List of Alaska Routes

Last updated

Alaska 1 shield.svg Alaska 2 shield.svg Alaska 11 shield.svg Alaska 98 shield.svg
Shields used for Alaska Routes
Highway names
Interstates Interstate A-n (A-n) (unsigned)
State Alaska Route n (AK-n) or Route n
System links

Alaska Routes are both numbered and named. There have been only twelve state highway numbers issued (1 through 11 and 98), and the numbering often has no obvious pattern. For example, Alaska Route 4 (AK-4) runs north and south, whereas AK-2 runs largely east and west, but runs north and south passing through and to the north of Fairbanks. The Klondike Highway, built in 1978, was unnumbered until 1998, when it was given its designation during the centennial of the Klondike Gold Rush. However, many Alaskan highways of greater length than the Klondike Highway remain unnumbered.

Contents

Mileposts, frequently used for road markers and official addressing in rural areas, are also more commonly reckoned by landmark names.

Within Alaska, roads are almost invariably referred to by name or general destination, and not by number(s).[ citation needed ]

Numbered routes often span multiple highway names. For example, AK-1 can refer to any of the Glenn Highway, Seward Highway, Sterling Highway, or Tok Cut-Off; meanwhile, portions of the Seward Highway are numbered AK-1, AK-9 and Interstate A3 (A-3).

Highways

U.S. Highways

US 97 (1961).svg

The Alaskan portion of the Alaska Highway was proposed to be designated part of U.S. Highway 97 (US-97), but this was never carried out. Certain prior editions of USGS topographic maps, mostly published during the 1950s, do bear the US-97 highway shield along or near portions of the current AK-2. [1]

Alaska numbered highways

NumberLength (mi)Length (km)Southern or western terminusNorthern or eastern terminusLocal namesFormedRemovedNotes
Alaska 1 shield.svg AK-1 545.92878.57 Marine Highway in Homer AK-2 (Alaska Highway) in Tok Sterling Highway, Seward Highway, Glenn Highway, Richardson Highway, Tok Cut-OffLongest numbered state highway in Alaska
Alaska 2 shield.svg AK-2 456.91735.33Dead end in Manley Hot Springs Hwy 1 near Whitehorse, YT Elliott Highway, Steese Highway, Richardson Highway, Alaska Highway
Alaska 3 shield.svg AK-3 323520 AK-1 (Glenn Highway) in Gateway AK-2 (Richardson Highway) in Fairbanks George Parks Highway 01971-01-011971current
Alaska 4 shield.svg AK-4 266428 Marine Highway in Valdez AK-2 (Alaska Highway) in Delta Junction Richardson Highway
Alaska 5 shield.svg AK-5 109175 AK-2 (Alaska Highway) in Tetlin Junction Hwy 9 (Top of the World Highway) at Canadian Border Taylor Highway, Top of the World Highway Formerly continued north to end of Taylor Highway at Eagle. [2]
Alaska 6 shield.svg AK-6 161259 AK-2 (Elliot Highway) in Fox River Road in Circle Steese Highway
Alaska 7 shield.svg AK-7 150.0241.4Dead end in Ketchikan Haines Highway at near Pleasant Camp, BC Tongass Highway, Mitkof Highway, Glacier Highway, Egan Drive, Haines Highway Segments in Juneau, Petersburg, and Ketchikan, connected by the Marine Highway
Alaska 8 shield.svg AK-8 135217 AK-3 (George Parks Highway) in Cantwell AK-4 (Richardson Highway) in Paxson Denali Highway
Alaska 9 shield.svg AK-9 36.4958.72Railway Avenue in Seward AK-1 (Sterling Highway) at Tern Lake junction Seward Highway
Alaska 10 shield.svg AK-10 49.579.7 AK-4 (Richardson Highway) in Copper Center Chitina Edgerton Highway
Alaska 10 shield.svg AK-10 83.5134.4 Marine Highway in Cordova Dead end in McCarthy Copper River Highway, McCarthy Road
Alaska 11 shield.svg AK-11 414666 AK-2 Elliott Highway in Livengood East Lake Colleen Drive in Deadhorse Dalton Highway 01978-01-011978current
Alaska 98 shield.svg AK-98 13.421.6 Marine Highway in Skagway Hwy 2 near Fraser, BC Klondike Highway 01998-01-011998currentShortest numbered state highway in Alaska

Alaska named highways

Highways listed below are not signed as numbered state routes.

NumberLength (mi)Length (km)Southern or western terminusNorthern or eastern terminusFormedRemovedNotes
Alaska Peninsula Highway Naknek King Salmon
Chena Hot Springs Road Old Steese Highway north of Fairbanks Chena Hot Springs
Douglas Highway Douglas Island Douglas Island
Hope Highway 17.86128.744 AK-1 (Seward Highway) near Hope Porcupine Campgrounds in Hope01928-01-01c.1928currentForest Highway 14 inside Chugach National Forest
Johansen Expressway 4.26.8University Avenue in College AK-2 (Steese Expressway) in Fairbanks Only highway in Alaska to have exit numbers
Kenai Spur Highway 38.78762.422 AK-1 (Sterling Highway) in Soldotna Bay Beach Road in Nikiski 01951-01-01c.1951currentOn the Kenai Peninsula
Minnesota Drive Expressway 7.56012.167 Old Seward Highway in Anchorage West 15th Avenue in Anchorage01950-01-01c.1950current
Nome–Council Highway 71.970115.824Nome Bypass Road / Front Street in Nome Dead end at Niukluk River in Council 01906-01-011906current
Nome–Taylor Highway Nome Taylor
Nome–Teller Highway 72116 Nome Teller Also called the Bob Blodgett Highway
Palmer–Wasilla Highway Palmer Wasilla
Portage Glacier Highway 11.5918.65 AK-1 (Seward Highway) in Portage Marine Highway in Whittier 02000-01-012000current
Salmon River Road 11.71018.845Wharf near Canada–United States border in Hyder, Alaska Canada–United States border near Premier, British Columbia (Granduc Road)Known as NFD 88 Road inside Tongass National Forest
Tofty/Tanana Road 50 [3] 80 Yukon River near Tanana AK-2 (Elliott Highway) in Manley Hot Springs 02016-01-012016currentTofty and Tanana Roads are separately designated but share continuous milepost numbering. Tofty road ends at mile marker 15. Western terminus functions as a boat ramp or ice road landing depending on season, providing access to Tanana. [4]
Taylor Highway 64103 AK-5 (Top of the World Highway) near Jack Wade Front Street in Eagle Formerly part of AK-5.
Zimovia Highway 1423 Wrangell McCormick Creek Road in Wrangell


Marine Highway system

The Alaska Marine Highway and several other Alaska highways or routes are recognized as "highways" eligible for federal funding by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). [5] The Marine Highway was declared a National Scenic Byway by the FHWA on June 13, 2002; [6] and later declared an All-American Road on September 22, 2005. [7]

The system is divided into different regions of service: Southeast, Cross-Gulf, Prince William Sound, South-Central, and Southwest. [8] [9] [10]

See also

References

  1. "History". Highway 97 in British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, & California. Summit Solutions Ltd. 2011. Retrieved September 17, 2018.
  2. "Road to Tanana". Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities Northern Region. Alaska DOT&PF. Retrieved July 11, 2025.
  3. "Road to Tanana". Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities Northern Region. Alaska DOT&PF. Retrieved July 11, 2025.
  4. "Title 23 Section 218 United States Code" (PDF). U.S. Congress.
  5. "New 2002 National Scenic Byways". Federal Highway Administration.
  6. "New 2005 All-American Roads". Federal Highway Administration.
  7. "AMHS Routes". Alaska Marine Highway System.
  8. "AMHS Running Times". Alaska Marine Highway System.
  9. "AMHS Schedules". Alaska Marine Highway System.