There are a number of transportation options in and around Bethel for visitors and residents, depending on one's level of ambition:
By Plane
The state-owned Bethel Airport is the regional transportation center, and is served by seven passenger carriers, including Alaska Airlines, Grant Aviation, Hageland Aviation Services, Yute Air and Frontier Flying Service. It also receives service from five cargo operators: Everts Air Cargo, Northern Air Cargo, Alaska Central Express, Arctic Transportation Services, and Lynden Air Cargo, and numerous small air taxi services including Renfro's Alaskan Adventures. The airport ranks third in the state for total number of flights. It offers a 6,400 foot asphalt runway and 1,850 foot gravel crosswind runway, and is currently undergoing a $7 million renovation and expansion. Three float plane bases are nearby: Hangar Lake, H Marker Lake, and the Kuskokwim River. See the Get Out section for more details.
By Taxi
Bethel has more cabs per capita than any other city in the United States. Due to the dependance of many residents and visitors on cabs, and the high cost of transportation, cab fee maximums are mandated by the City of Bethel, corresponding roughly to the distance of the trip. Rides within the central area of town are $5, to or from the Tundra Ridge subdivision are $7, to or from the Airport is $7, and trips to the Kasayuli Subdivision are $10.
Something important for visitors to Bethel to know is that cab rides in Bethel are often a "communal" experience. While riding in a cab from the airport into the main part of town, for example, the cab driver may get a call to pick up another fare in Blueberry Subdivision. While potentially uncomfortable for the shy traveler (or if the cab gets too crowded), this is actually a great way to meet people in Bethel.
These are numbers for the taxi services in Bethel
Alaska Cab, ☎ +1-907-543-2111. �
City Cab, ☎ +1-907-543-4141. �
Kusko Cab, ☎ +1-907-543-2169. �
Quyana Cab, ☎ +1-907-543-5454. �
Taxi Cab, ☎ +1-907-543-5199. �
By Public Transit
A more recent addition to Bethel's transportation options is the city bus. At $2 a ride for adults, many Bethel residents are finding the bus to be a more economical transportation option than cabs when time is not an issue. Routes have been expanded recently to include most of the town, and a slightly out-of-date route map and schedule can be found here.By Car
Those visiting for an extended period of time or moving to Bethel may be considering renting or buying a car. As is true with most everything in Bethel, prices are substantially higher than one would expect, both to purchase (or ship in), own, and maintain a car in the rural setting, but many people feel it is worth it for convenience and independence.
Gas prices are high, but do not fluctuate daily as in other places. Cost is set by the retailers when new supplies are barged in through the brief summer months, meaning the price of gas will only change a couple times a year. Currently, gas stations and their respective prices are:
Crowley Marine Services Inc, 380 Standard Oil Road, ☎ 907-543-2217. Gas (Regular) - $6.00 Diesel - $6.25. �
Nicholsons Auto Inc., 630 3rd Ave, ☎ 907-543-2667. �
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Bethel (Alaska) - updated May 2024
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Bethel (Alaska) Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
