***More up-to-date employment information including a detailed Valdez town profile can be found at Alaska Job Finder.com. Unfortunately, our licensing agreement with AlaskaJobFinder doesn't allow us to use the most current version of their Alaska fishing job information.***

Please use this town profile only for general information, as some of the information may be outdated.

Valdez, known as the "Little Switzerland" of Alaska, is the Sound's major sea port. Named after a naval officer by the Spanish explorer who discovered it, Valdez is located in what some say is the most scenic place on earth. Nestled between Prince William Sound and the Chugach Mountains, the city is located only twenty-five miles from Columbia Glacier.

The town is the southern terminus of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline which has made it very wealthy. Millions of gallons of oil pour into waiting tankers every day. Despite having the highest annual snowfall in the country, Valdez's port remains free of ice year-round. It is for this reason that the city was chosen in 1974 to be the pipeline's southern terminus.

The city has a museum, library, and community college, all of which may be interesting to check out. The local salmon hatchery offers free tours if you want to find out more about the life cycle of a salmon. Visitors will also find the standard expensive boat and air tours of surrounding lakes and glaciers. The Gold Rush Days festival takes place in August; we've heard of a traveling "paddy wagon" that picks up tourists during the event to offer them beer. A popular attraction for those with transportation is the ghost town of Kennicott, a mining village gone bust in the 1930s. The road is long and poorly paved, but makes for good mountain biking. Prince William Sound Community College offers live theater throughout the summer months in the evenings, so look for posted play announcements.

Other area attractions include Columbia Glacier, accessible by ferry or charter boat, and Mineral Creek, with its hiking and mountain biking trails.

The Valdez today's visitors see is not the original; it had to be moved and rebuilt after the 1964 Good Friday earthquake devastated the city. No other place in Alaska was as badly shaken by the disaster. Not much remains of the original downtown, which is four miles east of town on the Richardson Highway.

Valdez Information

Population: 4,015

Location: At the end of the Valdez Arm of Prince William Sound; 300 highway miles from Anchorage

Annual precipitation: 56.7 inches

July averages: Temperature 53 F; precipitation 2.9 inches

Inexpensive lodging: Valdez Airport Camp, (907) 835-5990, 100 Glacier Drive, Valdez, AK 99686. This is the housing facility that was set up for the oil spill cleanup workers. Singles cost $43/night and doubles are $36 per person per night. They often rent out rooms by the week. They also have good food. A meal package can be purchased for $29/day which includes three good meals and all the snacks you can eat.

Camping: Formerly run by the Parks & Recreation Department, two campgrounds are in operation in Valdez. For information, contact Jim Alexandria at (907) 835-2282. Showers are available at the Harbor Master's Office, (907) 835-4981, in the boat harbor for $3.

Bus service: Grey Line, (907) 277-5581, has daily service to or from Anchorage for $65.

Ferry terminal: At the west end of town less than a mile from the city center

Chamber of Commerce: P.O. Box 512, Valdez, AK 99686; (907) 835-2330

Hospital: Valdez Hospital, (907) 835-2249

Health Center: (907) 835-4612

***More up-to-date and detailed town profiles and specific employment information about Valdez can be found at Alaska Job Finder. Unfortunately, our licensing agreement with AlaskaJobFinder doesn't allow us to use the most current version of their Alaska job information. Please use this town profile only for general information, as some of the information may be outdated.

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