Anchorage, Alaska

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Municipality of Anchorage
Flag Seal
Nickname: The City of Lights and Flowers
Motto: Big Wild Life
Location in the state of Alaska
Coordinates: 61°13′06″N 149°53′57″W / 61.21833, -149.89917
Country	United States
State	Alaska
Government
- Mayor	Mark Begich (D)
Area
- Municipality	1,961.1 sq mi (5,079.2 km²)
- Land	1,697.2 sq mi (4,395.8 km²)
- Water	263.9 sq mi (683.4 km²)
Elevation	102 ft (115 m)
Population (2006)
- Municipality	278,700
- Density	164.2/sq mi (63.4/km²)
- Metro	359,180
Time zone	AKST (UTC-9)
- Summer (DST)	AKDT (UTC-8)
Area code(s)	907
FIPS code	02-03000
GNIS feature ID	1398242
Website: [1]

Anchorage 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

First winter snowfall on the Chugach Mountains in September 2005

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, 1947.

Summers are typically mild (although cool compared to the contiguous US and even interior Alaska), though it can rain frequently. 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 daylight hours are very short. Anchorage is often cloudy during the winter, which decreases the amount of sunlight experienced by residents.^[3]

Anchorage, Alaska

History and government

Main article: History of Anchorage, Alaska

Anchorage as a tent city, 1915

Anchorage was established in 1914 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). The earth-shaking event lasted nearly five minutes; most structures that failed remained intact the first few minutes, then failed with repeated flexing. Rebuilding dominated the city in the mid 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 ethnic makeup of the municipality is approximately 72.23% Caucasian, 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 ethnic groups, and 5.98% were from two or more ethnic groups. 5.69% were Hispanic Americans or Latinos of any ethnic group. 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.

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. The People Mover provides carpool organization services. The public paratransit service known as AnchorRidesprovides point-to-point accessible transportation services to seniors and those who experience disabilities.

There is one numbered state highway in Anchorage; Alaska Route 1 enters from the south on the Seward Highway