How Long is the Alaska Highway:
The Alaska Highway is measured in miles and kilometres.
Physical mileposts and kilometreposts along the Alaska Highway
indicate distance from Dawson Creek, Mile 0.
 Mileposts
first appeared along the Alaska Highway during its construction
in 1942, put up by workers and engineers marking completion
of sections of the pioneer road. These posts later served
as important landmarks for travelers along this remote wilderness
highway. Today, mileposts remain a tradition along the highway,
and are used as mailing addresses and reference points, although
the figures no longer accurately reflect total driving distances,
as the road has been straightened and shortened since the
1940s.
The traditional or historical milepost figures
established at the end of the Alaska Highway are Milepost
1422 at Delta Junction and Milepost 1520 at Fairbanks, although
early government reports show 1420 at Delta and 1519 at Fairbanks,
probably reflecting some confusion as to the city limits.
The 1949 edition of The MILEPOST® travel planner and guide and the Mile Zero post erected
in Dawson Creek in 1946 show Fairbanks at Mile 1523.
Today's motorists will see kilometreposts in
British Columbia (green signs with reflective white numerals);
kilometreposts in Yukon Territory (white posts with black
numerals); mileposts in Alaska (metal posts with a mileage
flag on top); and historical mileposts the length of the highway
(large commemorative plaques).
Because odometers differ, and because reconstruction
and rerouting continue to shorten the Alaska Highway, it is
difficult to give an accurate total mileage for the Alaska
Highway. The MILEPOST® uses the traditional
milepost figures of 1422 for Delta Junction and 1520 for Fairbanks,
although actual driving distance from Dawson Creek to Fairbanks
is approximately 1,488 miles.
Kilometreposts on the British Columbia portion
of the Alaska Highway reflect current driving distances. Kilometreposts
along the Yukon Territory portion of the Alaska Highway reflect
metric equivalents of the historical mileposts. Mileposts
along the Alaska portion of the Alaska Highway also reflect
historical mileposts.
 Driving
Distances
Driving distances in miles and kilometres between
major points on the Alaska Highway, from south to north, are
as follows:
- Dawson Creek to Fort St. John, 47 miles / 76 km
- Fort St. John to Fort Nelson, 236 miles / 380 km
- Fort Nelson to Watson Lake, 330 miles / 531 km
- Watson Lake to Whitehorse, 272 miles / 438 km
- Whitehorse to Haines Junction, 100 miles / 161 km
- Haines Junction to Port Alcan (border), 205 miles /
330 km
- Port Alcan to Tok, 92 miles / 148 km
- Tok to Delta Junction, 108 miles / 174 km
- Delta Junction to Fairbanks, 98 miles / 158 km
Metric Measurements
When Canada switched to the metric system in
the mid-1970s, miles became kilometers, mileposts became kilometreposts,
feet became meters, and temperatures went from Fahrenheit
to Celsius.
Some 75 percent of the Alaska Highway lies within
Canada. Along the highway, distance markers show kilometers;
local temperatures are given in Celsius; and bridge clearances
are in meters. It is a good idea to know the metric system.
- 1 mile = 1.6093 kilometers, and 1 kilometer = 0.6214
miles
- 1 foot = 0.3048 meters, and 1 meter = 3.2808 feet
- miles x 1.6092 = kilometers
- kilometers x 0.6214 = miles
- feet x 0.3048 = meters
- meters x 3.2808 = feet
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