Whittier, Alaska

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Whittier, Alaska

Whittier harbor

Whittier is a hamlet located in the Valdez-Cordova Census Area in the U.S. state of Alaska. As of the 2000 census, the population was 182.

1 Geography
2 Demographics
3 History
4 External links

[edit] Geography

Whittier is located at 60°46′27″N, 148°40′40″W (60.774174, -148.677649)^GR1, near the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel.

Whittier is on the northeast shore of the Kenai Peninsula, at the head of Passage Canal, on the west side of Prince William Sound. Whittier is 120 km (75 miles) southeast of Anchorage.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 51.0 km² (19.7 mi²). 32.5 km² (12.5 mi²) of it is land and 18.5 km² (7.2 mi²) of it (36.36%) is water.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 182 people, 86 households, and 46 families residing in the city. The population density was 5.6/km² (14.5/mi²). There were 213 housing units at an average density of 6.6/km² (17.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 79.12% White, 7.14% Asian, 5.49% Native American, and 8.24% from two or more races. Two people (1.10% of the population) are Hispanic or Latino of any race. There are no African Americans, Pacific Islanders, or people from other races.

There were 86 households out of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.9% were married couples living together, 4.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.5% were non-families. 39.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.12 and the average family size was 2.80.

In the city the population was spread out with 22.0% under the age of 18, 2.7% from 18 to 24, 36.8% from 25 to 44, 31.9% from 45 to 64, and 6.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 111.6 males. For every ten females age 18 and over, there are 12.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $47,500, and the median income for a family was $51,875. Males had a median income of $53,500 versus $26,875 for females. The per capita income for the city was $25,700. About 4.1% of families and 7.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.6% of those under the age of eighteen and none of those sixty five or over.

[edit] History

The Whittier Glacier near Whittier was named for the American poet John Greenleaf Whittier in 1915.

During World War II the United States Army constructed a port and railroad terminus near the glacier and named the port Whittier. The spur of the Alaska Railroad to Whittier was completed in 1943 and the port became the entrance for United States soldiers into Alaska. The port remained an active army facility until 1960.

The two huge buildings that dominate Whittier were built after World War II. The Hodge Building (now Begich Towers) was built for housing soldiers and the Buckner Building, completed in 1953, was called the "city under one roof". It was once the largest building in Alaska. The Begich Building is now a condominium, and houses nearly all of Whittier's residents. The port remained an active Army facility until 1960. Whittier was incorporated in 1969.

The town was severely damaged by tsunamis triggered by the 1964 Good Friday Earthquake; thirteen people died due to waves that reached 13 m (43 ft).^[1]

Whittier is a popular port of call for cruise ships, as it has connections to Anchorage and the interior of Alaska by both highway and rail. Whittier is also popular with tourists and sport fishermen.