Anchorage, Alaska

Alaska Railroad Depot, Anchorage
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anchorage_RR_depot.jpg
Author: Reywas92


Anchorage is the biggest city, but not the capital, of the state of Alaska. It lies between the Cook Inlet and the Chugach Mountains. One in every two Alaskan lives in or around Anchorage - which isn't that many, as the state only has a population of 700,000 people.

Unlike other towns that came up in Alaska, Anchorage was devoid of minerals or fishing fleet. It came into being because of the railway construction of the Alaska Railroad. The site where the railroad headquarters was located became a frontier town, and on 23 November, 1920, Anchorage was incorporated. By the 1930's, it has become an important air transportation and military base. Its civilian airport opened in 1951.

A massive 9.2 magnitude earthquake hit Anchorage on Good Friday, 27 March, 1964 causing $1.8 billion in damage (in 2007 dollars), and substantial lost of lives. It was the second biggest earthquake in recorded history.

Most visitors come to Anchorage during the summer months, when the days are long and the temperature more "bearable". The best months to visit are between May and September.

Anchorage, as seen from Earthquake Park
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anchorage_from_Earthquake_Park.jpg
Author: Frank K.


Portage Glacier, Anchorage
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Portage_Glacier_from_Portage_Pass_trail.jpg
Author: Frank K

Travel to Anchorage

The main international gateway to Anchorage is the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC), which receives flights from most major cities in the United States. The airport has two terminals. A free shuttle bus connects the South (Domestic) terminal with the North (International) terminal. There are buses going between the airport and downtown Anchorage as well as to various locations in the city.

Travel within Anchorage

Although not a big city, Anchorage is quite spread out, making it not so convenient to explore on foot. I would encourage you to rent a car. It can be expensive, though, about $200 per day in summer for a large passenger vehicle. If you have the time and need to budget, then take the bus. It's not the most convenient option, but at $1.75 per journey or $4 per one-day pass, it is the cheapest form of travel.

Chugach Mountains, as seen from Anchorage
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chugach_Mountains_from_Anchorage_%281%29.jpg
Author: Wonderlane

Places of Interest in Anchorage

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Dear visitor, thank you so much for reading this page. My name is Timothy Tye and my hobby is to find out about places, write about them and share the information with you on this website. I have been writing this site since 5 January 2003. Originally (from 2003 until 2009, the site was called AsiaExplorers. I changed the name to Penang Travel Tips in 2009, even though I describe more than just Penang but everywhere I go (I often need to tell people that "Penang Travel Tips" is not just information about Penang, but information written in Penang), especially places in Malaysia and Singapore, and in all the years since 2003, I have described over 20,000 places.

While I try my best to provide you information as accurate as I can get it to be, I do apologize for any errors and for outdated information which I am unaware. Nevertheless, I hope that what I have described here will be useful to you.