Anchorage Borough

Alaska

The Cities and communities of Anchorage Borough, Alaska *

Anchorage

Eklutna

Girdwood

*This list of cities may not be complete. The list may contain towns, cities, villages, boroughs, townships, ghost towns and other populated places.

If you have information about any of these unlinked communities, please send it to us and we will add a page for that community. Some of these places above may only be neighborhoods or local area names and are not listed with the census at all or just included in a larger surrounding designated census area..

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Information & Facts about Anchorage Borough, Alaska

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Attractions & other Information - Climate - Economy - Genealogy - Geography -
Government - History - Libraries - Location - Organizations & Groups -
Other Facts & Figures - Population - Schools

Government

The Municipality of Anchorage is a unified home rule municipality. It is one of the largest municipalities in the nation, with nearly 1,955 square miles from Eklutna in the north to Girdwood and Portage in the south. As a unified government, the Municipality of Anchorage is responsible for services provided in other states by both a city and a county.

Municipality of Anchorage
632 West 6th Avenue
Anchorage, Alaska 99501
Mail:
P.O. box 196650
Anchorage, Alaska 99519
Mayor's Office: 907 343-4431
Fax: (907) 343-4499

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Population:

2000 - 260,283
2003 - 270,951
2004 - 277,498

Households:
2000 - 94,822

Housing Units:
2000 - 100,368

Density:
Persons per square mile - 59.1

Anchorage Municipality is Alaska's largest city. Over 40% of the state's population reside within its boundaries.
The Anchorage Borough is also the largest in population in the state.

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Location:

Anchorage is located in in south-central Alaska on the coast at Cook Inlet.

Neighboring areas include
South - Kenai Peninsula Borough
North - Matanuska-Susitna Borough
East - Valdez-Cordova Census Area

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Climate:

The climate is officially called subarctic for Anchorage but is mild by Alaskan standards. Average summer daytime temperatures range from 55 to 78 degrees while winter daytime temperature averages run from 5 to 30 degrees.

Average annual precipitation: 15.9 inches
Annual snowfall: 70.60 inches

Here is an Anchorage climate history page

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Other Facts and Figures:

Income
Median Household
2000 - $55,546

Per capita
2000 - $25,287

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History:

Russian sailors entered Alaska's mainland in 1741. By 1778, others had followed from Britain, Spain and America, including Captain James Cook. Cook's navigator's map showed Cook's River, now known as Cook's Inlet, as a spot suitable for dropping anchor. Hence, the name of Anchorage. Later, in 1867, the U.S. purchased Alaska from Russia. Several gold strikes in Alaska, one in 1887 and one in 1922 brought more development to the territory. When the railroad project from Seward to Fairbanks, began in 1914, the midpoint construction headquarters was in Anchorage. Thousands came seeking work and business. At first, Anchorage was mainly a tent city, but by 1915, the Great Anchorage Lot Sale occurred and lots were sold to put Anchorage on the way to becoming a major Alaskan city. The new residents wanted the name of Alaska City for their new community, but the government refused their name change. Anchorage incorporated on 23 November 1920. World War II brought thousands of new residents. At the start of the war there were just 7,724 people, but at the end of the war there were 43,314 residents. Fort Richardson and Elmendorf Air Force Base, along with the discovery of oil on the Kenai Peninsula in 1957 led to this explosion in population. The Port of Anchorage was finished in the early 1960s. The Greater Anchorage Area Borough was created on 1 Jan 1964.

On Good Friday, 1994, the devastating earthquake shook Anchorage destroying a large portion of the city. Rebuilding occurred and new businesses opened. Once the oil fields and Trans-Alaska Pipeline were established, rapid growth came to Anchorage. On 15 September 1975, the city and borough consolidated forming a unified government. Also included in this unification were Girdwood, Eklutna and Glen Alps.

A History page for Anchorage. A timeline and pictures are included in this fine history

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Geography:

Total area: 1,961.1 square miles
Total land area: 1,697.2 square miles
Total water area: 263.9 square miles

The city is located on a strip of coastal lowland. The shoreline is mostly mudflats that can be dangerous.

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Genealogy:

Kindred Trails page for Anchorage Borough
Genealogy page from Roots Web
More Genealogy links and information for Anchorage Burough

Bureau of Vital Statistics - Department of Health and Social Services
350 Main Street, Room 114
Juneau, Alaska 99811-0675
Phone: 907-465-3392
Fax: 907-465-3618

Anchorage Borough Alaska Vital Records
Municipality of Anchorage Borough Clerk
3601 C Street
Anchorage, Alaska 99501
Phone: (907) 264-0514

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Libraries:

Anchorage Municipal Libraries

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Schools:

Anchorage School District
4600 DeBarr Road
P.O. Box 196614
Anchorage, Alaska 99519

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Economy:

Anchorage has become the center of commerce for the entire state. Businesses are headquartered here, oil and gas industries base in the area, government agencies are centralized here, along with real estate, transportation, communications and more. It is a hub for visitors and tourists coming to the state. Thousands of military personnel are stationed here at the two local bases. There is also a large contingent of seasonal workers that base out of Anchorage.

The Port of Anchorage receives nearly all of the freight entering the state giving it a major port status. The military has bases in the area as well.

Norton Sound Economic Development Corporation
420 L Street, Suite 310
Anchorage, AK 99501
Phone 1-907-274-2248
Fax 1-907-274-2249

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Organizations & Groups

Anchorage Chamber of Commerce
441 West 5th Avenue, #300
Anchorage, AK 99501-2365
Phone 907-272-2401
Fax 907-272-4117

Alaska Village Initiatives
1577 C Street Plaza, Suite 304
Anchorage, AK 99501
Phone 907-274-5400
Fax 907-263-9971

Alaska Village Initiatives is a non-profit membership-based company dedicated to improving the well-being of rural Alaska communities, families, and individuals.

Alaska Wilderness Recreation & Tourism Association
2207 Spenard Rd. #201
Anchorage, AK 99503
Phone 907-258-3171
Fax 907-258-3851

Anchorage Visitor's and Convention Bureau
524 W. Fourth Avenue
Anchorage, AK 99501-2212
Phone: (907) 276-4118
Fax: (907) 278-5559

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Attractions & Other Information

It is the state's financial, commercial, and cultural center as well as the major transportation hub. The Port of Anchorage, the Ted Stevens International Airport, the Alaska Railroad, and the highway system all combine to make the city Alaska's primary distributor of goods.

Alaska Native Heritage Center
8800 Heritage Center Drive
Anchorage, AK 99506
Phone 907-330-8000
Fax 907-330-8030

The Alaska Native Heritage Center is a gathering place that celebrates, perpetuates and shares Alaska Native cultures. Since opening in 1999, the Center has become Alaska's premier interactive cultural destination.

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This page was last updated on 28 February 2011 at 11:18 pm

This page was created 28 July 2005

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