Traffic & Transportation in Ketchikan
Ketchikan's transportation picture is genuinely unlike most US cities: no road connects Ketchikan to the rest of Alaska or the Lower 48.
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Learn moreThe airport requires its own ferry
Ketchikan International Airport sits on Gravina Island, across the Tongass Narrows -- there is no bridge, so a dedicated ferry carries every passenger between the airport and downtown.
The Alaska Marine Highway
The Alaska Marine Highway ferry system connects Ketchikan to other Southeast Alaska communities and, via longer routes, to the rest of the state and the Lower 48 -- a real, genuine lifeline for freight and vehicles.
Local roads exist, but go nowhere beyond the island
Ketchikan has its own local road network for getting around town, but it does not connect to any highway system beyond Revillagigedo Island.
Key takeaways
- Ketchikan has zero road connection to the rest of Alaska or the Lower 48.
- The airport is reached only via a dedicated ferry across the Tongass Narrows.
- The Alaska Marine Highway ferry system is a real, genuine lifeline for freight, vehicles, and travel.
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