George Parks Highway
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| State Route 3 |
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| George Parks Highway | |||||||||
| Length: | 323 mi (520 km) | ||||||||
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| South end: |  Glenn Hwy. near Palmer |
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| North end: |  Richardson Hwy./Steese Hwy. in Fairbanks |
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The George Parks Highway (numbered Alaska Route 3), usually called simply the Parks Highway, runs 323 miles (520 km) from the Glenn Highway 35 miles (56 km) north of Anchorage to Fairbanks in the Alaska Interior. The highway, originally known as the Anchorage-Fairbanks Highway, was completed in 1971, and given its current name in 1975.
The highway, which mostly parallels the Alaska Railroad, is one of the most important roads in Alaska. It is the main route between Anchorage and Fairbanks, Alaska's two largest cities, the principal access to Denali National Park and Preserve and Denali State Park, and the main highway in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley.
It is a common misconception that the name "Parks Highway" comes from the road's proximity to the Denali state and national parks; it is in fact in honor of George Alexander Parks, governor of the Territory of Alaska from 1925 to 1933. However, the aptness of the name was recognized when it was chosen.
Mileposts along the Parks Highway do not begin with 0 (zero). Instead, they begin with Mile 35 (km 56), continuing the milepost numbering of the Glenn Highway where the two highways intersect near Palmer. The 0 (zero) mile marker for the Glenn Highway is at its terminus in downtown Anchorage at the intersection of East 5th Avenue and Gambell Street. Thus mileposts along the Parks Highway reflect distance from Anchorage, which is not actually on the Parks Highway.
[edit] Towns and places along the Parks Highway
- Wasilla, mile 42 (km 68)
- Big Lake, via Big Lake Road, mile 52 (km 84)
- Houston, mile 57 (km 92)
- Willow, mile 69 (km 111)
- Hatcher Pass, via Hatcher Pass Road, mile 71 (km 115)
- Talkeetna, via Talkeetna Spur Road, mile 99 (km 159)
- Trapper Creek, mile 115 (km 185)
- Denali State Park, miles 132–169 (km 212–272)
- Cantwell, mile 210 (km 338)
- Denali National Park entrance, mile 237 (km 382)
- Healy, mile 249 (km 400)
- Anderson and Clear Air Force Station, mile 284 (km 456)
- Nenana, mile 304 (km 490)
- Ester, mile 352 (km 566)
- Fairbanks, mile 358 (km 576)
