Anchorage, Alaska

**Anchorage** is the largest city in Alaska, United States. With a population of 291,247 residents (as of 2020), it makes up nearly two-fifths of the state's population.

## History

Anchorage was originally a construction camp during the building of the Alaska Railroad. By 1920, it had grown to the point where it was decided to officially make it a city. Being at the head of Cook Inlet it became an important place for shipping in Alaska because ships could load and unload cargo to and from the new railroad.

In the 1940, an both the army and the air force built bases near Anchorage, and it got even bigger. In 1964, Anchorage was hit by the Good Friday Earthquake, the second strongest earthquake ever recorded. Over a hundred people died and a lot of buildings in and around Anchorage were destroyed.

Over the next few years, a lot of work went into rebuilding the city and making the buildings better in case there was another earthquake. In 1968, oil was discovered up in the Arctic region of Alaska, and Anchorage again got bigger quickly and merged with other towns in the area. Today it is a modern city with a very large international airport, a large sea port that is very busy, and all the other things you would expect to find in a big city.

## Utilities

Water for the city comes from Eklutna Lake.

The city's electricity comes from power plants in the city and from a dam also fed by Eklutna Lake.

Heat for homes comes from natural gas provided by Enstar Natural Gas Company.

## Climate

Anchorage has a subarctic climate (_Dfc_ in the Köppen climate classification).

## Infobox (settlement)

- **name**: Anchorage
- **settlement type**: List of cities in Alaska, City and List of boroughs and census areas in Alaska, Borough
- **image skyline**: Anchorage on an April evening.jpg
- **image caption**: Downtown Anchorage and Bootleggers Cove as photographed from Point Woronzof Park on an April evening.
- **image flag**: Flag of Anchorage, Alaska.svg
- **image seal**: Seal of Anchorage, Alaska.svg
- **image map**: Map of Alaska highlighting Anchorage Municipality.svg
- **map caption**: Location of Anchorage within Alaska
- **map caption1**: Interactive map of Anchorage
- **nicknames**: "The City of Lights and Flowers", "Los Anchorage"
- **motto**: Big Wild Life
- **subdivision type**: Country
- **subdivision name**: United States
- **subdivision type1**: State
- **subdivision name1**: Alaska
- **subdivision type2**: List of boroughs and census areas in Alaska, Borough
- **subdivision name2**: Anchorage
- **established title**: Settled
- **established title2**: Municipal corporation, Incorporated
- **established date**: 1914
- **named for**: The :wikt:anchorage, anchorage at the mouth of Ship Creek
- **unit pref**: Imperial
- **area total sq mi**: 1946.69
- **area land sq mi**: 1706.89
- **area water sq mi**: 239.80
- **area urban sq mi**: 78.8
- **area total km2**: 5041.89
- **area land km2**: 4420.81
- **area water km2**: 621.08
- **elevation ft**: 102
- **population as of**: 2020 United States census, 2020
- **population total**: 291247
- **population density sq mi**: auto
- **population density km2**: 65.88
- **population urban**: 249,252 (List of United States urban areas, US: 163rd)
- **population density urban sq mi**: 2,718.4
- **population metro**: 398,328 (US: Metropolitan Statistical Area, 136th)
- **timezone**: Alaska Time Zone, AKST
- **utc offset**: -9
- **timezone dst**: Alaska Daylight Time, AKDT
- **utc offset dst**: -8
- **postal code type**: ZIP code
- **postal code**: 99501–99524, 99529–99530, 99599
- **area code**: Area code 907, 907
- **blank name**: Federal Information Processing Standard, FIPS code
- **blank info**: 02-03000
- **blank name sec2**: Köppen climate classification, Climate
- **blank info sec2**: Subarctic climate, Subarctic