Transportation

Passenger Travel

For many people, one of Juneau's most alluring features is the fact that you must let someone else "do the driving" to get here! Even though Juneau is situated on the North American mainland, glacial ice, sea cliffs and avalanche zones have long made it cost-prohibitive and infeasible to connect Juneau with the rest of the continent by road. That means you -- and everything else! -- must get to Juneau by air or the marine highway of Alaska's spectacular Inside Passage.

The Alaska Marine Highway System is to Juneau what freeways and rail lines are to other cities. Eight ferries (known as the Blue Canoes) run by the State of Alaska carry vehicles, passengers, and goods back and forth between Inside Passage communities (including Prince Rupert, British Columbia) and Bellingham, Washington. Distances between ports can be as short as an hour or two or as long as several days, so the ferries all have overnight accommodations except for the MV LeConte and two faster ferries, the FVF Fairweather and FVF Chenega.

Alaska Airlines provides the only air service connecting Juneau with the Lower 48 via the Juneau International Airport. From April through September, Alaska Airlines adds a number of planes to their daily schedule to accommodate a heavy increase in visitor travel. The airline's planes that serve Southeast Alaska are equipped with the latest GPS technology, which contributes to the company's outstanding safety record. Alaska Airlines also serves Gustavus (summer only), Ketchikan, Petersburg, Sitka, Wrangell and Yakutat.

Most communities within the region are served by smaller airlines. Wings of Alaska and Air Excursions offer regular service to Gustavus (air portal to Glacier Bay National Park), Haines, Hoonah, Kake, Skagway and other Southeast Alaska communities. Other carriers use both float and wheeled aircraft as well as helicopters to access smaller communities and out-of-the-way places.

Freight

Whether it's a car, a single item or a full container you need to move, it's a lot simpler when you know who to call for help. Here are the major freight companies that serve Juneau:

Alaska Marine Lines: (800) 326-8346

Glacier Marine Transport: (800) 426-3113

Alaska Marine Highway System : (800) 642-0066

Alaska Airlines (cargo division): (800) 225-2752

For smaller items and package shipment:

WPX Delivery Solutions (western states): (800) 562-1091

Federal Express Juneau: (800) 288-5925

US Postal Service: (800) 275-8777

Juneau Economic Development Council

Transportation

Passenger Travel

Freight