How far is Russia from Alaska? It's closer than you think! (2023)

Alaska is one of those interesting places where it's part of the United States. Still, it is somehow more geographically connected to other countries like Canada or Russia. That's because Alaska is closer to these countries. How far is Russia from Alaska?

From mainland Russia to mainland Alaska, the shortest distance between them is only 55 miles (88 km). Suppose you are comparing the closest possible distance. In this case, Big Diomede Island in Russia and Little Diomede Island in Alaska are only 4 km apart. You can even hike these islands in winter.

This article covers the distance between Russia and Alaska and other related questions you may have. For example if you can see Russia from Alaska and what sea separates Alaska from Russia.

We also talked about whether Alaska is closer to Russia than the United States and also whether you can travel directly to Russia from Alaska.

Where is Alaska?

Alaska is located in the northwestern corner of North America and borders Canada to the east. To the west lie the Bering Strait and Russia. To the north are the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas, which are part of the Arctic Ocean, while to the south and southwest is the Pacific Ocean.

Alaska is a state of the United States of America in the extreme north-west of North America. Alaska has no physical border with any state in the United States, but has a land border with Canada and a sea border with Russia.

Alaska's land border connects to the Canadian territory of British Columbia and the Yukon Territory to the east. To the west, Alaska shares a maritime border with Russia's Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, between which the Bering Strait is located.

North of Alaska are the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas, which are part of the Arctic Ocean. These seas are almost completely frozen year-round. South and southwest of Alaska is the Pacific Ocean.

Alaska is the largest state in the United States, more than twice the size of the second largest state in the United States, Texas. Alaska is also larger than the next three largest US states combined: Texas, California and Montana.

The capital of Alaska is Anchorage, and some other major Alaskan cities are Juneau and Fairbanks.

Where is Russia?

Russia is the largest country in the world by area, stretching from Eastern Europe to Northeast Asia. It shares land borders with over 14 countries. To the north lies the Arctic Ocean. To the east are the Bering Strait, the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, and the Sea of ​​Japan, which form the maritime borders between the United States, Japan, and North and South Korea.

Russia is a large transcontinental area stretching from Eastern Europe to North and Northeast Asia. It is the largest country on earth by area, covering one-eighth of the world's habitable landmass.

Russia borders fourteen countries. Like Latvia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China and North Korea. These bordering countries are located in the west, south-west, south-east and south-east of Russia.

North of Russia lies the Arctic Sea and its variety of seas. In the east, the Bering Strait separates the Russian mainland from North America, i.e. the state of Alaska.

In the southeast of Russia lies the Sea of ​​Okhotsk and the Sea of ​​Japan, which forms the maritime border between Russia and Japan, North and South Korea.

Some of the largest cities in Russia are St. Petersburg, Vladivostok, Kazan and Sochi. The capital of Russia is Moscow.

How far is Russia from Alaska?

The distance is measured between mainland Russia and mainland Alaskaabout 55 miles(88km). The continent was separated by the Bering Strait. Big Diomede Island in Alaska and Little Diomede Island in Russia are only 4 km apart.

When measuring the distance between Russia and Alaska, you can do it in a number of ways.

distance between settlements

It is useful to measure the distance between cities and settlements in Russia and Alaska. This is because people frequently travel between the two cities, which lends itself as a measure.

Russia's largest and easternmost settlement is Uelen with 720 inhabitants. On the Alaskan side, the city of Wales is the easternmost settlement on mainland Alaska, with a population of 145. The distance between Uelen and Wales is approximately 62 miles (99 km).

Mainland Russia and Mainland Alaska

You can also measure the distance between Russia and Alaska by looking at the distance between mainland Russia and mainland America.

The eastern point of mainland Russia is the Chukotsky District. On the other hand, the westernmost point of mainland Alaska will be the city of Wales. The distance between these two points is about 55 miles (88 km). They are separated by the Bering Strait.

closest possible distance

Some people may approach the question of the distance between Russia and Alaska by simply giving the closest possible distance. In this case, observe the distance between the Diomedes Islands.

Within the Bering Strait are two islands, Big and Little Diomede. Little Diomedes belongs to Alaska while Big Diomedes belongs to Russia. If you measure the distance between these two, the distance is only 4 km (2.5 miles) apart.

The best part about this distance is that the seas between these islands freeze over in the winter, meaning you can technically hike from Alaska to Russia and from the Big Island to Little Diomedes.

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How far is Alaska from the United States mainland?

Alaska can be as much as 1,000 miles (1,609 km) directly from the United States mainland. Driving from Alaska to the continental US can cover 2,845 km (1,768 miles) which can take 33 hours. If you fly, a flight from Juneau to Seattle is 909 miles (1,493 km) and can take about two hours and 13 minutes.

To calculate the distance between the continental United States and Alaska, you have several options. You can measure direct distance or actual driving distance.

direct distance

If you measure the distance between Alaska and the continental United States, you can start calculating its southernmost point, Ketchikan. If you calculate the straight line distance between Ketchikan and Blaine, Wacom County, Washington it's approximately 1000 miles (1609 km) straight line distance.

However, this distance can only be theoretical and not at all practical. This is because traveling between the two places may bring more issues such as: B. the availability of roads or flight paths of aircraft.

the distance to be driven

If you're driving between Alaska and the continental United States, you'll find that it begins at the Alcan, Alaska border. It will then traverse Canada along the Alaska Highway and eventually enter the continental United States through the town of Blaine, Wacom County, Washington.

Total driving distance would be approximately 1768 miles (2845 km). The distance can take around 33 hours by car, so you need to plan several days for the trip.

flight distance

If you're flying from Alaska to the continental United States, you're probably thinking of flying between Juneau and Seattle. The distance between these two cities is 909 miles (1493 km). The flight can take about two hours and 13 minutes.

Is Alaska closer to Russia or the continental US?

Measured in direct distance, Alaska is closest to Russia. The distance is so small that you can walk from Russia to Alaska in winter. However, judging by the distance between capital cities, the city of Anchorage is closer to Washington DC than to Moscow.

To determine the answer to this question, you may also need to consider several methods of calculation, the first of which is direct distance. Secondly, it can also be counted among the capitals and finally the capitals.

Direct distance

If you measure it at direct distance, Alaska is closer to Russia. Because the distance between the Great Diomedes and the Little Diomedes is only 4 km (2.5 miles). In fact, the seas around the islands turn to ice in winter, meaning you can hike from Alaska all the way to Russia.

This is an extremely short distance compared to the direct distance between Alaska and the continental US. The distance between Ketchikan and Blaine, Wacom County, Washington is approximately 1,000 miles.

Distance between major cities

Another measurement method is to look at the major population centers between Alaska, Russia and the continental US and calculate the distance. This might make more sense as people travel more between these cities. According to this criterion, Alaska is closer to the continental United States than to Russia.

The largest city in eastern Russia in Vladivostok. The distance between Alaska's capital Anchorage and Vladivostok is 5,317 km. If you calculate the distance between Anchorage and the largest city in the Northwest, Seattle, it would be 1,448 miles (2,330 km).

Distance between capitals

You can also measure between capital letters. Distances from capital cities can sometimes be used to determine political ties between territories. According to this criterion, Alaska is closer to the continental United States than to Russia.

The distance between Anchorage and Washington DC is 3375 miles (5432 km). This is closer to the distance between Anchorage and Moscow, which is 4,342 miles (6,988 km). Perhaps the distance explains why Russia eventually sold Alaska to the United States.

Can you see Russia from Alaska?

You can see Russia from Alaska. If you climb to the highest point on Little Diomede Island in Alaska, you can see up to 40 miles away. This allows you to see Big Diomede Island or Ratmanov Island.

Technically, you can see Russia from Alaska. To see the Russia of Alaska, simply climb to the highest point of Little Diomede Island at about 900 feet. In clear weather you shouldn't have any trouble seeing up to 60km away.

That means you should have more than enough distance to see Big Diomede Island, or Ratmanov Island as the Russians call it. Big Diomede Island is only 4 km away from Little Diomede Island.

There is no permanent settlement with only one weather station on Big Diomede Island. You can also see a downed Li-2 plane on the island.

By being able to see Big Diomede Island, you can also technically see into the future. This is because both islands are separated by the International Date Line. The islands are separated by a day.

Can you travel from Alaska to Russia?

You can travel from Alaska to Russia, but not across the Bering Strait. This is because you must exit Alaska through each immigration exit point and then enter Russia through each immigration point. Such facilities are not available in the Bering Strait.

You can travel between Alaska and Russia, although the journey can be much longer than possible. This is due to US and Russian customs and immigration processing requirements.

The shortest distance between Russia and Alaska is only 4 km between the Diomedes Islands. You can walk to Russia even in winter. However, this is not possible as there are no immigration checkpoints to stamp your passports. You cannot be stamped out of Alaska and receive an entry visa to enter Russia.

That means you have to travel a little further than you expect. Your best bet is probably to take a flight that takes you from Anchorage to Moscow. The flight will be multifaceted, departing from Anchorage to Seattle before catching a direct flight to Doha, Qatar. Fly from Qatar to Moscow. The journey can take up to 36 hours.

Can you drive from Alaska to Russia?

In theory, you can drive from Alaska from Russia, although in a real-world situation, this may not be feasible. This is because there are no immigration checkpoints between the Greater and Lesser Diomede Islands, meaning you can enter Russia illegally, even if you can drive on ice in winter.

Theoretically, you can drive from Russia to Alaska. That's because the seas around the Greater and Lesser Diomedes Islands turn to ice in winter, so you can walk or drive a vehicle.

In reality, however, there may be even more issues that you need to deal with. First is the ice thickness. For ice to support the weight of a car, you need about 8 to 12 inches of ice. It can be difficult to confirm the thickness, which means you may not be able to drive safely.

Second, the lack of immigration controls. To enter Russia via Alaska, you must first legally exit the US at the checkpoint. You then enter Russia by going through immigration control and getting an entry permit stamped in your passport.

Since there are no immigration checkpoints between Big and Little Diomede Islands, you cannot do this. If you still insist on driving, it means you are entering Russia illegally, which is a crime.

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Which sea separates Russia from Alaska?

Alaska and Russia are separated by the Bering Strait. The Bering Strait lies between the Chukchi Peninsula in Russia and the Seward Peninsula in Alaska. It is named after Vitus Bering, a Danish explorer in the service of the Russian crown.

Russia and Alaska are separated by the sea, with no land connection between them. At their narrowest point, however, they are separated by the Bering Strait.

The Bering Strait forms the maritime boundary between Russia and the United States, from longitude 168° 58′ 37″ west to latitude 65° 40′ north, which is just south of the Arctic Circle.

At the narrowest point of the strait, it separates the US mainland and mainland Russia by about 55 miles (88 km). This is the distance between the Chukchi Peninsula in Russia and the Seward Peninsula in Alaska.

The Bering Strait is named after Vitus Bering, a Danish explorer in the service of the Russian Crown. The strait is also the subject of human migration theory, how humans used Beringia to cross from Eurasia to North America as a land bridge.

The theory holds that the Bering Strait was dry land during the Ice Age, allowing prehistoric humans and animals to physically migrate to North America.