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Valdez, Alaska
 
 
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Valdez is a city in Valdez-Cordova Census Area
Valdez-Cordova Census Area, Alaska

Valdez-Cordova Census Area is a census area located in the U.S. state of Alaska, United States. As of the United States Census 2000, the population was 10,195....
 in the U.S. state
U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 state of the United States that share sovereignty with the federal government of the United States . Because of this shared sovereignty, an United States is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of Domicile ....
 of Alaska
Alaska

Alaska is the largest U.S. state of the United States by area; it is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait....
. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 4,020. The city is one of the most important ports in Alaska
Alaska

Alaska is the largest U.S. state of the United States by area; it is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait....
.

ez is a fishing port, both for commercial and sport fishing. Freight moves through Valdez bound for the interior of Alaska. Sightseeing of the marine life and glaciers, together with both deep-sea fishing, and heli skiing support a tourist industry in Valdez.






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Valdez is a city in Valdez-Cordova Census Area
Valdez-Cordova Census Area, Alaska

Valdez-Cordova Census Area is a census area located in the U.S. state of Alaska, United States. As of the United States Census 2000, the population was 10,195....
 in the U.S. state
U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 state of the United States that share sovereignty with the federal government of the United States . Because of this shared sovereignty, an United States is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of Domicile ....
 of Alaska
Alaska

Alaska is the largest U.S. state of the United States by area; it is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait....
. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 4,020. The city is one of the most important ports in Alaska
Alaska

Alaska is the largest U.S. state of the United States by area; it is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait....
.

Economy

Valdez is a fishing port, both for commercial and sport fishing. Freight moves through Valdez bound for the interior of Alaska. Sightseeing of the marine life and glaciers, together with both deep-sea fishing, and heli skiing support a tourist industry in Valdez. The oil from the Trans-Alaska pipeline
Trans-Alaska Pipeline System

The Trans-Alaska Pipeline System , usually called the Alyeska Pipeline in Alaska or the Alaska Pipeline elsewhere, is a major United States Petroleum pipeline transport connecting oil fields in Alaska's North Slope to a North Pacific seaport where the oil can be shipped to the Lower 48 states for refining....
 is loaded onto ships at the Valdez oil terminal. The natural setting for Valdez is one of the most beautiful on Earth, and it has been called the Switzerland of Alaska.

Alyeska Pipeline Service Company
Alyeska Pipeline Service Company

The Alyeska consortium refers to the major oil companies that own and operate the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System through the Alyeska Pipeline Service Company....
 is one of the biggest employers in town but it started to move several positions to its headquarters in Anchorage since the town council passed a resolution charging a tax to all the tankers coming into the port to be loaded with oil. This has had an impact in the population size and the economy.

Valdez is connected to the interior of Alaska by the Richardson Highway
Richardson Highway

The Richardson Highway is a highway in the U.S. state of Alaska, running 368 miles from Valdez, Alaska to Fairbanks, Alaska. It is marked as Alaska Route 4 from Valdez to Delta Junction, Alaska and as Alaska Route 2 from there to Fairbanks....
, and is a port of call in the Alaska Marine Highway
Alaska Marine Highway

The Alaska Marine Highway or the Alaska Marine Highway System is a ferry service operated by the government of the U.S. state of Alaska....
 ferry system. Just north of Valdez on the highway is Thompson Pass, which has spectacular waterfalls and glaciers next to the highway. Thompson Pass is also known for treacherous driving conditions during the winter.

Valdez is also known as the "North Shore" of heli-skiing
Heliskiing

Heliskiing is off-trail, downhill skiing that is accessed by a helicopter, not a ski lift. Heliskiing is essentially about skiing in a natural -- albeit highly selected -- natural environment without the effort or gear compromise required for hiking into these areas as in ski touring or ski mountaineering....
 and is home to no fewer than five heli-ski operations.

Valdez is also home to several World Extreme Skiing Champs such as Dean Cummings of H2O Guides.

History

The port of Valdez was named in 1790 by the Spanish explorer Don Salvador Fidalgo
Salvador Fidalgo

Salvador Fidalgo was a Spanish Empire explorer who commanded an exploring expedition for Spain to Alaska and the Pacific Northwest during the late 18th century....
 after the Spanish naval officer Antonio Valdés y Basán. Because the Port of Valdez was an ice-free port, a town developed there in 1898. Some steamship companies promoted the Valdez Glacier Trail as a better way to reach the Klondike
Klondike, Yukon

The Klondike or Clondike is a region of the Yukon in northwest Canada, east of the Alaska border. It lies around the Klondike River, a small river that enters the Yukon River from the east at Dawson City, Yukon....
 gold fields or as a better way to find new gold fields in Alaska than the route from Skagway
Skagway, Alaska

Skagway is a first-class borough in Alaska, on the Alaska Panhandle. It was formerly a city first incorporated in 1900 that was re-incorporated as a borough on June 25, 2007....
. The prospectors who believed the promotion found that they had been deceived. The glacier trail was twice as long and steep as reported and many died attempting the crossing.

The Richardson Highway
Richardson Highway

The Richardson Highway is a highway in the U.S. state of Alaska, running 368 miles from Valdez, Alaska to Fairbanks, Alaska. It is marked as Alaska Route 4 from Valdez to Delta Junction, Alaska and as Alaska Route 2 from there to Fairbanks....
 was built in 1899 and the early 1900s to connect Valdez to the interior of Alaska. In 1907 a shootout between two rival railroad companies ended Valdez’s hope to own the railroad line to the Kennicott Mine, one of the richest copper ore deposits on the continent. A half-completed tunnel marks the location of the right-of-way dispute in Keystone Canyon on the Richardson Highway. It was a summer-only highway until 1950, when it became a year-round route.

The city was destroyed in the 1964 Good Friday Earthquake
Good Friday Earthquake

The 1964 Alaska earthquake, also known as the Great Alaska earthquake, began at 5:36 P.M. AST on Friday, March 27, 1964. Across south-central Alaska, ground fissures, collapsing buildings, and tidal waves directly caused about 131 deaths....
. Liquefaction
Liquefaction

Liquefaction may refer to:* Soil liquefaction, the process by which sediments become suspended* Liquefaction of gases in physics, chemistry, and thermal engineering...
 of the glacial silt that formed the city's foundation led to massive underwater landslides, causing a section of the city's shoreline to break off and sink into the sea. The underwater soil displacement caused a tsunami
Tsunami

A is a series of ocean surface wave that is created when a large volume of a body of water, such as an ocean, is rapidly displaced. The Japanese term is literally translated into " harbor wave."...
  high to slam the coast. In Valdez, 32 people lost their lives, most of them on the city dock, meeting a supply ship. The original town site was abandoned; the Army Corps of Engineers transported 60 surviving houses to firmer foundations, reestablishing the city at its present site.

From 1975-1977, the Trans-Alaska pipeline
Trans-Alaska Pipeline System

The Trans-Alaska Pipeline System , usually called the Alyeska Pipeline in Alaska or the Alaska Pipeline elsewhere, is a major United States Petroleum pipeline transport connecting oil fields in Alaska's North Slope to a North Pacific seaport where the oil can be shipped to the Lower 48 states for refining....
 was built to carry oil from the Prudhoe Bay oil fields in northern Alaska to a terminal in Valdez, the nearest ice-free port, where the oil is loaded onto tanker ships for transport. The construction and operation of the pipeline and terminal boosted the economy of Valdez.

The 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill
Exxon Valdez oil spill

The Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred in Prince William Sound, Alaska, on March 24, 1989 . It is considered one of the most devastating man-made environmental disasters ever to occur at sea....
 occurred as the oil tanker Exxon Valdez
Exxon Valdez

Exxon Valdez was the original name of an Petroleum Tanker owned by the former ExxonMobil Shipping Company, a division of the former Exxon Corporation....
 was leaving the terminal at Valdez full of oil. The spill occurred at Bligh Reef
Bligh Reef

Bligh Reef, sometimes known as Bligh Island Reef, is a reef off the coast of Bligh Island in Prince William Sound, Alaska. This was the location of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill....
, about 40 km (25 miles) from Valdez. Although the oil did not reach Valdez, it destroyed much of the marine life in the surrounding area. The clean-up of the oil caused a short-term boost to the economy of Valdez but bankrupted the neighboring Chugach
Chugach

Chugach is the name of an Alaska Native culture and group of people in the region of the Kenai Peninsula and Prince William Sound. The Chugach people are an Alutiiq people who speak the Chugach dialect of the Alutiiq language....
 tribe, who had depended on the sea for their livelihood.

Geography and climate

Valdez is located at .

Valdez is located near the head of a deep fjord
Fjord

Geologically, a fjord or fiord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides, created in a valley carved by Glacier....
 in the of Prince William Sound
Prince William Sound

Prince William Sound is a Sound of the Gulf of Alaska on the south coast of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is located on the east side of the Kenai Peninsula....
 in Alaska
Alaska

Alaska is the largest U.S. state of the United States by area; it is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait....
. It is surrounded by the Chugach Mountains
Chugach Mountains

The Chugach Mountains of southern Alaska are the northernmost of the several mountain ranges that make up the Pacific Coast Ranges of the western edge of North America....
, which are heavily glaciated. Valdez is the northernmost port in North America that is ice-free year-round. The northernmost point of the coastal Pacific temperate rain forest
Pacific temperate rain forests

The Pacific temperate rain forests of North America is the largest temperate rain forest ecoregion on the planet as defined by the World Wildlife Fund ....
 is in Valdez, on Blueberry Hill
Blueberry Hill (wilderness)

Blueberry Hill is located near downtown Valdez, Alaska, Alaska....
.

According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau

The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data....
, the city has a total area of 277.1 square miles (717.6 km²), of which, 222.0 square miles (574.9 km²) of it is land and 55.1 square miles (142.7 km²) of it (19.88%) is water.

Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Rec High °F 54 52 53 69 78 86 85 83 74 58 50 52
Norm High °F 26.6 30 35.8 44.4 52.9 59.4 62.3 60.8 53.3 43 32.7 29.1
Norm Low °F 17.2 19.6 23.8 30.9 38.6 45 48 46.4 40.9 33.4 23.9 20.2
Rec Low °F -20 -10 -6 5 21 31 33 32 25 8 1 -6
Precip (in) 6.02 5.53 4.49 3.55 3.08 3.01 3.84 6.62 9.59 8.58 5.51 7.59
Source: USTravelWeather.com


Demographics

As of the census
Census

A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population....
 of 2000, there were 4,036 people, 1,494 households, and 1,042 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density

Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans....
 was 18.2 people per square mile (7.0/km²). There were 1,645 housing units at an average density of 7.4/sq mi (2.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 83.62% White
Race (United States Census)

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are Self-concept data items in which residents choose the Race in the United States or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are of Hispanic or Latino origin ....
, 0.42% Black
Race (United States Census)

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are Self-concept data items in which residents choose the Race in the United States or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are of Hispanic or Latino origin ....
 or African American
Race (United States Census)

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are Self-concept data items in which residents choose the Race in the United States or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are of Hispanic or Latino origin ....
, 7.19% Native American
Race (United States Census)

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are Self-concept data items in which residents choose the Race in the United States or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are of Hispanic or Latino origin ....
, 2.18% Asian
Race (United States Census)

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are Self-concept data items in which residents choose the Race in the United States or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are of Hispanic or Latino origin ....
, 0.45% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are Self-concept data items in which residents choose the Race in the United States or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are of Hispanic or Latino origin ....
, 1.41% from other races
Race (United States Census)

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are Self-concept data items in which residents choose the Race in the United States or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are of Hispanic or Latino origin ....
, and 4.73% from two or more races. 3.96% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are Self-concept data items in which residents choose the Race in the United States or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are of Hispanic or Latino origin ....
 or Latino
Race (United States Census)

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are Self-concept data items in which residents choose the Race in the United States or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are of Hispanic or Latino origin ....
 of any race.

There were 1,494 households out of which 41.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.4% were married couples
Marriage

Marriage is a social, spirituality, or law union of individuals. This union may also be called matrimony, while the ceremony that marks its beginning is usually called a wedding and the married status created is sometimes called wedlock....
 living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.2% were non-families. 21.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 2.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.15.

In the city the population was spread out with 29.7% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 33.2% from 25 to 44, 26.4% from 45 to 64, and 3.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 107.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $66,532, and the median income for a family was $74,188. Males had a median income of $56,932 versus $31,855 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income

Per capita income means how much each individual receives, in monetary terms, of the yearly income generated in the country. This is what each citizen is to receive if the yearly national income is divided equally among everyone....
 for the city was $27,341. About 5.0% of families and 6.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.3% of those under age 18 and 11.4% of those age 65 or over.

 Population of Valdez
Year Population
1900 1,100
1940 500
1960 600
1970 1,000
1980 3,100
1990 4,100


Oil Terminal

The Valdez Oil Terminal is an oil
Petroleum

Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid found in rock formations in the Earth consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights, plus other organic compounds....
 port in Valdez, at the southern end of the Alaska Pipeline. The terminal was the point of departure for the Exxon Valdez
Exxon Valdez

Exxon Valdez was the original name of an Petroleum Tanker owned by the former ExxonMobil Shipping Company, a division of the former Exxon Corporation....
 just prior to the Exxon Valdez oil spill
Exxon Valdez oil spill

The Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred in Prince William Sound, Alaska, on March 24, 1989 . It is considered one of the most devastating man-made environmental disasters ever to occur at sea....
.

There are 18 holding tanks at the terminal, and an average of three to four oil tanker
Oil tanker

An oil tanker, also known as a petroleum tanker, is a merchant ship designed for the bulk transport of oil. There are two basic types of oil tankers: the crude tanker and the product tanker....
s depart from the terminal each day. Since the pipeline became operational in 1977, more than 15,000 tankers of oil
Petroleum

Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid found in rock formations in the Earth consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights, plus other organic compounds....
 have left the terminal.

Media and culture

Despite its small size, Valdez was at one time home to two weekly newspapers, the Valdez Star and the Valdez Vanguard. In 2004, the Star bought out the Vanguard. Valdez is also home to radio broadcasters KCHU
KCHU

KCHU is a non-commercial radio station in Valdez, Alaska. Through its main transmitter, two full-service FM stations, and two translators,the station covers an area the size of the state of Ohio, but with a population just over 10,000....
, KVAK
KVAK (AM)

KVAK is a radio station licensed to serve Valdez, Alaska. The station is owned by North Wave Communications, Inc. It airs a Country music and Talk radio format....
, and KVAK-FM
KVAK-FM

KVAK-FM is a commercial adult contemporary/classic rock radio station in Valdez, Alaska, broadcasting on 93.3Frequency Modulation.KVAK-FM obtains its programming from Dial Global Networks....
.

Valdez is also home to the Last Frontier Theatre Conference
Last Frontier Theatre Conference

The Last Frontier Theatre Conference is an annual conference on Theatre held in Valdez, Alaska, Alaska that focuses on playwrighting. It is in its 15th year....
, hosted by the Prince William Sound Community College. The annual conference attracts playwright
Playwright

A playwright, also known as a dramatist, is a person who writes dramatic literature or drama. These works may be written specifically to be performed by actors or they may be closet dramas or literary works written using dramatic forms but not meant for performance....
s and actor
Actor

An actor or actress is a person who acting in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio programming in that capacity....
s from around the United States.

On Deadly Ground
On Deadly Ground

On Deadly Ground is a 1994 in film environmental action-adventure film, co-produced, directed by and starring Steven Seagal, and co-starring, Michael Caine, Joan Chen, John C....
 (1994) filmed at Worthington Glacier, Alaska. 30 miles outside of Valdez on Thompson Pass in the Chugach Mountains.

Notable natives

  • William Allen Egan
    William Allen Egan

    William Allen Egan was an United States Democratic Party politician. He served as the first List of Governors of Alaska of the State of Alaska from January 3, 1959 to 1966, and was elected to a second term from 1970 to 1974....
    , first governor of Alaska


External links

  • Official Website
  • Visitor Information
  • Valdez Museum & Historical Archive
  • Maxine & Jesse Whitney Museum
  • H2O Guides