Anchorage

Introduction

Jim Colyer in Alaska 32

© All Rights Reserved Jim Colyer

Anchorage is the largest city in Alaska with around 280,000 inhabitants living in the urban area, about 40% of the total population of the state. It is the main starting point for most travellers arriving by air and visiting Alaska. For more information, also visit the Anchorage Tourism website.

Neighbourhoods

• Downtown
• Midtown
• South Anchorage
• West Anchorage
• Spenard
• East Anchorage
• Hillside
• Eagle River
• Chugiak
• Peters Creek
• Bird
• Indian
• Girdwood

Sights and Activities

• Alaska Native Heritage Center
• Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center
• Alaska Zoo
• Anchorage Museum
• Alaska Museum of Natural History
• Anchorage Aviation Heritage Museum
• Imaginarium: Science Discovery Center
• Oscar Anderson House Museum
• Wells Fargo Alaska Heritage Library & Museum
• Wildlife watching just outside the city, with black bears and grizzly bears being relatively common
• Hilltop Ski Area - good for skiing in winter

Weather

Anchorage has a relatively mild climate compared to much of Alaska's interior, though temperatures can plummit in winter (December - February). Average highs during this time are around -5 °C, while average lows are around -12 °C. The record low is -39 °C though so bring loads of warm clothing during this time. Summers are short and last from June to August when average highs are around 18 °C and lows around 10 °C. The record is set at 29 °C but you should consider yourself lucky with temperatures approaching this maximum. Rainfall is relatively low throughout the year, with most of it falling during the summer and early autumn months (August-October). Snow is common from October to April, with most of it falling from December to February.

Getting There

By Plane

Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) is located about 7 kilometres southwest of the city. Route 7A of the Anchorage People Mover bus system serves the airport's North and South terminals once every hour in each direction, connecting it with the downtown Transit Center and the Dimond Center mall. Taxis, shuttles and rental cars are all available as well.

Alaska Airlines has flights to/from Chicago, Portland, Denver, Fairbanks, Honolulu, Juneau, Los Angeles, Nome, San Francisco and Seattle, as well as some smaller regional airports in Alaska. Northwest Airlines serves Detroit and Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Air Canada has flights to Vancouver, American Airlines to Chicago and Dallas, Continental Airlines to Houston and Seattle and Delta Airlines to Atlanta and Salt Lake City. US Airways serves Phoenix and further away there are flights to Frankfurt with Condor and to Taipei with China Airlines. Also, Japan Airlines has flights to/from Fukuoka, Nagoya, Osaka and Tokyo, and Korean Air to/from Seoul. Several smaller airlines serve a few main US cities and many regional airfields across Alaska.

To add, the Lake Hood Seaplane Base is the world's busiest seaplane airport with destinations througout Alaska.

By Train

The Alaska Railroad offers year round services between Seward and Fairbanks, with regular connections during summer (half May - half September) though with just weekly services the rest of the year.

By Car

Lighthouse outside Kenai, AK

© All Rights Reserved Daver141

Alaska Route 1 connects Anchorage with the Kenai Peninsula southward. It is also called the Seward Highway and connects with Alaska's Marine Highway (see below). Northwards it is called the Glenn Highway.
The Alaska Highway starts in northern British Columbia, Canada, and terminates in Fairbanks. You can either get to Anchorage via the Parks Highway from Fairbanks or the Glenn Highway from Tok (the first major Alaskan town after crossing from Canada).
The Mile Post is a good roadguide for Alaska and parts of Canada.

By Bus

Buses connect Anchorage with several major cities and towns in the southern portion of Alaska, as well as to Fairbanks.

By Boat

Anchorage can also be reached by Alaska Marine Highway, which handles transport along most of Alaska's southern coastlines. It's officially even part of the National Highway System.

Getting Around

By Car

If you want to explore areas outside the city proper, renting a car is the way to go. Many international rental companies have a wide selection of rental cars and these include Hertz, Avis, Dollar, Thrifty, Enterprise, Budget and Alamo/National. Most companies will require you are at least 25 years of age, although younger people might be able to rent cars at slightly higher rates and with some insurance differences as well. A national driver's license is usually enough, but an additional international one is recommended. Also note that it usually costs more to include lots of other extra things. For example extra drivers, GPS, the first full tank, SLI (Supplemental Liability Insurance), PAI (Personal Accident Insurance, usually covered already at home), road assistance/service plan, and drop-off costs for one-way rentals.
If you want to book a car, it is recommended that you book your car before arriving in the USA. This is almost always (much) cheaper compared to just showing up. Also, try and book with a so-called 'broker', which usually works together with a few or many car rental companies and can offer the best deal. Some examples include Holidayautos, Holidaycars and Sunny Cars. Some of the cheapest deals to book from Europe, includes Drive-USA, which also has a German version.

For more information and tips about renting cars and campers, additional costs, insurance, traffic rules, scenic routes and getting maps and fuel it is advised to check the USA Getting Around section.

By Public Transport

People Mover has buses throughout the metropolitan area.

Eat

For a wide range of options, visit the Anchorage Restaurants website. From budget to top restaurants.

Sleep

Learn

• Univeristy of Alaska, Anchorage

Keep Connected

Phone

See also: International Telephone Calls

Post

The US Postal Service is very good and well priced mail system. There are hundreds of big and small post offices in Anchorage. If wanting to send a letter or postcard it is best just to leave it in a blue mail box with the proper postage. There are also private postal services like FedEx, UPS and DHL.