Anchorage, Alaska
Encyclopedia
Anchorage is a unified home rule municipality
in the southcentral part of the U.S. state
of Alaska
. It is the northernmost major city in the United States
. With 291,826 residents in 2010 (and 374,553 residents within its Metropolitan Statistical Area
, which combines Anchorage with the neighboring Matanuska-Susitna Borough), it is Alaska's largest city and constitutes more than 40 percent of the state's total population; amongst the 50 states, only New York
has a higher percentage of residents who live in the state's largest city
.
Anchorage has been named All-America City
four times, in 1956, 1965, 1984/1985 and 2002, by the National Civic League
. It has also been named by Kiplinger
as the most tax friendly city in the United States.
Russian presence in south central Alaska was well established in the 19th century. In 1867, U. S. Secretary of State William H. Seward brokered a deal to purchase Alaska from a debt-ridden Imperial Russia for $7.2 million (about two cents an acre). The deal was lampooned by political rivals as "Seward's folly", "Seward's icebox" and "Walrussia." By 1888, gold was discovered along Turnagain Arm.
In 1912, Alaska became a United States territory. Anchorage, unlike every other large town in Alaska south of the Brooks Range, was neither a fishing nor mining camp. The area within tens of miles of Anchorage is barren of significant economic metal minerals; there is no fishing fleet operating out of Anchorage. While a number of Dena'ina settlements existed along Knik Arm for years, only two white
men, Bud Whitney and Jack Brown, were reported to have lived in the Ship Creek
valley in the 1910s prior to the large influx of settlers.
The city grew from its happenstance choice as the site, in 1914, of a railroad construction
port
for the Alaska Engineering Commission. Construction of the railroad, to be known as the Alaska Railroad
, continued until its completion in 1923. The area near the mouth of Ship Creek, where the railroad headquarters was located, quickly became a tent city
. A townsite was platted on higher ground to the south of the tent city, greatly noted in the years since for its order and rigidity compared with other Alaskan townsites. Anchorage was incorporated on November 23, 1920.
The city's economy in the 1920s and 1930s centered on the railroad. Col. Otto F. Ohlson, the Swedish
-born general manager of the railroad for nearly two decades, became a symbol of residents' contempt for the firm control he maintained over the railroad's affairs, which by extension became control over economic and other aspects of life in Alaska.
Between the 1930s and the 1950s, the city experienced massive growth as air transportation and the military
became increasingly important. Aviation operations in Anchorage commenced along the firebreak south of town (today's Delaney Park Strip
), which was also used by residents as a golf course
. An increase in air traffic led to clearing of a site directly east of townsite boundaries starting in 1929, which became Merrill Field
. Merrill Field served as Anchorage's primary airport during the 1930s and 1940s, when it was replaced by Anchorage International Airport upon its opening in 1951. Merrill Field still serves a significant amount of general aviation
traffic to this day.
Elmendorf Air Force Base and Fort Richardson were constructed in the 1940s, and served as the city's primary economic engine until the 1968 Prudhoe Bay discovery
shifted the thrust of the economy towards the oil industry. The 2005 Base Realignment and Closure process
led to the combining of the two bases (along with Kulis Air National Guard Base
) to form Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson
.
On March 27, 1964, Anchorage was hit by the magnitude 9.2 Good Friday Earthquake, which killed 115 Alaskans and caused $311 million ($1.8 billion in 2007 U.S. dollars) in damage. The earth-shaking event lasted nearly five minutes; most structures that failed remained intact the first few minutes, then failed with repeated flexing. It was the second largest earthquake in the recorded history of the world. Rebuilding dominated the remainder of the 1960s.
In 1968, oil was discovered in Prudhoe Bay
, and the resulting oil boom spurred further growth in Anchorage. In 1975, the City of Anchorage and the Greater Anchorage Area Borough (which includes Eagle River, Girdwood, Glen Alps, and several other communities) merged into the geographically larger Municipality of Anchorage. The city continued to grow in the 1980s, and capital projects and an aggressive beautification campaign took place.
, Stockholm
, Helsinki
and St. Petersburg
, but not as far north as Reykjavik
or Murmansk
. It is northeast of the Alaska Peninsula
, Kodiak Island
, and Cook Inlet
, due north of the Kenai Peninsula
, northwest of Prince William Sound
and the Alaska Panhandle
, and nearly due south of Mount McKinley
/Denali.
The city is on a strip of coastal lowland and extends up the lower alpine slopes of the Chugach Mountains
. Point Campbell, the westernmost point of Anchorage on the mainland, juts out into Cook Inlet
near its northern end, at which point it splits into two arms
.
To the south is Turnagain Arm, a fjord that has some of the world's highest tides. Knik Arm, another tidal inlet, lies to the west and north. The Chugach Mountains on the east form a boundary to development, but not to the city limits, which encompass part of the wild alpine territory of Chugach State Park
.
The city's seacoast consists mostly of treacherous mudflats. Newcomers and tourists are warned not to walk in this area because of extreme tidal changes and the very fine glacial silt
. Unwary victims have walked onto the solid seeming silt revealed when the tide is out and have become stuck in the mud. The two recorded instances of this occurred in 1961 and 1988.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the municipality has a total area of 1,961.1 square miles (5,079.2 km²); 1,697.2 square miles (4,395.8 km²) of which is land and 263.9 square miles (683.4 km²) of it is water. The total area is 13.46% water.
Boroughs and census areas adjacent to the Municipality of Anchorage are Matanuska-Susitna Borough
to the north, Kenai Peninsula Borough
to the south and Valdez-Cordova Census Area
to the east. The Chugach National Forest
, a national protected area
, extends into the southern part of the municipality, near Girdwood and Portage.
Anchorage has a subarctic climate
(the Köppen climate classification
is Dfc) but with strong maritime influences that moderate temperatures. Average daytime summer temperatures range from approximately 55–78 °F (12.8–25.6 C); average daytime winter temperatures are about 5–30 °F (-15–-1.1 C). Anchorage has a frost-free growing season that averages slightly over 101 days.
Average January low and high temperatures at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport
(PANC) are 9 to 22 °F (-12.8 to -5.6 C) with an average winter snowfall of 70.6 inches (179 cm). The 1954–1955 winter had 132.8 in (337.3 cm), which made it the snowiest winter on record. The coldest temperature ever recorded at the original weather station located at Merrill Field on the East end of 5th Avenue was -38 F on February 3, 1947.
Summers are typically mild (although cool compared to the contiguous US and even interior Alaska), and it can rain frequently. Average July low and high temperatures are 52–66 °F (11.1–18.9 C) and the hottest reading ever recorded was 86 °F (30 °C) on June 25, 1953. The average annual precipitation at the airport is 16.08 inches (408 mm). Anchorage's latitude
causes summer days to be very long and winter daylight hours to be very short. The city is often cloudy during the winter, which decreases the amount of sunlight experienced by residents.
Owing to its proximity to active volcanoes, ash hazards are a significant, though infrequent, occurrence. The most recent notable volcanic activiy centered on the multiple eruptions of Mt. Redoubt during March–April 2009, resulting in a 25000 feet (7,620 m) high ash cloud as well as ash accumulation throughout the Cook Inlet region. Previously, the most active recent event was an August 1992 eruption of Mount Spurr
, which is located 78 miles (126 km) west of the city. The eruption deposited about 3 mm (0.118110236220472 in) of volcanic ash on the city. The clean-up of ash resulted in excessive demands for water and caused major problems for the Anchorage Water and Wastewater Utility.
and 60 grizzly bear
s live in the area. Bears are regularly sighted within the city. Moose
are a common sight. In the Anchorage Bowl, there is a summer population of approximately 250 moose, increasing to as many as 1000 during the winter. They are a hazard to drivers, with over 100 moose killed by cars each year. Two people have been stomped to death by moose in recent years in Anchorage. Cross-country skiers and dog mushers using city trails have been charged by moose on numerous occasions; the Alaska Dept of Fish and Game has to kill some individual aggressive moose in the city every year. Mountain goat
s can be commonly sighted along the Seward Highway between Anchorage and Girdwood, and Dall sheep
are often viewed quite close to the road at Windy Point. Approximately 30 wolves
live in the Anchorage area, in 2007 several dogs were killed by wolves while on walks with their owners. There are also beaver
dams in local creeks, and it is common to see fox
es and kits in parking lots close to wooded areas in the spring. Along the Seward Highway headed toward Kenai, there are common sightings of whales in the Turnagain Arm. Lynx are occasionally sighted in Anchorage as well.
conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, White American
s made up 69.8% of Anchorage's population; of which 66.4% were non-Hispanic whites
. Blacks or African Americans
made up 6.3% of Anchorage's population; of which 6.1% were non-Hispanic blacks. American Indian
s and Alaska Natives made up 5.5% of the city's population; of which 5.3% were non-Hispanic.
Asian American
s made up 6.1% of the city's population; of which 6.0% were non-Hispanic. Pacific Islander American
s made up 1.0% of the city's population. Individuals from some other race made up 2.7% of the city's population; of which 0.1% were non-Hispanic. Individuals from two or more races
made up 8.5% of the city's population; of which 7.4% were non-Hispanic. In addition, Hispanics and Latinos
made up 7.7% of Anchorage's population.
As of the 2000 census, there were 260,283 people, 94,822 households and 64,099 families residing in the municipality. The population density was 153.4 per square mile (59.2/km²). There were 100,368 housing units at an average density of 59.1 per square miles (22.8/km²). The racial makeup of the municipality was 72.2% White
, 5.8% African American
, 7.3% Native American (a category that includes both Alaska Natives
and American Indians not of Alaskan origin
), 5.6% Asian
, 0.9% Pacific Islander
, 2.2% from other races, and 6.0% from two or more races. 5.7% were Hispanics or Latinos
of any race. 4.0% reported speaking Spanish
at home, while 1.5% speak Tagalog
and 1.4% Korean
.
There were 94,822 households out of which 38.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.1% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.4% were non-families. 23.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.19.
The age distribution was 29.1% under 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 33.9% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 5.5% who were 65 or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 101.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.4 males.
The median income for a household in the municipality was $55,546, and the median income for a family was $63,682. Males had a median income of $41,267 versus $31,747 for females. The per capita income
for the municipality was $25,287. About 5.1% of families and 7.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.8% of those under the age of 18 and 6.4% of those 65 and older.
As of September 7, 2006, 94 languages were spoken by students in the Anchorage School District.
s) and resource extraction. Large portions of the local economy depend on Anchorage's geographical location and surrounding natural resources. Anchorage's economy traditionally has seen steady growth, though not quite as rapid as many places in the lower 48 states
. With the notable exception of a real estate-related crash in the mid to late 1980s, which saw the failure of numerous financial institutions, it does not experience as much pain during economic downturns.
The Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport
(TSAIA) is the world's third busiest airport for cargo traffic, surpassed only by Memphis
and Hong Kong
. This traffic is strongly linked to Anchorage's location along "great circle
" routes between Asia and the lower 48. In addition, the airport has an abundant supply of jet fuel from in-state refineries located in North Pole
and Kenai
. This jet fuel is transported to the Port of Anchorage
, then by rail or pipeline to the airport.
The Port of Anchorage receives 95 percent of all goods destined for Alaska. Ships from Totem Ocean Trailer Express and Horizon Lines arrive twice weekly from the Port of Tacoma
in Washington. Along with handling these activities, the port is a storage facility for jet fuel from Alaskan refineries, which is utilized at both TSAIA and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson
(JBER).
The United States military used to have two large installations, Elmendorf Air Force Base and Fort Richardson, which originally stemmed from the branching off of the U.S. Air Force from the U.S. Army following World War II. In a cost cutting effort initiated by the 2005 BRAC proceedings
, the bases were combined. JBER was created, which also incorporated Kulis Air National Guard Base
near TSAIA. The combination of these three bases employ approximately 8,500 civilian and military personnel. These individuals along with their families comprise approximately ten percent of the local population. During the Cold War
, Elmendorf became an important base due to its proximity to the Soviet Union
, particularly as a command center
for numerous forward air stations established throughout the western reaches of Alaska (most of which have since closed).
While Juneau is the official state capital of Alaska, there are actually more state employees who reside in the Anchorage area. Approximately 6,800 state employees work in Anchorage compared to about 3,800 in Juneau. The State of Alaska purchased the Bank of America
Center (which it renamed the Robert B. Atwood Building
) to house most of its offices, after several decades of leasing space in the McKay Building (currently the McKinley Tower) and later the Frontier Building.
Tourists are drawn to Alaska every year and Anchorage is commonly the first initial stop for most travelers. From Anchorage people can easily head south to popular fishing locations on the Kenai Peninsula
or north to locations such as Denali National Park and Fairbanks
.
The resource sector, mainly petroleum
, is arguably Anchorage's most visible industry, with many high rises bearing the logos of large multinationals such as BP
and ConocoPhillips
. While field operations are centered on the Alaska North Slope
and south of Anchorage around Cook Inlet
, the majority of offices and administration are found in Anchorage. The headquarters building of ConocoPhillips Alaska
, a subsidiary of ConocoPhillips, is located in downtown Anchorage. It is also the tallest building in Alaska
. Many companies who provide oilfield support services are likewise headquartered outside of Anchorage but maintain a substantial presence in the city, most notably Arctic Slope Regional Corporation
and CH2M HILL
.
Four small airlines, Alaska Central Express
, Era Aviation
, Hageland Aviation Services
, and PenAir
, are headquartered in Anchorage. Alaska Airlines
, at one point headquartered in Anchorage, has major offices and facilities at TSAIA, including the offices of the Alaska Airlines Foundation. Prior to their respective dissolutions, airlines MarkAir
and Reeve Aleutian Airways
were also headquartered in Anchorage. The Reeve Building, at the corner of West Sixth Avenue and D Street, was spared the wrecking ball when the city block it sits on was cleared to make way for the 5th Avenue Mall
, and was incorporated into the mall's structure.
Anchorage does not levy a sales tax. It does, however, charge a 12% bed tax and an 8% tax on car rentals.
Located next to Town Square Park in downtown Anchorage, the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts
is a three-part complex, hosting numerous performing arts
events each year. The facility can accommodate more than 3,000 patrons. In 2000, nearly 245,000 people visited 678 public performances. It is home to eight resident performing arts companies and has featured mega-musical performed by visiting companies. The center also hosts the International Ice Carving Competition as part of the Fur Rendezvous festival
in February.
The Anchorage Concert Association brings 15 to 20 events to the community each winter, including Broadway shows like Disney's The Lion King and Mamma Mia! The Sitka Summer Music Festival presents an "Autumn Classics" festival of chamber music for two weeks each September on the campus of Alaska Pacific University.
Annually in January, the Anchorage Folk Festival takes place at the University of Alaska, Anchorage, featuring concerts, dances, and workshops with featured guest artists and over 130 performances by volunteer singers, dancers, musicians, and storytellers.
The city of Anchorage currently provides three municipal facilities large enough to hold major events such as concerts, trade shows and conventions. Downtown facilities include the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts
, William A. Egan Civic & Convention Center
and the recently completed Dena’ina Civic and Convention Center
, which will be connected via skybridge
to form the Anchorage Civic & Convention District. The Sullivan Arena
hosts sporting events as well concerts and annual trade shows. The Anchorage Football Stadium
and Mulcahy Stadium
are also noteworthy sports venues
Anchorage is the home of two teams in the Alaska Baseball League
. The Anchorage Bucs and Anchorage Glacier Pilots
both play at Mulcahy Stadium
.
Anchorage currently has two professional sports teams: the Alaska Aces of hockey's ECHL
; and the Alaska Wild
, a member of the Indoor Football League
.
The University of Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves are a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association
. UAA has Division I teams in gymnastics
and hockey, as well as several other Division II teams. There are four rugby
clubs, including the Bird Creek Barbarians RFC, Anchorage Thunderbirds, Mat Valley Maulers RFC, and Spenard Green Dragons. The season runs from April through September.
The Anchorage Northern Knights
gained national attention when they joined the eight-team Eastern Basketball Association in 1977, a league whose nearest competitor was 5000 miles (8,046.7 km) from Anchorage. The Knights captured the 1979–80 league championship, and featured several players who would play in the NBA, most notably Brad Davis
, a future player and broadcaster for the Dallas Mavericks
. They competed in the renamed Continental Basketball Association for five seasons until the economic recession ended their run in 1982.
UAA sponsors the annual Great Alaska Shootout
, an annual NCAA Division I basketball tournament featuring colleges and universities from across the United States
along with the UAA team. Anchorage is the finish line for the Sadler's Ultra Challenge
wheelchair race, and holds the ceremonial start of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. The city was the U.S. candidate for hosting the 1992 and 1994 Winter Olympics, but lost to Albertville
, France
and Lillehammer
, Norway
respectively. Anchorage is a premier cross-country skiing city, in terms of density of groomed trails within the urban core. There are 105 miles (169 km) of maintained ski trails in the city, some of which reach downtown. The same trail system also provides access to Chugach State Park, a 495000 acres (200,319.6 ha) high alpine park. The Tour of Anchorage is an annual 50-kilometer ski race within the city. and is the Host for the 2009 and 2010 US Senior National Cross Country Ski Championship.
Anchorage is also home to Alaska's first WFTDA flat track woman's roller derby league, the Rage City Rollergirls.
and 11 member assembly
, with the assistance of a city manager
. These positions are non-partisan (as is the case with all municipal elected offices in Alaska), and thus no candidates officially run under any party banner. All eleven members are elected from districts known as sections. Five of the sections elect two members from designated seats, while the remaining section elects one member. Prior to the 1980 United States Census, the single-member section was the one centered around the northern Anchorage communities of Chugiak and Eagle River. Since that census, the area encompassing Downtown Anchorage and surrounding neighborhoods has served as the city's single-member section. The mayor (along with members of the school board) is elected in a citywide vote. In practice, however, the party affiliation and political ideology of major candidates are usually well known, and is highlighted by local media for the purposes of framing debate. The city's current mayor is Dan Sullivan
, a registered Republican
as well as the son of Anchorage's longest-serving mayor, George M. Sullivan
. Along with 7 sister cities in the SCI program, Anchorage has a cultural exchange program with the former Yugoslavia
nation of Montenegro
.
Anchorage generally leans toward Republican candidates in both state and presidential elections. However, since the establishment of the municipality in 1975, there have been two Democratic
mayors (Tony Knowles
and Mark Begich
) who have been elected to two consecutive terms. Downtown, Girdwood, and much of both the west and east parts of town trend Democratic. However, areas closest to the military bases – including Eagle River
– and south Anchorage are the most Republican areas of the Municipality. Midtown is relatively moderate by comparison.
Anchorage-Eagle River sends 16 representatives (currently six Republicans and 10 Democrats) to the 40-member Alaska House of Representatives
and eight senators (currently four Republicans and four Democrats) to the 20-member Senate. When seats from the neighboring Mat-Su Borough
are added, more than half of the Alaska state legislature comes from the Anchorage metropolitan area. This is often used as an argument in favor of moving the state capital from Juneau
to a location in the Anchorage area.
Voting trends show that Downtown Anchorage votes Democratic in large margins, while Spenard, Turnagain/Inlet View, and University/Airport Heights are relatively moderate and swing in elections. The remaining Anchorage area votes Republican.
With a reported strength of 383 sworn officers, the Anchorage Police Department is the largest police department in the state, serving an area of 159 square miles with a population of over a quarter million people. The Fire & EMS Operations Division of the Anchorage Fire Department (AFD) includes thirteen fire stations with over 300 personnel covering three rotating 24-hour shifts. Additionally, there are volunteer fire departments in Girdwood and Chugiak and fire departments on Elmendorf Air Force Base
and Fort Richardson, as well as the Airport
Police and Fire Department.
In 2005, the latest year for which data is available, Anchorage reported 735.6 violent crimes per 100,000 population and 4,116.1 property crimes per 100,000 population (see table). Anchorage's crime rate, both for violent and property crimes, is higher than for Alaska as a whole or for the U.S. as a whole. When compared with U.S. cities of similar size, Anchorage has a comparable rate of violent crime and a lower rate of property crime. Anchorage, and Alaska in general, have very high rates of sexual assault in comparison with the rest of the country, with Anchorage's annual rate of forcible rapes over twice as high as for the U.S. as a whole. Alaska Natives
are victimized at a much higher rate than their representation in the population.
The Anchorage Community Survey, a public survey conducted in 2004–2005 by the Justice Center at University of Alaska Anchorage
, found that overall, Anchorage residents are fairly satisfied with the performance of the Anchorage Police Department. Most survey respondents perceived the justice system to be "somewhat effective" or "very effective" at apprehending and prosecuting criminal suspects, bringing about just outcomes, and reducing crime.
operates the Anchorage Main Post Office on the grounds of Ted Stevens International Airport. In addition the service operates other post offices in Anchorage.
The National Transportation Safety Board
operates the Anchorage Field Office in Anchorage; it is the regional headquarters of the NTSB Aviation Alaska Region.
, Chugiak
, Fort Richardson and Elmendorf Air Force Base
is managed by the Anchorage School District
, the 87th largest district in the United States, with nearly 50,000 students attending 98 schools. There are also a number of choices in private education, including both religious and non-denominational schools.
Anchorage has four higher-education
facilities that offer bachelor's or master's degrees: the University of Alaska Anchorage
, Alaska Pacific University
, Charter College, and the Anchorage campus of Texas
-based Wayland Baptist University
. Other continuing education facilities in Anchorage include the Grainger Leadership Institute, Nine Star Enterprises, CLE International, Nana Worksafe, and PackBear DBA Barr & Co.
Ninety percent of Anchorage's adults have high-school diplomas, 65 percent have attended one to three years of college, and 17 percent hold advanced degrees
.
in Anchorage, Alaska Route 1
. Southbound from the Fairview neighborhood, it is known as the Seward Highway
, connecting Anchorage to the Kenai Peninsula
. Eastbound from the Mountain View neighborhood and then northerly through and beyond Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson
and Eagle River, it is known as the Glenn Highway
. Within the city center, Alaska Route 1 is known as Gambell and Ingra Streets, and East Fifth and East Sixth Avenues. With the exception of the Portage Glacier Highway and Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel
, which connects the Alaska Marine Highway
and Whittier
to the Seward Highway, there is no other road access to Anchorage. A portion of the Seward Highway, approximately 10 miles (16.1 km) long and stretching from 36th Avenue in midtown Anchorage to 154th Avenue near Potter Marsh, is built to freeway standards.
The Glenn Highway carries commuter traffic to and from Eagle River, Chugiak, and the Matanuska-Susitna Valley
cities of Palmer
and Wasilla. It also leads further to connect to the Richardson Highway
and Tok Cut-Off
, with further connections to the contiguous North American highway system via the Alaska Highway
. Beginning as a six-lane expressway near Merrill Field
and becoming a freeway near the Northway Mall (as well as being formally designated the Glenn Highway as opposed to East Fifth Avenue at this point), the highway reduces to four lanes where it crosses the Eagle River
. After leaving municipal limits, the freeway crosses the Knik
and Matanuska River
s as well as the Palmer Hay Flats State Game Refuge before coming to an interchange
with the George Parks Highway
(Alaska Route 3). The interchange, completed in 2004, continues the freeway along the Parks Highway. The freeway ends in the eastern reaches of Wasilla city limits; the Parks Highway continues to Fairbanks
. The Glenn Highway becomes a two-lane highway shortly beyond this interchange. Part of Alaska Route 1, as well as parts of other Alaska state highways, are eligible for federal funding under the Interstate Highway System
.
, in coordination with the Federal Highway Administration
and the Municipality of Anchorage (or the lineal predecessors of those entities), have been exploring the concept of a roadway connecting the endpoints of the Seward and Glenn highways. The project is called "Highway to Highway", and the most recent concept for this project is that of a "trenched" freeway through the heart of Anchorage.
Highway to Highway is included in the 2005 Long Range Transportation Plan, and would cost at least $575 million dollars (2005 dollars) – by far the largest urban infrastructure project in Alaska's history. The project is currently undergoing development of the Environmental Impact Statement as required by NEPA for all federal highway projects. This scoping process will cost around $18 million and will take approximately 3 years; expected to be completed by 2011.
and Muldoon Mall. The People Mover
provides carpool organization services. The public paratransit service known as AnchorRides provides point-to-point accessible transportation services to seniors and those who experience disabilities.
offers year-round freight service along the length of its rail system between Seward
(the southern terminus of the system), Fairbanks
(the northern terminus of the system), and Whittier
(a deep water, ice-free port). Daily passenger service is available during summer (May 15 – September 15), but is reduced to one round-trip per week between Anchorage and Fairbanks during the winter. Passenger terminals exist at Talkeetna
, Denali National Park
, Fairbanks
, and other places. These communities are also served by bus line from Anchorage. The Ship Creek Shuttle connects downtown with the Ship Creek area, including stops at the Alaska Railroad depot
.
Anchorage also is currently conducting a feasibility study on a commuter rail and light rail
system. For the commuter rail system, Anchorage would use existing Alaska Railroad tracks to provide service to Whittier
, Palmer
, Seward
, Wasilla
, and Eagle River
.
The Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport
, six miles (10 km) South from downtown Anchorage, is the airline hub for the state, served by many national and international airlines, including Seattle-based Alaska Airlines
as well as a many intrastate airlines and charter air services. The airport is the primary international air freight gateway in the nation, by weight. Twenty-six percent of the tonnage of U.S. international air freight moves through Anchorage. Next to Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport is Lake Hood Seaplane Base
, the largest Seaplane Base in the world. Merrill Field, a general aviation airport on the edge of downtown, was the 86th-busiest airport in the nation in 2006. There are also ten smaller private (mostly Department Of Transportation) general aviation airports within the city limits.
on Providence Drive in Anchorage is the largest hospital in Alaska and is part of Providence Health & Services in Alaska, Washington, Oregon
and California
. It features the state's most comprehensive range of services. Providence Health System has a history of serving Alaska, beginning when the Sisters of Providence first brought health care to Nome
in 1902. As the territory grew during the following decades, so did efforts to provide care. Hospitals were opened in Fairbanks
in 1910 and Anchorage in 1937.
Alaska Regional Hospital on DeBarr Road in Anchorage opened in 1958 as Anchorage Presbyterian Hospital, located downtown at 825 L Street (now home to the municipal health department). This predecessor to Alaska Regional was a joint venture between local physicians and the Presbyterian Church. In 1976 the hospital moved to its present location on DeBarr Road, and is now a 254-bed licensed and accredited facility. Alaska Regional has expanded services and in 1994, Alaska Regional joined with HCA
, one of the nation's largest healthcare providers.
Alaska Native Medical Center located on Tudor Road, provides medical care and therapeutic health care to Alaska natives – 229 tribes – at the Anchorage site and at 15 satellite facilities throughout the state. ANMC specialists also travel to clinics in the Bush
to provide care. The 150-bed hospital is also a teaching center for the University of Washington
's regional medical education program. ANMC houses an office of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
. The Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium
and Southcentral Foundation jointly own and manage ANMC.
The Municipal Light & Power (ML&P) and Chugach Electric Association provide electricity to the city. A municipally owned utility since 1932, ML&P supplies electric power to more than 30,000 residential and commercial customers in the Anchorage area. Chugach Electric Association is a not-for-profit, member-owned cooperative that was formed in 1948.
Most homes have natural gas
-fueled heat. ENSTAR Natural Gas Company is the sole provider for Anchorage, servicing some 90-percent of the city's population.
The Municipality of Anchorage owns and operates the Anchorage Water and Wastewater Utility, serving some 55,000 customer accounts with water from the glacier-influenced Eklutna Lake. Anchorage Municipal Solid Waste Services and Anchorage Refuse conduct trash removal in the city depending on location.
is the Anchorage Daily News
, a statewide daily newspaper. Other newspapers include the Alaska Star
, serving primarily Chugiak
and Eagle River
, the Anchorage Press
, a free weekly covering mainly cultural topics, and The Northern Light
, the student newspaper of the University of Alaska Anchorage
. Anchorage's major network television affiliates are KTUU
2 (NBC
), KTBY
4 (Fox
), KYES 5 (MyNetworkTV
), KAKM
7 (PBS
), KTVA
11 (CBS
), KYUR 13 (ABC
/CW), and KDMD
33 (Ion/Telemundo
). The city's only cable television provider is General Communication, Inc.
(GCI). However, Dish Network
and DirecTV
offer satellite television service in Anchorage and the surrounding area.
A fictional version of Anchorage is mentioned in the Fallout 3 DLC 'Operation Anchorage'.
There are many radio stations in Anchorage; see List of radio stations in Alaska for more information.
Consolidated city-county
In United States local government, a consolidated city–county is a city and county that have been merged into one unified jurisdiction. As such it is simultaneously a city, which is a municipal corporation, and a county, which is an administrative division of a state...
in the southcentral part of the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
. It is the northernmost major city in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. With 291,826 residents in 2010 (and 374,553 residents within its Metropolitan Statistical Area
Anchorage metropolitan area
The Anchorage Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of the Municipality of Anchorage and Matanuska-Susitna Borough in south central Alaska....
, which combines Anchorage with the neighboring Matanuska-Susitna Borough), it is Alaska's largest city and constitutes more than 40 percent of the state's total population; amongst the 50 states, only New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
has a higher percentage of residents who live in the state's largest city
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Anchorage has been named All-America City
All-America City Award
The All-America City Award is given by the National Civic League annually to ten cities in the United States.The oldest community recognition program in the nation, the award recognizes communities whose citizens work together to identify and tackle community-wide challenges and achieve uncommon...
four times, in 1956, 1965, 1984/1985 and 2002, by the National Civic League
National Civic League
The National Civic League is an American non-profit organization that advocates for transparency, effectiveness, and openness in local government...
. It has also been named by Kiplinger
Kiplinger
Kiplinger is a Washington, D.C.-based publisher of business forecasts and personal finance advice, available in print, online, audio, video and software products ....
as the most tax friendly city in the United States.
History
In 1912, Alaska became a United States territory. Anchorage, unlike every other large town in Alaska south of the Brooks Range, was neither a fishing nor mining camp. The area within tens of miles of Anchorage is barren of significant economic metal minerals; there is no fishing fleet operating out of Anchorage. While a number of Dena'ina settlements existed along Knik Arm for years, only two white
Caucasian race
The term Caucasian race has been used to denote the general physical type of some or all of the populations of Europe, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, Western Asia , Central Asia and South Asia...
men, Bud Whitney and Jack Brown, were reported to have lived in the Ship Creek
Ship Creek
Ship Creek is an Alaskan river that flows from the Chugach Mountains into Cook Inlet. The Port of Anchorage at the mouth of Ship Creek gave its name to the city of Anchorage that grew up nearby. The river lies entirely within the limits of the Municipality of Anchorage, Alaska....
valley in the 1910s prior to the large influx of settlers.
The city grew from its happenstance choice as the site, in 1914, of a railroad construction
Construction
In the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...
port
Port
A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....
for the Alaska Engineering Commission. Construction of the railroad, to be known as the Alaska Railroad
Alaska Railroad
The Alaska Railroad is a Class II railroad which extends from Seward and Whittier, in the south of the state of Alaska, in the United States, to Fairbanks , and beyond to Eielson Air Force Base and Fort Wainwright in the interior of that state...
, continued until its completion in 1923. The area near the mouth of Ship Creek, where the railroad headquarters was located, quickly became a tent city
Tent City
A tent city is a temporary housing facility made using tents. Informal tent cities may be set up without authorization by homeless people or protesters. As well, state governments or military organizations set up tent cities to house refugees, evacuees, or soldiers...
. A townsite was platted on higher ground to the south of the tent city, greatly noted in the years since for its order and rigidity compared with other Alaskan townsites. Anchorage was incorporated on November 23, 1920.
The city's economy in the 1920s and 1930s centered on the railroad. Col. Otto F. Ohlson, the Swedish
Swedes
Swedes are a Scandinavian nation and ethnic group native to Sweden, mostly inhabiting Sweden and the other Nordic countries, with descendants living in a number of countries.-Etymology:...
-born general manager of the railroad for nearly two decades, became a symbol of residents' contempt for the firm control he maintained over the railroad's affairs, which by extension became control over economic and other aspects of life in Alaska.
Between the 1930s and the 1950s, the city experienced massive growth as air transportation and the military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
became increasingly important. Aviation operations in Anchorage commenced along the firebreak south of town (today's Delaney Park Strip
Delaney Park Strip
The Delaney Park Strip is an 11-block park in the municipality of Anchorage, Alaska. It was originally Anchorage's airfield.-Park History:Known to the Anchorage community as the Park Strip, Delaney Park is the oldest park in the city...
), which was also used by residents as a golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
. An increase in air traffic led to clearing of a site directly east of townsite boundaries starting in 1929, which became Merrill Field
Merrill Field
Merrill Field is a public-use general aviation airport located one mile east of downtown Anchorage in the U.S. state of Alaska. The airport is owned by Municipality of Anchorage....
. Merrill Field served as Anchorage's primary airport during the 1930s and 1940s, when it was replaced by Anchorage International Airport upon its opening in 1951. Merrill Field still serves a significant amount of general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
traffic to this day.
Elmendorf Air Force Base and Fort Richardson were constructed in the 1940s, and served as the city's primary economic engine until the 1968 Prudhoe Bay discovery
Prudhoe Bay oil field
Prudhoe Bay Oil Field is a large oil field on Alaska's North Slope. It is the largest oil field in both the United States and in North America, covering and originally containing approximately of oil.. BP. August 2006...
shifted the thrust of the economy towards the oil industry. The 2005 Base Realignment and Closure process
Base Realignment and Closure, 2005
The preliminary 2005 Base Realignment and Closure list was released by the United States Department of Defense on May 13, 2005. It is the fifth Base Realignment and Closure proposal generated since the process was created in 1988. It recommends closing 33 major United States military bases and...
led to the combining of the two bases (along with Kulis Air National Guard Base
Kulis Air National Guard Base
Kulis Air National Guard Base was a National Guard of the United States facility in Anchorage, Alaska. The facility adjacent to and south of Ted Stevens International Airport was home to the 176th Wing of the Alaska Air National Guard until that unit moved to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in...
) to form Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson is a United States military facility adjacent to Anchorage, the largest city in Alaska. It is an amalgamation of the former United States Air Force Elmendorf Air Force Base and the United States Army Fort Richardson, which were merged in 2010.-Overview:The...
.
In 1968, oil was discovered in Prudhoe Bay
Prudhoe Bay, Alaska
Prudhoe Bay or Sagavanirktok is a census-designated place located in North Slope Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. As of the 2010 census, the population of the CDP was 2,174 people; however, at any given time several thousand transient workers support the Prudhoe Bay oil field...
, and the resulting oil boom spurred further growth in Anchorage. In 1975, the City of Anchorage and the Greater Anchorage Area Borough (which includes Eagle River, Girdwood, Glen Alps, and several other communities) merged into the geographically larger Municipality of Anchorage. The city continued to grow in the 1980s, and capital projects and an aggressive beautification campaign took place.
Geography
Anchorage is located in Southcentral Alaska. At 61 degrees North, it lies slightly farther north than OsloOslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
and St. Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
, but not as far north as Reykjavik
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
or Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk is a city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It serves as a seaport and is located in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland...
. It is northeast of the Alaska Peninsula
Alaska Peninsula
The Alaska Peninsula is a peninsula extending about to the southwest from the mainland of Alaska and ending in the Aleutian Islands. The peninsula separates the Pacific Ocean from Bristol Bay, an arm of the Bering Sea....
, Kodiak Island
Kodiak Island
Kodiak Island is a large island on the south coast of the U.S. state of Alaska, separated from the Alaska mainland by the Shelikof Strait. The largest island in the Kodiak Archipelago, Kodiak Island is the second largest island in the United States and the 80th largest island in the world, with an...
, and Cook Inlet
Cook Inlet
Cook Inlet stretches from the Gulf of Alaska to Anchorage in south-central Alaska. Cook Inlet branches into the Knik Arm and Turnagain Arm at its northern end, almost surrounding Anchorage....
, due north of the Kenai Peninsula
Kenai Peninsula
The Kenai Peninsula is a large peninsula jutting from the southern coast of Alaska in the United States. The name Kenai is probably derived from Kenayskaya, the Russian name for Cook Inlet, which borders the peninsula to the west.-Geography:...
, northwest of Prince William Sound
Prince William Sound
Prince William Sound is a sound off the Gulf of Alaska on the south coast of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is located on the east side of the Kenai Peninsula. Its largest port is Valdez, at the southern terminus of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System...
and the Alaska Panhandle
Alaska Panhandle
Southeast Alaska, sometimes referred to as the Alaska Panhandle, is the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of Alaska, which lies west of the northern half of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The majority of Southeast Alaska's area is part of the Tongass National Forest, the United...
, and nearly due south of Mount McKinley
Mount McKinley
Mount McKinley or Denali in Alaska, United States is the highest mountain peak in North America and the United States, with a summit elevation of above sea level. It is the centerpiece of Denali National Park and Preserve.- Geology and features :Mount McKinley is a granitic pluton...
/Denali.
The city is on a strip of coastal lowland and extends up the lower alpine slopes of the Chugach Mountains
Chugach Mountains
The Chugach Mountains of southern Alaska are the northernmost of the several mountain ranges that make up the Pacific Coast Ranges of the western edge of North America. The range is about 500 km long, running generally east-west. Its highest point is Mount Marcus Baker, at , but most of its...
. Point Campbell, the westernmost point of Anchorage on the mainland, juts out into Cook Inlet
Cook Inlet
Cook Inlet stretches from the Gulf of Alaska to Anchorage in south-central Alaska. Cook Inlet branches into the Knik Arm and Turnagain Arm at its northern end, almost surrounding Anchorage....
near its northern end, at which point it splits into two arms
Arm (geography)
In geography, an arm is a narrow extension, inlet, or smaller reach, of water from a much larger body of water, like an ocean, sea, or lake. Although different geographically, a sound or bay may be called an arm....
.
To the south is Turnagain Arm, a fjord that has some of the world's highest tides. Knik Arm, another tidal inlet, lies to the west and north. The Chugach Mountains on the east form a boundary to development, but not to the city limits, which encompass part of the wild alpine territory of Chugach State Park
Chugach State Park
Chugach State Park is a 495,204-acre state park in the Municipality of Anchorage in the U.S. state of Alaska. Located in the Chugach Mountains just east of the Anchorage Bowl, it is a very popular recreation destination...
.
The city's seacoast consists mostly of treacherous mudflats. Newcomers and tourists are warned not to walk in this area because of extreme tidal changes and the very fine glacial silt
Silt
Silt is granular material of a size somewhere between sand and clay whose mineral origin is quartz and feldspar. Silt may occur as a soil or as suspended sediment in a surface water body...
. Unwary victims have walked onto the solid seeming silt revealed when the tide is out and have become stuck in the mud. The two recorded instances of this occurred in 1961 and 1988.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the municipality has a total area of 1,961.1 square miles (5,079.2 km²); 1,697.2 square miles (4,395.8 km²) of which is land and 263.9 square miles (683.4 km²) of it is water. The total area is 13.46% water.
Boroughs and census areas adjacent to the Municipality of Anchorage are Matanuska-Susitna Borough
Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska
-National protected areas:* Chugach National Forest * Denali National Park and Preserve ** Denali Wilderness * Lake Clark National Park and Preserve ** Lake Clark Wilderness -Demographics:...
to the north, Kenai Peninsula Borough
Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska
-National protected areas:* Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge ** Chiswell Islands** Tuxedni Wilderness* Chugach National Forest * Katmai National Park and Preserve ** Katmai Wilderness...
to the south and Valdez-Cordova Census Area
Valdez-Cordova Census Area, Alaska
Valdez-Cordova Census Area is a census area located in the state of Alaska, United States. As of the 2000 census, the population was 10,195. It is part of the unorganized borough and therefore has no borough seat...
to the east. The Chugach National Forest
Chugach National Forest
-External links:*****...
, a national protected area
Protected area
Protected areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognised natural, ecological and/or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the enabling laws of each country or the regulations of the international...
, extends into the southern part of the municipality, near Girdwood and Portage.
Climate
Subarctic climate
The subarctic climate is a climate characterized by long, usually very cold winters, and short, cool to mild summers. It is found on large landmasses, away from the moderating effects of an ocean, generally at latitudes from 50° to 70°N poleward of the humid continental climates...
(the Köppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
is Dfc) but with strong maritime influences that moderate temperatures. Average daytime summer temperatures range from approximately 55–78 °F (12.8–25.6 C); average daytime winter temperatures are about 5–30 °F (-15–-1.1 C). Anchorage has a frost-free growing season that averages slightly over 101 days.
Average January low and high temperatures at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport
Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport
-Top destinations:-Scheduled cargo airlines:-Top destinations:-Scheduled cargo airlines:-Top destinations:-Scheduled cargo airlines:-Inter-terminal:...
(PANC) are 9 to 22 °F (-12.8 to -5.6 C) with an average winter snowfall of 70.6 inches (179 cm). The 1954–1955 winter had 132.8 in (337.3 cm), which made it the snowiest winter on record. The coldest temperature ever recorded at the original weather station located at Merrill Field on the East end of 5th Avenue was -38 F on February 3, 1947.
Summers are typically mild (although cool compared to the contiguous US and even interior Alaska), and it can rain frequently. Average July low and high temperatures are 52–66 °F (11.1–18.9 C) and the hottest reading ever recorded was 86 °F (30 °C) on June 25, 1953. The average annual precipitation at the airport is 16.08 inches (408 mm). Anchorage's latitude
Latitude
In geography, the latitude of a location on the Earth is the angular distance of that location south or north of the Equator. The latitude is an angle, and is usually measured in degrees . The equator has a latitude of 0°, the North pole has a latitude of 90° north , and the South pole has a...
causes summer days to be very long and winter daylight hours to be very short. The city is often cloudy during the winter, which decreases the amount of sunlight experienced by residents.
Owing to its proximity to active volcanoes, ash hazards are a significant, though infrequent, occurrence. The most recent notable volcanic activiy centered on the multiple eruptions of Mt. Redoubt during March–April 2009, resulting in a 25000 feet (7,620 m) high ash cloud as well as ash accumulation throughout the Cook Inlet region. Previously, the most active recent event was an August 1992 eruption of Mount Spurr
Mount Spurr
Mount Spurr is a stratovolcano in the Aleutian Volcanic Arc of Alaska, named after United States Geological Survey geologist and explorer Josiah Edward Spurr, who led an expedition to the area in 1898...
, which is located 78 miles (126 km) west of the city. The eruption deposited about 3 mm (0.118110236220472 in) of volcanic ash on the city. The clean-up of ash resulted in excessive demands for water and caused major problems for the Anchorage Water and Wastewater Utility.
Wildlife
A diverse wildlife population exists in urban Anchorage and the surrounding area. Approximately 250 black bearsAmerican black bear
The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...
and 60 grizzly bear
Grizzly Bear
The grizzly bear , also known as the silvertip bear, the grizzly, or the North American brown bear, is a subspecies of brown bear that generally lives in the uplands of western North America...
s live in the area. Bears are regularly sighted within the city. Moose
Moose
The moose or Eurasian elk is the largest extant species in the deer family. Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a dendritic configuration...
are a common sight. In the Anchorage Bowl, there is a summer population of approximately 250 moose, increasing to as many as 1000 during the winter. They are a hazard to drivers, with over 100 moose killed by cars each year. Two people have been stomped to death by moose in recent years in Anchorage. Cross-country skiers and dog mushers using city trails have been charged by moose on numerous occasions; the Alaska Dept of Fish and Game has to kill some individual aggressive moose in the city every year. Mountain goat
Mountain goat
The Mountain Goat , also known as the Rocky Mountain Goat, is a large-hoofed mammal found only in North America. Despite its vernacular name, it is not a member of Capra, the genus of true goats...
s can be commonly sighted along the Seward Highway between Anchorage and Girdwood, and Dall sheep
Dall Sheep
The Dall sheep , Ovis dalli, is a species of sheep native to northwestern North America, ranging from white to slate brown in color and having curved yellowish brown horns...
are often viewed quite close to the road at Windy Point. Approximately 30 wolves
Gray Wolf
The gray wolf , also known as the wolf, is the largest extant wild member of the Canidae family...
live in the Anchorage area, in 2007 several dogs were killed by wolves while on walks with their owners. There are also beaver
Beaver
The beaver is a primarily nocturnal, large, semi-aquatic rodent. Castor includes two extant species, North American Beaver and Eurasian Beaver . Beavers are known for building dams, canals, and lodges . They are the second-largest rodent in the world...
dams in local creeks, and it is common to see fox
Fox
Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...
es and kits in parking lots close to wooded areas in the spring. Along the Seward Highway headed toward Kenai, there are common sightings of whales in the Turnagain Arm. Lynx are occasionally sighted in Anchorage as well.
Demographics
As of the 2005–2007 American Community SurveyAmerican Community Survey
The American Community Survey is an ongoing statistical survey by the U.S. Census Bureau, sent to approximately 250,000 addresses monthly . It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the decennial census...
conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, White American
White American
White Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa...
s made up 69.8% of Anchorage's population; of which 66.4% were non-Hispanic whites
Non-Hispanic Whites
Non-Hispanic Whites or White, Not Hispanic or Latino are people in the United States, as defined by the Census Bureau, who are of the White race and are not of Hispanic or Latino origin/ethnicity. Hence the designation is exclusive in the sense that it defines who is not included as opposed to who is...
. Blacks or African Americans
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
made up 6.3% of Anchorage's population; of which 6.1% were non-Hispanic blacks. American Indian
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
s and Alaska Natives made up 5.5% of the city's population; of which 5.3% were non-Hispanic.
Asian American
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
s made up 6.1% of the city's population; of which 6.0% were non-Hispanic. Pacific Islander American
Pacific Islander American
Pacific Islander Americans, also known as Oceanian Americans, are residents of the United States with original ancestry from Oceania. They represent the smallest racial group counted in the United States census of 2000. They numbered 874,000 people or 0.3 percent of the United States population...
s made up 1.0% of the city's population. Individuals from some other race made up 2.7% of the city's population; of which 0.1% were non-Hispanic. Individuals from two or more races
Multiracial American
Multiracial Americans, US residents who identify themselves as of "two or more races", were numbered at around 9 million, or 2.9% of the population, in the census of 2010. However there is considerable evidence that the real number is far higher. Prior to the mid-20th century many people hid their...
made up 8.5% of the city's population; of which 7.4% were non-Hispanic. In addition, Hispanics and Latinos
Hispanic and Latino Americans
Hispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...
made up 7.7% of Anchorage's population.
As of the 2000 census, there were 260,283 people, 94,822 households and 64,099 families residing in the municipality. The population density was 153.4 per square mile (59.2/km²). There were 100,368 housing units at an average density of 59.1 per square miles (22.8/km²). The racial makeup of the municipality was 72.2% White
White American
White Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa...
, 5.8% African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, 7.3% Native American (a category that includes both Alaska Natives
Alaska Natives
Alaska Natives are the indigenous peoples of Alaska. They include: Aleut, Inuit, Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian, Eyak, and a number of Northern Athabaskan cultures.-History:In 1912 the Alaska Native Brotherhood was founded...
and American Indians not of Alaskan origin
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
), 5.6% Asian
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
, 0.9% Pacific Islander
Pacific Islander American
Pacific Islander Americans, also known as Oceanian Americans, are residents of the United States with original ancestry from Oceania. They represent the smallest racial group counted in the United States census of 2000. They numbered 874,000 people or 0.3 percent of the United States population...
, 2.2% from other races, and 6.0% from two or more races. 5.7% were Hispanics or Latinos
Hispanic and Latino Americans
Hispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...
of any race. 4.0% reported speaking Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
at home, while 1.5% speak Tagalog
Tagalog language
Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a third of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by most of the rest. It is the first language of the Philippine region IV and of Metro Manila...
and 1.4% Korean
Korean language
Korean is the official language of the country Korea, in both South and North. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People's Republic of China. There are about 78 million Korean speakers worldwide. In the 15th century, a national writing...
.
There were 94,822 households out of which 38.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.1% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.4% were non-families. 23.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.19.
The age distribution was 29.1% under 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 33.9% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 5.5% who were 65 or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 101.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.4 males.
The median income for a household in the municipality was $55,546, and the median income for a family was $63,682. Males had a median income of $41,267 versus $31,747 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the municipality was $25,287. About 5.1% of families and 7.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.8% of those under the age of 18 and 6.4% of those 65 and older.
As of September 7, 2006, 94 languages were spoken by students in the Anchorage School District.
Economy
Anchorage's largest economic sectors include transportation, military, municipal, state and federal government, tourism, corporate headquarters (including regional headquarters for multinational corporationMultinational corporation
A multi national corporation or enterprise , is a corporation or an enterprise that manages production or delivers services in more than one country. It can also be referred to as an international corporation...
s) and resource extraction. Large portions of the local economy depend on Anchorage's geographical location and surrounding natural resources. Anchorage's economy traditionally has seen steady growth, though not quite as rapid as many places in the lower 48 states
Outside (Alaska)
In Alaska, Outside or the Outside refers to any non-Alaska location. Though commonly used by Alaskans to refer to other U.S. states, it may also refer to international locations distant from Alaska, including Canada, Great Britain and Russia...
. With the notable exception of a real estate-related crash in the mid to late 1980s, which saw the failure of numerous financial institutions, it does not experience as much pain during economic downturns.
The Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport
Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport
-Top destinations:-Scheduled cargo airlines:-Top destinations:-Scheduled cargo airlines:-Top destinations:-Scheduled cargo airlines:-Inter-terminal:...
(TSAIA) is the world's third busiest airport for cargo traffic, surpassed only by Memphis
Memphis International Airport
Memphis International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located three miles south of the central business district of Memphis, a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States....
and Hong Kong
Hong Kong International Airport
Hong Kong International Airport is the main airport in Hong Kong. It is colloquially known as Chek Lap Kok Airport , being built on the island of Chek Lap Kok by land reclamation, and also to distinguish it from its predecessor, the closed Kai Tak Airport.The airport opened for commercial...
. This traffic is strongly linked to Anchorage's location along "great circle
Great circle
A great circle, also known as a Riemannian circle, of a sphere is the intersection of the sphere and a plane which passes through the center point of the sphere, as opposed to a general circle of a sphere where the plane is not required to pass through the center...
" routes between Asia and the lower 48. In addition, the airport has an abundant supply of jet fuel from in-state refineries located in North Pole
North Pole, Alaska
North Pole is a small city in the Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, United States. It is part of the Fairbanks, Alaska metropolitan statistical area. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated its population as of July 1, 2009 at 2,226. The name "North Pole" is often applied to the entire area covered...
and Kenai
Kenai, Alaska
Kenai is a city in Kenai Peninsula Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 7,464...
. This jet fuel is transported to the Port of Anchorage
Port of Anchorage
The Port of Anchorage is a critical link between the U.S. state and Alaska, providing an estimated 90% of the merchandise cargo to 80% of Alaska's populated areas. The Port of Anchorage also provides essential fuel supplies to the Anchorge and southcentral area and serves as the entry point for...
, then by rail or pipeline to the airport.
Port of Tacoma
The Port of Tacoma is an independent seaport located in Tacoma, Washington. The port was created by a vote of Pierce County citizens on November 5, 1918...
in Washington. Along with handling these activities, the port is a storage facility for jet fuel from Alaskan refineries, which is utilized at both TSAIA and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson is a United States military facility adjacent to Anchorage, the largest city in Alaska. It is an amalgamation of the former United States Air Force Elmendorf Air Force Base and the United States Army Fort Richardson, which were merged in 2010.-Overview:The...
(JBER).
The United States military used to have two large installations, Elmendorf Air Force Base and Fort Richardson, which originally stemmed from the branching off of the U.S. Air Force from the U.S. Army following World War II. In a cost cutting effort initiated by the 2005 BRAC proceedings
Base Realignment and Closure, 2005
The preliminary 2005 Base Realignment and Closure list was released by the United States Department of Defense on May 13, 2005. It is the fifth Base Realignment and Closure proposal generated since the process was created in 1988. It recommends closing 33 major United States military bases and...
, the bases were combined. JBER was created, which also incorporated Kulis Air National Guard Base
Kulis Air National Guard Base
Kulis Air National Guard Base was a National Guard of the United States facility in Anchorage, Alaska. The facility adjacent to and south of Ted Stevens International Airport was home to the 176th Wing of the Alaska Air National Guard until that unit moved to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in...
near TSAIA. The combination of these three bases employ approximately 8,500 civilian and military personnel. These individuals along with their families comprise approximately ten percent of the local population. During the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, Elmendorf became an important base due to its proximity to the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, particularly as a command center
Alaskan Air Command
Alaskan Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force Major Command. Established in 1945 under the United States Army Air Forces, its mission was to organize and administer the air defense system of Alaska, exercise direct control of all active measures, and coordinate all passive means of...
for numerous forward air stations established throughout the western reaches of Alaska (most of which have since closed).
While Juneau is the official state capital of Alaska, there are actually more state employees who reside in the Anchorage area. Approximately 6,800 state employees work in Anchorage compared to about 3,800 in Juneau. The State of Alaska purchased the Bank of America
Bank of America
Bank of America Corporation, an American multinational banking and financial services corporation, is the second largest bank holding company in the United States by assets, and the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by market capitalization. The bank is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina...
Center (which it renamed the Robert B. Atwood Building
Robert B. Atwood Building
The Robert B. Atwood Building is an office building in Downtown Anchorage, Alaska. The building houses government offices for the State of Alaska. Standing at 20 stories and 81 m , it is the second-tallest building in Alaska. The building was formerly known as the Bank of America Center...
) to house most of its offices, after several decades of leasing space in the McKay Building (currently the McKinley Tower) and later the Frontier Building.
Tourists are drawn to Alaska every year and Anchorage is commonly the first initial stop for most travelers. From Anchorage people can easily head south to popular fishing locations on the Kenai Peninsula
Kenai Peninsula
The Kenai Peninsula is a large peninsula jutting from the southern coast of Alaska in the United States. The name Kenai is probably derived from Kenayskaya, the Russian name for Cook Inlet, which borders the peninsula to the west.-Geography:...
or north to locations such as Denali National Park and Fairbanks
Fairbanks
Fairbanks may refer to:Places in the United States*Fairbanks, Alaska, city*Fairbanks, California, unincorporated community in El Dorado County*Fairbanks, Mendocino County, California, former settlement*Fairbanks, Indiana, unincorporated community...
.
The resource sector, mainly petroleum
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
, is arguably Anchorage's most visible industry, with many high rises bearing the logos of large multinationals such as BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
and ConocoPhillips
ConocoPhillips
ConocoPhillips Company is an American multinational energy corporation with its headquarters located in the Energy Corridor district of Houston, Texas in the United States...
. While field operations are centered on the Alaska North Slope
Alaska North Slope
The Alaska North Slope is the region of the U.S. state of Alaska located on the northern slope of the Brooks Range along the coast of two marginal seas of the Arctic Ocean, the Chukchi Sea being on the western side of Point Barrow, and the Beaufort Sea on the eastern.The region contains the...
and south of Anchorage around Cook Inlet
Cook Inlet
Cook Inlet stretches from the Gulf of Alaska to Anchorage in south-central Alaska. Cook Inlet branches into the Knik Arm and Turnagain Arm at its northern end, almost surrounding Anchorage....
, the majority of offices and administration are found in Anchorage. The headquarters building of ConocoPhillips Alaska
ConocoPhillips Alaska
ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc. is a subsidiary of ConocoPhillips, with its headquarters in Anchorage, Alaska. The company has major lease holdings on the North Slope and is Alaska's largest producer of oil and gas, employing about 1,000 persons....
, a subsidiary of ConocoPhillips, is located in downtown Anchorage. It is also the tallest building in Alaska
Conoco-Phillips Building
The Conoco-Phillips Building is the tallest building in the U.S. state of Alaska at . Located in downtown Anchorage at 700 G Street, it has 22 floors and was completed in 1983. The Conoco-Phillips Building, along with the nearby Robert B...
. Many companies who provide oilfield support services are likewise headquartered outside of Anchorage but maintain a substantial presence in the city, most notably Arctic Slope Regional Corporation
Arctic Slope Regional Corporation
Arctic Slope Regional Corporation, or ASRC, is one of thirteen Alaska Native Regional Corporations created under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971 in settlement of aboriginal land claims. Arctic Slope Regional Corporation was incorporated in Alaska on June 22, 1972...
and CH2M HILL
CH2M Hill
CH2M Hill is an American-based global provider of engineering, construction, and operations services for corporations, nonprofits, and federal, state, and local governments. The firm is headquartered in Meridian, an unincorporated area of Douglas County, Colorado in the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan...
.
Four small airlines, Alaska Central Express
Alaska Central Express
Alaska Central Express is an airline based at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport in Anchorage, Alaska, USA. It is an Alaskan-owned cargo and small package express service...
, Era Aviation
Era Aviation
Era Alaska is an airline headquartered in Anchorage, Alaska, United States. It operates a network of services from Anchorage as part of an Alaska Airlines Partnership. Its primary hub is Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport.- History :...
, Hageland Aviation Services
Hageland Aviation Services
Hageland Aviation Services was a regional airline based in Anchorage, Alaska, USA. It serves nine destinations in Alaska and operates state wide charter services...
, and PenAir
PenAir
Peninsula Airways, doing business as PenAir, is an American airline headquartered in Anchorage, Alaska. It is Alaska's second largest commuter airline operating an extensive scheduled passenger and cargo service, as well as charter and medevac services...
, are headquartered in Anchorage. Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines is an airline based in the Seattle suburb of SeaTac, Washington in the United States. The airline originated in 1932 as McGee Airways. After many mergers with and acquisitions of other airlines, including Star Air Service, it became known as Alaska Airlines in 1944...
, at one point headquartered in Anchorage, has major offices and facilities at TSAIA, including the offices of the Alaska Airlines Foundation. Prior to their respective dissolutions, airlines MarkAir
MarkAir
MarkAir was a regional airline. It had its headquarters in Anchorage, Alaska, United States. It ceased operations and liquidated in 1995.-Former Code Data:* ICAO Code: MRK* IATA--BF* Callsign: MarkAir-History:...
and Reeve Aleutian Airways
Reeve Aleutian Airways
Reeve Aleutian Airways was an airline headquartered in Anchorage, Alaska, United States. It ceased operations on December 5, 2000.-Founding:...
were also headquartered in Anchorage. The Reeve Building, at the corner of West Sixth Avenue and D Street, was spared the wrecking ball when the city block it sits on was cleared to make way for the 5th Avenue Mall
5th Avenue Mall
5th Avenue Mall is an upscale shopping mall located in Downtown Anchorage, Alaska, United States. The mall has four levels with JCPenney and the only Nordstrom in Alaska as anchor stores.The mall is owned and administered by the Simon Property Group....
, and was incorporated into the mall's structure.
Anchorage does not levy a sales tax. It does, however, charge a 12% bed tax and an 8% tax on car rentals.
Arts
Alaska Center for the Performing Arts
The Alaska Center for the Performing Arts is a performance venue in downtown Anchorage in the U.S. state of Alaska. Opened in 1989, it entertains over 200,000 patrons annually, and consists of three theaters:...
is a three-part complex, hosting numerous performing arts
Performing arts
The performing arts are those forms art which differ from the plastic arts insofar as the former uses the artist's own body, face, and presence as a medium, and the latter uses materials such as clay, metal or paint which can be molded or transformed to create some physical art object...
events each year. The facility can accommodate more than 3,000 patrons. In 2000, nearly 245,000 people visited 678 public performances. It is home to eight resident performing arts companies and has featured mega-musical performed by visiting companies. The center also hosts the International Ice Carving Competition as part of the Fur Rendezvous festival
Fur Rendezvous Festival
The Fur Rendezvous Festival is an annual winter festival held in Anchorage, Alaska in late February...
in February.
The Anchorage Concert Association brings 15 to 20 events to the community each winter, including Broadway shows like Disney's The Lion King and Mamma Mia! The Sitka Summer Music Festival presents an "Autumn Classics" festival of chamber music for two weeks each September on the campus of Alaska Pacific University.
Annually in January, the Anchorage Folk Festival takes place at the University of Alaska, Anchorage, featuring concerts, dances, and workshops with featured guest artists and over 130 performances by volunteer singers, dancers, musicians, and storytellers.
- Alaska Native Heritage CenterAlaska Native Heritage CenterThe Alaska Native Heritage Center is an educational and cultural institution for all Alaskans, located in Anchorage, Alaska. The center opened in 1999. The Alaska Native Heritage Center shares the heritage of Alaska's 11 major cultural groups....
- Alaska Museum of Natural History
- Alaska Aviation Heritage MuseumAlaska Aviation Heritage MuseumThe Alaska Aviation Heritage Museum is located in Anchorage, Alaska. Its mission is to preserve, display, and honor Alaska's aviation heritage, by preserving and displaying historic aircraft, artifacts, and memorabilia, and to foster public interest in aviation and its history...
- Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center
- ImaginariumImaginariumAn imaginarium refers to a place devoted to the imagination. There are various types of imaginariums, centers largely devoted to stimulating and cultivating the imagination, towards scientific, artistic, commercial, recreational, or spiritual ends....
: Science Discovery Center - Oscar Anderson House MuseumOscar Anderson House MuseumThe Oscar Anderson House Museum is a historical museum located in downtown Anchorage in the U.S. state of Alaska. Currently located on M Street in Elderberry Park, the structure was built in 1915 by early Anchorage resident Oscar Anderson. Anderson claimed to be the 18th person to set foot on...
- Wells Fargo Alaska Heritage Library & Museum
The city of Anchorage currently provides three municipal facilities large enough to hold major events such as concerts, trade shows and conventions. Downtown facilities include the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts
Alaska Center for the Performing Arts
The Alaska Center for the Performing Arts is a performance venue in downtown Anchorage in the U.S. state of Alaska. Opened in 1989, it entertains over 200,000 patrons annually, and consists of three theaters:...
, William A. Egan Civic & Convention Center
William A. Egan Civic & Convention Center
The William A. Egan Civic & Convention Center, constructed in 1984 is named for Alaska's first governor William Allen Egan. The Egan Center is located in the heart of downtown Anchorage, Alaska on 5th Avenue between E street and F street...
and the recently completed Dena’ina Civic and Convention Center
Dena’ina Civic and Convention Center
The Dena'ina Civic and Convention Center is a convention center in downtown Anchorage, Alaska. The $111 million, facility opened in September 2008, early and within budget...
, which will be connected via skybridge
Skybridge
Skybridge may refer to:* an alternate term for skyway.* The bridge named Skybridge in Vancouver, Canada.* The bridge named Skye Bridge in Britain.* The bridge named Langkawi Sky Bridge in Malaysia.* The Skybridge Building in Chicago, United States....
to form the Anchorage Civic & Convention District. The Sullivan Arena
Sullivan Arena
The George M. Sullivan Arena is an arena in Anchorage, Alaska. The arena opened in 1983 and has a seating capacity of 8,700 for basketball, 6,251 for hockey...
hosts sporting events as well concerts and annual trade shows. The Anchorage Football Stadium
Anchorage Football Stadium
The Anchorage Football Stadium is a 4,500-seat stadium in Anchorage, Alaska used for American football, track and field, and soccer. Anchorage Football Stadium is located next to Mulcahy Stadium and Sullivan Arena...
and Mulcahy Stadium
Mulcahy Stadium
Mulcahy Stadium is a 3,500-capacity baseball park in Anchorage, Alaska. Built in 1964, it is home to two teams of the Alaska Baseball League: the Anchorage Glacier Pilots and Anchorage Bucs. In addition to the Glacier Pilots and Bucs, high school and American Legion games are played at Mulcahy. The...
are also noteworthy sports venues
Sports
National attention is focused on Anchorage on the first Saturday of each March, when the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race kicks off with its ceremonial start downtown on Fourth Avenue. Better known as simply "The Iditarod", the event is the longest sled dog race in the world. Anchorage is also home to the Fur Rendezvous Open World Championship Sled Dog Races, a three-day dogsled sprint event consisting of 3 timed races of 25.5 miles (41 km) each. Held each February, the event is part of the annual Fur Rendezvous, a winter sports carnival.Anchorage is the home of two teams in the Alaska Baseball League
Alaska Baseball League
The Alaska Baseball League is an amateur collegiate summer baseball league, with six teams located in four Alaskan cities. Players in the league must have attended one year of college and must have one year of NCAA eligibility remaining....
. The Anchorage Bucs and Anchorage Glacier Pilots
Anchorage Glacier Pilots
The Anchorage Glacier Pilots are a college summer baseball team in Anchorage, Alaska. They are part of the Alaska Baseball League, and a member of the National Baseball Congress....
both play at Mulcahy Stadium
Mulcahy Stadium
Mulcahy Stadium is a 3,500-capacity baseball park in Anchorage, Alaska. Built in 1964, it is home to two teams of the Alaska Baseball League: the Anchorage Glacier Pilots and Anchorage Bucs. In addition to the Glacier Pilots and Bucs, high school and American Legion games are played at Mulcahy. The...
.
Anchorage currently has two professional sports teams: the Alaska Aces of hockey's ECHL
ECHL
The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...
; and the Alaska Wild
Alaska Wild
The Alaska Wild was a professional indoor football team, a member of the Indoor Football League. The Alaska Wild played their home games in the Sullivan Arena in Anchorage, Alaska...
, a member of the Indoor Football League
Indoor Football League
The Indoor Football League began in 1999 as an offshoot of the troubled Professional Indoor Football League. Keary Ecklund, the owner of the Green Bay Bombers and Madison Mad Dogs, left the PIFL after its first, financially-troubled, season to start his own league. Unlike the PIFL, the IFL was an...
.
The University of Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves are a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
. UAA has Division I teams in gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
and hockey, as well as several other Division II teams. There are four rugby
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
clubs, including the Bird Creek Barbarians RFC, Anchorage Thunderbirds, Mat Valley Maulers RFC, and Spenard Green Dragons. The season runs from April through September.
The Anchorage Northern Knights
Anchorage Northern Knights
The Anchorage Northern Knights were a team in the Continental Basketball Association from 1977 to 1982.At the time they joined the league then known as the Eastern Basketball Association, the franchise attracted national attention as perhaps the most misplaced franchise in the history of...
gained national attention when they joined the eight-team Eastern Basketball Association in 1977, a league whose nearest competitor was 5000 miles (8,046.7 km) from Anchorage. The Knights captured the 1979–80 league championship, and featured several players who would play in the NBA, most notably Brad Davis
Brad Davis (basketball)
Bradley Ernest Davis is a retired professional basketball player who spent the bulk of his National Basketball Association career with the Dallas Mavericks.-Biography:...
, a future player and broadcaster for the Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
. They competed in the renamed Continental Basketball Association for five seasons until the economic recession ended their run in 1982.
UAA sponsors the annual Great Alaska Shootout
Great Alaska Shootout
The Great Alaska Shootout is an annual college basketball tournament in Anchorage, Alaska that features colleges from all over the United States. The University of Alaska Anchorage hosts the tournament every Thanksgiving. Tournament games are played at Sullivan Arena in Anchorage...
, an annual NCAA Division I basketball tournament featuring colleges and universities from across the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
along with the UAA team. Anchorage is the finish line for the Sadler's Ultra Challenge
Sadler's Ultra Challenge
The Sadler's Ultra Challenge is a wheelchair and handcycle race that runs between Fairbanks and Anchorage, Alaska. It is the world's longest wheelchair race. Divisions include Men's Handcycle , Men's Wheelchair, and Women's Handcycle. The 267 mile -long race is run in eight stages and...
wheelchair race, and holds the ceremonial start of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. The city was the U.S. candidate for hosting the 1992 and 1994 Winter Olympics, but lost to Albertville
Albertville
Albertville is a commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.The town is best known for hosting the 1992 Winter Olympics.-Geography:...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Lillehammer
Lillehammer
is a town and municipality in Oppland county, Norway, globally known for hosting the 1994 Winter Olympics. It is part of the traditional region of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Lillehammer. As of May 2011, the population of the town of Lillehammer was...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
respectively. Anchorage is a premier cross-country skiing city, in terms of density of groomed trails within the urban core. There are 105 miles (169 km) of maintained ski trails in the city, some of which reach downtown. The same trail system also provides access to Chugach State Park, a 495000 acres (200,319.6 ha) high alpine park. The Tour of Anchorage is an annual 50-kilometer ski race within the city. and is the Host for the 2009 and 2010 US Senior National Cross Country Ski Championship.
Anchorage is also home to Alaska's first WFTDA flat track woman's roller derby league, the Rage City Rollergirls.
Parks and recreation
Parks and gardens
- Alaska Native Heritage CenterAlaska Native Heritage CenterThe Alaska Native Heritage Center is an educational and cultural institution for all Alaskans, located in Anchorage, Alaska. The center opened in 1999. The Alaska Native Heritage Center shares the heritage of Alaska's 11 major cultural groups....
- The Alaska Botanical GardenAlaska Botanical GardenThe Alaska Botanical Garden is a 110 acre botanical garden located at 4601 Campbell Airstrip Road, Anchorage, Alaska, USA. The garden opened in 1993, is open year-round, and charges admission....
contains over 900 species of hardy perennials and 150 native plant species - Alaska ZooAlaska ZooThe Alaska Zoo is a zoo in Anchorage, Alaska located on of the Anchorage Hillside. It is a popular attraction in Alaska, with nearly 200,000 visitors per year.The zoo is currently home to more than 100 birds and mammals representing some 50 species...
- Alaska Wildlife Conservation CenterAlaska Wildlife Conservation CenterThe Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center is a conservation center dedicated to preserving Alaska's wildlife. The center is located on at the southern edge of Turnagain Arm and the entrance to Portage Valley in the Municipality of Anchorage....
- Delaney Park StripDelaney Park StripThe Delaney Park Strip is an 11-block park in the municipality of Anchorage, Alaska. It was originally Anchorage's airfield.-Park History:Known to the Anchorage community as the Park Strip, Delaney Park is the oldest park in the city...
- Kincaid ParkKincaid ParkKincaid Park is a municipal park in Anchorage, Alaska, located at 9401 W. Raspberry Road. The park is bounded on the South by Turnagain Arm, on the West by Knik Arm. Noted for Nordic skiing trails, in snowless months the park is frequented by runners, bikers, hikers, archers, dog-trainers,...
- Point Woronzof ParkPoint Woronzof ParkPoint Woronzof Park is a municipal park in Anchorage, Alaska. The park is excellent for backcountry skiing or snowshoeing in the winter, and biking or running in the summer....
- Earthquake Park
- Russian Jack Park
- Flattop Mountain Recreation AreaFlattop Mountain (Anchorage, Alaska)Flattop Mountain is a 3,510-foot mountain in the U.S. state of Alaska, located in Chugach State Park just east of urban Anchorage. It is the most climbed mountain in the state....
- Westchester Lagoon/Margaret Eagan Sullivan Park
- Valley of the Moon Park
- Lyn Ary Park
- Pop Carr Park
- Minnesota Park
- Fairview Lions Park
- Roosevelt Park
- Hanna Cove Park
- University Lake Park
- Goose Lake Park
- Conifer Park
- Muldoon Park
- McPhee Park
- Williwaw Park
- Connors Lake Park
- Jewel Lake Park
- Ocean View Park
- Cutty Sark Park
- Taku Lake Park
- BancroftHubert Howe BancroftHubert Howe Bancroft was an American historian and ethnologist who wrote and published works concerning the western United States, Texas, Mexico, Central America, British Columbia and Alaska.-Biography:...
Park - Campbell Park
- Meadow Park
- Storck Park
- Forsythe Park
- Charles Smith Park
- Al Miller Memorial Park
- Lloyd Steele and BaltoBaltoBalto was a Siberian Husky sled dog who led his team on the final leg of the 1925 serum run to Nome, in which diphtheria antitoxin was transported from Anchorage, Alaska, to Nenana, Alaska, by train and then to Nome by dog sled to combat an outbreak of the disease. The run is commemorated by the...
SeppalaLeonhard SeppalaLeonhard Seppala was a Norwegian born American Sled dog racer who participated the 1932 Winter Olympics. Seppala is considered the founder of the Siberian Husky breed. -Background:...
Parks - Tikishla Park (which includes the Scotty Gomez Skating Rink)
- Nunaka Valley Park
- Sitka Park
- Centennial Park
- Sand LakeSand Lake (Anchorage)In Anchorage, Sand Lake is the area surrounding Sand Lake, a stocked lake in the southwest part of the city. It is south of the Ted Stevens International Airport and Lake Spenard. The lake itself is located at and has a surface area of . It is one of the few big-city lakes in the world with...
Park - De La Vega Park
- Southport Park
- Ocean Bluff Park
- Ruth Arcand Park
- Meadow Park
- Abbott Loop Park
Recreational facilities
- Alpenglow Ski AreaAlpenglow at Arctic ValleyArctic Valley is a ski area located on Ski Bowl Road in Chugach State Park adjacent to Anchorage, Alaska.The area encompasses nearly with a base elevation of and rises to almost at Rendezvous peak. Arctic Valley has three chair lifts and four bowls...
- Alyeska ResortAlyeska ResortAlyeska Resort is a ski resort that is located in Girdwood, Alaska, approximately 27 miles from the city of Anchorage. Mount Alyeska is part of the Chugach mountain range...
- Hilltop Ski AreaHilltop Ski AreaHilltop Ski Area is a ski area in Anchorage, Alaska established in 1984. Located in Far North Bicentennial Park near Chugach State Park at the base of the Chugach Mountains, Hilltop Ski Area is owned and operated by Youth Exploring Adventure, Inc., an Anchorage nonprofit 501 organization...
- Kincaid ParkKincaid ParkKincaid Park is a municipal park in Anchorage, Alaska, located at 9401 W. Raspberry Road. The park is bounded on the South by Turnagain Arm, on the West by Knik Arm. Noted for Nordic skiing trails, in snowless months the park is frequented by runners, bikers, hikers, archers, dog-trainers,...
- Tony Knowles Coastal TrailTony Knowles Coastal TrailThe Tony Knowles Coastal Trail is an long trail along the coast of Anchorage, Alaska designated for non-motorized use. The trail runs from Second Avenue in downtown Anchorage and finishes in Kincaid Park. The trail is entirely paved and supports two-way traffic. Point Woronzof Park borders the...
Government and politics
Anchorage is governed by an elected mayorMayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
and 11 member assembly
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
, with the assistance of a city manager
City manager
A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city, in a council-manager form of city government. Local officials serving in this position are sometimes referred to as the chief executive officer or chief administrative officer in some municipalities...
. These positions are non-partisan (as is the case with all municipal elected offices in Alaska), and thus no candidates officially run under any party banner. All eleven members are elected from districts known as sections. Five of the sections elect two members from designated seats, while the remaining section elects one member. Prior to the 1980 United States Census, the single-member section was the one centered around the northern Anchorage communities of Chugiak and Eagle River. Since that census, the area encompassing Downtown Anchorage and surrounding neighborhoods has served as the city's single-member section. The mayor (along with members of the school board) is elected in a citywide vote. In practice, however, the party affiliation and political ideology of major candidates are usually well known, and is highlighted by local media for the purposes of framing debate. The city's current mayor is Dan Sullivan
Dan Sullivan (Alaska)
Daniel A. "Dan" Sullivan is the incumbent Mayor of Anchorage, Alaska, the state's largest city. He is a member of the Republican Party and the son of Anchorage's longest-serving mayor, George M. Sullivan. Prior to being elected mayor, he served the maximum of three consecutive terms on the...
, a registered Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
as well as the son of Anchorage's longest-serving mayor, George M. Sullivan
George M. Sullivan
George Murray Sullivan was an American politician from the state of Alaska who served as the Mayor of Anchorage from 1967 until 1981.-Early life:...
. Along with 7 sister cities in the SCI program, Anchorage has a cultural exchange program with the former Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
nation of Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
.
Anchorage generally leans toward Republican candidates in both state and presidential elections. However, since the establishment of the municipality in 1975, there have been two Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
mayors (Tony Knowles
Tony Knowles (politician)
Anthony Carroll Knowles is an American Democratic politician and businessman who served as the seventh Governor of Alaska from December 1994 to December 2002. Barred from seeking a third consecutive term as governor in 2002, he ran unsuccessfully for Senate in 2004 and again for governor in...
and Mark Begich
Mark Begich
Mark Peter Begich is the junior United States Senator from Alaska and a member of the Democratic Party. A former mayor of Anchorage, he served on the Anchorage Assembly for almost ten years prior to being elected mayor in 2003...
) who have been elected to two consecutive terms. Downtown, Girdwood, and much of both the west and east parts of town trend Democratic. However, areas closest to the military bases – including Eagle River
Eagle River
-Streams:In the United States:*Eagle River , any one of three rivers*Eagle River , a tributary of the Colorado River*Eagle River , a river flowing into Lake Superior*Eagle River , a tributary of the Wisconsin River...
– and south Anchorage are the most Republican areas of the Municipality. Midtown is relatively moderate by comparison.
Anchorage-Eagle River sends 16 representatives (currently six Republicans and 10 Democrats) to the 40-member Alaska House of Representatives
Alaska House of Representatives
The Alaska House of Representatives is the lower house in the Alaska Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Alaska. The House is composed of 40 members, each of whom represents a district of about 15,673 people . Members serve two-year terms without term limits...
and eight senators (currently four Republicans and four Democrats) to the 20-member Senate. When seats from the neighboring Mat-Su Borough
Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska
-National protected areas:* Chugach National Forest * Denali National Park and Preserve ** Denali Wilderness * Lake Clark National Park and Preserve ** Lake Clark Wilderness -Demographics:...
are added, more than half of the Alaska state legislature comes from the Anchorage metropolitan area. This is often used as an argument in favor of moving the state capital from Juneau
Juneau, Alaska
The City and Borough of Juneau is a unified municipality located on the Gastineau Channel in the panhandle of the U.S. state of Alaska. It has been the capital of Alaska since 1906, when the government of the then-District of Alaska was moved from Sitka as dictated by the U.S. Congress in 1900...
to a location in the Anchorage area.
| Year | Democrat Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 United States presidential election, 2008 The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365... |
57.5% | 39.7% |
| 2004 United States presidential election, 2004 The United States presidential election of 2004 was the United States' 55th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. Republican Party candidate and incumbent President George W. Bush defeated Democratic Party candidate John Kerry, the then-junior U.S. Senator... |
53.8% | 42.7% |
Voting trends show that Downtown Anchorage votes Democratic in large margins, while Spenard, Turnagain/Inlet View, and University/Airport Heights are relatively moderate and swing in elections. The remaining Anchorage area votes Republican.
Public safety
| Violent crimes per 100,000 pop. |
Property crimes per 100,000 pop. |
|
|---|---|---|
| Anchorage | 735.6 | 4,116.1 |
| Alaska | 631.9 | 3,612.5 |
| U.S. cities, pop. 100,000–249,999 |
616.2 | 4,648.4 |
| U.S. cities, pop. 250,000–499,999 |
1,015.0 | 5,584.9 |
| U.S. total | 469.2 | 3,429.8 |
With a reported strength of 383 sworn officers, the Anchorage Police Department is the largest police department in the state, serving an area of 159 square miles with a population of over a quarter million people. The Fire & EMS Operations Division of the Anchorage Fire Department (AFD) includes thirteen fire stations with over 300 personnel covering three rotating 24-hour shifts. Additionally, there are volunteer fire departments in Girdwood and Chugiak and fire departments on Elmendorf Air Force Base
Elmendorf Air Force Base
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson is a United States military facility adjacent to Anchorage, the largest city in Alaska. It is an amalgamation of the former United States Air Force Elmendorf Air Force Base and the United States Army Fort Richardson, which were merged in 2010.-Overview:The...
and Fort Richardson, as well as the Airport
Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport
-Top destinations:-Scheduled cargo airlines:-Top destinations:-Scheduled cargo airlines:-Top destinations:-Scheduled cargo airlines:-Inter-terminal:...
Police and Fire Department.
In 2005, the latest year for which data is available, Anchorage reported 735.6 violent crimes per 100,000 population and 4,116.1 property crimes per 100,000 population (see table). Anchorage's crime rate, both for violent and property crimes, is higher than for Alaska as a whole or for the U.S. as a whole. When compared with U.S. cities of similar size, Anchorage has a comparable rate of violent crime and a lower rate of property crime. Anchorage, and Alaska in general, have very high rates of sexual assault in comparison with the rest of the country, with Anchorage's annual rate of forcible rapes over twice as high as for the U.S. as a whole. Alaska Natives
Alaska Natives
Alaska Natives are the indigenous peoples of Alaska. They include: Aleut, Inuit, Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian, Eyak, and a number of Northern Athabaskan cultures.-History:In 1912 the Alaska Native Brotherhood was founded...
are victimized at a much higher rate than their representation in the population.
The Anchorage Community Survey, a public survey conducted in 2004–2005 by the Justice Center at University of Alaska Anchorage
University of Alaska Anchorage
The University of Alaska Anchorage is the largest school of the University of Alaska System, with about 16,500 students, about 14,000 of whom attend classes at Goose Lake, its main campus in Anchorage....
, found that overall, Anchorage residents are fairly satisfied with the performance of the Anchorage Police Department. Most survey respondents perceived the justice system to be "somewhat effective" or "very effective" at apprehending and prosecuting criminal suspects, bringing about just outcomes, and reducing crime.
Federal representation
The United States Postal ServiceUnited States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
operates the Anchorage Main Post Office on the grounds of Ted Stevens International Airport. In addition the service operates other post offices in Anchorage.
The National Transportation Safety Board
National Transportation Safety Board
The National Transportation Safety Board is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and incidents, certain types of highway crashes, ship and marine...
operates the Anchorage Field Office in Anchorage; it is the regional headquarters of the NTSB Aviation Alaska Region.
Education
Public education in Anchorage, Eagle RiverEagle River, Alaska
Eagle River is a community within the Municipality of Anchorage situated on the Eagle River for which it is named, between Fort Richardson and Chugach State Park in the Chugach Mountains. Its ZIP code is 99577...
, Chugiak
Chugiak, Alaska
Chugiak is an unincorporated community in the Municipality of Anchorage in the U.S. state of Alaska, situated approximately 20 miles northeast of downtown Anchorage. It is located between Eagle River to the south, and Eklutna to the north, and between Knik Arm to the west and the Chugach...
, Fort Richardson and Elmendorf Air Force Base
Elmendorf Air Force Base
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson is a United States military facility adjacent to Anchorage, the largest city in Alaska. It is an amalgamation of the former United States Air Force Elmendorf Air Force Base and the United States Army Fort Richardson, which were merged in 2010.-Overview:The...
is managed by the Anchorage School District
Anchorage School District
The Anchorage School District manages all public schools within the Municipality of Anchorage in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the 93rd largest school district in the United States, serving nearly 50,000 students at over 90 schools. As one of the United States' largest districts, it is often...
, the 87th largest district in the United States, with nearly 50,000 students attending 98 schools. There are also a number of choices in private education, including both religious and non-denominational schools.
Anchorage has four higher-education
Higher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
facilities that offer bachelor's or master's degrees: the University of Alaska Anchorage
University of Alaska Anchorage
The University of Alaska Anchorage is the largest school of the University of Alaska System, with about 16,500 students, about 14,000 of whom attend classes at Goose Lake, its main campus in Anchorage....
, Alaska Pacific University
Alaska Pacific University
Alaska Pacific University is a small liberal arts college located in Anchorage, Alaska, that emphasizes experiential and active learning...
, Charter College, and the Anchorage campus of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
-based Wayland Baptist University
Wayland Baptist University
Wayland Baptist University is private, coeducational Baptist university based in Plainview, Texas, U.S.A. Wayland Baptist has a total of fourteen campuses in four additional Texas cities, five other states, and the country of Kenya. On August 31, 1908, the university was chartered by the state of...
. Other continuing education facilities in Anchorage include the Grainger Leadership Institute, Nine Star Enterprises, CLE International, Nana Worksafe, and PackBear DBA Barr & Co.
Ninety percent of Anchorage's adults have high-school diplomas, 65 percent have attended one to three years of college, and 17 percent hold advanced degrees
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
.
Roads
There is one numbered state highwayState highway
State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...
in Anchorage, Alaska Route 1
Alaska Route 1
Alaska Route 1 is a state highway in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Alaska. It runs from Homer northeast and east to Tok by way of Anchorage...
. Southbound from the Fairview neighborhood, it is known as the Seward Highway
Seward Highway
The Seward Highway is a highway in the U.S. state of Alaska that extends 127 miles from Seward to Anchorage. It was completed in 1951 and runs through the scenic Kenai Peninsula and Turnagain Arm, for which it was designated an All-American Road by the U.S...
, connecting Anchorage to the Kenai Peninsula
Kenai Peninsula
The Kenai Peninsula is a large peninsula jutting from the southern coast of Alaska in the United States. The name Kenai is probably derived from Kenayskaya, the Russian name for Cook Inlet, which borders the peninsula to the west.-Geography:...
. Eastbound from the Mountain View neighborhood and then northerly through and beyond Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson is a United States military facility adjacent to Anchorage, the largest city in Alaska. It is an amalgamation of the former United States Air Force Elmendorf Air Force Base and the United States Army Fort Richardson, which were merged in 2010.-Overview:The...
and Eagle River, it is known as the Glenn Highway
Glenn Highway
-References:* Pasch, A. D., K. C. May. 2001. Taphonomy and paleoenvironment of hadrosaur from the Matanuska Formation in South-Central Alaska. In: Mesozioc Vertebrate Life. Ed.s Tanke, D. H., Carpenter, K., Skrepnick, M. W. Indiana University Press. Pages 219-236.-External links:**...
. Within the city center, Alaska Route 1 is known as Gambell and Ingra Streets, and East Fifth and East Sixth Avenues. With the exception of the Portage Glacier Highway and Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel
Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel
The Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel is a tunnel through Maynard Mountain in the U.S. state of Alaska. It links the Seward Highway south of Anchorage at the former town of Portage with the relatively isolated community of Whittier, a port for the Alaska Marine Highway...
, which connects the Alaska Marine Highway
Alaska Marine Highway
The Alaska Marine Highway or the Alaska Marine Highway System is a ferry service operated by the government of the U.S. state of Alaska. It has its headquarters in Ketchikan, Alaska....
and Whittier
Whittier, Alaska
Whittier is a city in the Valdez-Cordova Census Area, in the U.S. state of Alaska. As of 2006, the population was 177. The city is also a port for the Alaska Marine Highway.-Geography:...
to the Seward Highway, there is no other road access to Anchorage. A portion of the Seward Highway, approximately 10 miles (16.1 km) long and stretching from 36th Avenue in midtown Anchorage to 154th Avenue near Potter Marsh, is built to freeway standards.
The Glenn Highway carries commuter traffic to and from Eagle River, Chugiak, and the Matanuska-Susitna Valley
Matanuska-Susitna Valley
Matanuska-Susitna Valley is an area in Southcentral Alaska south of the Alaska Range about 35 miles north of Anchorage, Alaska....
cities of Palmer
Palmer, Alaska
Palmer is the borough seat of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough in the state of Alaska, USA. It is part of the Anchorage Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city is 5,937....
and Wasilla. It also leads further to connect to the Richardson Highway
Richardson Highway
The Richardson Highway is a highway in the U.S. state of Alaska, running 368 miles from Valdez to Fairbanks. It is marked as Alaska Route 4 from Valdez to Delta Junction and as Alaska Route 2 from there to Fairbanks. It is also connects segments of Alaska Route 1 between the Glenn Highway and the...
and Tok Cut-Off
Tok Cut-Off
The Tok Cut-Off is a highway in the U.S. state of Alaska, running 125 miles from Gakona Junction on the Richardson Highway, 14 miles north of Glennallen, to Tok on the Alaska Highway....
, with further connections to the contiguous North American highway system via the Alaska Highway
Alaska Highway
The Alaska Highway was constructed during World War II for the purpose of connecting the contiguous U.S. to Alaska through Canada. It begins at the junction with several Canadian highways in Dawson Creek, British Columbia and runs to Delta Junction, Alaska, via Whitehorse, Yukon...
. Beginning as a six-lane expressway near Merrill Field
Merrill Field
Merrill Field is a public-use general aviation airport located one mile east of downtown Anchorage in the U.S. state of Alaska. The airport is owned by Municipality of Anchorage....
and becoming a freeway near the Northway Mall (as well as being formally designated the Glenn Highway as opposed to East Fifth Avenue at this point), the highway reduces to four lanes where it crosses the Eagle River
Eagle River (Alaska)
There are three rivers named Eagle River in the U.S. state of Alaska.Eagle River in Anchorage flows northwest from Eagle Glacier to Eagle Bay in Cook Inlet, 15 km northeast of Anchorage. Its Dena'ina name was Yukla-hina. The Anchorage suburb of Eagle River is named after this river...
. After leaving municipal limits, the freeway crosses the Knik
Knik River
The Knik River is a 25-mile-long river in the U.S. state of Alaska. Its source is at Knik Glacier, from which it flows northwest and west and empties into the head of Cook Inlet's Knik Arm, near the mouth of the Matanuska River....
and Matanuska River
Matanuska River
The Matanuska River is a river, approximately 75 miles long, in Southcentral Alaska, United States. It drains a broad valley south of the Alaska Range known as the Matanuska-Susitna Valley....
s as well as the Palmer Hay Flats State Game Refuge before coming to an interchange
Interchange (road)
In the field of road transport, an interchange is a road junction that typically uses grade separation, and one or more ramps, to permit traffic on at least one highway to pass through the junction without directly crossing any other traffic stream. It differs from a standard intersection, at which...
with the George Parks Highway
George Parks Highway
The George Parks Highway , usually called simply the Parks Highway, runs 323 miles from the Glenn Highway 35 miles north of Anchorage to Fairbanks in the Alaska Interior...
(Alaska Route 3). The interchange, completed in 2004, continues the freeway along the Parks Highway. The freeway ends in the eastern reaches of Wasilla city limits; the Parks Highway continues to Fairbanks
Fairbanks
Fairbanks may refer to:Places in the United States*Fairbanks, Alaska, city*Fairbanks, California, unincorporated community in El Dorado County*Fairbanks, Mendocino County, California, former settlement*Fairbanks, Indiana, unincorporated community...
. The Glenn Highway becomes a two-lane highway shortly beyond this interchange. Part of Alaska Route 1, as well as parts of other Alaska state highways, are eligible for federal funding under the Interstate Highway System
Interstate Highway System
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, , is a network of limited-access roads including freeways, highways, and expressways forming part of the National Highway System of the United States of America...
.
Highway to Highway
On and off since the 1960s, the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public FacilitiesAlaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities
The Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities is a department within the government of Alaska. The Department of Transportation & Public Facilities provides for the safe movement of people and goods and the delivery of State services. It has its headquarters in Juneau.-External links:*...
, in coordination with the Federal Highway Administration
Federal Highway Administration
The Federal Highway Administration is a division of the United States Department of Transportation that specializes in highway transportation. The agency's major activities are grouped into two "programs," the Federal-aid Highway Program and the Federal Lands Highway Program...
and the Municipality of Anchorage (or the lineal predecessors of those entities), have been exploring the concept of a roadway connecting the endpoints of the Seward and Glenn highways. The project is called "Highway to Highway", and the most recent concept for this project is that of a "trenched" freeway through the heart of Anchorage.
Highway to Highway is included in the 2005 Long Range Transportation Plan, and would cost at least $575 million dollars (2005 dollars) – by far the largest urban infrastructure project in Alaska's history. The project is currently undergoing development of the Environmental Impact Statement as required by NEPA for all federal highway projects. This scoping process will cost around $18 million and will take approximately 3 years; expected to be completed by 2011.
Public transit
Anchorage has a bus system called People Mover, with a central hub in downtown Anchorage and satellite hubs at Dimond CenterDimond Center
Dimond Center is a shopping mall in Anchorage, Alaska, United States. At 728,000 ft² , it is the largest mall in the state of Alaska...
and Muldoon Mall. The People Mover
People Mover (Anchorage)
The People Mover is the public transportation agency that serves metropolitan Anchorage, Alaska. Owned by the Municipality of Anchorage, its primary operating area is within these boundaries...
provides carpool organization services. The public paratransit service known as AnchorRides provides point-to-point accessible transportation services to seniors and those who experience disabilities.
Rail
The Alaska RailroadAlaska Railroad
The Alaska Railroad is a Class II railroad which extends from Seward and Whittier, in the south of the state of Alaska, in the United States, to Fairbanks , and beyond to Eielson Air Force Base and Fort Wainwright in the interior of that state...
offers year-round freight service along the length of its rail system between Seward
Seward, Alaska
Seward is a city in Kenai Peninsula Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 3,016....
(the southern terminus of the system), Fairbanks
Fairbanks
Fairbanks may refer to:Places in the United States*Fairbanks, Alaska, city*Fairbanks, California, unincorporated community in El Dorado County*Fairbanks, Mendocino County, California, former settlement*Fairbanks, Indiana, unincorporated community...
(the northern terminus of the system), and Whittier
Whittier, Alaska
Whittier is a city in the Valdez-Cordova Census Area, in the U.S. state of Alaska. As of 2006, the population was 177. The city is also a port for the Alaska Marine Highway.-Geography:...
(a deep water, ice-free port). Daily passenger service is available during summer (May 15 – September 15), but is reduced to one round-trip per week between Anchorage and Fairbanks during the winter. Passenger terminals exist at Talkeetna
Talkeetna, Alaska
Talkeetna is a census-designated place in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska, United States. It is part of the Anchorage, Alaska Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the 2000 census the population was 772.-Geography:...
, Denali National Park
Denali National Park and Preserve
Denali National Park and Preserve is located in Interior Alaska and contains Denali , the highest mountain in North America. The park and preserve together cover 9,492 mi² .The longest glacier is the Kalhiltna glacier....
, Fairbanks
Fairbanks
Fairbanks may refer to:Places in the United States*Fairbanks, Alaska, city*Fairbanks, California, unincorporated community in El Dorado County*Fairbanks, Mendocino County, California, former settlement*Fairbanks, Indiana, unincorporated community...
, and other places. These communities are also served by bus line from Anchorage. The Ship Creek Shuttle connects downtown with the Ship Creek area, including stops at the Alaska Railroad depot
Anchorage (Alaska Railroad station)
The Anchorage Alaska Railroad station is the rail station at the center of the Alaska Railroad system at the junction of the two main lines their trains run on. It serves as the starting point for many tourists traveling on the luxury trains such as the Denali Star.-External links:*...
.
Anchorage also is currently conducting a feasibility study on a commuter rail and light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
system. For the commuter rail system, Anchorage would use existing Alaska Railroad tracks to provide service to Whittier
Whittier, Alaska
Whittier is a city in the Valdez-Cordova Census Area, in the U.S. state of Alaska. As of 2006, the population was 177. The city is also a port for the Alaska Marine Highway.-Geography:...
, Palmer
Palmer, Alaska
Palmer is the borough seat of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough in the state of Alaska, USA. It is part of the Anchorage Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city is 5,937....
, Seward
Seward, Alaska
Seward is a city in Kenai Peninsula Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 3,016....
, Wasilla
Wasilla, Alaska
Wasilla is a city in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, United States and the sixth-largest city in Alaska. It is located on the northern point of Cook Inlet in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley of the southcentral part of the state. The city's population was 7,831 at the 2010 census...
, and Eagle River
Eagle River, Alaska
Eagle River is a community within the Municipality of Anchorage situated on the Eagle River for which it is named, between Fort Richardson and Chugach State Park in the Chugach Mountains. Its ZIP code is 99577...
.
Air transport
Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport
-Top destinations:-Scheduled cargo airlines:-Top destinations:-Scheduled cargo airlines:-Top destinations:-Scheduled cargo airlines:-Inter-terminal:...
, six miles (10 km) South from downtown Anchorage, is the airline hub for the state, served by many national and international airlines, including Seattle-based Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines is an airline based in the Seattle suburb of SeaTac, Washington in the United States. The airline originated in 1932 as McGee Airways. After many mergers with and acquisitions of other airlines, including Star Air Service, it became known as Alaska Airlines in 1944...
as well as a many intrastate airlines and charter air services. The airport is the primary international air freight gateway in the nation, by weight. Twenty-six percent of the tonnage of U.S. international air freight moves through Anchorage. Next to Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport is Lake Hood Seaplane Base
Lake Hood Seaplane Base
Lake Hood Seaplane Base is a state-owned seaplane base located three nautical miles southwest of the central business district of Anchorage in the U.S. state of Alaska...
, the largest Seaplane Base in the world. Merrill Field, a general aviation airport on the edge of downtown, was the 86th-busiest airport in the nation in 2006. There are also ten smaller private (mostly Department Of Transportation) general aviation airports within the city limits.
- List of airports in the Municipality of Anchorage
Health and utilities
Providence Alaska Medical CenterProvidence Alaska Medical Center
Providence Alaska Medical Center is located at 3200 Providence Drive in Anchorage, Alaska, is Alaska's largest hospital, has 341 beds and more than 500 physicians on staff. It is a full-service facility, featuring the state's most advanced medical equipment and treatment systems available...
on Providence Drive in Anchorage is the largest hospital in Alaska and is part of Providence Health & Services in Alaska, Washington, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
and California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. It features the state's most comprehensive range of services. Providence Health System has a history of serving Alaska, beginning when the Sisters of Providence first brought health care to Nome
Nome, Alaska
Nome is a city in the Nome Census Area in the Unorganized Borough of the U.S. state of Alaska, located on the southern Seward Peninsula coast on Norton Sound of the Bering Sea. According to the 2010 Census, the city population was 3,598. Nome was incorporated on April 9, 1901, and was once the...
in 1902. As the territory grew during the following decades, so did efforts to provide care. Hospitals were opened in Fairbanks
Fairbanks
Fairbanks may refer to:Places in the United States*Fairbanks, Alaska, city*Fairbanks, California, unincorporated community in El Dorado County*Fairbanks, Mendocino County, California, former settlement*Fairbanks, Indiana, unincorporated community...
in 1910 and Anchorage in 1937.
Alaska Regional Hospital on DeBarr Road in Anchorage opened in 1958 as Anchorage Presbyterian Hospital, located downtown at 825 L Street (now home to the municipal health department). This predecessor to Alaska Regional was a joint venture between local physicians and the Presbyterian Church. In 1976 the hospital moved to its present location on DeBarr Road, and is now a 254-bed licensed and accredited facility. Alaska Regional has expanded services and in 1994, Alaska Regional joined with HCA
Hospital Corporation of America
Hospital Corporation of America is the largest private operator of health care facilities in the world, It is based in Nashville, Tennessee and is widely considered to be the single largest factor in making that city a hotspot for healthcare enterprise.-History:The founders of HCA include Jack C....
, one of the nation's largest healthcare providers.
Alaska Native Medical Center located on Tudor Road, provides medical care and therapeutic health care to Alaska natives – 229 tribes – at the Anchorage site and at 15 satellite facilities throughout the state. ANMC specialists also travel to clinics in the Bush
Bush Alaska
The Bush is a term Alaskans use to describe portions of their state that are not connected to the North America road network. A majority of Alaska's native populations live in the Bush, where they make their living in similar fashion to their ancestors....
to provide care. The 150-bed hospital is also a teaching center for the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
's regional medical education program. ANMC houses an office of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are a United States federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services headquartered in Druid Hills, unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, in Greater Atlanta...
. The Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium
Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium
The Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium is a non-profit health organization based in Anchorage, Alaska which provides health services to about 130,000 Alaska Natives and American Indians in Alaska...
and Southcentral Foundation jointly own and manage ANMC.
The Municipal Light & Power (ML&P) and Chugach Electric Association provide electricity to the city. A municipally owned utility since 1932, ML&P supplies electric power to more than 30,000 residential and commercial customers in the Anchorage area. Chugach Electric Association is a not-for-profit, member-owned cooperative that was formed in 1948.
Most homes have natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
-fueled heat. ENSTAR Natural Gas Company is the sole provider for Anchorage, servicing some 90-percent of the city's population.
The Municipality of Anchorage owns and operates the Anchorage Water and Wastewater Utility, serving some 55,000 customer accounts with water from the glacier-influenced Eklutna Lake. Anchorage Municipal Solid Waste Services and Anchorage Refuse conduct trash removal in the city depending on location.
Media
Anchorage's leading newspaperNewspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
is the Anchorage Daily News
Anchorage Daily News
The Anchorage Daily News is a daily newspaper based in Anchorage, Alaska, in the United States. It is often referred to colloquially as either "the Daily News" or "the ADN"...
, a statewide daily newspaper. Other newspapers include the Alaska Star
Alaska Star
The Alaska Star is a weekly newspaper in the Municipality of Anchorage in the U.S. state of Alaska. The Alaska Star serves communities north of the Anchorage Bowl, including Eagle River, Chugiak and Eklutna....
, serving primarily Chugiak
Chugiak, Alaska
Chugiak is an unincorporated community in the Municipality of Anchorage in the U.S. state of Alaska, situated approximately 20 miles northeast of downtown Anchorage. It is located between Eagle River to the south, and Eklutna to the north, and between Knik Arm to the west and the Chugach...
and Eagle River
Eagle River, Alaska
Eagle River is a community within the Municipality of Anchorage situated on the Eagle River for which it is named, between Fort Richardson and Chugach State Park in the Chugach Mountains. Its ZIP code is 99577...
, the Anchorage Press
Anchorage Press
The Anchorage Press is a free alternative weekly newspaper based in Anchorage, Alaska and owned by Wick Communications.Established in 1992 by Bill Boulay, Barry Bialik, and Nick Coltman as the Anchorage Bypass, it was renamed the Anchorage Press in 1994. It is published and distributed every...
, a free weekly covering mainly cultural topics, and The Northern Light
The Northern Light (college newspaper)
The Northern Light is the student produced newspaper at the University of Alaska Anchorage.The Northern Light began publication in September 1988, after the University of Alaska Anchorage and Anchorage Community College merged...
, the student newspaper of the University of Alaska Anchorage
University of Alaska Anchorage
The University of Alaska Anchorage is the largest school of the University of Alaska System, with about 16,500 students, about 14,000 of whom attend classes at Goose Lake, its main campus in Anchorage....
. Anchorage's major network television affiliates are KTUU
KTUU-TV
KTUU-TV is an NBC affiliated television station serving Anchorage, Alaska. The station is owned by Schurz Communications of South Bend, Indiana....
2 (NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
), KTBY
KTBY
KTBY, Fox 4, is a Fox affiliated television station serving Anchorage, Alaska. The station is owned by Coastal Television Broadcasting Company, LLC....
4 (Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
), KYES 5 (MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV is a television broadcast syndication service in the United States, owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a division of News Corporation...
), KAKM
KAKM
KAKM is a Public television station in Anchorage, Alaska, broadcasting locally on digital channel 8 as a PBS member station. The station is owned by Alaska Public Telecommunications, Inc., and is the only PBS station in Alaska that is not part of AlaskaOne. Its program is transmitted from Knik TV...
7 (PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
), KTVA
KTVA
KTVA, channel 11, is a station in Anchorage, Alaska. The station is the only television station owned by the MediaNews Group newspaper chain until a reorganization plan forced MediaNews to move the station to Affiliated Media, a holding company....
11 (CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
), KYUR 13 (ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
/CW), and KDMD
KDMD (TV)
KDMD is an Ion Television network affiliate in Anchorage, Alaska, operating on digital channel 32. The station is owned by Ketchikan Television, LLC...
33 (Ion/Telemundo
Telemundo
Telemundo is an American television network that broadcasts in Spanish. The network is the second-largest Spanish-language content producer in the world, and the second-largest Spanish-language network in the United States, behind Univision....
). The city's only cable television provider is General Communication, Inc.
General Communication, Inc.
General Communication Inc. is a telecommunications corporation operating in Alaska. Through its own facilities and agreements with other providers, GCI provides cable television service, Internet access, and wireline and cellular telephone service....
(GCI). However, Dish Network
Dish Network
Dish Network Corporation is the second largest pay TV provider in the United States, providing direct broadcast satellite service—including satellite television, audio programming, and interactive television services—to 14.337 million commercial and residential customers in the United States. Dish...
and DirecTV
DirecTV
DirecTV is an American direct broadcast satellite service provider and broadcaster based in El Segundo, California. Its satellite service, launched on June 17, 1994, transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States, Latin America, and the Anglophone Caribbean. ...
offer satellite television service in Anchorage and the surrounding area.
A fictional version of Anchorage is mentioned in the Fallout 3 DLC 'Operation Anchorage'.
There are many radio stations in Anchorage; see List of radio stations in Alaska for more information.
See also
- Anchorage (song)Anchorage (song)"Anchorage" is a song by Michelle Shocked released as a single from her 1988 album Short Sharp Shocked. The song is about the narrator taking time out to write to an old friend, who has moved from Texas to Anchorage, and her friend's reply...
by singer Michelle ShockedMichelle ShockedMichelle Shocked is the stage name of Michelle Karen Johnston, an American singer-songwriter.-History:Shocked received her first international exposure in Europe, particularly Britain, with her debut album The Texas Campfire Tapes .Her first U.S...
. - List of aerospace museums
- List of tallest buildings in Anchorage
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Anchorage, AlaskaNational Register of Historic Places listings in Anchorage, AlaskaThis is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Anchorage, Alaska.This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Anchorage, Alaska, United States...
Further reading
- Preston Jones. City For Empire: An Anchorage History, 1914-1941 (University of Alaska Press, 2010) 214 pages