Connects: Elliott Hwy to Deadhorse, AK Route#: Alaska Route 11 Length: 415 miles Road Surface: 25% Paved, 75% Gravel Season: Open all year Highest Pass: Atigun Pass, elev. 4,800 feet Map (1 detailed pdf file available): Milepost F 73.1 Elliott Highway to Deadhorse, AK
The 415-mile Dalton Highway (often still referred to as the “Haul Road”) begins at Milepost F 73.1 on the Elliott Highway, 84 miles from Fairbanks, and ends—for the general public—at Deadhorse, a few miles from Prudhoe Bay and the Arctic Ocean.
The road is narrow and filled with truck traffic. Road conditions vary depending on weather, maintenance and time of year. Most of the road is gravel and subject to potholes and washboard. There are several steep (10 to 12 percent) grades. Flat tires are a common occurrence. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recommends two full-sized spare tires mounted on rims. More tips can be found at www.blm.gov/ak/dalton.
The highway is named for James William Dalton, an arctic engineer involved in early oil exploration efforts on the North Slope. It was built as a haul road between the Yukon River and Prudhoe Bay during construction of the trans-Alaska pipeline, and was originally called the North Slope Haul Road. Construction of the road began April 29, 1974, and was completed 5 months later. The road is 28 feet wide with 3 to 6 feet of gravel roadbed .
For those who don't want to drive themselves, commercial tours are available from Dalton Highway Express and Northern Alaska Tour Company. For those who don't want to drive their own vehicles, rental car agencies, such as Arctic Outfitters in Fairbanks, offer a limited number of vehicles that are permitted on the Dalton Highway.
The MILEPOST® Quick Reference Log Miles from junction with Elliott Highway (J) shown.
To calculate current U.S. per gallon price from Canadian price per liter, multiply per liter price (Canadian)
by 3.785 and divide by current exchange rate (U.S. to Canadian).
