Our City

Anchorage is a modern city, complete with skyscrapers, a thriving business district and bustling international airport.  The Municipality encloses 1,955 square miles, including the smaller communities of Eagle River to the north and Girdwood to the south, an area roughly twice the size of Rhode Island.

As Alaska’s largest city and the 68th city of its size among U.S. cities, Anchorage is the hub of the state’s communication, transportation, health care, finance, and trade industries, supporting a vital business sector. Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport is the air crossroads for transporting goods and services on many east-west routes between the United States, Pacific Rim countries, and the Russian market. Alaska is located nearly equidistant from Japan, Europe and the East Coast of the United States.

There are two military bases, Elmendorf Air Force Base and Fort Richardson, both located at the northeast end of town. The Alaska National Guard also has a strong presence in Anchorage at Kulis Air National Guard Base with its acclaimed Search and Rescue Unit, and at the Army National Guard Base.

Anchorage is also an education center with four universities and many technical, vocational, and private schools.

An urban metropolis surrounded by wilderness, Anchorage provides all the amenities and conveniences of a large city, but leaves behind the normal congestion and hectic pace of cities outside of Alaska. There are several shopping malls, specialty shops, gourmet coffee houses and fine restaurants. Anchorage has a large and active arts community, and is included on many U.S. tours of major theatrical productions. The latest movies play on several multi-screen theaters, and Anchorage hosts several retail giants including Home Depot, The Body Shop, Wal Mart, Nordstrom, Sam’s Club, Costco Wholesale, Famous Footwear, Office Depot, Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse and The Gap.

A city which boasts an extensive beautification program, Anchorage is called "The City of Lights and Flowers." The summer brings almost continuous daylight. The landscape is rich with green grass and vibrant colors of summer flowers, which are planted throughout the Municipality in public parks and along well-traveled roads. Anchorage businesses and residents try to out-do each other by planting magnificent gardens, displaying window boxes, and landscaping walkways, lobbies, and grounds.

The spring and fall are subtle, relatively brief, yet beautiful seasons. Winter, because of Anchorage’s location along the coast, remains mild relative to the rest of the state, with temperatures ranging from 10-25 degrees Fahrenheit. The annual snowfall in Anchorage usually averages less than six feet. Streets, highways, and cross-country ski trails are maintained during the winter.

In keeping with the theme of "Lights and Flowers," Anchorage residents and businesses throughout the city decorate with miniature white lights, creating a warm and welcoming "lightscape" in the wintertime.

Residents and visitors alike enjoy the quiet beauty of Anchorage and the splendor of Alaska’s great outdoors including glaciers, mountains, wildlife, and winter’s glorious northern lights, which bathe the sky with colors and light in an indescribable display of nature.