Qualla: Anchorage: The Last Frontier City Where Moose Outnumber Traffic Cops

Anchorage: The Last Frontier City Where Moose Outnumber Traffic Cops: Introduction

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Wonderlane from San Mateo, USA, CC BY 2.0. Anchorage is less a city than a base camp - half of Alaska's population lives here, but they're often preparing to leave. The outdoor store REI does more business in Anchorage than any other location. The airport handles more cargo than almost any American airport, much of it destined for Asian markets. The city occupies a bowl between the Chugach Mountains and Cook Inlet, a location that provides stunning views and regular earthquake danger. The 1964 Good Friday earthquake killed 139 people and dropped entire neighborhoods into the sea; the city rebuilt and kept growing. Anchorage is where Alaskans access civilization before returning to the wilderness that's always visible from city streets.

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Image: Wonderlane from San Mateo, USA | CC BY 2.0

Anchorage: The Last Frontier City Where Moose Outnumber Traffic Cops: The Earthquake

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit foéÖþoooey, CC BY 2.0. On March 27, 1964 - Good Friday - a 9.2 magnitude earthquake struck southern Alaska, the second-largest ever recorded. In Anchorage, the shaking lasted four minutes. The Turnagain Heights neighborhood slid into Cook Inlet as the bluff liquefied; the J.C. Penney building downtown ...

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Image: foéÖþoooey | CC BY 2.0

Anchorage: The Last Frontier City Where Moose Outnumber Traffic Cops: The Wildlife

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Robbie Shade, CC BY 2.0. Moose wander through Anchorage regularly - crossing roads, browsing in yards, occasionally charging runners who get too close. The city estimates 1,500 moose within city limits; moose-vehicle collisions are routine. Bears are less common but present - black bears in most neighbor...

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Image: Robbie Shade | CC BY 2.0

Anchorage: The Last Frontier City Where Moose Outnumber Traffic Cops: The Darkness

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 3.0. Anchorage's latitude - 61 degrees north - means extreme variation in daylight. Winter solstice brings less than 6 hours of daylight; summer solstice brings nearly 20 hours. The darkness affects everything: seasonal affective disorder rates are high; sun lamps are common; the spri...

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Image: JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ MD | CC BY-SA 3.0

Anchorage: The Last Frontier City Where Moose Outnumber Traffic Cops: The Oil

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Frank K. from Anchorage, Alaska, USA, CC BY 2.0. Alaska's economy runs on oil - the North Slope fields discovered in 1968 transformed the state, and Anchorage is where the oil money concentrates. The Permanent Fund Dividend sends every Alaskan a check each fall (around $1,600 in recent years), financed by oil royalties. There i...

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Image: Frank K. from Anchorage, Alaska, USA | CC BY 2.0

Anchorage: The Last Frontier City Where Moose Outnumber Traffic Cops: Visiting Anchorage

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Craig Talbert, CC BY 2.0. Anchorage is served by Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC). The Anchorage Museum covers Alaska's history and indigenous cultures. Tony Knowles Coastal Trail offers 11 miles of waterfront walking and biking. Flattop Mountain provides a strenuous hike with views of th...

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Image: Craig Talbert | CC BY 2.0