from Skagway-Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, AK · 35h 20m into the drive
First major stop
Coffee and fuel
362 mi into the route
Best for: Coffee, fuel, and an easy first stretch
This is a natural early stop once the first hours of the drive are behind you.
Second major stop
Overnight candidate
725 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 Palmer, AKNight 1
274 mi · about 13.1h in
A practical overnight split lands near Gateway, AK after about 274 miles or 13.1 hours of driving.
Find hotelsNight 2
549 mi · about 26.3h in
A practical overnight split lands near Willow, AK after about 549 miles or 26.3 hours of driving.
Find hotelsNight 3
823 mi · about 39.4h in
A practical overnight split lands near Ester, AK after about 823 miles or 39.4 hours of driving.
Find hotelsA short stop after about 220 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 549 miles from Skagway-Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, AK, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before Alaska Marine Highway - Whittier-Yakutat if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 334.5 miles.
Overnight split
Hotel stopFor a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 274 miles or 13.1 hours on the road.
The final approach into Fairbanks, 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 Fairbanks, AK.
On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach Fairbanks, 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
$237.95 one way
$475.90 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.79 | $250.23 | $500.45 |
| premium | $5.98 | $258.48 | $516.96 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $242.40 | $484.80 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$238
Hotel (3n)
$240–$420
Meals
$100–$200
Total
$578–$858
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 384.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $115 in charging · 4 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 329.4 | 4 | $115.28 | $52.70 |
| Efficient EV | 274.5 | 3 | $96.07 | $43.92 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 439.2 | 5 | $153.71 | $70.27 |
Gas CO2
384 kg
EV CO2
128 kg (67% less)
This is a long EV road trip requiring 4 charging stops. Plan your route around charger locations and allow extra time for charging.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Evening in Skagway-Hoonah-Angoon Census Area on Friday
Local time
7:16 PM
AKDT
Current temp
45°F
Unavailable
Destination
Evening in Fairbanks on Friday
Local time
7:16 PM
AKDT
Current temp
35°F
Unavailable
24°F
Palmer, AK
725 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
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
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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