Anchorage, Alaska
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Incorporated: 1920
Population: 260,283
City Hall: 907-343-4431
Anchorage, the largest city in Alaska, sits at the base of the Chugach Mountains along the coast of Cook Inlet and boasts a mild climate. The inlet was named after explorer Captain James Cook who sailed into the area in 1778. In 1915 the Ship Creek area became a tent city as the construction of the Alaska Railroad began. Anchorage was incorporated as a city in 1920, with a population of 2,736 people.
Anchorage became central stopping off place during World War II when airfields and roads were built. After the war, an aviation boom spread throughout Alaska. Bush pilots took advantage of the modern technologies and found work in Alaska's skies. From 1939 to 1957, major military impacts and government construction of roads, airports and harbors throughout Alaska contributed to the growth of Anchorage.
In 1957 Alaska became the 49th State in the United States, the same year oil was discovered on the Kenai Peninsula. 17 oil companies set up headquarters in Anchorage. On March 27, 1964 the strongest earthquake ever to hit North America devastated Anchorage, destroying a large part of the city. The quake measured 9.2 on the Richter scale.
In 1968 oil was discovered on the North Slope. In May of 1972 Congress granted authorization for construction of the oil pipeline to begin. Anchorage and the surrounding areas exploded with people heading "north" to work on the pipeline or give services to those who did. The development of Prudhoe Bay oil fields and the Trans-Alaska Pipeline brought rapid growth to Anchorage. Population, commercial zones and housing tripled within ten years. The current population in Anchorage is 260,283 (2000 census).
