Ketchikan Alaska

Location and Climate
Ketchikan is located on the western coast of Revillagigedo Island, near the southernmost boundary of Alaska. It is 679 miles north of Seattle and 235 miles south of Juneau. The 2.2 million acre Misty Fiords National Monument lies 22 air miles east of Ketchikan. It is the first Alaska port of call for northbound cruise ships and State ferries. Ketchikan is located in the Ketchikan Recording District. The area encompasses 3 sq. miles of land and 1 sq. miles of water. The area lies in the maritime climate zone noted for its warm winters, cool summers, and heavy precipitation. Summer temperatures range from 51 to 65; winter temperatures range from 29 to 39. Ketchikan averages 162 inches (13.5 feet) of precipitation annually, including 32 inches of snowfall.

History, Culture and Demographics
Tongass and Cape Fox Tlingits have used Ketchikan Creek as a fish camp which they called "kitschk-hin," meaning creek of the "thundering wings of an eagle." The abundant fish and timber resources attracted non-Natives to Ketchikan. In 1885, Mike Martin bought 160 acres from Chief Kyan, which later became the township. The first cannery opened in 1886 near the mouth of Ketchikan Creek and four more were built by 1912. The Ketchikan Post Office was established in 1892. In the late 1890s, nearby gold and copper discoveries briefly brought activity to Ketchikan as a mining supply center. By 1936, seven canneries were in operation, producing 1.5 million cases of salmon. The need for lumber for new construction and packing boxes spawned the Ketchikan Spruce Mills in 1903, which operated for over 70 years. Spruce was in high demand during World War II, and Ketchikan became a supply center for area logging. A $55 million pulp mill was constructed at Ward Cove near Ketchikan in 1954. Its operation fueled the growth of the community. The mill's 50-year contract with the U.S. Forest service for timber was canceled, and the pulp mill closed in March 1997.

15.7% of the population are Alaska Natives. A federally recognized tribe is located in the community. Ketchikan is a diverse community. The largest collection of totem poles in the world is found here at Totem Bight State Historical Park, Saxman Native Village, and the Totem Heritage Center Museum.

Economy and Transportation
Ketchikan is an industrial center and a major port of entry in Southeast Alaska, with a diverse economy. Ketchikan is supported by a large fishing fleet, fish processing facilities, timber and wood products manufacturing, and tourism. Ketchikan Pulp Corporation's pulp mill closed in March 1997, forcing 400 residents into unemployment. To ease the affects of the shut-down, the U.S. Forest Service is allocating timber for the sawmill to continue operations for three additional years. Several smaller timber companies are also based in Ketchikan. Local government leaders and business people are working to develop new wood-products plants that could create more jobs while cutting fewer trees. The state operates the Deer Mountain Hatchery which produces over 450,000 King, Coho, Steelhead and Rainbow Trout annually. 438 area residents hold commercial fishing permits. Four canneries, three cold storage facilities and a fish processing plant support the fishing industry in summer months. Over 480 cruise ships dock in Ketchikan each summer, bringing over 300,000 annual visitors. A new Ketchikan Visitors Assoc. office building was completed in 1998, with a visitors' center and retail sales space for 20 tourism operators. Mining may play a role in the future, as U.S. Borax is studying construction of a molybdenum mine at Quartz Hill.

Regularly-scheduled jet services offer three northbound and three southbound departures daily. The State-owned Ketchikan International Airport offers a paved, lighted 7,500' runway. The airport lies on Gravina Island, a 10-minute ferry ride to the waterfront. Ketchikan is a regional transportation hub, with numerous air taxi services to surrounding communities. There are four float plane landing facilities: Tongass Narrows, Peninsula Point, Ketchikan Harbor, and Murphy's. Ketchikan is the first port of call in Alaska for cruise ships and Alaska Marine Highway vessels. Harbor and docking facilities include a breakwater, a deep draft dock, five small boat harbors, a dry dock and ship repair yard, boat launch, and a State ferry terminal. The shipyard is privately-owned, and is used for repairs to the Alaska Ferry and offshore fish processors. The Inter-Island Ferry Authority, based on Craig, is coordinating funding to develop a twice-daily, year-round ferry service between Ketchikan and Hollis.


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Source: Department of Community & Economic Development