Valdez Alaska

Location and Climate
Valdez is located on the north shore of Port Valdez, a deep water fjord in Prince William Sound. It lies 305 road miles east of Anchorage, and 364 road miles south of Fairbanks. It is the southern terminus of the Trans-Alaska oil pipeline. Valdez is located in the Valdez Recording District. The area encompasses 219 sq. miles of land and 55 sq. miles of water. January temperatures range from 21 to 30; July temperatures are 46 to 61. Annual precipitation is 59.3 inches. The average snowfall is, incredibly, 300 inches (25 feet) annually.

History, Culture and Demographics
The Port of Valdez was named in 1790 by Don Salvador Fidalgo for the celebrated Spanish naval officer Antonio Valdes y Basan. Due to its excellent ice-free port, a town developed in 1898 as a debarkation point for men seeking a route to the Eagle Mining District and the Klondike gold fields. Valdez soon became the supply center of its own gold mining region, and incorporated as a City in 1901. Fort Liscum was established in 1900, and a sled and wagon road was constructed to Fort Egbert in Eagle by the U.S. Army. The Alaska Road Commission further developed the road for automobile travel to Fairbanks; it was completed by the early 1920s. Tsunamis generated by the 1964 earthquake destroyed the original City, killing several residents. The community was rebuilt in a more sheltered location 4 miles to the west. During the 1970s, construction of the Trans-Alaska oil pipeline terminal and other cargo transportation facilities brought rapid growth to Valdez. In March 1989, it was the center for the massive oil-spill cleanup after the "Exxon Valdez" disaster. In a few short days, the population of the town tripled. 5.9% of the population are Alaska Natives. Valdez is primarily non-Native.

Economy and Transportation
Valdez has one of the highest municipal tax bases in Alaska as the southern terminus and loading point of oil extracted from Prudhoe Bay on the North Slope. Four of the top ten employers in Valdez are directly connected to the oil terminus. Alyeska Pipeline Service Co. employs nearly 300 persons. Valdez is a major seaport, with a $48 million cargo and container facility. City, state, and federal agencies combined provide significant employment. Seasonal commercial fishing and tourism have spurred the retail and service sectors. The number of visitors are growing; over 65 cruise ships docked in Valdez in 1998. 49 residents hold commercial fishing permits. Three fish processing plants operate in Valdez, including Peter Pan and Seahawk Seafoods.

The Richardson Highway connects Valdez to Anchorage, Fairbanks and Canada. Port Valdez is ice-free year round and is navigated by hundreds of ocean-going oil cargo vessels each year. The State Ferry provides transport to Whittier, Cordova, Kodiak, Seward and Homer in the summer; Cordova only in the winter. Valdez has the largest floating concrete dock in the world, with a 1,200' front and water depth exceeding 80'. Numerous cargo and container facilities are present in Valdez. A small harbor accommodates 546 commercial fishing boats and recreational vessels. Boat launches and haul-out services are available. Both barges and trucking services deliver cargo to the City. The airport is operated by the state, with a 6,500' paved runway, instrument landing system and control tower. A State-owned seaplane base is available at Robe Lake.


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Source: Department of Community & Economic Development