Many people may not realize just how close the United States is to Russia. The closest official port to the Bering Strait in Russia is Providenia. There have been a few recorded instances of humans crossing the Bering Strait. Is It Possible to See Russia from Alaska? - Drivin' & Vibin' "[17], The straight distance between Russia and Alaska is 82.5 kilometres (51.3mi). From the Brooks Range to McCarthy, Homer, and everywhere in between, every nook and cranny of Alaska is her always her new favorite place. He can be reached on Instagram at aaronspray. The Russian side of the strait, in particular, is severely lacking in infrastructure. [32] It is unknown who is expected to pay for the construction, although China has in other projects offered to build and finance them, and expects the money back in the end through fees or rents. [20], The nearest major connecting highway is the M56 Kolyma Highway, which is currently unpaved and around 2,000 kilometers (1,200mi) from the strait. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Water temperatures on the surface average from 34 F (1 C) in the north to 41 F (5 C) in the south. Alaska is only about 55 miles from Russia. The distance between Alaskas capital Anchorage to Vladivostok is 3304 miles (5317KM). The Russian government will likely not grant any Westerners access anytime soon. Required fields are marked *. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. But is it still possible to walk from Alaska to Russia on foot? Aside from the technical challenges of building two 40-kilometer (25mi) bridges or a more than 80-kilometer (50mi) tunnel across the strait, another major challenge is that, as of 2022[update], there is nothing on either side of the Bering Strait to connect the bridge to. The best part about this distance is that during winter, the seas between these islands froze, which means you can technically walk from Alaska to Russia, by walking from Big to Little Diomedes island. . The first island is called Big Diomede, which is 25 miles off the coast of Russia, and the second island is called Little Diomede, which is about 16 miles off the coast of Alaska. This is because there are no immigration checkpoints between the Big and Little Diomede islands, which means you will be entering Russia illegally even if you can drive over the ice during winter. How Far is Russia From Alaska? - WorldAtlas But was she being hyperbolic, or can you really see all the way to Russia from Alaska? In contrast, the westernmost point of mainland Alaska will be Wales town. It is not advisable to walk from Alaska to Russia. However, due to the gradual ongoing melt of the Chukchi Sea, it is nearly impossible to walk on the fragile sheet of ice. What Is The Shortest Distance Between Alaska And Russia Andrea Romano is a writer and editor in New York City. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. You may like this article: Is Alaska Bigger Than Texas? Apart from this, crossing Russia to Alaska without special permission is illegal. If you measure the distance between these two, the distance is only 2.5 miles (4KM) from each other. I don't think you can do that from any European country. For inquires contact us at editor@beinghuman.org. [12] Discovery Channel's Extreme Engineering estimates the cost of a highway, electrified double-track high-speed rail, and pipelines at $105 billion (in 2007 US dollars), five times the original cost of the 1994 50-kilometer (31mi) Channel Tunnel.[19]. On a clear day you may be able to see the Diomede Islands directly across from Wales, Alaska. (Guide), Can You Drive To Barrow In Alaska? There have only been two such reported crossings. According to AlaskaCenters.gov,the distance between mainland Alaska and mainland Russia is merely 55 miles. Did you know that Russia and Alaska were so close? A new user to TikTok has gone viral for saying theres a way to walk to Russia from the U.S. Laub Andrew made his TikTok debut with a "geography lesson" on Feb. 22, which shows the two Diomede Islands out in the Bering Strait. This excludes the cost of new roads and railways to reach the bridge. The narrowest distance between mainland Russia and mainland Alaska is approximately 55 miles. These border countries are on the west, southwest, southeast, and southeastern part of Russia. However, it would be extremely difficult to do so because of the harsh geographical and environmental conditions. In a good and fair weather, you should not have a problem to see as far out as 37 miles (60KM). If instead you decided to walk a more sensible 8 hours a day, it would take you 562 . This is what we will be covering in this article. So, one can technically walk from Alaska to Russia during the seasonal sea ice. Andrea Romano is a freelance writer in New York City. You can WALK from the US to RUSSIA in 2.5 Miles - YouTube Can You Physically See Russia From Alaska? - HWY.CO Russia shares borders with fourteen countries. On the flip side, the distance is nearly 3,700 miles when measured from Alaska's southeastern border near Annette to the most . naql from Kodiak, AK, US/Wikimedia Commons. [13] The project would include a tunnel under the Bering Strait and connect to the contiguous United States via Wales, Alaska, along the river to Fairbanks, Alaska, and along the Alaska Highway to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. [11] In 1994 he updated the cost to more than $4 billion. Travel + Leisure is published by Meredith Corporation under license from Travel + Leisure Co. This would mean that construction work would likely be restricted to five months of the year, around May to September, and centered during summer. There is no bridge or tunnel connecting Alaska and Russia, so truly, the only way to travel between the two is by boat or plane. The last were Karl Bushby, and his American companion Dimitri Kieffer who in 2006 walked from Alaska to Russia over the Bering Straight in 14 days. (Orbital Horizon/Copernicus Sentinel Data 2018/Gallo Images/Getty Images). It is located between the Chukchi Sea to the north and the Bering Sea to the south, and connects the Arctic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. Can you walk across Alaska to Russia? The distance is close enough that you can even walk from Russia to Alaska during winter. And, you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska.". The best is to probably take a flight, which will fly you from Anchorage to Moscow. And What Should You Do, How Long Does Asphalt Take To Dry? Walking Diomede is a 29sq km island that is part of Russia and Little Diomede is a 7.2sq km island that is part of Alaska. Can you drive to Alaska without going through Canada? A TikTok user called laubandrew posted a video that explains just how you can actually walk from Alaska to Russia. In the middle of the Bering Strait are two small, sparsely populated islands: Big. Although, some have discussed building bridges to the two Bering Strait islands and then tunneling through the islands to connect them. [clarification needed][12] In Lin's design, concrete covers all structures, to simplify maintenance and to offer additional stiffening. A project to connect Nome, 100 miles (160km) from the strait, to the rest of Alaska by a paved highway (part of Alaska Route 2) has been proposed by the Alaskan state government, although the very high cost ($2.3 to $2.7 billion, about $5 million per mile, or $3 million per kilometer) has so far prevented construction. This means you need to travel a little further than expected. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 2521 E Mountain Village Dr Ste B #780Wasilla, AK 99654, Copyright 2023 - The Alaska Frontier - All Rights Reserved, After living over 14 years in Alaska, Megan McDonald can confidently state that theres not much of the state on the road system that she hasnt visited. But the longer answer is that is it extremely difficult and dangerous but it has been down - by hiking, swimming, and rowing. [26] Shortly after, the Russian government approved the construction of the $65 billion Siberia-Alaska rail and tunnel across the Bering Strait. Can You Walk From Russia to Alaska [Beginner's Guide] The bridge would also likely be divided by the Diomede Islands, which are at the middle of the Bering Strait. Not only is it possible to swim between Alaska and Russia, but several people have done it. These seas are almost entirely frozen all year round. From mainland Alaska, it is impossible to see Russia. The Bering Sea is one of the most dangerous patches of water for small craft in the world. Recommended Fly Juneau to Helsinki, train Fly from Juneau (JNU) to Helsinki (HEL) Take the train from Tikkurila to Pietari 24h 38m In April 2007, Russian government officials told the press that the Russian government would back a US$65 billion plan by a consortium of companies to build a Bering Strait tunnel.[2]. In 1987, long distance swimmer Lynne Cox swam from one island to the other in about two hours, although this was in the middle of August. You cannot see continental Russia from continental Alaska; but if you were to be standing on Little Diomede (or Krusenstern Island), you could look across the water to see Big Diomede, (or Ratmanov Island.). Historical records show indigenous groups used these frozen routes to travel between the two islands. At their closest, these two islands are a little less than two and a half . The crossing would provide a connection linking the Americas and Eurasia. These are in the middle of the Bering Strait between Alaska and Russia's Siberia and are only 2.2 miles or 3.5 kilometers from each other. Can you still walk from Alaska to Russia? - All Famous Faqs Another complicating factor is the different track gauges in use. The tunnel would be part of a railway joining Yakutsk, the capital of the Russian republic of Yakutia, and Komsomolsk-on-Amur, in the Russian Far East, with the western coast of Alaska. The Bering Strait is about 55 miles (90 kilometers) wide at its narrowest point and about 86 miles (138 kilometers) wide at its widest point. Published on March 9, 2021 International travel is a lot simpler than it sounds. To enter Russia from Alaska, you first need to legally exit the US at the checkpoint. .The stretch of water between these two islands is only about 2.5 miles wide and actually freezes over during the winter so you could technically walk from the US to Russia on this seasonal sea ice. Can you still walk from Alaska to Russia? To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. The distance between these two points is around 55 miles (88KM). There are two reported cases of humans walking from Alaska to Russia in modern history. That's not all too. [12], Although there are no icebergs in the Bering Strait, ice floes up to 1.8 meters (6ft) thick are in constant motion during certain seasons, which could produce forces on the order of 44 meganewtons (9,900,000 pounds-force; 4,500 tonnes-force) on a pier.[10]. AlaskaCenters.gov mentions that there are two islands in theBering Strait, which is the body of waterbetween Alaska and Russia. The tides and currents in the area are not severe. Two years later, Joseph Strauss, who went on to design over 400 bridges, and then serve as the project engineer for the Golden Gate Bridge, put forward the first proposal for a Bering Strait rail bridge in his senior thesis. . It is about 2.8 square miles (7.3 km2) in size. First is the thickness of the ice. The name of the body of water between Russia and Alaska is the Bering Strait. The closest part of Russia to Alaska is the autonomous region of Chukotka. Continue with Recommended Cookies. There have been several proposals for a Bering Strait crossing made by various individuals and media outlets. If you travel with an airplane (which has average speed of 560 miles) from Russia to Alaska, It takes 5.27 hours to arrive. We will also go over how far the closest points of Alaska and Russia are, and how long would it take to cross the strait. The distance between Ketchikan to Blaine, Wacom county, Washington, is about 1000 miles (1609KM). But certainly, there are other parts of the U.S. that can get you much closer to Russia besides points in Maine and Washington state. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. This journey would be about 53 miles across the Bering Strait, but it is not a practical or safe way to travel. For anyone living in the continental United States, it's easy to feel like Russia is extremely far away. This is because you need to leave Alaska from any point of exit with immigration and then enter Russia from any point of entry with immigration. . However, in actuality, there may be more issues to contend with. The distance from Guam to the city of Khasan, a city near the southeastern tip of Russia, is about 2,172 miles, according to MapDevelopers. To its north are the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas, part of the Arctic Ocean, while the Pacific Ocean is in the south and southwest. How Far Is Russia From Alaska? It's Closer Than You Think! - Being Human Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Not only that but one will need to be able to cross 200 kilometers of treacherous open stormy water. In 1998, Russian Arctic explorer Dmitry Shparo and his son Matvey became the first recorded humans to successfully cross the Bering Strait from Uelen in Russia to Cape Thompson, Alaska. The land border of Alaska is connected to the Canadian territory of British Columbia and the Yukon Territory to the east. [28], In late August 2011, at a conference in Yakutsk in eastern Russia, the plan was backed by some of President Dmitry Medvedev's top officials, including Aleksandr Levinthal, the deputy federal representative for the Russian Far East. Can u walk from Alaska to Russia? If measured by direct distance, Alaska is closer to Russia. However, from Little Diomede Island. One can only try to walk over during the polar night so the ice does not melt. The distance between these islands is about 2.5 miles. (Scam Or Not), Is Hawaii Considered International? But of course, if you're looking to get as close to Russia as possible while still being in the U.S., there's no need to go to tiny islands out in the Pacific Ocean. Sometimes patches of it freeze, and the gaps between the Bering Islan. If you measure the distance between Alaska and the continental United States, you can start by calculating its southernmost point, Ketchikan. Alaska and Russia are extremely close to one another. A Bering Strait crossing is a hypothetical bridge or tunnel that would span the relatively narrow and shallow Bering Strait between the Chukotka Peninsula in Russia and the Seward Peninsula in the U.S. state of Alaska.The crossing would provide a connection linking the Americas and Eurasia.. With the two Diomede Islands between the peninsulas, the Bering Strait could be spanned by a bridge or . The narrowest distance between mainland Russia and mainland Alaska is approximately 55 miles.The stretch of water between these two islands is only about 2.5 miles wide and actually freezes over during the winter so you could technically walk from the US to Russia on this seasonal sea ice. Even folks in Alaska don't feel close to Russia as Alsaka is massive and the parts of the state that are close are incredibly remote. Russia to USA by walking ! #shorts #yoitubeshorts #knowledge # WITH PROOF OF COVID-19 VACCINES, ICELAND ALLOWING RESIDENTS TO SKIP QUARANTINE. William Gilpin, first governor of the Colorado Territory, envisaged a vast "Cosmopolitan Railway" in 1890 linking the entire world through a series of railways. The Bering Strait is named after Vitus Bering, a Danish explorer in service of the Russian crown. The distance between mainland Russia and mainland Alaska is approximately 88 kilometres. All rights reserved. The 55-mile gap between Russia and Alaska would require a bridge, or, in an area with thick, seasonal sea-ice, a tunnel. You can follow her travels on Instagram at @theitinerantginger, Cabins In Seward | Lodging & Cabin Rentals, Anchorage To Valdez 30 Scenic Stops Along The Way, Surprising Bear Attack Statistics | Bear Attacks In Alaska, What Is Alaska Known For? This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Can you still walk from Alaska to Russia? However, if measured by the distance between the capital, the city of Anchorage is closer to Washington DC than Moscow. The largest, and most eastern settlement in Russia is Uelen, with a population of 720. [14][15][16] In 2005, investor Neil Bush, younger brother of US President George W. Bush and son of President George H. W. Bush, traveled abroad with Sun Myung Moon of the Unification Church as he promoted a proposal to dig a transportation corridor beneath the Bering Strait. Though they aren't states, the U.S. controls multiple territories out in the Pacific Ocean that can get you much closer to Russia than anywhere in the continental United States. In this article, we discussed how close Alaska is to Russia and how long it would take to walk between the two. In 2006, two people were last recorded to cross the Bering Strait in around 14 days. Reddit - Dive into anything The narrowest distance between mainland Russia and mainland Alaska is approximately 55 miles.The stretch of water between these two islands is only about 2.5 miles wide and actually freezes over during the winter so you could technically walk from the US to Russia on this seasonal sea ice.