# From the US, how far north in Canada can I drive a regular car in the summer? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 11, 2008, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-us-how-far-north-in-canada-can-i-drive-a-regular-car-in-the-summer/456090 "2008-07-11T04:28:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![T\_SQUARE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9de053/32.png) [@T\_SQUARE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/T_SQUARE)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-us-how-far-north-in-canada-can-i-drive-a-regular-car-in-the-summer/456090/1 "2008-07-11T04:28:46Z")
Let’s say tomorrow a guy in, say, Colorado loads up his Audi or similar car and heads north. How far north in Canada can you safely go without a 4x4, jerry cans, mud tires, spare parts, jacks, sat phones, etc.? What is the highest lattitude you can reach before the pavement ends and supplies get scarce? Can a guy drive right into Yellow Knife? Note, this is a geography exercise, I’m not planning on really doing this. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-us-how-far-north-in-canada-can-i-drive-a-regular-car-in-the-summer/456090/2 "2008-07-11T04:41:05Z")
Yes you can drive to Yellowknife. It takes approximately 22 hours from Calgary and is at 62 degrees North. The highway ends about 20 miles North of Yellowknife. I lived there a long time. My sister still does. It’s not the desolate outpost that the Discovery Channel would have you believe. ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-us-how-far-north-in-canada-can-i-drive-a-regular-car-in-the-summer/456090/3 "2008-07-11T04:44:57Z")
If you go in the spring or fall, however, swimming the McKenzie River can be difficult. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-us-how-far-north-in-canada-can-i-drive-a-regular-car-in-the-summer/456090/4 "2008-07-11T04:46:20Z")
Weirddave is correct. There is a ferry on the Mackenzie. In the Winter you drive on an ice road. There is a brief window in the Spring and Fall where you may not be able to cross for around ten days. In case you didn’t know, he’s my husband, and has made this trip with me once. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-us-how-far-north-in-canada-can-i-drive-a-regular-car-in-the-summer/456090/5 "2008-07-11T04:47:51Z")
[QUOTE=GingerOfTheNorth] In case you didn’t know, he’s my husband, and has made this trip with me once. [/QUOTE] And a good time was had by all. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-us-how-far-north-in-canada-can-i-drive-a-regular-car-in-the-summer/456090/6 "2008-07-11T04:48:14Z")
Can’t you get all the way to Inuvik during the summer? ISTR there are a couple of ferries involved. Edit: here’s a guy who went to Inuvik from Toronto. On a moped. In [1978](http://mopedtrip.com/index.html). :eek: ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-us-how-far-north-in-canada-can-i-drive-a-regular-car-in-the-summer/456090/7 "2008-07-11T04:53:18Z")
[QUOTE=alice\_in\_wonderland] And a good time was had by all. [/QUOTE] My parents, my eldest son (I was pregnant with #2), my niece, Dave and I. I will never, ever do that again. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-us-how-far-north-in-canada-can-i-drive-a-regular-car-in-the-summer/456090/8 "2008-07-11T04:54:49Z")
Tok Junction is farther North than Yellowknife, I think. Anybody who drives the Alcan knows that place. Highway 5/9 loops north of that by a ways. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-us-how-far-north-in-canada-can-i-drive-a-regular-car-in-the-summer/456090/9 "2008-07-11T04:55:29Z")
[QUOTE=Sunspace] Can’t you get all the way to Inuvik during the summer? ISTR there are a couple of ferries involved. Edit: here’s a guy who went to Inuvik from Toronto. On a moped. In [1978](http://mopedtrip.com/index.html). :eek: [/QUOTE] IIRC, there’s no pavement up there. The OP asked how far he could go before the pavement ends and supplies get scarce. YK would be about it. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-us-how-far-north-in-canada-can-i-drive-a-regular-car-in-the-summer/456090/10 "2008-07-11T04:55:59Z")
[QUOTE=GingerOfTheNorth] My parents, my eldest son (I was pregnant with #2), my niece, Dave and I. I will never, ever do that again. [/QUOTE] I wanna know what kind of crack you were on when you **PLANNED** that trip. I’ve been on that highway. Its…interesting. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-us-how-far-north-in-canada-can-i-drive-a-regular-car-in-the-summer/456090/11 "2008-07-11T04:56:39Z")
[QUOTE=silenus] Tok Junction is farther North than Yellowknife, I think. Anybody who drives the Alcan knows that place. Highway 5/9 loops north of that by a ways. [/QUOTE] Tok Junction is in Alaska, not Canada. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-us-how-far-north-in-canada-can-i-drive-a-regular-car-in-the-summer/456090/12 "2008-07-11T04:57:48Z")
[QUOTE=alice\_in\_wonderland] I wanna know what kind of crack you were on when you **PLANNED** that trip. I’ve been on that highway. Its…interesting. [/QUOTE] Hey! It’s paved all the way now! It certainly wasn’t on my first trip up there, in winter… the day I arrived was -46 Celsius. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-us-how-far-north-in-canada-can-i-drive-a-regular-car-in-the-summer/456090/13 "2008-07-11T05:04:17Z")
[QUOTE=GingerOfTheNorth] IIRC, there’s no pavement up there. The OP asked how far he could go before the pavement ends and supplies get scarce. YK would be about it. [/QUOTE] I just discussed this with Mr. Wonderland who grew up in the Yukon - you can drive all the way up to Inuvik which is about 500 km north of YellowKnife and you can do it in a regular car (although the highway isn’t really fantastic). ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-us-how-far-north-in-canada-can-i-drive-a-regular-car-in-the-summer/456090/14 "2008-07-11T05:05:19Z")
[QUOTE=GingerOfTheNorth] Hey! It’s paved all the way now! It certainly wasn’t on my first trip up there, in winter… the day I arrived was -46 Celsius. [/QUOTE] Yes, but I believe the ratio of pavement to potholes is about 50/50. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![T\_SQUARE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9de053/32.png) [@T\_SQUARE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/T_SQUARE)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-us-how-far-north-in-canada-can-i-drive-a-regular-car-in-the-summer/456090/15 "2008-07-11T05:20:32Z")
Interesting. I wonder what the fuel and food situation is between YK and Inuvik? I guess the OP was kind of confusing, rocked roads are OK if a car could handle them, where the blacktop ends is a seperate question. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-us-how-far-north-in-canada-can-i-drive-a-regular-car-in-the-summer/456090/16 "2008-07-11T05:31:01Z")
[QUOTE=T\_SQUARE] Interesting. I wonder what the fuel and food situation is between YK and Inuvik? I guess the OP was kind of confusing, rocked roads are OK if a car could handle them, where the blacktop ends is a seperate question. [/QUOTE] I don’t actually know if you can drive directly there from YellowKnife, but you can drive directly the from Whitehorse and stop in Dawson City on the way which is a smallish town with all the supplies you could need on the way. While there if you’re deeply interested you can do unusual things with a frozen toe (with no foot) if you’re into that sort of thing. And it’s actual pavement all the way from there to Inuvik. Just very bumpy pavement. (Dawson is about 5 hours north of Whitehorse and another 4 to Inuvik.) Totally doable in a day. Or you can stay at one of the 20 or so hotels you’ll find on this site:[http://www.dawsoncity.ca/](http://www.dawsoncity.ca/) ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-us-how-far-north-in-canada-can-i-drive-a-regular-car-in-the-summer/456090/17 "2008-07-11T07:31:34Z")
[QUOTE=alice\_in\_wonderland] And a good time was had by all. [/QUOTE] Well, I had a good time, at least until we stopped at the sign that noted the NWT border. We all got out to take a picture of me next to the sign, and a blackfly grabbed me and flew me about 200 ft into the air, where it promptly dropped me. Luckily, I landed on a buffalo, and it’s woolly hide broke my fall. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-us-how-far-north-in-canada-can-i-drive-a-regular-car-in-the-summer/456090/18 "2008-07-11T13:22:57Z")
[QUOTE=Weirddave] Well, I had a good time, at least until we stopped at the sign that noted the NWT border. We all got out to take a picture of me next to the sign, and a blackfly grabbed me and flew me about 200 ft into the air, where it promptly dropped me. Luckily, I landed on a buffalo, and it’s woolly hide broke my fall. [/QUOTE] Whew! Thank god for buffalo! I’m always surprised that no one has taken the time to harnes the energy of the blackfly - it could make oil obsolete! ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-us-how-far-north-in-canada-can-i-drive-a-regular-car-in-the-summer/456090/19 "2008-07-11T13:26:13Z")
[QUOTE=alice\_in\_wonderland] I just discussed this with Mr. Wonderland who grew up in the Yukon - you can drive all the way up to Inuvik which is about 500 km north of YellowKnife and you can do it in a regular car (although the highway isn’t really fantastic). [/QUOTE] My wife and I drove our RV to Inuvik a couple of years ago. For gravel roads, they’re in pretty good shape, with some rough sections in the mountains. We had no problems. Inuvik, as you probably know, is much farther north than Yellowknife. There is some pretty scenery along the way, and some beautiful rivers. The ferries are free. You can buy a killer tent at Ft. McKenzie. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-us-how-far-north-in-canada-can-i-drive-a-regular-car-in-the-summer/456090/20 "2008-07-11T15:47:23Z")
According the the wikipedia entry on Inuvik, it’s the most northerly place in Canada you can drive in the summer, in the winter you can drive a bit farther north on the ice road. > **[Inuvik](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inuvik)** > > Inuvik /ɪˈnuːvɪk/ (place of man) is the only town in the Inuvik Region, and the third largest community in Canada's Northwest Territories. Located in what is sometimes called the Beaufort Delta Region, it serves as its administrative and service centre and is home to federal, territorial, and Indigenous government offices, along with the regional hospital and airport. > Inuvik is located on the northern edge of the boreal forest, just before it begins to transition to tundra, and along the east... In Alaska you can take the Dalton highway from Fairbanks to Deadhorse. I can’t tell from wikipedia whether Deadhorse is farther north than Inuvik. > **[Dalton Highway](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalton_Highway)** > > Dalton Highway > **[Deadhorse, Alaska](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deadhorse%2C_Alaska)** > > Deadhorse is an unincorporated community located within the CDP of Prudhoe Bay in North Slope Borough, Alaska, United States, along the North Slope near the Arctic Ocean. The town consists mainly of facilities for the workers and companies that operate at the nearby Prudhoe Bay Oil Field. Deadhorse is accessible via the Dalton Highway from Fairbanks, 495 mi (797 km) south, or Deadhorse Airport. Limited accommodation is also available for tourists. > The permanent population is variously listed a... [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-us-how-far-north-in-canada-can-i-drive-a-regular-car-in-the-summer/456090.md?page=2)