(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
Anchorage Alaska is a consolidated city-borough (officially called the
Municipality of Anchorage. It is the largest city in the state of Alaska, with
approximately 260,000 residents, comprising more than two-fifths (with its
metropolitan area, over 50%) of the state's total population.
Geography
Anchorage is located in South Central Alaska. 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.
History
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.
Climate
Anchorage has a subarctic climate 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 winter snowfall is 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.
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.
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
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.
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 companiess.
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.
Anchorage News
Postcards reach Anchorage 26 years late
The post office delivered a mystery to Teresa Childs a couple of weeks ago. Twice.
Postcards reach Anchorage 26 years late
The post office delivered a mystery to Teresa Childs a couple of weeks ago. Twice.
Postcards reach Anchorage 26 years late
The post office delivered a mystery to Teresa Childs a couple of weeks ago. Twice.
Giant halibut fulfills angler's Alaska dream
The table-size halibut that Anchorage angler Tim Kellar pulled from the bottom of Cook Inlet was so massive, it almost doubled the height of his 11-year-old son.
Woman found burned taken to hospital
A woman was found burned on the side of the Seward Highway on Thursday night, according to Anchorage police.
3 Alaska students part of medical school's first class
YAKIMA, Wash. -- A new Pacific Northwest medical school celebrated its opening this week with a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the College of Osteopathic Medicine, which plans to send primary care doctors to serve in rural and low-income areas in a five-state region.
Pilots earn clutch win against Miners
If the Anchorage Glacier Pilots hold on to win the Alaska Baseball League pennant, chances are they'll look back on Thursday's victory as one of the reasons why.
Calais buildings firsts for Midtown
I am not sure which property in Anchorage's history ranks as the most successful commercial real estate development, but the Calais Office Center in Midtown has to be near the top of the list, if not at the very top.
In brief: Family Dates: (7/24/08)
Fire Department Barbecue, 6-9 p.m. today, South Fork Fire Station, Hiland Road. Learn about employment with the Anchorage Fire Department South Fork Auxiliary, wildfire mitigation, homeowner disaster tips and CPR at this free community preparedness barbecue. (267-5091)
Hoping for message and music
Tomorrow it will be two weeks since I put a duffel bag in my Subaru and grabbed a stack of CDs so I'd have Sheryl Crow and Merle Haggard for company as I drove for two days from Haines to Anchorage to attend college for the first time in 27 years.
