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Can You Drive to Juneau, Alaska? | Juneau Auto Mall
🌎 Juneau, Alaska Travel Guide

Can You Drive to
Juneau, Alaska?

A straight answer from someone who has lived here, shipped a car up on the ferry, and watched genuinely confused visitors try to find a road on Google Maps.

The short answer Not by road. Juneau is the only U.S. state capital with zero road connection to the rest of the country. You cannot drive here the way you can drive to Anchorage or Fairbanks. But you absolutely can get here with your car. It just involves a boat, some patience, and one of the most spectacular water routes in the world.
The Honest Explanation

Why Is There No Road to Juneau?

People ask this constantly, especially after Google Maps gives them that baffling ferry icon with a three-day estimate.

Juneau is pinched between the Gastineau Channel and the faces of the Coast Mountain range. Head north or east from the city and you are climbing almost immediately into the Juneau Icefield, one of the largest non-polar ice masses in North America. Beyond that, the terrain cuts through British Columbia and the Yukon before reaching any part of the existing highway grid. The distances, the mountain passes, and the cost of building and maintaining a road through that wilderness have been studied, argued over, and shelved multiple times in the past 60 years.

There are roughly 6,000 registered vehicles in Juneau for a population of about 34,000 people. Every single one of them arrived by ferry. Most long-time residents are honestly fine with that. The lack of a road keeps this place from feeling like anywhere else in the country, and that is not a bad thing.

Fun fact: Juneau is one of only two U.S. state capitals you cannot reach by car. The other is Honolulu. At least we have ferry service.

So the real question is not whether you can drive here. It is: what is the best way to get here with your car? There are two solid options, and which one makes sense depends on where you are coming from.

Getting Here With Your Vehicle

Two Ways to Bring a Car to Juneau

Both routes use the Alaska Marine Highway System, which is the state-run ferry network that has connected Southeast Alaska communities since 1963. The difference is how far you drive before stepping on the boat.

🚢

Option 1: Bellingham, WA to Juneau

The full Inside Passage sailing

Drive to Bellingham, Washington (about 90 miles north of Seattle), load your car onto the Alaska Marine Highway ferry at the Fairhaven terminal, and sail north for roughly two to three days through the Inside Passage. The route threads between islands, stops in Ketchikan, Wrangell, Petersburg, and sometimes Sitka, before pulling into the Auke Bay terminal outside Juneau.

If you have never done this trip, it is hard to oversell it. You are weaving through fjords, watching humpback whales surface off the bow rail, and passing by hanging glaciers the whole way up. People pay thousands of dollars on cruise ships to do the same stretch. This is the local way to do it.

Drive to: Bellingham, WA — Fairhaven Terminal, 355 Harris Ave
Ferry time: Approximately 2 to 3 days, including stops along the way
Best for: Coming from the Lower 48 with a vehicle you plan to keep in Juneau
Book at: bookamhs.alaska.gov or call 1-800-642-0066
🏟

Option 2: Drive Through Canada, Then Short Ferry

The "as close as you can get to driving here" route

This is the option people are usually imagining when they ask the question. You drive north through British Columbia and the Yukon on the Alaska Highway or the Cassiar Highway, then head south toward the Alaska Panhandle. You arrive at either Haines, AK or Skagway, AK, both of which are on the road system. From either town, a short Alaska Marine Highway sailing gets you into Juneau in about 4 to 5 hours.

The drive through northern BC and the Yukon is legitimately beautiful. The Cassiar Highway in particular is worth doing if you have never been. Just make sure your car is mechanically sound, carry extra fuel, and plan your overnight stops. Cell service gets thin for long stretches and the distances between towns are real.

Drive to: Haines, AK (via Haines Junction, YT) or Skagway, AK (via Whitehorse, YT)
Ferry time: Haines to Juneau: about 4.5 hours. Skagway to Juneau: about 4.5 hours.
Best for: Road-trippers heading up through Canada who want to cover as much ground as possible
Book at: bookamhs.alaska.gov or call 1-800-642-0066
Maps & Directions

Ferry Terminal Locations

The Juneau terminal is not downtown. It is out in Auke Bay, about 13 miles north of the Mendenhall Valley on Glacier Highway. First-timers almost always cut it too close because they do not account for the drive from the Valley. Give yourself at least 30 minutes from downtown Juneau, more in bad weather.

Check-in timing: Passengers without vehicles should arrive at least 2 hours before departure in Juneau and Bellingham. With a vehicle, check in earlier. No bus service at the Juneau terminal. Taxis typically run $17 to $35 depending on your destination.
📍 Juneau Ferry Terminal (Auke Bay)
📍 Bellingham Ferry Terminal (Southern Start)
Alaska Marine Highway System

Booking Your Ferry: What You Actually Need to Know

AMHS runs on dynamic pricing, so fares shift with demand and season. Passenger fares and vehicle fares are charged separately. A cabin is optional but very strongly recommended if you are doing the full Bellingham run. Here are the things locals wish someone had told them first.

  • 📅 Book months ahead for summer. Vehicle space on the Bellingham route sells out by January for July. This is not a figure of speech.
  • 🚗 Vehicle and passenger fares are separate. Price out both when you are budgeting. A standard car plus two adults on the longer routes adds up quickly.
  • 🛌 Book a cabin for the 3-day sailing. There are observation decks and recliner lounges, but sleeping in a chair for 60 hours gets old fast. Cabins range from simple 2-berth to larger family rooms.
  • 👧 Kids ride cheap. Children under 6 are free. Ages 6 to 11 pay half the adult passenger fare.
  • 🍽 Food is available onboard. The mainline vessels have cafeterias. Bring your own snacks and something to read for the long haul anyway.
  • 🚲 Motorcycles, bikes, and kayaks are welcome. Space restrictions apply, so confirm when you book. Oversized vehicles and RVs need to measure carefully before reserving.
  • 📞 Call if you have questions. AMHS reservations: 1-800-642-0066, Monday through Friday 8 AM to 3:30 PM. The staff are genuinely helpful.
  • 🌊 Check weather windows. The Inside Passage is sheltered, but rough water in Dixon Entrance affects the Bellingham route. Pack seasickness meds just in case.
Book at bookamhs.alaska.gov Official Route Map Current Fares Schedule
When You Arrive

The Juneau Ferry Terminal

A lot of people expect to dock somewhere near downtown. You will not. The terminal is out in Auke Bay, north of the Mendenhall Valley, a 13-mile drive from the city center on Glacier Highway.

Address
1600 Glacier Avenue, Juneau, AK 99801
(Mile 13.5 Glacier Highway, Auke Bay)
Distance From Downtown
Approximately 13 miles north of downtown Juneau
Check-In (No Vehicle)
At least 2 hours before departure in Juneau and Bellingham
Taxi to Downtown
Approximately $17 to $35 depending on destination
Bus Service
No scheduled stop at the terminal. Some hotels offer pickup.
Reservations
1-800-642-0066 or 907-465-3941
Online Booking
bookamhs.alaska.gov
Schedule Info
dot.alaska.gov/amhs/schedules
Faster Option

Flying Into Juneau

If you do not need to bring a vehicle, flying is the obvious call. Juneau International Airport (JNU) sits right on the edge of the Gastineau Channel, with one of the most dramatic final approaches you will ever experience.

✈️
2h 45m
Nonstop flight time from Seattle (SEA) to Juneau (JNU) on Alaska Airlines
📅
~3/day
Alaska Airlines nonstop departures daily from Seattle to Juneau
💰
From ~$209
Typical one-way fare from Seattle. Book 4 to 6 weeks out for best rates.

The pilot threads the jet between the mountains and the water on final approach with what looks like not much room to spare. It is completely normal. Locals stop noticing it after about the third flight. Visitors take photos of it every time.

Airlines serving Juneau (JNU): Alaska Airlines operates the most frequent service with nonstop flights from Seattle. American Airlines also serves JNU. Compare fares at alaskaair.com or on KAYAK.
Weather note: Juneau has famously unpredictable flying weather. Low clouds, fog, and heavy rain can delay or divert flights more than most airports. If you have a cruise ship to catch or a tight connection, build in extra buffer time. Getting stuck in Juneau for an extra day is genuinely not the worst thing in the world, but you want it to be on your terms.
Juneau Auto Mall

Now That You Know How to Get Here

Whether you are shipping a car up on the ferry or looking for something already waiting for you when you land, Juneau Auto Mall has inventory ready to browse. No road does not mean no options.

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Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to the questions people ask most when planning a trip to Juneau, AK.

No. Juneau has no road connection to the rest of Alaska or the continental United States. It is the only U.S. state capital that cannot be reached by car. The city is surrounded by the Tongass National Forest, the Juneau Icefield, and the Gastineau Channel. To bring a vehicle to Juneau, you must use the Alaska Marine Highway ferry, either from Bellingham, WA (about 2 to 3 days) or by driving through Canada to Haines or Skagway, AK and taking a 4 to 5 hour ferry.

The two main options are flying or taking the ferry. Alaska Airlines operates nonstop flights from Seattle (SEA) to Juneau International Airport (JNU) about 3 times daily, with a flight time of approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes. The Alaska Marine Highway ferry from Bellingham, WA takes 2 to 3 days and allows you to bring your vehicle. From Haines or Skagway, AK, the ferry to Juneau takes about 4 to 5 hours.

The ferry from Bellingham, Washington to Juneau takes approximately 2 to 3 days depending on the vessel and the stops along the way. The route goes through the Inside Passage and stops in communities including Ketchikan, Wrangell, Petersburg, and sometimes Sitka.

AMHS uses dynamic pricing, so fares vary by route, season, vehicle type, and whether you book a cabin. Passenger fares and vehicle fares are sold separately. Children under 6 ride free; ages 6 to 11 pay half the adult fare. For an exact quote, visit bookamhs.alaska.gov or call 1-800-642-0066. Booking well in advance typically gets you better pricing, and summer vehicle spots fill up months ahead.

The Juneau ferry terminal is at 1600 Glacier Avenue, Juneau, AK 99801, at Mile 13.5 Glacier Highway in the Auke Bay neighborhood. It is about 13 miles north of downtown Juneau. There is no scheduled bus service to the terminal, but taxis are available for approximately $17 to $35 depending on your destination in town.

Not by road. There is no highway linking Juneau to Haines or Skagway. You take the Alaska Marine Highway ferry from Juneau to Haines (about 4.5 hours) or to Skagway (about 4.5 hours). Once in Haines or Skagway, you are connected to the North American highway system via the Haines Highway or the Klondike Highway through the Yukon.

Juneau is cut off by the Juneau Icefield to the north and east, the Coast Mountains, and the Gastineau Channel to the west. Building a road would require crossing Canadian territory through some of the most rugged terrain in North America. The cost, environmental impact, and technical challenges have kept multiple road access proposals from moving forward. It has been studied repeatedly over the past 60 years with no construction ever starting.