Ketchikan, Alaska
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| Ketchikan, Alaska | |
| Nickname: "Salmon Capital of the World" | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Borough | Ketchikan Gateway Borough |
| Government | |
| - Mayor | Bob Weinstein |
| Area | |
| - City | 10.7 km² (4.1 sq mi) |
| - Water | 2.0 km² (0.8 sq mi) |
| Elevation | Sea level m (Expression error: Unrecognised word "sea" ft) |
| Population (2005)[1] | |
| - City | 7,410 |
| - Density | 851.7/km² (2,245.5/sq mi) |
| Time zone | AKST (UTC-9) |
| - Summer (DST) | AKDT (UTC-8) |
| Website: www.city.ketchikan.ak.us | |
Ketchikan (IPA: [ˈkɛ.tʃɪˌkæn]) is the fifth most populous city in the U.S. state of Alaska and the southeasternnmost sizable city in that state.
Ketchikan's economy is based upon tourism and fishing, and the city is known as the "Salmon Capital of the World." The Misty Fjords National Monument is one of the area's major attractions.
Ketchikan is named after Ketchikan Creek, which flows through the town. Ketchikan comes from the Tlingit name for the creek, Kitschk-hin, the meaning of which is unclear, although it may mean "the river belonging to Kitschk." Ketchikan also has the world's largest collection of standing totem poles located at three major locations: Saxman Village, Totem Bight, and the Totem Heritage Center.
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[edit] Geography
Ketchikan is located at on Revillagigedo Island, 90 miles (145 km) north of Prince Rupert, British Columbia and 235 miles (378 km) south of Juneau, Alaska.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the City has a total area of 4.1 mi² (10.7 km²). 3.4 mi² (8.7 km²) of it is land and 0.8 mi² (2.0 km²) of it (18.60%) is water.
- Average annual rainfall is 152 inches (3861 mm); annual average snowfall is 37 inches (940 mm).
- The average high temperature in July is 57 degrees Fahrenheit (14 degrees Celsius), and the average high temperature in January is 33 degrees Fahrenheit (0.5 degrees Celsius).
[edit] Demographics
As of 2004, there were 8,044 people, 3,300 households, and 1,997 families residing in the City. The population density was 2,348.6/mi² (907.6/km²). There were 3,645 housing units at an average density of 1,080.6/mi² (417.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 65.31% White, 0.84% Black or African American, 19.80% Native American, 6.85% Asian, 0.20% Pacific Islander, 0.52% from other races, and 6.68% from two or more races. 3.38% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 3,300 households out of which 52% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.6% were married couples living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.4% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.09.
The population is spread out with 22.7% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 32.95% from 25 to 44, 22.35% from 45 to 64, and 9.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 101.93 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.0 males.
The median income for a household in the City was $44,807, and the median income for a family was $52,529. Males had a median income of $41,926 versus $30,411 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,484. About 4.9% of families and 7.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.3% of those under age 18 and 4.8% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Media
Ketchikan is home to the radio stations KTKN, KFMJ, KRBD, and KGTW. Ketchikan also houses the publishing offices of the Ketchikan Daily News. The region has no local television programming; local television signals are rebroadcasts of Seattle and Anchorage stations.
[edit] Transportation
Ketchikan serves as a both an air and marine transportation hub for southern Southeast Alaska.
The Ketchikan International Airport both serves as a gateway for Alaska Airlines jet service from Seattle and a bush carrier and charter aircraft hub for destinations like Hyder, Metlakatla, Alaska, and Prince of Wales Island. Ketchikan also serves as the base for L.A.B. Flying Service's regular flights to Klawock.
Ketchikan receives service to two separate ferry lines. Ketchikan sits on the Alaska Marine Highway's Inside Passage route and sees a large number of ships northbound (to the rest of Alaska) and southbound (to Prince Rupert, British Columbia — where a connection can be made to the BC Ferries system — and Bellingham, Washington). Ketchikan also sees regular day service from the Alaska Marine Highway vessel M/V Lituya, a day boat that shuttles between Ketchikan and Metlakatla, its homeport.
The newly-inaugurated Inter-Island Ferry Authority serves Ketchikan daily (and, in the summer, twice daily) with the dayboat M/V Prince of Wales from its homeport in Hollis on Prince of Wales Island. Ketchikan often serves as a connection between the Prince of Wales and mainline Alaska Marine Highway vessels that run to the rest of Southeast Alaska.
[edit] Education
[edit] Colleges and universities
[edit] Public education
- Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District
- Ketchikan High School
- Revilla Junior/Senior High School
[edit] Sister cities
- Further information: List of sister cities in the United States
Ketchikan has the following sister city previously known as Kanayama:[2]
[edit] Trivia
- One of Ketchikan's landmarks is Creek Street, a former red light district.
- Ketchikan has the heaviest average rainfall in North America, and therefore measures its rainfall in feet, not inches. Like many towns in Alaska, Ketchikan refers to rain as "Liquid Sunshine."
- Much of the town sits over water, supported by piles.
- The town was certified in 2005 as the fourth wettest spot on earth, with nearly 200 inches (5100 mm) of rain (the general range is 130-170 inches/3300-4300 mm)
- Ketchikan has the highest ZIP code in the United States: 99950 for post office boxes. Nearby Ward Cove is 99928. Ketchikan's street delivery ZIP code is 99901.
- The sudden influx of jewelry stores in the downtown area (over 70 in one square mile by some estimates) has caused locals to dub the city "The St. Croix of the West Coast."
- For a period of time the Schoenbar Middle School was moved to the former Bon Marche in the Plaza shopping mall because of mold contamination, earning the school the nickname, "Schoen-Bon". The middle school then operated out of Ketchikan High School and other schools in the city while the multi-million dollar repairs were being carried out. Schoenbar re-opened on January 3, 2007.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Annual Estimates of the Population for All Incorporated Places in Alaska (CSV). 2005 Population Estimates. U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division (June 21, 2006). Retrieved on November 9, 2006.
- ^ Alaska sister cities index
[edit] External links
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
- Ketchikan Indian Community official website
- Ketchikan Public Library
- Ketchikan Photos
- Conservation in Ketchikan
- City of Ketchikan official website
- Ketchikan Gateway Borough official website
- Sister City Exchange (JCIE)
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State of Alaska Juneau (capital) |
|---|---|
| Regions |
Aleutian Islands | Arctic Alaska | Bush Alaska | Interior | Kenai Peninsula | Mat‑Su Valley | North Slope | Panhandle | Seward Peninsula | Southcentral | Southwest | Tanana Valley | Yukon‑Kuskokwim Delta |
| Largest cities |
Anchorage | Barrow | Bethel | Fairbanks | Homer | Juneau | Kenai | Ketchikan | Kodiak | Kotzebue | Nome | Palmer | Petersburg | Seward | Sitka | Unalaska | Valdez | Wasilla |
| Boroughs |
Aleutians East | Anchorage | Bristol Bay | Denali | Fairbanks North Star | Haines | Juneau | Kenai Peninsula | Ketchikan Gateway | Kodiak Island | Lake and Peninsula | Matanuska‑Susitna | North Slope | Northwest Arctic | Sitka | Yakutat |
| Census areas |
Aleutians West | Bethel | Dillingham | Nome | Prince of Wales‑Outer Ketchikan | Skagway‑Hoonah‑Angoon | Southeast Fairbanks | Valdez‑Cordova | Wade Hampton | Wrangell‑Petersburg | Yukon‑Koyukuk | (see also) Unorganized Borough |
