Alaska

Anchorage...5

Fairbanks...17

Juneau...27

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The State in Brief

Nickname: Land of the Midnight Sun; The Last Frontier

Motto: North to the future

Flower: Forget-me-not

Bird: Willow ptarmigan

Area: 663,267 square miles (2000; U.S. rank 1st)

Elevation: Ranges from sea level to 20,320 feet abovesea level

Climate: Summers are short and hot, winters long andintensely cold

Admitted to Union: January 3, 1959

Capital: Juneau

Head Official: Governor Sarah Palin (R) (until 2010)

Population1980: 402,0001990: 570,0002000: 626,9322006 estimate: 670,053Percent change, 1990–2000: 14.0%U.S. rank in 2006: 47thPercent of residents born in state: 38.85% (2006)Density: 1.2 people per square mile (2006)2006 FBI Crime Index Total: 28,765

Racial and Ethnic Characteristics (2006)White: 460,170Black or African American: 21,476American Indian and Alaska Native: 88,026Asian: 30,151Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander: 3,753Hispanic or Latino (may be of any race): 37,498Other: 11,968

Age Characteristics (2006)Population under 5 years old: 47,481Population 5 to 19 years old: 156,469Percent of population 65 years and over: 6.6%Median age: 33.5

Vital StatisticsTotal number of births (2006): 10,238Total number of deaths (2006): 3,316AIDS cases reported through 2005: 621

EconomyMajor industries: Oil, government, commercial

fishing, food processing, lumber, miningUnemployment rate (2006): 9.4%Per capita income (2006): $26,919Median household income (2006): $59,393Percentage of persons below poverty level

(2006): 10.9%Income tax rate: NoneSales tax rate: None

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Anchorage

n The City in BriefFounded: 1915 (incorporated 1920)

Head Official: Mayor Mark Begich (since July 2003)

City Population1980: 174,4311990: 226,3382000: 260,2832006 estimate: 278,700Percent change, 1990–2000: 15.0%U.S. rank in 1980: 78thU.S. rank in 1990: 69th (State rank: 1st)U.S. rank in 2000: 75th (State rank: 1st)

Metropolitan Area Population1980: 174,4311990: 226,3382000: 260,2832006 estimate: 359,180Percent change, 1990–2000: 15.0%U.S. rank in 1980: 78thU.S. rank in 1990: 69thU.S. rank in 2000: 75th

Area: 1,955 square miles (2000)

Elevation: 132 feet above sea level

Average Annual Temperature: 35.8� F

Average Annual Precipitation: 15.71 inches of rain;70.6 inches of snow

Major Economic Sectors: services, wholesale and retailtrade, government

Unemployment Rate: 5.5% (June 2007)

Per Capita Income: $29,581 (2005)

2005 FBI Crime Index Property: 11,365

2005 FBI Crime Index Violent: 2,031

Major Colleges and Universities: University of AlaskaAnchorage, Alaska Pacific University

Daily Newspaper: Anchorage Daily News

n IntroductionAnchorage is the largest city in the state and serves as thecenter of the state’s communication, transportation,commercial, and finance industries. About 42 percent ofthe state’s residents are at home in Anchorage. When itsbrief modern history is considered—the town of An-chorage was founded in 1915 as a railroad constructionheadquarters—the fact that Anchorage stands as a so-phisticated metropolis in the midst of rugged wildernesscan be appreciated as a phenomenon. In 2002, Anchor-age was named an All-American City. A visit to the citywill dispel myths about its long, dark winters.Anchorage’s climate is relatively mild with distinct sea-sons, winters similar to Denver’s, and short daylightperiods confined to late December. A relatively high percapita income, low taxes, and a low crime rate are amongthe positive qualities that have earned Anchorage a placeamong the country’s most livable cities.

n Geography and ClimateAnchorage is located in south-central Alaska in a widevalley surrounded by several mountain ranges, includingthe Chugach, Kenai, Talkeetna, Tordillo, Aleutian, andAlaska ranges. This port city is bordered on the west,north, and south by the Knik Arm and Turnagain Arm ofCook Inlet on the Gulf of Alaska. The city is contermi-nous with the borough of Anchorage. The ChugachMountains to the east have a general elevation of 4,000to 5,000 feet, with peaks from 8,000 to 10,000 feet.These mountains block warm air from the Gulf of Mex-ico, keeping precipitation relatively low. The Alaska

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Range to the north protects the city from cold air fromthe state’s interior; thus temperatures in Anchorage areusually 25 to 30 degrees warmer than temperatures in therest of the state. While the area has four seasons, theirlength and characteristics differ from those of the middlelatitudes; snows generally arrive in October and leave inmid-April, while annual average snowfall is over 70inches. The average number of daylight hours in thesummer is 19.3 hours; the winter average is 5.8 hours.

Area: 1,955 square miles (2000)

Elevation: 132 feet above sea level

Average Temperature: 35.8� F

Average Annual Precipitation: 15.71 inches of rain;70.6 inches of snow

n History

Native American Trade Center Transformedby Discovery of GoldThe Anchorage area was settled more than 6,000 yearsago as a summer fishing camp for the Tanaina tribe. Untilthe seventeenth century it was under the dominance ofthe Pacific Eskimos. In 1650 the Eskimos were defeatedin battle by the Tanaina where Point Woronzof is nowlocated on the shore of Knik Arm. By 1700 the area hadbecome a major trade center for Native Americans,Eskimos, and Aleuts.

The first Russian sailors, led by Vitus Bering, mayhave arrived in about 1743 to establish trading posts. Thefirst European to explore the territory around the inletwas the British explorer Captain James Cook, whoclaimed the land for England in 1778 and after whomCook Inlet was named. Russian settlers moved ontoUpper Cook Inlet in the late 1890s, establishing settle-ments inhabited by traders and missionaries. With the saleof Alaska to the United States in 1867, Russia turnedover its holdings on Cook Inlet to the Alaska CommercialCompany of San Francisco. In 1882 gold was discoveredin streams along Turnagain Arm, causing a populationexplosion as steamships from Seattle brought prospectorswho settled in the Matanuska and Sustina Valleys to panfor gold. Alaska became an official U.S. territory in 1912.

City Becomes Major Railroad, Aviation,Military CenterAnother growth spurt occurred in 1915 when the areaknown as Ship Creek valley was chosen as the mid-pointconstruction headquarters for the government-ownedAlaska Railroad that was to be built from Seward toFairbanks. The town site of Anchorage was soon estab-lished at Ship Creek. By 1920, the year of its incorpo-ration, Anchorage had developed into a major city. The

Alaska Railroad was completed in 1923; that same yearAnchorage’s first airfield was built, initiating the aviationindustry that within a decade became a vital part of thecity’s economy. Anchorage established its own airline in1926 and in 1935 Merrill Field was opened. In 1935 thecity also experienced another population boom with themigration of dust bowl farmers from the Midwest intothe Matanuska Valley.

The foundation of another important element ofAnchorage’s economy, the military defense complex, wasformed with the military buildup in Alaska during the late1930s and early 1940s. Fort Richardson and ElmendorfField Air Force Base were established near the city. TheAlaska Highway, the American military supply line tonorthern defense headquarters and a link between An-chorage and other parts of the country, was completed in1942. Through World War II and into the early 1950sthe city expanded. The population increased to 43,314 in1950 at a rate of more than 600 percent in a decade. Thefirst terminal of the Anchorage International Airportopened in 1953, making Anchorage a primary connec-tion for transpolar air traffic between Europe and Asia.

City Devastated by Earthquake; OilDiscoveredAnchorage suffered a severe setback in 1964 when it wasstruck by a devastating earthquake, one of the most se-rious ever recorded in North America. Damage was ex-tensive, but within the next few years the city hadrecovered and was moving into another phase of pros-perity resulting from the discovery of oil on Cook Inlet.The city and borough governments merged in 1975 toform the municipality of Anchorage and, in 1978, Project80s was initiated. A development plan of major propor-tions, Project 80s involved the construction of theGeorge M. Sullivan Arena, the William A. Egan Con-vention and Civic Center, and the Anchorage Center forthe Performing Arts; the final stage of the project, theCenter for the Performing Arts, was completed in 1988.A collapse in world crude oil prices brought statewiderecession in 1986, causing high unemployment rates anda population decrease in Anchorage.

Oil Spilled in Prince William SoundAnchorage made international headlines on Good Friday,March 24, 1989, when the grounded oil tanker ExxonValdez spilled nearly 11 million gallons of crude oil intonearby Prince William Sound, forming a slick that even-tually reached into the Gulf of Alaska and beyond. An-chorage served as the command post for cleanup effortscosting more than $2.5 billion. Only a small amount ofoil remained by the mid-1990s and seals, whales, and baldeagles had returned to the region. U.S. governmentbiologists and scientists for the Exxon Corporation con-tinued to disagree over the issue of damage to animals,with Exxon contending that the damage was less than

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what government scientists claimed. In 1994 an An-chorage jury ordered Exxon Corp. to pay more than $5billion to fishermen and others who could show that theyhad been financially hurt by the oil spill.

A Time of GrowthIn the 1990s Anchorage began to experience recordeconomic growth that continued through the early2000s. In 2002 Anchorage was one of ten cities to receivethe 2002 All-American City Award, an award designatedby the National Civic League. The Anchorage EconomicDevelopment Corporation predicted the creation of2,500 new jobs in 2007, marking the cities 19th straightyear of growth with an increase of 1.7 percent from theprevious year. The same year, the city assembly andMayor Mark Begich announced an idea to cut propertytaxes by one-third and issue a gross-receipts tax onbusinesses to fund costs of services such as schools andthe police force. The gross-receipts tax would likely resultin higher retail costs for the goods and services sold bylocal businesses. Since a large portion of goods and ser-vices offered by Anchorage businesses are sold to touristsand in other cities, the tax would be paid in part by non-residents. The assembly has the right to adopt the taxwithout voter approval. As of July 2007, a task force hadbeen appointed to consider the impact of such a tax shift.

Historical Information: Anchorage Museum ofHistory and Art Archives, 121 West Seventh Avenue,Anchorage, AK 99501; telephone (907)343-6189; www.anchoragemuseum.org; Municipality of Anchorage, 632West Sixth Avenue, Anchorage, AK 99501; telephone(907) 343-7100 (public information); www.muni.org

n Population ProfileMetropolitan Area Residents

1980: 174,4311990: 226,3382000: 260,2832006 estimate: 359,180Percent change, 1990–2000: 15.0%U.S. rank in 1980: 78thU.S. rank in 1990: 69thU.S. rank in 2000: 75th

City Residents1980: 174,4311990: 226,3382000: 260,2832006 estimate: 278,700Percent change, 1990–2000: 15.0%U.S. rank in 1980: 78thU.S. rank in 1990: 69th (State rank: 1st)U.S. rank in 2000: 75th (State rank: 1st)

Density: 153.4 people per square mile (2000)

Racial and ethnic characteristics (2005)White: 185,780Black: 16,547American Indian and Alaska Native: 15,903Asian: 18,514Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander: 2,297Hispanic or Latino (may be of any race): 18,584Other: 5,377

Percent of residents born in state: 32.1% (2000)

Age characteristics (2005)Population under 5 years old: 21,228Population 5 to 9 years old: 22,028Population 10 to 14 years old: 20,884Population 15 to 19 years old: 21,383Population 20 to 24 years old: 19,204Population 25 to 34 years old: 33,111Population 35 to 44 years old: 42,004Population 45 to 54 years old: 43,080Population 55 to 59 years old: 15,925Population 60 to 64 years old: 10,532Population 65 to 74 years old: 10,524Population 75 to 84 years old: 4,644Population 85 years and older: 1,734Median age: 33.8 years

Births (2006, County)Total number: 4,320

Deaths (2006, County)Total number: 1,267

Money income (2005)Per capita income: $29,581Median household income: $61,217Total households: 102,277

Number of households with income of . . .less than $10,000: 5,515$10,000 to $14,999: 4,100$15,000 to $24,999: 9,224$25,000 to $34,999: 7,778$35,000 to $49,999: 14,356$50,000 to $74,999: 20,780$75,000 to $99,999: 14,627$100,000 to $149,999: 16,799$150,000 to $199,999: 5,622$200,000 or more: 3,476

Percent of families below poverty level: 10% (2005)

2005 FBI Crime Index Property: 11,365

2005 FBI Crime Index Violent: 2,031

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n Municipal GovernmentThe municipality of Anchorage is administered by amayor-assembly form of government, with the mayor and11 assembly members elected to three-year terms.

Head Official: Mayor Mark Begich (since July 2003;current term expires June 30, 2009)

Total Number of City Employees: 4,300 (2003)

City Information: Municipality of Anchorage, 632West Sixth Avenue, Anchorage, AK 99501; telephone(907)343-7100 (public information); www.muni.org

n Economy

Major Industries and Commercial ActivityThe United States government and the oil industry havebeen integral to the Anchorage economy. The federallyfunded Alaska Railroad gave Anchorage its start; later themilitary defense system supported an essentially undi-versified economic base. This base expanded in the 1970swhen the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, one of the largest

construction projects in history, brought thousands ofworkers and increased service industries.

While the U.S. economy has shown decline in recentyears, Alaska’s economy has shown a relatively stablegrowth of about 2 percent annually. Anchorage is thestate’s primary transportation, communications, trade,service, and finance center. The major growth sectors inthe local economy are oil, health care, professional andbusiness services, and leisure and hospitality. In 2007,Foreign Direct Investment magazine named Anchorage asfourth in the nation for Best Small Cities of the Future.

Anchorage is not a major center of oil production,but the city acts as the administrative center for the in-dustry. BP and ConcocoPhillips were planning new de-velopment activities in 2007 that would result in theaddition of over 300 jobs. While the number of jobs inthe sector is relative low, the importance to Anchorage’seconomy is great, accounting for a significant percentageof local salaries and wages each year.

Since Anchorage is a primary center for health careservices for most Alaskans, health care has become amajor economic driver in the city. The growth is attrib-uted in part to increased federal spending and the in-creased need for health care in Alaska’s growingpopulation. Job growth in the professional and business

ªJon Arnold Images Ltd/Alamy

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services sector is seen primarily in engineering, architec-tural, and related services that meet the growing demandof construction, mining, and oil developments.

The leisure and hospitality industry, along with theservice businesses that sprout up around the industry, area major driving force in Anchorage economy. Mainly dueto its central location, Anchorage acts as the gateway tothe state of Alaska, thereby funneling tourists, con-ventioneers and other visitors through the area. Alaska’stourism industry had an estimated economic impact ofnearly $151 million in Anchorage in 2006. The marketfor trade shows and conventions in the city is growing aswell. In 2006, conventions held had an economic impactof about $97.7 million dollars.

The military in Anchorage is a constant presence.Elmendorf Air Force Base, Fort Richardson Army Post,and Kulis Air National Guard base are all located at theTed Stevens Anchorage International Airport. The threemilitary posts employ over 10,000 military personnel.The family members of military personnel contribute tothe local economy through employment and consumerspending. Because of the large number of military per-sonnel based in the city, many businesses have experi-enced temporary slowdowns due to militarydeployments. In 2006, 2,500 troops were deployed fromFort Richardson.

The transportation industry in Anchorage is thebusiest in the state. The Ted Stevens Anchorage Inter-national Airport (TSAIA) was the third busiest cargoairport in the world in 2007 (after Memphis and HongKong). TSAIA officials estimated that air transportationaccounted for one in nine city jobs. The TSAIA flies morethan 650 transcontinental cargo flights each week; theairport’s economic impact is felt as far away as the NorthPole, where jet fuel is refined and loaded onto the morethan 100 rail cars that then travel by Alaska Railroad toservice TSAIA daily. The Alaska Railroad transportsfreight and passengers; in summer months the Railroadtransports passengers to popular destinations throughoutthe state. The Port of Anchorage accounts for delivery ofmore than 90 percent of the consumer goods arriving inAlaska.

Items and goods produced: fisheries’ products, woodand wood products, petroleum products, coal,minerals

Incentive Programs—New and ExistingCompaniesThe most widely used local incentives include customizedjob training programs, low interest loans, municipal rev-enue bonds, and property tax abatement. AnchorageEconomic Development Corporation, a public-privatepartnership, assists new and existing businesses with in-formation on taxes and utilities and on available sites andbuildings, which are said to be plentiful.

Local programs: The Municipality of Anchorageoffers a program that exempts some types of economicdevelopment properties from taxation. Inventory that isheld for shipment outside of Alaska may also be exemptfrom local inventory taxes.

State programs: The Governor’s Office of Interna-tional Trade provides assistance and information to firmsinterested in foreign trade and investment, organizestrade missions and promotions, and sponsors trade showsand seminars. Several areas in the city are located inAnchorage’s Foreign Trade Zone, the two most notablebeing the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airportand the Port of Anchorage. The World Trade Centerassists businesses seeking to enter or expand their role ininternational trade. The Alaska Export Assistance Centerhelps local businesses expand into foreign markets.

Job training programs: The University of AlaskaAnchorage offers classes and degree programs to busi-nesses and individuals on logistics and on doing businessin Pacific Asia and the former Soviet Union. The uni-versity also partners with the Alaska Economic Develop-ment Corporation to provide a Mentor Program thatconnects students with business leaders. Lunchtime for-ums highlight a different business industry each time.

Development ProjectsIn transportation, a $250 million expansion was under-way at the Port of Anchorage as of 2007. The expandedfacility is expected to generate more than 2,300 jobs oncecompleted and will accommodate the area’s cruise andmilitary business. The project is scheduled for completionin 2012. Merrill Field has constructed two new taxiwaysand an apron expansion in 2005 added more space andaccommodations for ski-equipped aircraft in winter andaircraft with tundra tires in summer. A project is currentlyunderway to build an interchange that would link theGlenn and Seward highways. Construction is expected tobe completed in 2008. The 2004 summer road con-struction season completed 41 road and safety projectswith a total cost of about $45 million.

To add an additional boost to the growing conven-tion and tourism industry, the city began construction ofa new $103 million, 215,000 square-foot conventionfacility in 2006. The Dena’ina Center will be locatedabout one block away from the existing Egan Civic andConvention Center and the Alaska Center for the Per-forming Arts. All three buildings will be linked by coveredwalkways. The project is scheduled for completion in2008.

Anchorage has a strong commitment to preservingland for recreation. Part of this commitment involves theFoster-A-Flower program; in 2004 downtown businessesbought more than 200 hanging flower baskets, each at$75, to beautify the area. Five new dog parks were cre-ated in Anchorage in 2004.

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Economic Development Information: AnchorageEconomic Development Corporation, 900 West FifthAvenue, Suite 300, Anchorage, AK 99501; telephone(907)258-3700; toll-free (800)462-7275; fax (907)258-6646; email aedc@aedcweb.com. Municipality of An-chorage, 632 West Sixth Avenue, Anchorage, AK 99501;telephone (907)343-7100 (public information); www.muni.org

Commercial ShippingAnchorage’s seaports and airports combine with its rail-road to make the area the primary cargo distributor in thestate. The Port of Anchorage, the largest seaport inAlaska, is a year-round shipping point with five terminalsserved by three major carriers, which bring four to fiveships from the Pacific Northwest and Asia each week.More than 4 million tons of iron and steel products,containerized freight, bulk petroleum, cement, woodproducts, and various other commodities crossed thePort’s docks in 2007. The Ted Stevens Anchorage In-ternational Airport (TSAIA) was the third busiest cargoairport in the world in 2007 (after Memphis and HongKong). More than 50 air carriers and 9 freight forwardersconnect Anchorage to the rest of the country and theworld beyond. Municipal Merrill Field airport servesthe intrastate needs of business, banking, and commerce.The Alaska Railroad provides rail freight service; in 2003the railroad moved more than 8 million tons of freightacross 525 miles of track. More than 30 motor freightcarriers link Anchorage with major market areas.

Labor Force and Employment OutlookAnchorage boasts an abundant and well-educated laborpool with a relatively low median age. As of 2007 about91.7 percent of residents were high school graduates andapproximately 32 percent of Anchorage’s adult residentshad earned a bachelors degree or higher. Wage rates inAnchorage tend to be higher than wages in other areas ofthe country due to an abundance of higher-level posi-tions. In 2007 the average monthly earnings across allindustries was about $3,550. Anchorage employmentlevels rose 28 percent between 1995 and 2003, duemainly to a 40 percent increase in the private supportsector. In that same period, the services industry in-creased 114 percent, reflecting the area’s attractiveness asa tourist destination.

Expansion and diversification have given Anchorage’seconomy the ability to absorb fluctuations in the businesscycle or unexpected economic events. Anchorage now hasa steady year-round employment base, with a summerboost from tourism and construction activities. The in-ternational cargo business in Anchorage continues togrow; Anchorage is equidistant to both Asia and Europe,and is nine hours flying time to nearly the entire industri-alized world, making it a good location for warehousingand distribution.

According to the Anchorage Economic Develop-ment Corporation, job growth in Anchorage is expectedto be in the service sector, which would include jobs inhealth and social services, hospitality, trade, and financeand real estate.

The following is a summary of data regarding the An-choragemetropolitan area labor force, 2006 annual averages.

Size of nonagricultural labor force: 166,800

Number of workers employed in . . .

construction and mining: 13,800manufacturing: 2,100trade, transportation and utilities: 37,700information: 5,000financial activities: 10,000professional and business services: 18,000educational and health services: 22,400leisure and hospitality: 17,500other services: 6,300government: 34,000

Average hourly earnings of production workersemployed in manufacturing: Not available

Unemployment rate: 5.5% (June 2007)

Largest employers (2003) Number of employeesProvidence Health Sys-

tem Alaska 3,566Safeway Stores, Inc. 3,135Wal-Mart/Sam’s Club 2,443Fred Meyer 2,341Alaska Airlines 1,726BP Exploration, Inc. 1,417Banner Health System 1,243NANA Management

Services 1,227Yukon-Kuskokwim

Health Corporation 1,217ASRC Energy Services 1,171Federal Express 1,094VECO Inc. 1,018

Cost of LivingThe personal tax burden in Alaska is extremely low, whilethe cost of living is significantly higher than much of therest of the nation. Residents benefit from distributionsfrom the Permanent Fund, a savings account establishedin 1976 by voters allowing residents to receive 25 percentof the state’s royalty oil revenue. Senior citizens enjoy a$150,000 property tax exemption or a renter’s rebate.

The following is a summary of data regarding severalkey cost of living factors for the Anchorage area.

2007 (1st quarter) ACCRA Average House Price:$449,658

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2007 (1st quarter) ACCRA Cost of Living Index:121.0

State income tax rate: None

State sales tax rate: None

Local income tax rate: None

Local sales tax rate: 8.0% on rental cars, fuel, alcohol,tobacco

Property tax rate: Graduated from 7.91 mills to 18.15mills levied on full assessed value

Economic Information: Alaska Department of Laborand Workforce Development, Research and AnalysisSection, PO Box 111149, Juneau, AK 99811-1149;telephone (907) 465-4500. Anchorage Economic De-velopment Corporation, 900 West Fifth Avenue, Suite300, Anchorage, AK 99501; telephone (907)258-3700;toll-free (800)462-7275; fax (907)258-6646; emailaedc@aedcweb.com.

n Education and Research

Elementary and Secondary SchoolsThe Anchorage School District has schools in Anchorage,Eagle River, Chugiak, and Girdwood. The district pridesitself on test scores that are better than state and nationalaverages, and a diverse student body. In the 1990s An-chorage voters approved more than $500 million inschool construction. Two middle schools and nine ele-mentary schools were built and the new South AnchorageHigh School, serving 1,600 students, opened for the2004-2005 school year. The new Eagle River HighSchool opened in fall 2005 with 740 students, relievingcrowding at Chugiak High School. The Alaska NativeCultural Charter School is scheduled to open in August2008. Many other Anchorage schools have undergoneexpansions or upgrades since 1990.

The school system is administered by a nonpartisan,eight-member school board that appoints a superinten-dent on the recommendation of a selection task force.The system faced budget hardships, making cuts to sup-plies and services in the 2004/05 school year. A 2005/06 budget was announced with hopes for increasedfunds, pending approval from state legislature.

The following is a summary of data regarding theAnchorage School District as of the 2005–2006 schoolyear.

Total enrollment: 50,000

Number of facilitieselementary schools: 60junior high/middle schools: 9

senior high schools: 9other: 20

Student/teacher ratio: 17.7:1

Teacher salaries (2005–06)elementary median: $37,432–$51,788 (all levels)junior high/middle median: Not availablesecondary median: Not available

Funding per pupil: $8,282

A small percentage of students attend private andparochial schools in the Anchorage area.

Public Schools Information: Anchorage School Dis-trict, 5530 E. Northern Lights Blvd., Anchorage, AK99504-3136; telephone (907)742-4000; www.asd.k12.ak.us

Colleges and UniversitiesTwo fully accredited universities are located in Anchor-age: the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA), whichenrolls more than 17,000 students, and Alaska PacificUniversity, a private institution affiliated with the UnitedMethodist church with about 700 enrolled students.Both institutions offer undergraduate degrees in a widerange of disciplines and master’s degrees in such fields asbiological sciences, business and management, logistics,and engineering. Charter College, an independent col-lege, offers bachelor’s degrees in information technologyand associate degrees in business management, medicaloffice administration, computerized accounting, com-puter technical graphics and computer networking tech-nology. Also located in the Anchorage area are severalvocational, specialty, and technical schools.

Libraries and Research CentersIn addition to its main branch downtown, the AnchorageMunicipal Libraries system operates five branchesthroughout the city. Holdings consist of more than515,255 books, nearly 1,780 periodical subscriptions,and films, records, tapes, art reproductions, and sheetmusic. Special collections at the system’s main Z. J.Loussac Library include the Alaska Collection, featuringmore than 25,000 books and documents on Alaska andthe North, and the Loussac Children’s Collection, withmaterials for parents and people who work with children.Nearly 50 special libraries and research centers are locatedin Anchorage, most of them affiliated with the Universityof Alaska Anchorage and specializing in the fields of en-vironment, natural resources, art, history, law, and edu-cation. ARLIS, or Alaska Resources Library andInformation Services, features a collection of more than200,000 books, 700 journals, and a variety of othersources of information about Alaska. Housed on theUniversity of Alaska campus, ARLIS contains the col-lection of The Oil Spill Public Information Center,

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featuring scientific data from the Exxon Valdez oil spilldamage. The National Center for Infectious DiseasesArctic Investigations Program seeks to improve thequality of life of arctic and subarctic people.

Public Library Information: Anchorage MunicipalLibraries, 3600 Denali St., Anchorage, AK 99503 (mainbranch); telephone (907)343-2975; www.anchorageli-brary.org

n Health CareAnchorage is a primary medical treatment center for thestate of Alaska and is home to the two largest hospitals inthe state—Providence Alaska Medical Center and AlaskaRegional Hospital. The $157 million 100-bed hospital onElmendorf Air Force Base opened in 2001. The newElmendorf Hospital replaced the existing 50-bed hospital,which suffered structural damage during the 1964 earth-quake, and serves the state’s military population.

Providence Alaska Medical Center, with 341 bedsand more than 600 staff physicians, is the main medicalreferral center in the state, offering such specializedtreatment as open heart surgery and neonatal care. In2001 the hospital added a new state-of-the-art emer-gency department as part of a 100,000-square-foot ex-pansion. Alaska Regional Hospital provides neurosurgeryand spinal and orthopedic surgery; a maternity center,critical care units, and emergency services, including anair ambulance, are maintained. A $7 million renovation atAlaska Regional Hospital included a new trauma andopen-heart surgery room.

Alaska Native Medical Center provides service toAlaskan and American Natives throughout the state freeof charge. With 150 beds and a staff of about 250 phy-sicians and 700 nurses, it is one of the largest facilities ofits kind in the United States. Anchorage NeighborhoodHealth Center offers three family practice clinics featuringmedical, dental, pharmaceutical, and mental health ser-vices. The North Star Behavioral Health System providesmental health and substance abuse treatment programsthrough several facilities.

In 2007 the average cost of an office visit was about$87 and the average daily rate for a hospital roomwas $800.

n Recreation

SightseeingAn ideal way to see the points of interest in downtownAnchorage is to take a walking tour. A circular route—beginning at Old City Hall, original seat of the municipalgovernment, and ending two blocks away at the PioneerSchoolhouse, the first school in Anchorage—provides aleisurely stroll through the city’s history. Principalattractions along the way include the Ship Creek

Viewpoint with a view of the site of Tanaina summer fishcamps. Nearby are the David Leopold House, built in1917 for the city’s first mayor and Boney MemorialCourthouse, housing fine examples of nineteenth-centuryart motifs of Alaskan natives and animals. The OscarAnderson House Museum in Elderberry Park isAnchorage’s only historic house museum, offering visitorsa glimpse into the life of the family that occupied thehome as well as Anchorage history. The Anchorage LightSpeed Planet Walk, beginning at 5th and G streets indowntown Anchorage, is designed to offer an interactivetour of the solar system. The walk through town, inwhich one step is equal to the distance that light travels inone second, includes information kiosks at each planetlocation.

Resolution Park, featuring the Captain Cook Mon-ument, commemorates the 200th anniversary of Cook’sexploration of the area. Adjacent to the park are historicAnchorage homes, including the first permanent frameresidence in the city. Located on the southern edge ofdowntown is Delaney Park, known as “The Park Strip,”once a firebreak for the original town site and later thecity’s first airfield.

The Alaska Zoo features hundreds of animals; specialattractions are the natural land habitat for brown bearsand an aquarium for seals and otters. Points of interest innorth Anchorage include St. Nicholas Russian Church.The oldest building in the municipality, the church islocated at Eklutna Historical Park, the site of the firstTanaina settlement east of Knik Arm; the cemetery’s“spirit” houses are reminders of the blend of native tra-dition and missionary influence.

In south Anchorage are the Potter Section Houseand Crow Creek Mine, the first non-native settlement.An example of a nineteenth-century placer mine, CrowCreek is still in operation, and rental equipment is avail-able for those wishing to pan for any gold that remains.Local fur factories provide regularly scheduled tours oftheir facilities. Sightseeing and “flightseeing” tours of theAnchorage area and day trips to attractions such as Mt.McKinley and Portage Glacier can be arranged throughbus and air services.

Arts and CultureDating back to territory days when opera was stagedregularly and when the city had an orchestra before it hadpaved streets, the performing arts have been an integralpart of life in Anchorage. The city’s arts community, withmore than 75 organizations offering cultural experiencesranging from classical music to native dance, provides astriking contrast to the surrounding wilderness. TheAnchorage Concert Association, founded in 1950 tobring international performers to local audiences, is stillactive, sponsoring about 22 music, dance, and theatreproductions each year. The Alaska State Council on theArts is based in Anchorage.

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Many of these performances are presented in thedowntown Alaska Center for the Performing Arts, amodern complex housing four theaters, including theElvera Voth Hall, an 1,800-square-foot performance andrehearsal space opened in 2003. A significant contribu-tion to the Anchorage arts community, the center offers ayear-round schedule of more than 600 events and fur-nishes a showcase for local performers. The center’s res-ident companies include Alaska Dance Theatre, AlaskaJunior Theater, Alaska Theatre of Youth, AnchorageConcert Association, Anchorage Concert Chorus, theAnchorage Symphony Orchestra, Anchorage Opera, andWhistling Swan Productions.

The Anchorage Symphony Orchestra, formed in1946 and today featuring about 80 musicians, hosts aSeptember-to-May season with performances of classicsand young people’s concerts. Randall Craig Fleischer hasbeen the symphony’s music director since 1999. TheAnchorage Opera offers three full-scale opera produc-tions per season. The Alaska Chamber Singers, a choraleensemble of 40 voices, offer performances at variousvenues throughout the city.

Interest and participation in the visual arts has beenencouraged in Anchorage by “1% for Art in PublicPlaces,” a 1978 law setting aside for the purchase ofcommissioned artwork at least one percent of construc-tion costs of all public buildings.

Museums and galleries in Anchorage specialize inscience, history, and arts and crafts. The Alaska AviationHeritage Museum traces the history of state aviation andprominent aviators, with a theater, observation deck, andhistoric planes. The Alaska Museum of Natural History islocated in Anchorage.

The Anchorage Museum of History and Art featuresa permanent collection of 17,500 objects and 2,000artifacts; the museum is also responsible for a $5.8 millioncollection of 276 works of art viewable in public buildingsaround the city. Groundbreaking for a museum expan-sion project took place in 2006. The addition of 70,000feet will include galleries for the first regional office of theSmithsonian Institution’s National Museum of NaturalHistory Arctic Studies Center. The Arctic Studies Centerwill house over 1,000 Alaska Native artifacts relocatedfrom the Smithsonian. The museum will also include anew home for the city’s Imaginarium, a science discoverycenter with a variety of hands-on experience exhibits, a10-foot tall Tyrannosaurus Rex, a planetarium, and apreschool learning area. The expansion project is sched-uled for completion in 2009. The 15,000-square-footAlaska Gallery in the museum displays a collection ofmore than 1,000 objects of traditional and modern nativeart with demonstration exhibits.

At the Alaska Native Heritage Center (opened in1999) the visitor can explore five distinct Alaska Nativecultures through interpretive displays, films, and dailyperformances by traditional storytellers. A trail from the

Welcome House leads to Native Tradition Bearers—artists and performers at five traditional village exhibitssurrounding a lake on the 26-acre grounds.

Festivals and HolidaysThe year kicks off in Anchorage with the Annual An-chorage Folk Festival, offering more than 120 musicalperformances by local and guest acts, and the GreatAlaska Beer and Barleywine Festival. February offers theFur Rendezvous, known as the “Fur Rondy” (dating backto 1936 and one of the 10 largest festivals in the nation),a popular 10-day celebration of the annual fur-auctioningand social gathering of trappers and miners. The world-famous cross country Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race startsin downtown Anchorage the first Saturday in March. Alsoin March and coinciding with the Iditarod is the Tour ofAnchorage, a cross-country ski event with varying racelengths.

April follows up with the Alyeska Spring Carnival andSlush Cup and May brings the Alaska Native YouthOlympics. June events include the Three Barons Re-naissance Faire and the Mayor’s Midnight Sun Marathon.

Live music can be heard all summer long onWednesday and Friday afternoons from the park at FourthAvenue and E Street. Other summer fare includes the an-nual July 4th Celebration and the Bear Paw Festival atEagle River in July; August offerings include the AlyeskaBlueberry & Mountain Arts Festival and the Arctic Thun-der Elmendorf Air Force Base Open House and Air Show.

Among the fall highlights are the Alaska State Fair inlate August and early September, followed in October bythe Nye Frontier Hockey Classic. Thanksgiving weekendevents include an annual production of The Nutcrackerby the Cincinnati Ballet and the Town Square TreeLighting Ceremony. The Anchorage International FilmFestival takes place in December.

Sports for the SpectatorThe Wells Fargo Sports Complex at the University ofAlaska Anchorage hosts Seawolves National CollegiateAthletic Association (NCAA) hockey, basketball, andvolleyball competition. The Alaska Aces of the East CoastHockey League are based in Anchorage and play at Sul-livan Arena. The Carrs Great Alaska Shootout collegiatebasketball tournament is a major event that draws fansfrom throughout the state and nation. The AnchorageBucs are part of the Alaska Baseball League (summercollegiate league).

Sled dog racing is the official state sport and An-chorage hosts several main sledding events. The worldfamous Iditarod Trial Sled Dog Race originates in An-chorage and runs more than 1,000 miles to Nome, thecourse taking from 10 days to a month to complete. TheWorld Championship Sled Dog Race, the most famoussprint race, is held during the Fur Rendezvous and drawsracers from all over the world. The Native Youth

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Olympics, sponsored in part by the University of AlaskaAnchorage, attracts students from across the state.Competition focuses on games and contests that wereonce played by Alaska Natives to hone their hunting andsurvival skills.

Sports for the ParticipantWith more than 162 parks covering 14,000 acres, resi-dents have a multitude of choices for year-round andseasonal outdoor activities. Park facilities include shelters,pools, camping, more than 40 ball fields, 59 tenniscourts, winter ice skating, and programming for recrea-tional events. Mountain climbing can be pursued at the500,000-acre Chugach State Park, situated within thecity limits; hiking and horseback riding trails are locatedin several other municipal parks. Salmon and trout fishingfacilities are maintained on rivers, creeks, and lakes, andlicensed hunting is regulated by the Alaska Department ofFish and Game.

During summer the midnight sun provides additionaltime for recreation. Popular activities include boating,kayaking, and river rafting on the flowing waters within themunicipality limits. Free loaner bicycles are available foruse on downtown bike trails; among other public facilitiesare 4 golf courses, 5 indoor pools, several lakes, and 49tennis courts. With 120 miles of paved trails and 300 milesof unpaved andwilderness trail, Anchorage’s extensive trailsystem attracts both residents and visitors. One of themostpopular routes is the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, an 11-mile asphalt trail that runs from downtown to Kincaid Park(which has its own system of 43 miles of wooded trail).Flattop Mountain is a popular hike; both beginner andexpert hikers can summit the 3,510 footmountain (3milesroundtrip) as a day hike. Cyclists and runners enjoy themultitude of trails in and around Anchorage. Runners havebeen traveling to Anchorage to participate in the Mayor’sMidnight Sun Marathon since its inception in 1974. Bi-cyclingmagazine called Anchorage’s trail system one of thebest in the United States.

Winter sports enthusiasts can find a wide range ofchoices, including dogsledding, ice skating, skiing, sled-ding, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, and skating on severalrinks, including two Olympic-sized hockey rinks. Dog-sled rides and tours are available through local vendors.The municipality maintains more than 200 miles of cross-country ski trails, including 40 kilometers lit for nightskiing, plus sledding hills and snowmobile trails. Alaska’slargest ski resort is 40 minutes from downtown Anchor-age. Alyeska Resort boasts an annual average of 742inches of snowfall and a lift capacity of more than 10,000skiers per hour on its nine lifts.

Shopping and DiningMore than a dozen shopping centers, including five majormalls, are located in Anchorage. Downtown’s Fifth Ave-nue Mall houses major national retail chains such as

Nordstrom, The Gap, and J. C. Penney, but productsnative to Alaska are the major shopping attractions, withfoods, ivory, jewelry, gold, furs, seal oil candles, and Es-kimo and Aleut basketry among the most popular items.Shoppers can visit workshops to see fur styling, jewelrycrafting, and wool making demonstrations. DimondCenter has over 200 stores, a cinema, and an athleticclub. The Anchorage Saturday Market operates bothSaturday and Sunday throughout the summer at ThirdAvenue and E Street. Shoppers will find fresh bakedgoods and vegetables, handmade jewelry and crafts, andunique Native art.

More than 350 restaurants in Anchorage offer a va-riety of ethnic cuisines. The local specialty is fresh sea-food, particularly salmon, served at most restaurants insettings that offer views of mountain ranges and ocean-going vessels departing the Port of Anchorage.

Visitor Information: Anchorage Convention andVisitors Bureau, 524 West Fourth Avenue, Anchorage,AK 99501-2212; telephone (907)276-4118; www.an-chorage.net

n Convention FacilitiesAnchorage is rapidly gaining distinction as a conventionand meeting site. The city’s downtown convention centeris within walking distance of fine restaurants, uniqueshops, and world-class cultural events. The extraordinaryexperience of enjoying first-class amenities in closeproximity to untouched wilderness attracts an increasingnumber of groups to Anchorage yearly.

The principal meeting place in Anchorage is theWilliam A. Egan Civic and Convention Center. Thecomplex contains 45,000 square feet of meeting andexhibit space accommodating groups of 20 to 2,776people; other features include 189 custom exhibit areas,simultaneous interpreting facilities, and complete cateringservice. Across the street from Egan Center and adjoinedby a skybridge is the Alaska Center for the PerformingArts, which provides theater-style meeting halls seating350 to 2,100 people. In 2006 construction began on thenew $103 million, 215,000-square-foot Dena’ina Center.The new convention center will be located about oneblock away from the Alaska Center for the PerformingArts; however, the project includes the construction ofcovered walkways to connect all three convention loca-tions. The project is scheduled for completion in 2008.

Located two miles from downtown is the George M.Sullivan Arena, which accommodates trade shows with32,000 square feet of usable space and parking for 1,800vehicles. The Anchorage Museum of History and Art isavailable to host special events in its atrium. Othermeeting facilities are available at the University of AlaskaAnchorage, Alaska Pacific University, and major hotels inthe metropolitan area. Anchorage features more than

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8,000 hotel and motel rooms and more than 850 beds inbed and breakfast and hostel accommodations.

Convention Information: Anchorage Conventionand Visitors Bureau, 524 West Fourth Avenue, Anchor-age, AK 99501-2212; telephone (907)276-4118; www.anchorage.net

n Transportation

Approaching the CityThe majority of travelers come to Anchorage by plane,arriving at Anchorage International Airport located tenminutes west of downtown. A major stop for transpolarflights, the airport is one of the busiest in the country andis served by more than 50 freight and passenger aircarriers.

For those heading to Anchorage by car, the majorroute into the city is Alaska 1, which is Glenn Highway asit enters from the northeast and Seward Highway (scenicS.R. 1/9) as it enters from the south. The Alaska Rail-road, headquartered in Anchorage, provides passengerrail service within Alaska.

Traveling in the CityDowntown Anchorage is laid out in a series of squareblocks, a pattern typical of early western railroad towns.All lettered streets run north-south and numbered streetsrun east-west, with Northern Lights Boulevard dividingnorth from south and A Street dividing east from west.

Anchorage’s bus-based public transit system is thePeople Mover, which provides a convenient way to seethe city, as buses stop at major points of interest andextend to all suburbs. The Share-A-Ride service connectspeople living in the same area for car or vanpooling, andin some cases municipally-owned vans are provided.AnchorRides offers paratransit services to residents withdisabilities. Taxi companies and several private shuttlecompanies offer transportations services throughoutAnchorage.

n Communications

Newspapers and MagazinesThe major daily newspaper in Anchorage is the morningAnchorage Daily News. The Anchorage Press is an alter-native weekly. Several other newspapers are published inAnchorage, including Petroleum News, a paper coveringthe petroleum industry in Alaska and Canada; and theSourdough Sentinel, a weekly covering happenings atElmendorf Air Force Base. Also published in Anchorage

are Northern Pilot Magazine, Alaska Business Monthly,which focuses on state business developments, and SeniorVoice.

Television and RadioAnchorage has four commercial television stations andone public broadcasting station. The city is also served bycable television and by twelve AM and FM radio stationsbroadcasting a variety of formats such as adult contem-porary, country, and broadcasts from National PublicRadio and American Public Radio. The Anchorage MediaGroup operates six of the radio stations. Telecommuni-cation service companies include Alaska CommunicationSystems, General Communication, Inc., and AT&TAlascom.

Media Information: Anchorage Daily News, P.O.Box 149001, Anchorage, AK 99514-9001 (mailing ad-dress); telephone (907)257-4200; www.adn.com

Anchorage OnlineAlaska Department of Education and Early

Development. Available www.eed.state.ak.usAnchorage Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Available www.anchorage.netAnchorage Daily News. Available www.adn.comAnchorage Economic Development Corporation.

Available www.aedcweb.comAnchorage Municipal Libraries. Available www

.anchoragelibrary.orgAnchorage School District. Available www.asd.k12

.ak.usMunicipality of Anchorage Home Page. Available

www.muni.orgState of Alaska. Available www.state.ak.us

B I B L I O G R A P H Y

Fanning, Kay, Kay Fanning’s Alaska Story: Memoir of aPulitzer Prize-Winning Newspaper Publisher onAmerica’s Northern Frontier (Kenmore, WA:Epicenter Press, 2006)

Muir, John, Travels in Alaska (Boston, New York:Houghton Mifflin, 1915)

Rich, Kim, Johnny’s Girl: A Daughter’s Memoir ofGrowing Up in Alaska’s Underworld (New York:Morrow, 1993)

Woodward, Kesler E., Painting in the North: Alaskan Artin the Anchorage Museum of History and Art (Seattle,WA: University of Washington Press, 1993)

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