Whittier, Alaska

USA / Alaska / Whittier /

The population of Whittier was 220 at the 2010 census.

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. It is the embarkation/debarkation point of the Denali Express nonstop rail service to and from Denali National Park. Whittier is also the base of several day-cruise operators providing tours of Prince William Sound and the surrounding glaciers.

Whittier was founded during World War II when the United States Army constructed a port and railroad terminal. 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 it was closed in 1960, causing the town population to plummet from a peak of 1,200.

Almost all of Whittier's current residents live in The Begich Building - a converted military barracks. The city was severely damaged as a result of Tsunamis from the 1964 earthquake, and the former Buckner Building that housed most of the military troops as a "city under one roof" was severely damaged and subsequently abandoned.

Chamber of Commerce:
www.whittieralaskachamber.org

Visitors guide:
www.alaskajourney.com/southcentral/whittier.html
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   60°46'27"N   148°40'51"W

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