Abstract The interaction of tectonic plates has been used to predict the direction of tectonic stresses well away from plate boundaries. These studies have used individual stress indicators to infer trajectories of tectonic stress (maximum horizontal compression or MHC; e.g., Nakamura and others, 1977, 1980; Nakamura and Uyeda, 1980; Zoback and Zoback, 1980). The indicators are often derived from earthquake focal mechanisms (slip vectors and/or pressure, tension axes). Taking such data from a wide variety of mechanisms allows one to infer the orientation of the causative stress field (e.g., Angelier, 1979; Gephart and Forsyth, 1984) despite the fact that individual mechanisms are solely geometrical strain indicators that describe the orientation of the fault on which the earthquake occurred (McKenzie, 1969). Differences of up to 45° have been observed between the in situ stress indicators (borehole hydrofractures and breakouts) and the geometrical strain indicators (faults, earthquake focal mechanisms; Mount and Suppe, 1987; Zoback and others, 1987). With these preconditions in mind, we infer the directions for maximum horizontal compressive stress (MHC) from individual indicators for Alaska and its surroundings. Several studies have used stress and strain indicators to infer stress directions across the Alaska region. Nakamura and others (1977, 1980) used volcanic stress and geologic fault strain indicators, and Davies (1983), Biswas and others (1986), and Estabrook and others (1988) used earthquake focal mechanism strain indicators to infer stress trajectories across interior Alaska. Nakamura and others (1977, 1980), Nakamura and Uyeda (1980), and Biswas and others (1986) have proposed a transition from