Fairbanks Map
Just over 350 miles north of Anchorage, Fairbanks is the largest community in Interior Alaska and the second largest city in the state. It is bordered to the south by the braided Tanana River. The Chena River winds through town, providing a natural boundary for the small downtown area and pretty riverfront views for several Fairbanks hotels. The popular Chena Hot Springs is 60 miles east of the city at the end of a road through the Chena River State Recreation Area.
Fairbanks is the end of the line for the Alaska Railroad. The train depot is located north of downtown just off the Johansen Expressway. The Fairbanks airport is on the southwest side of town. Many tours bound for the Arctic Circle, which is roughly 113 miles north of Fairbanks, depart from the airport's east ramp.
Three highways intersect in Fairbanks. The Parks Highway runs southwest toward Denali National Park and the Richardson Highway heads southeast to Delta, Paxson, and eventually Valdez. The infamous Dalton Highway or "Haul Road" to Prudhoe Bay starts about 80 miles north of the city.