The Port of Anchorage is Alaska’s largest city and, with almost 283 thousand residents, it holds over two-fifths of the State’s population. The Port of Anchorage is also the main commercial center for Alaska. Its economy is based on defense, natural resources, and tourism. It lies at the base of the Chugach Mountains at the head of Cook Inlet.

The Russians established a mission opposite the inlet from modern Anchorage in 1835, but little development occurred until the discovery of gold in the late 19th Century. The city was established in 1914 as a port for the Alaska Railroad. The railroad’s headquarters, Ship Creek Landing, soon became a tent city. In 1918, the rail link with Seward was completed.

The Port of Anchorage was incorporated in 1920 with the railroad being its main focus. During the Dust Bowl drought of the 1930s, the federal government helped settlers from the suffering mid-west to move to the Port of Anchorage to develop an agricultural community.

When air transportation and the U.S. military became more important between the 1930s and 1950s, the city grew steadily. In 1930, Merfill Field opened. The 1940s saw the construction of Elmendorf Air Force Base and Fort Richardson. Then in 1951, Anchorage International Airport opened.

In March 1964, a magnitude 9.2 earthquake struck the Port of Anchorage, killing 115 Alaskans and causing almost $2 billion (2007 US). The 1960s was dominated by rebuilding efforts.

Oil was discovered in Prudhoe Bay in 1968, and the oil boom created greater growth for the Port of Anchorage. When the city merged with outlying communities in 1975, it became known as the Municipality of Anchorage. It continued to grow into the 1980s as the city undertook many capital projects and a beautification campaign.

The Port of Anchorage serves most of Alaska from Homer to the North Slope via rail, road, and air. The US Department of Defense designated it one of 16 National Strategic Ports, underscoring its proximity to Russia and Asia. It provides all of the jet fuel to Elmendorf Air Force Base and most of the jet fuel to Ted Stevens International Airport. It stages all of the refined petroleum product exports from the Fairbanks refinery.

The Port of Anchorage is responsible, directly or indirectly, for most of the jobs in the area. Stevedores, railroaders, truckers, oil workers, warehousemen, and many workers in the finance and real estate sectors owe their employment to the Port of Anchorage. Today, export-related jobs are growing for petroleum, forest, mining, and manufacturing products.

Operating since 1961, the Port of Anchorage was the only port in south central Alaska to survive the 1964 earthquake. Since then, it has expanded to a five-berth terminal with facilities for containerized cargo, iron and steel products, cement, and bulk petroleum. In 2005, more than 5 million tons of cargo moved across its docks.

To the east of the Port, an almost 129-acre Industrial Park contains 31 acres for storage/staging of cargo. In an effort to modernize and maintain market dominance, the Port of Anchorage began an initiative in 2003 to eventually double its size.

In 2006, road and rail extensions were completed to improve cargo flow and introduce intermodal capacity. A North Terminal was begun in 2006 to accommodate larger barge shipments and improve barge-container ship coordination. From 2008 to 2014, dock expansions will accommodate 1000-foot ships and provide berths with deeper drafts as well as improve handling of container ships, bulk materials and petroleum, and passenger ships.

In 2007, the Port of Anchorage handled over 500 thousand TEUs of containerized cargo (almost 2 million tons of containerized and flat cargoes) and almost 1.7 million tons of shore side petroleum (5 million barrels-bulk).

The Municipality of Anchorage is an eclectic city in the heart of the Alaskan wilderness that sports a frontier spirit. Surrounded by six mountain ranges and blessed with a maritime climate, the Port of Anchorage is active all year with recreation, sightseeing, and wildlife opportunities for adventurous travelers.

Alaska’s Native peoples present a rich heritage and survival skills that give the State much of its character. Their storytelling, songs, dances, and art make Anchorage a popular tourist destination. The Dena’ina people are indigenous to Anchorage, and visitors will enjoy learning about their subsistence fishing and hunting lifestyle, their customs, and their traditions.

Glaciers cover almost 30 thousand square miles in Alaska, and they are a favorite attraction for visitors. The Portage Glacier is just 50 miles south of the city. You can see two active volcanoes from downtown Anchorage, including North America’s highest point (Mount McKinley).

You can also witness the mysterious Northern Lights from Anchorage. The best time for viewing the Aurora Borealis is in winter and spring, especially when sub-zero temperatures are complemented by moonless skies. Many area hotels offer a “northern lights wake-up call” for those who want to be alerted to the lights.

The Port of Anchorage offers some “must-see” attractions for travelers. The Alaska Native Heritage Center features native dance performances and other events, including a trail around the lake that shows different aspects of native Alaskan cultures. The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center near Anchorage is a refuge for injured, ill, and orphaned animals including bears, eagles, elk, bison, moose, and many more. Visitors drive through the park to view the wildlife in large fenced habitat areas. The Anchorage Museum of History and Art features traveling exhibits and local art as well as a fabulous exhibit on Alaskan history.

The area around the Port of Anchorage is rich with wildlife, and visitors can easily find bears, Dall sheep, waterfowl, and eagles in either the Denali or Katmai National Parks, along Seward Highway, or in Potter’s Marsh. The Tony Knowles Coastal Trail offers some of the best walking and biking trails in Alaska, which is saying quite a lot.

Of course, the Port of Anchorage offers many opportunities for snow-boarding and skiing. You can get information on nearby cross-country ski trails from the Nordic Skiing Association of Anchorage. Several ski resorts near Anchorage offer opportunities for novices and advanced skiers. Among them are the Alyeska Resort on the Seward Highway, the Hilltop Ski Area about 15 minutes from downtown in the Chugach foothills, and Alpenglow at Arctic Valley. The Chugach Powder Guides offer a professional guide for advanced skiers and boarders to enjoy snow-cat skiing.

The Port of Anchorage has long been a challenge for cruises because it’s upriver from the sea. But in the past few years, more cruise lines have moved to a new facility at Whittier, a beautiful drive about 1 1/2-hours from the city where you can see the Portage Glacier and Cook Inlet. You can find a list of fantastic cruises visiting the Port of Anchorage on the web at Cruise Compete.