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Argentia ferry terminal → Cow Head

Argentia ferry to Cow Head and northern Gros Morne

The drive from every airport and ferry ↓

Distance
708.9 km
Drive time
In your maps app ↗
Roads
1001430
Open in Google Maps →
Use another map appApple Maps · Google Maps · Organic Maps · OsmAnd (both work offline, no tracking) · Waze

Stops and map ↓Where to eat near Cow Head ↓

Boulder shore at low tide with Cow Head's houses and the Long Range Mountains on the horizon, bright day.
Boulder shore at low tide with Cow Head's houses and the Long Range Mountains on the horizon, bright day.Photo: Mike from Vancouver, Canada · source · CC BY-SA 2.0

You arrive by ferry — North Sydney, Nova Scotia to Argentia

Marine Atlantic runs this crossing seasonally, against year-round sailings into Port aux Basques. People choose it for where it lands. Marine Atlantic publishes sailings and fares.

Operated by Marine Atlantic. The drive below starts where the boat lands.

Crossings & current schedule →
Driving route from Argentia ferry terminal to Cow Head: 708.9 km by road, via Routes 100 · 1 · 430.Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Tiles by OpenFreeMap. Route line computed with OSRM.

Faded lines are other drives from Argentia ferry terminal into this area: Rocky Harbour (663 km), Woody Point (658 km). Each splits off where its line leaves this one.

  1. Stop 1: Joey's Lookout

    A mapped viewpoint on the Trans-Canada east of Gander, effectively on the road. OpenStreetMap records only the name and that it is a viewpoint. It is easy to miss at highway speed.

    Stopping here adds 0.1 km to the drive.

    Directions →
    Other map appsApple · Google · Organic Maps · OsmAnd (both work offline, no tracking) · Waze
    Show on map: Joey's Lookout ↑

  2. Stop 2: North Atlantic Aviation Museum

    On the Trans-Canada at 135, per the museum's own page: Gander's story from 1935 to 2001, the Second World War, the transatlantic crossroads years and 9/11. Hours are linked below.

    Stopping here adds 0.1 km to the drive.

    Directions →
    Other map appsApple · Google · Organic Maps · OsmAnd (both work offline, no tracking) · Waze
    Show on map: North Atlantic Aviation Museum ↑

  3. Stop 3: Loggers' Life Provincial MuseumDetour

    A reconstructed 1920s logging camp on the west side of Grand Falls-Windsor, mapped right beside the driven line. Central Newfoundland ran on the woods for a century, and the museum shows that work.

    Stopping here adds 4.3 km to the drive.

    Directions →
    Other map appsApple · Google · Organic Maps · OsmAnd (both work offline, no tracking) · Waze
    Show on map: Loggers' Life Provincial Museum ↑

  4. Stop 4: Newfoundland Insectarium

    An insect museum in Deer Lake. Check its hours before detouring with kids in the car.

    Stopping here adds 0.2 km to the drive.

    Directions →
    Other map appsApple · Google · Organic Maps · OsmAnd (both work offline, no tracking) · Waze
    Show on map: Newfoundland Insectarium ↑

  5. Stop 5: SS Ethie wreck site

    The mapped historic wreck site of the coastal steamer that went ashore in 1919, steps from the highway.

    Stopping here adds 0.3 km to the drive.

    Directions →
    Other map appsApple · Google · Organic Maps · OsmAnd (both work offline, no tracking) · Waze
    Show on map: SS Ethie wreck site ↑

  6. Stop 6: Western Brook Pond trailhead

    The trailhead for the walk in to Gros Morne's most photographed water, the landlocked fjord on half the province's postcards. Parks Canada and the boat operator describe the walk and the tour. The parking is right off the highway.

    Stopping here adds 0.3 km to the drive.

    Directions →
    Other map appsApple · Google · Organic Maps · OsmAnd (both work offline, no tracking) · Waze
    Show on map: Western Brook Pond trailhead ↑
⛽ Fuel and gravel, road by road ▾
  • Route 100 →Whole road: 3 fuel stations mapped, longest gap 63 km. Unpaved mapped: none; 0% has no surface tag, so unknown.
  • Route 1 →Whole road: 54 fuel stations mapped, longest gap 119 km. Unpaved mapped: none; 68% has no surface tag, so unknown.
  • Route 430 →Whole road: 17 fuel stations mapped, longest gap 97 km. Unpaved mapped: none; 44% has no surface tag, so unknown.

Drive measured Oct 19, 2026, Argentia ferry terminal to Cow Head. Your maps app gives the time on the day. How we measure

Add to a trip →Staying here? Days out ↓Ferry info: Marine Atlantic →

708.9 km. Off the ferry at Argentia to Cow Head, on Routes 100, 1 and 430.

When you get to Cow Head

Sunrise and sunset at Cow Head, by month
Month (the 15th)SunriseSunset
January8:13 am4:46 pm
February7:32 am5:38 pm
March7:36 am7:25 pm
April6:29 am8:13 pm
May5:35 am8:58 pm
June5:11 am9:31 pm
July5:28 am9:25 pm
August6:10 am8:41 pm
September6:56 am7:36 pm
October7:41 am6:31 pm
November7:33 am4:38 pm
December8:12 am4:20 pm

Worked out for the 15th of each month at this spot, in local time. The weather line at the top has today's.

Places to eat on the way

97 places to eat within 2 km of this drive, in the order you pass them.

The longest stretch with nothing mapped on it is 128.7 km — after Eddies Restaurant, until Big Stop Restaurant.

All 97, in the order you pass them — open the list
  • Mary Brown'srestaurantkm 45 · 835 m off the road
  • A&Wfast foodkm 45
  • Tim Hortonscafékm 45.1 · 224 m off the road
  • Subwayfast foodkm 45.1 · 180 m off the road
  • Meghan's Restaurantrestaurantkm 92.3
  • Robin's Donutscafékm 116.5
  • Breen'srestaurantkm 116.8
  • Tim Hortonscafékm 143.3
  • Tim Hortonscafékm 143.3
  • Brownings Pubpubkm 145 · 1212 m off the road
  • Flannigans Pubpubkm 145 · 1229 m off the road
  • Pizza Delightrestaurantkm 145.1 · 1264 m off the road
  • Tim Hortonscafékm 146.6 · 593 m off the road
  • Mary Brown'sfast foodkm 146.6 · 676 m off the road
  • KFCfast foodkm 146.7 · 773 m off the road
  • McDonald'sfast foodkm 146.7 · 539 m off the road
  • Jungle Jim'srestaurantkm 146.7 · 488 m off the road
  • Jungle Jim'srestaurantkm 146.7 · 488 m off the road
  • Rod's Restaurantrestaurantkm 146.9 · 508 m off the road
  • Don Cherry's Sports Bar & Grillrestaurantkm 146.9 · 200 m off the road
  • A&Wfast foodkm 147 · 585 m off the road
  • A&Wfast foodkm 147 · 585 m off the road
  • Robin's Donutsfast foodkm 147.1 · 1142 m off the road
  • Snack shack.fast foodkm 176.2 · 624 m off the road
  • Happy Adventure Cafecafékm 214.8 · 1229 m off the road
  • Mary Brown'srestaurantkm 222.9
  • Family Pizzarestaurantkm 252.5 · 1870 m off the road
  • Copper Kettle Restaurantrestaurantkm 259.3
  • The Newfoundland Tea Co. Restaurant & Shoprestaurantkm 288.3 · 1906 m off the road
  • Swiss Chaletrestaurantkm 288.5 · 869 m off the road
  • Robin's Donutsfast foodkm 288.5 · 845 m off the road
  • Pizza Delightrestaurantkm 288.6 · 816 m off the road
  • Subwayfast foodkm 288.6 · 1036 m off the road
  • McDonald'sfast foodkm 288.6 · 1045 m off the road
  • Wing 'n Itrestaurantkm 288.6 · 1795 m off the road
  • KFCfast foodkm 288.8 · 1104 m off the road
  • Mystic Roomrestaurantkm 288.8 · 800 m off the road
  • Tim Hortonscafékm 288.8 · 1480 m off the road
  • Tim Hortonscafékm 288.8 · 1110 m off the road
  • The Shawarma Stationrestaurantkm 288.9 · 1143 m off the road
  • Ches's Fish & Chipsrestaurantkm 289 · 956 m off the road
  • Little Caesarsfast foodkm 289 · 1866 m off the road
  • DQ Grill & Chillfast foodkm 289.1
  • Lilly's Landing Family Restaurantrestaurantkm 289.3 · 986 m off the road
  • Jade Garden Restaurantrestaurantkm 289.3 · 869 m off the road
  • Grecofast foodkm 289.3 · 883 m off the road
  • Jumping Bean Coffee Companycafékm 289.4 · 974 m off the road
  • Tim Hortonscafékm 289.4
  • Louis Geesfast foodkm 289.4 · 809 m off the road
  • New Highlight Restaurantrestaurantkm 289.4 · 906 m off the road
  • Pizza Housefast foodkm 289.4 · 954 m off the road
  • East Ocean Restaurantfast foodkm 289.4 · 949 m off the road
  • Mary Brown'sfast foodkm 289.5
  • A&Wfast foodkm 289.8
  • Subwayfast foodkm 289.8
  • Riverside Dinerfast foodkm 311.1 · 600 m off the road
  • Irvingrestaurantkm 369.6
  • Tim Hortonscafékm 369.6
  • Furey's Trailway Take-Outfast foodkm 369.7 · 425 m off the road
  • KFCfast foodkm 382.7 · 488 m off the road
  • Greco Pizzafast foodkm 382.8 · 383 m off the road
  • Taiwanrestaurantkm 382.8 · 1240 m off the road
  • Juniper Kitchen and Bistrorestaurantkm 382.8 · 1259 m off the road
  • Sarah's Dinerrestaurantkm 382.9 · 1171 m off the road
  • A&Wfast foodkm 383.4 · 967 m off the road
  • Subwayfast foodkm 383.5 · 379 m off the road
  • McDonald'sfast foodkm 383.6 · 409 m off the road
  • Tim Hortonscafékm 383.6 · 519 m off the road
  • Burger Kingfast foodkm 383.6 · 721 m off the road
  • Wing'n Itrestaurantkm 383.6 · 1245 m off the road
  • War Wick'srestaurantkm 383.6 · 1338 m off the road
  • Tai Sun Restaurantrestaurantkm 383.6 · 403 m off the road
  • Donnini's Pizza & Donairrestaurantkm 383.6 · 422 m off the road
  • Dairy Queenfast foodkm 383.6 · 266 m off the road
  • Mary Brown'sfast foodkm 383.8 · 846 m off the road
  • Badger Diner & Motelrestaurantkm 412.4
  • Red Hawk Dinerrestaurantkm 412.7
  • Eddies Restaurantrestaurantkm 463.5
  • Big Stop Restaurantrestaurantkm 592.2 · 349 m off the road
  • Tim Hortonscafékm 592.3 · 1623 m off the road
  • Mary Brown'sfast foodkm 592.3 · 508 m off the road
  • Pizza Delightrestaurantkm 592.3 · 1584 m off the road
  • Subwayfast foodkm 592.3 · 1839 m off the road
  • A&Wfast foodkm 592.3 · 1744 m off the road
  • Wingn' itrestaurantkm 592.3 · 1148 m off the road
  • Tim Hortonfast foodkm 592.3 · 393 m off the road
  • Funland Resortrestaurantkm 599.3 · 937 m off the road
  • food truckfast foodkm 658.5 · 952 m off the road
  • Fisherman's Landingrestaurantkm 658.9 · 577 m off the road
  • Earle‘srestaurantkm 658.9 · 1940 m off the road
  • SunSet Cafécafékm 658.9 · 635 m off the road
  • Jackie‘sfast foodkm 658.9 · 1648 m off the road
  • Anchor Pubpubkm 658.9 · 566 m off the road
  • Oceansrestaurantkm 658.9 · 554 m off the road
  • Buoy & Arrowrestaurantkm 658.9 · 348 m off the road
  • Treasure Box Crafts & Cafecafékm 658.9 · 715 m off the road
  • Whale‘s Back Grub Hubrestaurantkm 678.1

Not ranked or complete, and nobody pays to be here. No opening hours: phone ahead. Open map data, swept 2026-10-18. How we measure · Add a missing place

New place to eat, or one that's missing? This list comes from OpenStreetMap, so nobody can pay to be on it. Add it to the map yourself (about twenty minutes on a phone), or email us the details and we'll put it on the map.

Short drives from Cow Head

An easy day out from Cow HeadOld Mail Road 4.5 km awayA walk: 2.4 km out and back · easyDirections from where your phone is now:
Directions →
Other map appsApple · Google · Organic Maps · OsmAnd (both work offline, no tracking) · Waze

Or any of these: nearest first, measured by road from Cow Head.

Distances by road, measured on OpenStreetMap October 16, 2026, from where this route ends. Your maps app gives the time on the day. How we measure

Doing it electric

Fast chargers on this drive
Goobies km 118, Port Blandford km 176, Glowertown km 224, Gander km 290, Bishop’s Falls km 373, South Brook km 465, Deer Lake km 594, Rocky Harbour km 660, Cow Head km 707
Longest stretch without one
129 km
South Brook → Deer Lake, of 708 km driven
Nearest fast charger to Cow Head
at Cow Head

Coming in 2026 (NL Hydro, 2026-10-22): Whitbourne (km 45) and Clarenville (km 144) and Gander (km 290) and Deer Lake (km 590). Not counted until it opens.

NL Hydro fast chargers within 3 km of the drive. Check the app for one that's working. Exported 2026-10-22. How we measure

Every route compared →NL Hydro: plan your road trip →

Paved or not, per the map

Mapped as unpaved
0.1 km
an unclassified road (0.06 km, 0.1 km from Cow Head)
Mapped as paved
35%
228.8 km of 708.9 km driven
No surface tag on the map
65%
427.7 km: surface not recorded

In a rental car: Hertz Canada’s terms say “use off paved roads or on roads which are not regularly maintained” voids the damage waiver. Check your own agreement. Hertz’s terms ↗. Source for these figures: OSRM driving profile, stored route query, with node annotations; OpenStreetMap surface tags via Overpass, checked 2026-10-19. Today's road conditions: 511.

Before you go

These change, so we link to the people who keep them up to date.

  • The crossing you arrive onSeasonal — Argentia is not the year-round crossing

    Port aux Basques runs through the winter; Argentia does not. Confirm the sailing first, because the other landing is on the far side of the island.

    marineatlantic.ca →

  • MooseYear round, worst between dusk and dawn

    The province says the likelihood of injury in a moose collision is twice as high between dusk and dawn as in daytime. This is 708.9 km, much of it unlit two-lane highway; plan the drive for daylight where you can.

    gov.nl.ca →

  • Road conditionsYear round, matters most November–April

    Conditions at one end of the island say little about the other. Check before you set off.

    511nl.ca →

Questions

How far is Cow Head from the Argentia ferry?＋

708.9 km from the ferry terminal to Cow Head.

What route do I take?＋

Routes 100, 1 and 430. Your maps app has the turns.

Do I need a car?＋

You came off the ferry with one, so this is your own drive.

No recorded track yet.Drove it? Send yours →

Put this map on your site

Run a place to stay, a tour or a town page on this drive? Add this map to your site. It shows your guests the drive and its distance. It is free, needs no account, and we keep the figures current.

<iframe src="https://fromtheairport.xyz/embed/arg-cow-head"
  width="100%" height="420" style="border:0" loading="lazy"
  title="Driving route: Argentia ferry terminal to Cow Head"></iframe>
Add ?lat=&lon=&label= to the URL to pin your own property on the map.

Every distance and coordinate on this page was checked against its source on October 19, 2026. Origin: OpenStreetMap node/605220569 — Argentia. Destination: OpenStreetMap node/1550469380 — Cow Head place node.

Going with someone?

Hear when iceberg season looks worth the trip

One or two emails a year: where icebergs are showing up, and which drive gets you there.

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