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Anchorage, Alaska
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Anchorage (officially called the Municipality of Anchorage [MOA]) is a consolidated city-borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. With an estimated 279,671 municipal residents in 2007 (359,180 residents within the Metropolitan Statistical Area), it is Alaska's largest city and constitutes more than 40 percent of the state's total population. Anchorage has been named All-America City four times, in 1956, 1965, 1984/85, and 2002, by the National Civic League.
History
Anchorage was established in 1914 as a railroad construction port for the Alaska Railroad, which was built between 1915 and 1923.
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Encyclopedia
Anchorage (officially called the Municipality of Anchorage [MOA]) is a consolidated city-borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. With an estimated 279,671 municipal residents in 2007 (359,180 residents within the Metropolitan Statistical Area), it is Alaska's largest city and constitutes more than 40 percent of the state's total population. Anchorage has been named All-America City four times, in 1956, 1965, 1984/85, and 2002, by the National Civic League.
History
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 moment 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.
Geography
Anchorage is located in South Central Alaska. It lies slightly farther north than Oslo, Stockholm, Helsinki and St. Petersburg. It is 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 on a strip of coastal lowland and extends up the lower alpine slopes of the Chugach Mountains. To the south is Turnagain Arm, a fjord that has some of the world's highest tides. Knik Arm, another tidal inlet, lies to the west and north. The Chugach Mountains on the east form a boundary to development, but not to the city limits, which encompass part of the wild alpine territory of Chugach State Park. The city's seacoast consists mostly of treacherous mudflats. Newcomers and tourists are warned not to walk in this area because of extreme tidal changes and the very fine clay. Unwary victims walk onto the solid seeming clay revealed when the tide is out and are stuck cement-like in the clay. Contrary to popular belief, these unfortunate people usually die of hypothermia due to the very cold water before they drown.
To the north is Matanuska-Susitna Borough (Mat-Su Valley), which is included with the MOA as a metropolitan area by the US Census Bureau. Although the Mat-Su is a "bedroom community" for Anchorage, the towns, exurbs, farms, and homesteads there have varied local cultures quite distinct from that of Anchorage proper. Between metropolitan Anchorage and the valley, are the communities of Eagle River and Chugiak, though part of the MOA, also have distinct identities. According to the United States Census Bureau, the municipality has a total area of 1,961.1 square miles (5,079.2 km²), of which 1,697.2 square miles (4,395.8 km²) is land and 263.9 square miles (683.4 km²) is water. The total area is 13.46% water. The area of Anchorage is thus larger than that of Rhode Island.
Anchorage contains three adjacent boroughs which are also census areas. These are Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska to the north, Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska to the south and Valdez-Cordova Census Area, Alaska to the east. Part of Chugach National Forest, a national protected area, is within the city boundaries.
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). Anchorage has a frost-free growing season that averages slightly over 100 days.
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 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). Anchorage's latitude causes summer days to be very long and winter daylight hours to be very short. The city is often cloudy during the winter, which decreases the amount of sunlight experienced by residents.
Owing to its proximity to active volcanoes, ash hazards are a significant, though infrequent, occurrence. The most recent notable incident was an August 1992 eruption of Mount Spurr, which is located 78 miles west of the city. The eruption deposited about 3 mm of volcanic ash on the city. The clean-up of ash resulted in excessive demands for water and caused major problems for the Anchorage Water and Wastewater Utility.
Wildlife
A diverse wildlife population exists in urban Anchorage and the surrounding area. Approximately 250 black bears and 60 grizzly bears live in the area. Bears are regularly sighted within the city. Moose are a common sight. In the Anchorage Bowl, there is a summer population of approximately 250 moose, increasing to as many as 1000 during the winter. They are a hazard to drivers, with over 100 moose killed by cars each year. Two people have been stomped to death by moose in recent years in Anchorage. Cross-country skiers and dog mushers using city trails have been charged by moose on numerous occasions; the Alaska Dept of Fish and Game has to destroy some individual aggressive moose in the city every year. Dall sheep can be commonly sighted along the Seward Highway between Anchorage and Girdwood. Approximately 30 wolves live in the Anchorage area, in 2007 several dogs were killed by wolves while on walks with their owners. There are also beaver dams in local creeks, and it is common to see fox and kits in parking lots close to wooded areas in the spring.
Demographics
As of the 2000 census, there were 260,283 people, 94,822 households and 64,099 families residing in the municipality. The population density was 59.2/km² (153.4/sq mi). There were 100,368 housing units at an average density of 59.1/sq mi (22.8/km²). The racial makeup of the municipality was 72.23% White, 5.84% African American, 7.28% Native American, 5.55% Asian, 0.93% Pacific Islander, 2.19% from other races, and 5.98% from two or more races. 5.69% were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 4.00% reported speaking Spanish at home, while 1.49% speak Tagalog and 1.44% Korean.
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 municipality 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 municipality was $55,546, and the median income for a family was $63,682. Males had a median income of $41,267 versus $31,747 for females. The per capita income for the municipality was $25,287. About 5.1% of families and 7.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.8% of those under the age of 18 and 6.4% of those 65 and older.
As of September 7, 2006, 94 languages were spoken by students in the Anchorage School District.
Economy
Anchorage's largest economic sectors include transportation, military, local and federal government, tourism, and resource extraction. Large portions of the local economy depend on Anchorage's geographical location and surrounding natural resources. Anchorage's economy traditionally has seen steady growth, while not quite as rapid as the rest of the country; it also does not experience as much pain during economic downturns. Widespread housing foreclosures seen around the country during 2007 and 2008 were generally nowhere near as severe.
The Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport is the world's third busiest airport by cargo traffic, surpassed only by Memphis and Hong Kong. This traffic is strongly linked to Anchorage's location along "great circle" routes between Asia and the lower 48 states. In addition, the airport has an abundant supply of jet fuel which is refined at a refinery in North Pole, Alaska. This jet fuel is transported to the Port of Anchorage by rail and then later to the airport by pipeline. Either through direct or indirect employment the airport employs around ten percent of the city's workforce.
The Port of Anchorage receives 95% of all goods entering the state. Ships from Totem Ocean Trailer Express (TOTE) and Horizon Lines arrive twice weekly from the Port of Tacoma in Washington. Along with handling these activities the port is a storage facility for jet fuel for Elmendorf Air Force Base as well as the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. In 2004 the Port of Anchorage Intermodal Expansion Project was initiated which, when completed in 2014, will approximately double the size of the port, stimulating the local construction economy as well as providing a more efficient means of moving freight for future economic activities.
The United States Military has two main bases, Elmendorf Air Force Base and Fort Richardson as well as the Kulis Air National Guard Base in Anchorage. These three bases employ approximately 8500 people and military personal and their families comprise ten percent of the local population. During the Cold War, Elmendorf became an increasingly important base due to its proximity to the Soviet Union. Since the September 11, 2001 attacks, Task Force 1-501 housed at Fort Richardson was upgraded into an airborne brigade to become the primary strategic response force in the Pacific Theater.
While Juneau is the official state capital of Alaska, there are actually more state employees who reside in the Anchorage area including current Governor Sarah Palin. Around 6,800 state employees work in Anchorage compared to around 3,800 in Juneau. Federal government workers also include around 10,000, many related to federal lands management.
Many tourists are drawn to Alaska every year and Anchorage is commonly the first initial stop for most travelers. From Anchorage people can easily head south to popular fishing locations on the Kenai Peninsula or north to locations such as Denali National Park and Fairbanks. The economic impact of tourism and conventions in Anchorage totals approximately $150 million annually.
The resource sector, mainly petroleum, is arguably Anchorage's most visible industry, with many high rises bearing the logos of large multinationals such as BP and ConocoPhillips. While field operations are centered on the Alaska North Slope and in more southern areas around Cook Inlet, the majority of offices and administration are found in Anchorage. Around one sixth of jobs state-wide are related to this industry.
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.
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 recently 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.
Sports
The Sullivan Arena is home to one professional hockey team and one university team: the Alaska Aces of the ECHL and the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) Seawolves of the NCAA division I. The city is also home to the Alaska Wild, an arena football team that began playing with the Intense Football League in April 2007. Anchorage's third professional franchise, which is scheduled to compete in the 2009-10 season, is the Alaska Dream, a basketball team in the ABA. 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. UAA is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. It has Division I teams in gymnastics and hockey, as well as several other Division II teams. There are four rugby clubs, including the Bird Creek Barbarians RFC, Anchorage Thunderbirds, Mat Valley Maulers RFC, and Spenard Green Dragons. The season runs from April through September.
Anchorage hosts a number of sporting events. UAA sponsors the annual Great Alaska Shootout, an annual NCAA Division I basketball tournament featuring colleges and universities from across the United States along with the UAA team. Anchorage is the finish line for the Sadler's Ultra Challenge wheelchair race, and holds the ceremonial start of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. The city was the U.S. candidate for hosting the 1992 and 1994 Winter Olympics, but it lost to Albertville, France and Lillehammer,Norway respectively. Anchorage is a premier cross-country skiing city, in terms of density of groomed trails within the urban core. There are 105 miles of maintained ski trails in the city, some of which reach downtown. The same trail system also provides access to Chugach State Park, a 495,000-acre high alpine park. The Tour of Anchorage is an annual 50-kilometer ski race within the city.
Parks and recreation
Parks and gardens
Recreational facilities
Government and politics
Anchorage is governed by an elected mayor and assembly, and a city manager. The city's current acting mayor is Matt Claman. Along with 7 sister cities in the SCI program, Anchorage has a cultural exchange program with the former Yugoslavia nation of Montenegro.
Anchorage leans heavily Republican in both State and Presidential elections. However, since the establishment of the Municipality in 1975, there have been two Democratic mayors who have been elected to two terms. Downtown is a stronghold of the Democratic Party, while the military bases are the most Republican areas of the Municipality.
Anchorage sends 12 representatives to the 40-member Alaska House of Representatives and 4 senators to the 20-member senate, making up nearly half of both houses. When seats from the neighboring Mat-Su Borough are added, more than half of the Alaska State legislature comes from the Anchorage metropolitan area. This is often used as an argument in favor of moving the state capital from Juneau to a location in the Anchorage area.
Public safety
Anchorage crime rate (2005), compared| | Violent crimes
per 100,000 pop. | Property crimes
per 100,000 pop. | | Anchorage | 735.6 | 4,116.1 |
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| Alaska | 631.9 | 3,612.5 |
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U.S. cities,
pop. 100,000-249,999 | 616.2 | 4,648.4 |
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U.S. cities,
pop. 250,000-499,999 | 1,015.0 | 5,584.9 |
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| U.S. total | 469.2 | 3,429.8 |
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With an authorized strength of 3544 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 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.
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.
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. 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.
Education
Public education in Anchorage, Eagle River, Fort Richardson and Elmendorf Air Force Base is managed by the Anchorage School District, the 87th 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 both religious and non-denominational schools.
Anchorage has four higher-education facilities that offer bachelor's or master's degrees: the University of Alaska Anchorage, Alaska Pacific University, Charter College, 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.
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.
Transportation
There is one numbered state highway in Anchorage; Alaska Route 1. In Anchorage and southward it is known as the Seward Highway, it connects Anchorage to the Kenai Peninsula. Northerly from Anchorage it is known as the Glenn Highway. There is no other road access to Anchorage. 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 carries commuter traffic to and from Eagle River, Chugiak, and the Matanuska Valley towns of Palmer and Wasilla. The highway reduces to four lanes north from Eagle River to the junction with the two-lane Parks Highway (Alaska Route 3), approximately midway between Wasilla and Palmer, where the Glenn reduces to a two-lane highway. Part of Alaska Route 1, as well as parts of other Alaska State Highways, are eligible for federal funding under the Interstate Highway System. Connect Anchorage 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 has a bus system called , 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 provides point-to-point accessible transportation services to seniors and those who experience disabilities.
The Alaska Railroad offers year-round freight and passenger service along the length of its rail system from Seward (the southern terminus of the system) to Fairbanks (the northern terminus of the system), although passenger service is less frequent in winter than in summer, and some passenger terminals are not serviced in winter.Passenger terminals exist at Talkeetna, Denali National Park, Fairbanks, and other places. 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.
The Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, six miles (10 km) South from downtown Anchorage, is the airline hub for the state, served by many national and international airlines, including Seattle-based Alaska Airlines as well as a many intrastate airlines and charter air services. The airport is the primary international air freight gateway in the nation, by weight. Twenty-six percent of the tonnage of U.S. international air freight moves through Anchorage. Next to Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport is Lake Hood Seaplane Base, the largest Seaplane Base in the world. Merrill Field, a general aviation airport on the edge of downtown, was the 86th-busiest airport in the nation in 2006.
Health and utilities
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 - 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.
The Municipal Light & Power (ML&P) and Chugach Electric Association provide electricity to the city. 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.
Media
Anchorage's leading newspaper is the Anchorage Daily News, a statewide daily newspaper. Other newspapers include the Alaska Star, serving primarily Chugiak and Eagle River, the Anchorage Press, a free weekly covering mainly cultural topics, and The Northern Light, the student newspaper of the University of Alaska Anchorage.
Anchorage's major network television affiliates are KTUU 2 (NBC), KTBY 4 (FOX), KYES 5 (MyNetworkTV/RTN), KAKM 7 (PBS), KTVA 11 (CBS), KIMO 13 (ABC/CW), and KDMD 33 (Ion/Telemundo). The city's only cable television provider is General Communication, Inc. (GCI). However, Dish Network and DirecTV offer satellite television service in Anchorage and the surrounding area.
There are many radio stations in Anchorage; see List of radio stations in Alaska for more information.
See also
External links
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