Anchorage

About Anchorage

Anchorage (Denaʼina: Dgheyay Kaq'; Dgheyaytnu), officially the Municipality of Anchorage, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Alaska. With a population of 291,247 at the 2020 census, it contains nearly 40 percent of the state's population. The Anchorage metropolitan area, which includes Anchorage and the neighboring Matanuska-Susitna Borough, had a population of 398,328 in 2020, accounting for more than half the state's population. At 1,706 sq mi (4,420 km2) of land area, the city is the fourth-largest by area in the U.S.

Anchorage is in Southcentral Alaska, at the head of the Cook Inlet, on a peninsula formed by the Knik Arm to the north and the Turnagain Arm to the south. First settled as a tent city near the mouth of Ship Creek in 1915 when construction on the Alaska Railroad began, Anchorage was incorporated as a city in November 1920. In September 1975, the City of Anchorage merged with the Greater Anchorage Area Borough, creating the Municipality of Anchorage. The municipal city limits span 1,961.1 sq mi (5,079.2 km2), encompassing the urban core, a joint military base, several outlying communities, and almost all of Chugach State Park. Because of this, less than 10 percent of the Municipality (or Muni) is populated, with the highest concentration of people in the 100-square-mile (260 km2) area that makes up the city proper, on a promontory at the headwaters of the inlet, commonly called Anchorage, the City of Anchorage, or the Anchorage Bowl.

Anchorage's location along trans-Pacific air routes makes Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport a major refueling and crew-change stop for cargo flights between Asia and North America. The airport also serves as a hub for freight carriers including FedEx. In 2025, Airports Council International ranked it as the world's third-busiest airport by cargo volume.

Anchorage has won the All-America City Award four times: in 1956, 1965, 1984–85, and 2002, from the National Civic League. Kiplinger has named it the United States' most tax-friendly city.

Text: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Anchorage weather: 7-day forecast

Source: National Weather Service (NOAA).

Live webcams in Anchorage

Webcams: Windy.com

Living in Anchorage

Median household income

$103,284

Median home value

$395,900

Median rent

$1,489/mo

Median age

35.2

Map of Anchorage

Tap any street on the map to see it in Street View below. Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Anchorage Street View

Drag the image to look around and tap the arrows on the ground to move. If it says there is no imagery, tap a nearby street on the map above.

Anchorage, AK population

Anchorage had 291,247 residents in the 2020 Census.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Decennial Census.

Anchorage at a glance

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Gazetteer, ZCTA), USGS GNIS, Wikidata.

Towns near Anchorage

• Knik River21.9 mi NE
• Sunrise22.0 mi S
• Hope23.0 mi SW
• Knik-Fairview25.6 mi NW
• Butte26.7 mi N
• Gateway27.2 mi N
• South Lakes28.6 mi N
• Wasilla28.6 mi N
• Palmer29.8 mi N
• North Lakes30.7 mi N
• Farm Loop32.2 mi N
• Big Lake32.8 mi NW

Straight-line distance between town centers.

Frequently asked questions about Anchorage