Anchorage, Alaska is a consolidated city-borough (officially called
the Municipality of Anchorage) in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the largest city in the state of Alaska, with 278,700 residents,
comprising more than two-fifths (with its metropolitan area[1], over 50%) of the state's total population.
Geography and climate
Geography
Anchorage is located at 61°13'06" North, 149°53'57" West (61,218333, -149,899167), in South Central Alaska (slightly farther north than Oslo,
Helsinki and St. Petersburg), northeast of the
Alaska Peninsula, Kodiak Island, and
Cook Inlet, due north of the Kenai Peninsula,
northwest of Prince William Sound and Alaska
Panhandle, and nearly due south of Mount McKinley/Denali.
The city is situated on a triangular peninsula bordered on the east by the Chugach Mountains, on the northwest by the Knik Arm, and on the
southwest by the Turnagain Arm, upper branches of the Cook Inlet, which itself is the
northernmost reach of the Pacific Ocean. Despite this, the city lacks coastal beaches, instead having wide, treacherous
mudflats. Adjacent to the north is Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska. To the south is Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska, and to the east is Valdez-Cordova Census Area, Alaska.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the municipality has a total area of 5,079.2 km² (1,961.1 mi²). 4,395.8 km²
(1,697.2 mi²) of it is land and 683.4 km² (263.9 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 13.46% water. The area of Anchorage is
thus larger than that of Rhode Island.[2]
Climate
Anchorage has a subarctic climate (the Köppen climate classification is Dfc) due to its short, cool summers. Average
daytime summer temperatures range from approximately 55 to 78 degrees Fahrenheit
(13 to 26 degrees Celsius); average daytime winter temperatures are about 5 to 30 degrees (-15
to -1 degrees Celsius).
Average January low and high temperatures at Ted Stevens
Anchorage International Airport (PANC) are 9 °F/22 °F (-13 °C/-5 °C) with an average winter snowfall of 70.60 inches
(179.3 cm).
The weather on any given day and indeed for entire seasons can be very unpredictable. Some winters feature several feet of
snow and cold temperatures, while others, just a foot or two of snow and frequent thaws, which put dangerous ice on the
streets.
On March 17, 2002, a record (St. Patrick's Day) snow storm dumped 28.6 inches (72.6 cm) of snow on
the Anchorage area in 24 hours, closing schools for the next two days. The storm broke the city record for a 24-hour snowfall and
the most snowfall in a single day.
The storm, which started the evening of March 16, easily surpassed the old record of 15.6
inches (39.6 cm) recorded on 28 December and 29
December 1955. On March 17, 24.6 inches (62.5 cm) were
measured by the National Weather Service, topping the old record of 15.6 inches (39.6 cm) set on 29
December 1955.The 1954-1955 winter had 132.8 inches (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 (-38.8 °C) on February 3, 1948.
Summers are typically mild (although cool compared to the contiguous US and even interior Alaska), though it can rain
frequently. There isn't any beach-bathing in Anchorage, except at a few local lakes on the warmest summer days, when those
lakeside beaches can be extremely popular. Average July low and high temperatures are 52 °F/66 °F (11 °C/19 °C) and the hottest
reading ever recorded was 92 °F (33.3 °C) on June 25, 1953. The
average annual precipitation at the airport is 16.07 inches (408 mm).
Because of Anchorage's latitude, summer days are very long and winter days are very short.
In addition, Anchorage is often very cloudy during the winter, which decreases the amount of sunlight experienced by
residents.[3]
| Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures |
| Month |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
Rec High
°F (°C) |
50 (10.0) |
48 (8.8) |
51 (10.6) |
69 (20.6) |
81 (27.2) |
85 (29.4) |
84 (28.9) |
82 (27.8) |
73 (22.8) |
62 (16.7) |
54 (12.2) |
48 (8.8) |
Norm High
°F (°C) |
22.2 (-5.4) |
25.8 (-3.4) |
33.6 (0.9) |
43.9 (6.6) |
54.9 (12.7) |
62.3 (16.8) |
65.3 (18.5) |
63.3 (17.4) |
55 (12.8) |
40 (4.4) |
27.7 (-2.4) |
23.7 (-4.6) |
Norm Low
°F (°C) |
9.3 (-12.6) |
11.7 (-11.3) |
18.2 (-7.7) |
28.7 (-1.8) |
38.9 (3.8) |
47 (8.3) |
51.5 (10.8) |
49.4 (9.7) |
41.4 (5.2) |
28.3 (-2.1) |
15.9 (-8.9) |
11.4 (-11.4) |
Rec Low
°F (°C) |
-34 (-36.7) |
-28 (-33.3) |
-24 (-31.1) |
-4 (-20.0) |
17 (-8.3) |
33 (0.6) |
38 (3.3) |
31 (-0.6) |
19 (-7.2) |
-5 (-20.6) |
-21 (-29.4) |
-30 (-34.44) |
Precip
in (mm) |
0.68 (17.3) |
0.74 (18.8) |
0.65 (16.5) |
0.52 (13.2) |
0.7 (17.8) |
1.06 (26.9) |
1.7 (43.2) |
2.93 (74.4) |
2.87 (72.9) |
2.09 (53.1) |
1.09 (27.7) |
1.05 (26.7) |
| Source: USTravelWeather.com [2] |
History and government
-
Anchorage as a tent city, 1915
Anchorage was laid out by city planners in 1914, originally as a railroad
construction port for the Alaska Railroad, which was built between 1915 and 1923. Ship Creek Landing, where the railroad
headquarters was located, quickly became a tent city; Anchorage was incorporated on November
23 1920. The city's economy in the 1920s centered around the railroad. Between the 1930s and
the 1950s, the city experienced massive growth as air transportation and the military became increasingly important. Merrill Field opened in 1930,
and Anchorage International Airport opened in 1951.
Elmendorf Air Force Base and Fort
Richardson were constructed in the 1940s.
On March 27, 1964, Anchorage was hit by the magnitude 9.2 Good Friday Earthquake, which
killed 115 Alaskans and caused $1.8 billion in damage (2007 U.S. dollars). Rebuilding dominated the city in the late 1960s.
In 1968, oil was discovered in Prudhoe Bay, and the resulting oil boom spurred
further growth in Anchorage. In 1975, Anchorage merged with Eagle River,
Girdwood, Glen Alps, and several other communities. The merger expanded the
city, known officially as the Municipality of Anchorage. The city continued to
grow in the 1980s, and capital projects and an aggressive beautification campaign took place.
Government
Anchorage is governed by an elected mayor and assembly,
and a city manager. The city's current mayor is Mark
Begich. Although Begich's party affiliation is Democratic,[3] the office of Anchorage mayor is non-partisan. Anchorage is a designated
census area.
Demographics
As of the 2000 census, there were 260,283 people, 94 822 households and 64
099 families residing in the municipality; all in all, the Anchorage Municipality is home to almost two-fifths of Alaska's
population. The population density was 59.2/km² (153.4/mi²). There were 100,368 housing units at an average density of 22.8/km²
(59.1/mi²). Anchorage is also the most ethnically diverse city in Alaska: the racial makeup of the municipality is approximately
72.23% White, 7.28% (apx. 19,000) Alaska Natives and
American Indians, 5.55% (approximately 14,500 people)
Asian Americans, 5.84% (apx. 15,200) African
Americans, 0.93% Pacific Islanders, 2.19% are from other races, and 5.98% were
from two or more races. 5.69% were Hispanic Americans or Latinos of any race. 4.00% reported speaking Spanish at home, while
1.49% speak Tagalog and 1.44% Korean.[4]
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.
In the city the population was spread out with 29.1% under the age of 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 years of age 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 city is $55,546, and the median income for a family is $63,682. Males have a median
income of $41,267 versus $31,747 for females. The per capita income for the city is
$25,287. 5.1% of families and 7.3% of the population are below the poverty line. Out
of the total population, 8.8% of those under the age of 18 and 6.4% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
As of September 7, 2006, 94 languages were spoken by students in the Anchorage School District.[5]
Infrastructure
Economy
Anchorage is a major port, receiving over 95% of all freight entering Alaska, as well as a hub of the Alaska Railroad. Major industries include government and military, Petroleum, and tourism. There are two U.S. military bases bordering Anchorage on the north: Elmendorf Air Force Base and Fort Richardson. Nearly
all Alaska Interior-bound tourists pass through Anchorage at some stage of their
journeys in Alaska. Not surprisingly, summer is tourist season,
and downtown Anchorage, as well as the highways leading north and south of town, are typically teeming with tourists.
- See also: List of foreign consulates in
Anchorage
Transportation
Aerial view of the Port of Anchorage on Cook Inlet
The Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, six
miles (10 km) from downtown Anchorage, is the airline hub for the state, served by many national airlines, including
Seattle-based Alaska Airlines and a number of international and interstate airlines. The
Alaska Railroad offers daily summer service to Seward, Talkeetna, Denali National Park and Fairbanks.
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 has a bus system called People Mover, with a central hub in downtown Anchorage and satellite hubs at Dimond Center and Muldoon Mall. People Mover also provides point-to-point van services to seniors and
those with disabilities, as well as carpool organization services.
There is one numbered state highway in Anchorage; Alaska Route 1 enters from the south on the Seward Highway and
leaves to the east on the Glenn Highway. This route is also eligible for federal funding as part of the Interstate Highway System, carrying Interstate
A-1 on the Glenn Highway and Interstate A-3 on the Richardson
Highway (both unsigned). A portion of the Seward Highway, approximately 10 miles (20 km) long (known as the New Seward Highway), is built to freeway standards. The six-lane Glenn Highway largely carries commuter traffic to and from Eagle River, Chugiak, and the Matanuska Valley towns of
Palmer and Wasilla. The highway becomes four
lanes from Eagle River to the junction with the Parks Highway (Alaska Route 3) near Wasilla, where the Route 1 freeway ends.
The Highway to Highway Connection is a $575 million plan for a limited-access highway link
between the Glenn and Seward highways, to pass through the Fairview, Mountain View, and Midtown neighborhoods.
Anchorage traffic department websites
Media
Newspapers
Anchorage's leading newspapers are the Anchorage
Daily News[6], a statewide daily newspaper, and
the Alaska Star[7], serving primarily Chugiak and Eagle River. The Anchorage Press[8] is a free weekly covering mainly cultural topics. The Northern Light[9] is the student newspaper of the University of Alaska
Anchorage.
Television
Anchorage is also well served by television. Anchorage's major network television affiliates are:
The Alaska Rural Communications Service provides some original programming and also "cherry-picks" retransmissions from among
the broadcast stations in Anchorage, though usually not KIMO except in very rare occasions (such as Iditarod coverage), to provide television service to remote areas.
Citywide cable TV and Internet service is provided by General Communication,
Inc. (GCI) There is no competing cable service; however, satellite and broadcast TV are widely available. Numerous local
and national Internet service providers serve the community.
Radio
See List of radio stations in Alaska.
Venues
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 soon to be 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.
Medical centers and hospitals
Providence Alaska Medical Center 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 1963 as Anchorage Presbyterian Hospital, located at 8th and L
Street downtown. 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 of Inuit and others - 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.
Public safety
Crime rate in Anchorage, 2005
compared with Alaska overall,
with cities of comparable population,
and with the U.S. overall
|
Rate of
violent crimes
per 100,000
population |
Rate of
property crimes
per 100,000
population |
| Anchorage[10] |
735.6 |
4,116.1 |
| Alaska[11] |
631.9 |
3,612.5 |
U.S. cities of population
100,000-249,999[12] |
616.2 |
4,648.4 |
U.S. cities of population
250,000-499,999[12] |
1,015.0 |
5,584.9 |
| U.S. total[11] |
469.2 |
3,429.8 |
Source of data: Uniform Crime Reports (UCR)
program of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The UCR program collects
data on certain types of crime reported to participating law enforcement agencies throughout the U.S. The UCR category of
violent crime includes of murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. The UCR
category of property crime includes burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson.
|
With an authorized strength of 544 sworn and civilian positions, the Anchorage Police Department is the largest police
department in the state, serving an area of nearly 200 square
miles (500 km²) with a population of over a quarter million people. The current chief of police is Rob Heun.
Other law enforcement agencies in Anchorage include the University Police Department at University of Alaska Anchorage, the Airport Police and Fire Department at
Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, and offices of
various federal agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation,
the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the
Drug Enforcement Administration, and others. The Alaska State Troopers have their headquarters in Anchorage.[13]
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.[14]
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.[15]
In 2005, Anchorage Police Department reported:[16]
| Violent crimes |
Property crimes |
| 18 |
murders |
1,783 |
burglaries |
| 224 |
rapes |
8,248 |
thefts |
| 384 |
robberies |
1,334 |
motor vehicle thefts |
| 1,407 |
aggravated assaults |
|
|
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.[17] 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.[18]
Education
Public education in Anchorage, Eagle River, Fort Richardson and Elmendorf Air Force Base is
managed by the Anchorage School District, the 81st largest district in the
United States, with nearly 50,000 students attending 88 schools. There are also a number
of choices in private education, including Anchorage Christian Schools, and
Grace Christian School, a K-12 community Christian school in south Anchorage.
Colleges and universities
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, placing Anchorage among
the top metropolitan cities in educational attainment.
Anchorage has four higher-education facilities that offer bachelor's or master's
degrees: the University of Alaska Anchorage,[19] Alaska Pacific University,
Charter College,[20] 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.
Utilities
Two electric companies provide service within the Municipality of Anchorage: Municipal
Light & Power (ML&P) and Chugach Electric Association. 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 Water and Wastewater Utility serving an approximate population base of
214,000. Anchorage Municipal Solid Waste Services and Anchorage Refuse conduct trash removal in the city depending on
location.
Culture and recreation
Arts
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. 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.
Museums
This statue of a generic sled dog, located at the intersection of Fourth Avenue and D Street, marks the starting line for the
Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.
Sports
The Sullivan Arena is home to the Alaska Aces of
the ECHL (formerly East Coast Hockey League). The city's only other professional franchise is the
Alaska Wild, an arena football team that began
playing with the Intense Football League in April 2007.
The Anchorage Bucs Baseball Club is a summer collegiate baseball team, attracting players from universities throughout the world. The Anchorage Glacier Pilots are a member of the National Baseball Congress. Both baseball clubs play at Mulcahy Stadium.
The University of Alaska Anchorage sponsors the annual
Great Alaska Shootout, an annual NCAA Division I basketball tournament featuring colleges and universities from
across the United States. The University of Alaska Anchorage also has a Men's Division I
hockey team that plays within the WCHA (Western Collegiate Hockey Association).
Anchorage is the finish line for a wheelchair race known as Sadler's Ultra Challenge. Divisions include Men's Handcycle (with
A, B, and C classes), Men's Wheelchair, and Women's Handcycle. The 267 mile (430 km)-long race is run in eight stages and takes six days to complete. The
annual competition began in 2001 and occurs in July of each year.
Anchorage holds the ceremonial start of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog
Race. Furthermore, Anchorage was also a candidate city for the 1992 and 1994 Winter
Olympics, which it lost to Albertville and Lillehammer respectively.
Recreational facilities
Parks and gardens
Notable residents
- Matt Carle, NHL hockey player for the San Jose Sharks
- Scott Gomez, NHL hockey player for the New York Rangers
- Trajan Langdon, American basketball player for CSKA Moscow
- Josh Phelps, MLB baseball player for the Pittsburgh Pirates
- Mark Schlereth, Former NFL guard
and current ESPN football analyst
- Dave Williams (baseball player), MLB pitcher for the New York Mets
- Shawn Chacon, Pitcher for the Pittsburgh
Pirates
- Ty Conklin, NHL goalie for the
Pittsburgh Penguins
- Curt Schilling, starting pitcher for the Boston Red
Sox
- James Morrison, actor, best known for his role of Bill Buchanan on 24
- Erik Ellington Professional Skateboarder
Sister cities
Anchorage has a number of Sister Cities:[36]
Notes and references
