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Anchorage is an easy to navigate city, as long as follow the street names and are mindful of one-way streets. The fact remains only two main arteries run in and out of the city: the Glenn Highway north, and the Seward Highway south. The entire city is situated within a mountainous bowl to the east, making directional navigation often as easy as looking to the horizon.

Ted Stevens International Airport

 

What you'll find at the airport:

  1. Most hotels offer free shuttle service. There are kiosks near the baggage claim, where you can phone local hotels for free.

  2. You can also take a taxi. Checker Cab (907) 276-1234 or Yellow Cab (907) 222-2222.

  3. Use the city bus system (Anchorage People Mover) every 30 minutes during the day (approximately 6 am to 11 pm)

  4. The car rentals are downstairs, a floor below the baggage claim and up a long corridor to your left, in the South Terminal.

  5. If you are in the North Terminal, there is a free airport shuttle (every 15 minutes) that will take you to the other terminal.

  6. During the day, there are volunteer-staffed visitor centers at the bottom of the escalator at both airports.

  7. If you are on a tour, you will probably find someone with a sign, waiting for you at the bottom of the escalator by the baggage claim.

  8. The railroad terminal at the airport is only for cruise ship passengers. You can't take a train from the airport.

 

How to leave the airport:

Exit the car rental and you'll be east on International Airport Road. To go to South Anchorage, take the first Minnesota ramp on your right. To go downtown, take the second Minnesota ramp on the right. Past the Minnesota exit, keep going to C Street, and turn north (left) to get downtown or (right) to go south.

North To The Glenn Highway

Use the Glenn Highway to travel North of Anchorage To leave Anchorage to all road points northward, take a north-south road north until you hit 6th Avenue then turn left (it's a east direction one-way street) and you are on the Glenn Highway #1.

 

  1. Minnesota Drive will take you to 6th Avenue (Glenn Hwy).

  2. The Seward Highway will take you to 6th Avenue (Glenn Hwy).

  3. Boniface will take you direct to the Glenn Highway. Muldoon will take you direct to the Glenn Highway.

South of Anchorage

 

The Seward Highway runs north and south through the middle of Anchorage. There is a "New Seward Highway" and an "Old Seward Highway". The old and new Seward Highways parallel each other.

 

The New Seward Highway is newer, and is a faster route. The Old Seward Highway meanders, and has interesting shops and businesses.

 

When you go south on the Seward Highway, you end up on the road to the Kenai Peninsula.

When you go north on the Seward Highway, you end up on the Glenn Highway (6th Avenue) which takes you north, to the rest of the state.

 

To get to the airport, take either the O'Malley Rd exit or the Dimond exit and then turn onto Minnesota Drive and go to the airport exit.

Getting Around Anchorage

Downtown Anchorage

 

Downtown Anchorage has automated parking meters, open parking lots and garages. Downtown Anchorage has a meter parking authority that reguarly patrols. You can park for free after 6 pm in the evening until 9 am in the morning, and also on Saturdays and Sundays. 

 

There are parking lots and several parking garages. One garage is by JC Penny on 6th Avenue. The other is off 5th Avenue on B Street. Garage parking costs $1 an hour. Most street meters cost 75¢ an hour.

 

Large RV vehicles can park on 3rd Avenue in the lot behind the Howard Johnson Hotel ($1.50/hr). If you don't mind a little walk, you can park farther down 5th Avenue near the Sheraton Hotel, where parking is free.

 

Although the downtown area is better for pedestrians than other parts of Anchorage, here, as in the rest of Alaska, people feel cars have the right of way. Be careful, even if you're on the crosswalk, because cars turn right on the red light all the time without looking.

 Airport Visitor Center 

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