Fun Facts about Anchorage

1. Tracing Tracks

Anchorage got its start as a railroad camp, a tent city along the banks of Ship Creek.

2. Headcount

Anchorage holds 44 percent of the state’s population, about 291,000 people according to the 2010 census.

3. What’s Brewing

Anchorage has more espresso stands, per capita, than anywhere in the U.S.

4. Star Power

It’s not Hollywood, but Anchorage has had a presence on the silver screen. “The Cheechakos” was filmed in and around Anchorage in 1922, and several other films have shot in Anchorage in recent years, including “Big Miracle,” “The Frozen Ground” and “Ghost Vision.”

5. Hope for Soap

There were 2,000 people in 1915 in Anchorage. And one bath tent.

6. Top Town

Anchorage has been named an All-America city four times, in 1956, 1965, 1984-85 and 2002 by the National Civic League.

7. The Lingua Franca

There are close to 100 languages spoken in the Anchorage School District.

8. H2O Honor

Anchorage water has been selected as the "Best Tasting Water" in the USA City Water Taste Test by the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

9. Far and Wide

Anchorage is one of the largest cities by area in the country. Stretching from Portage Glacier to Eklutna – about 1,961 square miles – the city is the size of the state of Delaware. In fact the four largest U.S. cities by land area are all in Alaska: Sitka, Juneau, Wrangell and Anchorage.

10. Peeking at Peaks

You can see six mountain ranges from Anchorage: The Chugach, Kenai, Talkeetna, Tordrillo, Alaska and Aleutian.

11. Compass

Anchorage is as far north as Helsinki, Finland, and as far west as Honolulu, Hawaii.

12. Sun Fun

Anchorage’s longest summer days contain 19 hours, 21 minutes of daylight. With dawn and dusky hours, you’ll have about 22 hours of functional daylight.

13. Star Gazing

Anchorage’s shortest winter days contain 5 hours, 28 minutes of daylight.

14. Trophy Case

Anchorage teams have won three professional sports titles: The Northern Lights basketball team of the Eastern Basketball Association in 1979-80; and the Alaska Aces of hockey’s ECHL in 2006 and 2011.