Steese Highway

Steese Highway
Alaska Route 6 Alaska Route 2
Steese Highway highlighted in red
Route information
Length	161 mi (259 km)
Existed	Late 1890s–present
Major junctions
South end	AK-2 south (Richardson Highway) / Airport Way in Fairbanks
Major intersections	Chena Hot Springs Road near Fairbanks AK-2 north (Elliot Highway) near Fairbanks Circle Hot Springs Road in Central
North end	River Street in Circle
Location
Country	United States
State	Alaska
Highway system
Alaska Routes Interstate Scenic Byways
← AK-5 → AK-7

The Steese Highway (known as the Steese Expressway within Fairbanks) is a state highway in the Interior region of the U.S. state of Alaska that extends 161 miles (259 km) from Fairbanks to Circle, a town on the Yukon River about 50 miles (80 km) south of the Arctic Circle. The highway was completed in 1927 and is named for U.S. Army General James G. Steese, a former president of the Alaska Road Commission. It is paved for about the first 81 miles (130 km) and around the town of Central it turns to dirt and gravel. Much of it is narrow and winding.

History

The highway and surrounding region has a long association with gold mining. It was built to service the Circle Mining District, which was very productive in the 1890s, before the discovery of gold in the Klondike. Both historic sites, such as Felix Pedro's 1902 gold discovery which resulted in the founding of Fairbanks, and the preserved gold camp at Chatanika, and active dredging operations line the road.

Much of the highway passes through rugged unpopulated areas.

Route description

The Steese Highway is numbered Alaska Route 6 for most of its length, except for the first 11 miles (17 km) from Fairbanks to Fox, which are numbered Alaska Route 2. The highway has been designated as a National Scenic Byway.

There are three possible road closure barriers, so 511 Alaska should be checked before traveling its length to Circle Alaska.

Major Intersections

See also: Alaska Route 2 § Major intersections

Borough	Location	mi	km	Destinations	Notes
Fairbanks North Star	Fox	0	0.0	See Alaska Route 2#Major intersections for the junctions along the Alaska Route 2 section
		11	18	AK-2 north (Elliot Highway) / Old Steese Highway	Alaska Route 2 continues north as the Elliot Highway and south as the remainder of the Steese Highway
	Chatanika	28	45	Old Chatanika Highway
Unorganized	Central	128	206	Circle Hot Springs Road
	Circle			Road to Circle City Airport
		161	259	River Road	Northern terminus of Alaska Route 6 and the Steese Highway
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi