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Anchorage is connected via two highways to the rest of the state.

Seward Highway and south

The Seward Highway, shown as Highway 1 on some maps, heads south to Girdwood and Portage then on to Seward, a port on the Kenai Peninsula. About 40 miles north of Seward, the highway splits. The Seward Highway becomes Highway 9, and Highway 1 becomes the Sterling Highway.

The Sterling Highway follows the Kenai River west to Cooper Landing, Sterling and Soldotna (where there's a branch to the city of Kenai). Turning south at Soldotna, the Sterling Highway passes Kasilof, Clam Gulch, Ninilchik and Anchor Point before arriving in Homer.

Glenn Highway and north

The Glenn Highway (Highway 1) goes northeast from Anchorage, six lanes carrying commuter traffic to and from Eagle River, Chugiak and the Matanuska Valley towns of Palmer and Wasilla. The highway is four lanes from Eagle River to the junction with the Parks Highway (Highway 3) near Wasilla.

Anchorage's roads and the state's highways are asphalt. They're plowed when necessary in the winter. Highway construction is limited to the warm months, so expect some delays, especially on the highways.

Fuel, supplies and tires

Gasoline and diesel fuel are plentiful in Anchorage. Quick oil lubes are available. Car parts are available at discount and auto-supply stores. Major credit cards are accepted.

The major American and foreign car dealerships are represented. They have repair shops, and there are other repair shops in town as well.

Studded snow tires are common in winter. They may be put on after mid-September and must be removed by the end of April. The snow on Anchorage's streets becomes packed into ice, and the studs reduce the amount of skidding and make stopping and starting at intersections safer.

Insurance companies from the Lower 48, such as Allstate, Geico and State Farm, have offices in Alaska. Your insurance is good in Anchorage and Alaska.

If you are from the United States, your driver's license works in Alaska. Alaska cities follow the same traffic rules as other U.S. cities.

Car and RV rentals

Cars and recreational vehicles can be rented in town. The large rental agencies have offices at the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, and some have locations elsewhere in town. It's advisable to reserve your vehicle early.

Agencies allow their vehicles to be driven all over the state, although some forbid the vehicles' use on rough gravel roads such as the Denali Highway (Highway 8) and the Dalton Highway (Highway 11).

Highway distances from downtown Anchorage

Following are the distances from Anchorage to these locations:

South

Girdwood -- 37
Portage turnoff to visitors center and Whittier -- 48
Whittier -- 63
Hope -- 86
Moose Pass -- 98
Seward and Kenai Fjords National Park -- 127
Seward-Sterling Highway junction (Tern Lake) -- 90
Cooper Landing -- 100
Soldotna -- 147
Kenai -- 158
Homer -- 226

North and East

Fort Richardson main entrance -- 7
Eagle River downtown exit -- 13
Parks Highway junction -- 35
Palmer -- 42
Wasilla -- 42
Talkeetna -- 113
Denali National Park -- 237
Fairbanks -- 362
Glennallen -- 189
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park (McCarthy) -- 314
Valdez -- 304
Tok -- 328
Delta Junction -- 340

The little milepost signs that drivers see along the highway are measured from Seward and Homer on the Seward and Sterling highways and from Anchorage on the Glenn and Parks highways.