Can you drive to Alaska from the lower 48 without a passport?
For U.S. citizens departing from the lower 48 or Hawaii en route to Alaska, no passport will be required as long as you don't have any stops in another country. If this is the case, a government-issued photo ID will cover your travel.
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U.S. citizens flying between another state and Alaska do not need a passport. However, those driving through Canada or traveling on a ferry or cruise ship with stops in Canada are required to carry one. All non U.S. citizens will need a passport and possibly other documents to enter.
Alaska is most certainly American, but it's more than 2,000 miles away from the nearest state, Washington. Getting there with a vehicle requires either driving through Canada or taking a ferry.
Since the state of Alaska is not connected to the contiguous United States and can only be accessed on land by crossing through the country of Canada, you will need a passport or similar document to drive there.
Most visitors cross the border into Canada north of Seattle, WA, though there are other routes further east through Alberta and the Canadian Rockies for those who are starting from the eastern United States. There are two route options for getting from Seattle to the Alaska Highway.
All passengers must have some kind of government-issued photo identification to board the Alaska Ferry, such as a driver's license, passport, military ID, or equivalent. For more details, see the full list of Alaska Marine Highway Travel Policies. If traveling in Canada, a passport or other acceptable ID is required.
Whether you're crossing via the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel or Ambassador Bridge, Canadian law requires that all persons entering the country carry proof of citizenship and identity, according to the U.S. Department of State website.
Crossing any international border requires a passport. A driver's license alone will not suffice, not even a Real ID license. But driving to Mexico, unlike flying there, does not require a passport book.
Only 20 percent of Alaska is accessible by road. Despite a land mass of 586,412 square miles, Alaska only has 12 numbered highways. This means most of Alaska is wilderness – untamed, untouched wilderness, rare to find anywhere else in the US. When planning your Alaska vacation, distances can be deceptively large.
Alaska • Time zones: Hawaii-Aleutian time and Alaska time • Alaska used to have four time zones. In 1983, however, the government consolidated the time zones to two: Hawaii-Aleutian time, which applies to the westernmost Aleutian Islands, and Alaska time for the rest of the state.
Flying to AlaskaAlaska, of course, is not an international destination for a U.S. citizen flying there from the “Lower 48;” however, those portions of the flight that overfly or land in Canada must comply with Canadian regulations.
A flight from a city in the United States to Alaska is considered domestic. All 50 states, including Hawaii and Alaska, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands are considered domestic for the purposes of immigration.