Alaska's cities

Driving in Anchorage

City's easy to get around in, and rental cars and RVs make it fun

Alaska.com

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.