50 Fun Facts About Anchorage

Roughly what share of Alaska's population lives in Anchorage?

The metro area, which adds the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, holds more than half the state.

What was Anchorage's population at the 2020 census?

That is slightly below the 2010 count of 291,826.

Anchorage sits at the head of which body of water?

The city occupies a peninsula between the inlet's two arms.

Which arm of water lies to the north of Anchorage?

Turnagain Arm, to the south, has some of the highest tides in the world.

Anchorage began in 1915 as a tent city beside which waterway?

Salmon fishing at the creek, steps from downtown, is still a summer ritual.

Construction of what triggered the founding of Anchorage?

Unlike other Alaskan towns, it was never a fishing or mining camp.

In which year was Anchorage incorporated as a city?

The exact date was November 23, five years after the tent city went up.

In 1975 the city merged with what to form the Municipality of Anchorage?

The merger pulled in Eagle River, Girdwood and Glen Alps.

Anchorage is almost equidistant from New York, Tokyo and which Russian city?

The route to Murmansk runs straight over the North Pole.

Which courier company runs a major hub at Anchorage's airport?

The company calls it a critical part of its global network.

How many times has Anchorage won the All-America City Award?

The wins came in 1956, 1965, 1984-85 and 2002.

Which explorer anchored HMS Resolution near the site in 1778?

He spent ten days exploring the inlet while hunting for the Northwest Passage.

Who scouted the Knik Arm for Captain Cook in 1778?

Bligh later became notorious as captain of HMS Bounty.

Why did Cook give the southern arm a name about turning back again?

He was in a foul mood after running his ship aground on a sandbar.

Which Alaska Native people displaced the Chugach Alutiiq around 500 AD?

The Dena'ina name for the city is Dgheyay Kaq'.

In 1915 residents voted to rename the town what, before the territory refused?

Governor Strong had asked for a name with more local significance.

What was the magnitude of the Good Friday earthquake that hit Anchorage in 1964?

It remains the second-largest earthquake ever recorded.

Which broadcaster stayed on air nearly 24 hours after the 1964 quake?

The police chief effectively made her the city's public safety officer.

Which Anchorage neighbourhood saw homes sink to sea level in the 1964 quake?

The ground was glacial silt, which liquefied during nearly five minutes of shaking.

Oil discovered where in 1968 shifted Anchorage's economy?

ARCO made the find on the North Slope.

In 1976 Alaska voters approved building a new capital near which town?

Opponents later killed a nearly $1 billion bond to pay for it.

Which newspaper owner championed moving the state capital to Anchorage?

The state later named its main Anchorage office tower after him.

At what latitude does Anchorage lie?

That is slightly farther north than Oslo and Helsinki, but south of Reykjavik.

Which range forms Anchorage's eastern boundary?

The city limits reach into a 495,000-acre state park in those mountains.

Why are tourists warned off Anchorage's mudflats?

Two people became stuck in the silt, in 1961 and 1988.

Roughly how many moose live in the Anchorage Bowl in winter?

The summer count is nearer 250; over 100 are killed by cars each year.

Which marine mammals are often seen from the Seward Highway south of Anchorage?

Dall sheep are the other roadside attraction, at Windy Point.

What does local folklore say about fireweed going to seed?

The plant's full bloom to seed marks the end of a roughly 101-day growing season.

What is Anchorage's record high temperature, set on July 4, 2019?

Average July highs are only around 66 °F.

How much snow fell in Anchorage's record 2011-12 winter?

It edged the 1954-55 winter by under two inches.

Which volcano's 1992 eruption dusted Anchorage with ash?

Cleaning it up strained the city's water utility.

Anchorage's airport ranks where among the world's cargo airports?

Only Hong Kong and Shanghai Pudong handle more freight.

What share of goods bound for Alaska passes through the Port of Alaska?

Ships arrive twice weekly from the Port of Tacoma.

The port in Anchorage was renamed the Port of Alaska in which year?

It is a municipal enterprise that funds its own operations.

What was created when Anchorage's two big military installations merged after 2005?

The 2005 BRAC round drove the merger; it also swallowed Kulis Air National Guard Base.

Which oil company's headquarters is the tallest building in Alaska?

The subsidiary ConocoPhillips Alaska occupies the downtown tower.

Which airline was once headquartered in Anchorage before moving to the Seattle area?

It still keeps major offices and a foundation at the airport.

What sales tax does Anchorage levy?

It does charge a 12% bed tax on hotels and 8% on car rentals.

Which event has its ceremonial start on Anchorage's Fourth Avenue each March?

It kicks off on the first Saturday of the month.

What is the name of Anchorage's February winter carnival?

It includes three-day sprint sled-dog races of 25.5 miles each.

Which ECHL hockey team left Anchorage in 2017 to become the Maine Mariners?

They won three league titles in 29 seasons.

What is the mascot name of the University of Alaska Anchorage teams?

UAA fields Division I teams in gymnastics and hockey.

Anchorage lost bids to host which two Winter Olympics?

Albertville and Lillehammer won instead.

The Anchorage Northern Knights joined which pro league in 1977?

Their nearest rival was 5,000 miles away; they won the 1979-80 title.

Who was the first Democrat to carry Anchorage since 1964?

Lyndon Johnson was the last before him.

Which Anchorage hospital is the largest in the state?

The Sisters of Providence first brought care to Nome in 1902.

Anchorage's tap water comes mainly from which source?

The lake is fed by meltwater from Eklutna Glacier.

What is the name of Anchorage's bus system?

Its downtown hub connects to satellite hubs at Dimond Center and Muldoon Mall.

What is Lake Hood, next to the international airport?

It sits beside Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport.

Anchorage's highways are known locally by name; which one is AK-3?

Alaskans almost never use the route numbers.