The Richardson Highway is a highway in the U.S. state of Alaska, running 368 miles (562 km) and connecting Valdez to Fairbanks. It is marked as Alaska Route 4 from Valdez to Delta Junction and as Alaska Route 2 from there to Fairbanks.

The Richardson Highway runs for 366 miles from Valdez, a coastal community nestled into the Chugach Mountains on the Prince William Sound, to Fairbanks, the hub city of Interior Alaska.

The Richardson Highway is Alaska’s oldest highway and is the only highway that connects Fairbanks to Valdez. Valdez is mile 0 of the Richardson Highway and Fairbanks is mile 364.

The Richardson Highway is a very scenic route, offering magnificent views of the Chugach Mountains and Alaska Range, and some of the best glacier viewing in Alaska. The Richardson is a wide paved highway in fair to good condition, with some sections of …

This drive follows the 368 mile Richardson highway from Valdez to Fairbanks, and takes approximately 7.5 – 8 hours to complete. Even though the travel time is an investment, like most Alaskan highways, the views are incredibly rewarding.

The Richardson Highway is Alaska's oldest highway, beginning as a gold rush trail to Eagle in 1898. General Wilds P. Richardson worked to upgrade it to a wagon road in 1910 after the Fairbanks gold strike. It was made suitable for automobiles in the 1920's and was paved in 1957.

Northbound lanes closed on the Richardson Highway, between MP 340-346. All traffic, traveling in both directions, will be moved to the southbound lanes until early June. Business access will remain open.

Jan 31, 2025 · The history of the Richardson Highway is rooted in the days of the gold rush Work was underway in Valdez to establish a trail from that port to Eagle on the Yukon River, so that Americans would not have to pass through Canada to reach the gold camps in …

A drive down the Richardson Highway offers visitors views of glaciers, waterfalls, towering mountains and expansive scenery. If driving from Anchorage, the picturesque Glenn Highway and Richardson Highway converge alongside the nation’s largest national park, Wrangell-St Elias, home to nine of the 16 tallest peaks in the United States.

The Richardson Highway (formerly known as the Valdez-Fairbanks Trail and Valdez to Eagle Trail) takes you through some of Alaska's more interesting country. It’s said to be Alaska's oldest highway. The trail began in 1898 as a route from Valdez to Eagle.