Anchorage Alaska

Anchorage first appeared in the census of 1920, it had a population of 1,856.

Anchorage Alaska is now the largest city in the U.S. largest state. Anchorage is home to around 300,000 people. It is home to around 40% of the state’s population. Only New York City rivals it as the city that hosts the largest share of its state’s population. Anchorage’s suburbs are home to another 100,000 people.

Geography

Anchorage sits on the waters of Prince William Sound, but it is surrounded by mountains. Six mountain ranges are visible from downtown Anchorage. The Chugach Mountains are in the east. Chugach State Park actually borders Anchorage and is one of the largest parks in the U.S. Mount McKinley, the tallest mountain in North America, is to the north. McKinley, also called Denali, is 20,320 feet high. The Kenai Mountains, Aleutian Mountains, Talkeetnas and Tordillos are visible from Anchorage.

The tidal flats around Anchorage are treacherous mud, and the area experiences high tides. Turnagain Arm, a fjord near Anchorage, has some of the highest tides in the world. Several tourists have gotten stuck in the fine mud before drowning in the incoming tides.
Anchorage is officially in the subarctic climate zone, though this is moderated by the coastal waters. It has a frost-free growing season of around 100 days. It averages 75 inches of snow per year. Summer temperatures reach 70 F, though the high is 86 F.

Government

The city of Anchorage, Alaska is actually called the Municipality of Anchorage. Anchorage the city merged with Girdwood, Eagle River and several other cities to become a larger municipality. The municipality covers 1,961 square miles.

Economy

Alaska is regularly rated the most tax-friendly state in the country by Kiplinger, since it lacks a state income tax or sales tax. Anchorage does have a municipal property tax.
Anchorage’s economy before the oil boom was based on transportation, dependent upon the railroad hub and port. In the 1930s and 1940s, the military grew in importance. The Joint Base Elmendork-Richardson or JBER still employs around 8,500 people, and military members and their families account for around 10% of the Anchorage population.

The discovery of oil in Prudhoe bay in 1968 led the Alaskan economy to shift from fishing, furs and commerce to oil. Many oil companies have headquarters in Anchorage.

Tourism, resource extraction and the transportation are major sources of employment in the area, such as the Ted Stevens International Airport, one of the busiest cargo airports in the world. The port handles 95% of the incoming shipments to the state of Alaska.
However, the Alaskan capital is Juneau despite repeated efforts to move it to Anchorage.
Anchorage hosts more municipal workers than Juneau.

History

The Athabascan tribe has historical roots in the Anchorage area. There are Athabascan tribal sites dated back to 1650, but their history in the area goes back much further.
Anchorage as a city was founded in 1914 when the Alaska Engineering Commission selected the site in 1914 as a railroad construction port.
Anchorage has a strong Russian influence. The Orthodox diocese of Alaska was founded when Alaska was part of Russia, and the Orthodox diocese of Alaska is the oldest in the nation.


Historical Tidbits

The most powerful earthquake ever recorded in North America struck Anchorage Alaska in 1964. It was the 9.2 on the Richter scale, the third largest earthquake ever recorded. The 1960 Valdivia earthquake is the first, while the Indian Ocean earthquake in 2004 was the second.