The Port of Anchorage is a critical link between the U.S. state and Alaska, providing an estimated 90% of the merchandise cargo to 80% of Alaska's populated areas. The Port of Anchorage also provides essential fuel supplies to the Anchorge and southcentral area and serves as the entry point for additional goods and cargos distributed to rural Alaskan communities. It is located just north of Ship Creek near downtown Anchorage on the Knik Arm of the Cook Inlet of the Pacific Ocean.
The Port of Anchorage began operations in September, 1961 and in its first year over 38,000 tons of marine cargo moved across its single berth. The Port of Anchorage was the only port in South Central Alaska to survive the 1964 Good Friday Earthquake and became the main shipping hub for consumer and essential goods entering southcentral Alaska. The Port has since expanded to a five-berth terminal providing facilities for the movement of containerized freight, iron and steel products, bulk petroleum and cement. The high water mark of Port operations occurred in 2005 when, for the first time, more than 5 million tons of various commodities moved across the Port's docks.
Anchorage is served regularly by two major carriers:
- Horizon Lines, Inc., and
- Totem Ocean Trailer Express (TOTE)
which bring four to five ships weekly from Tacoma, Washington Pacific Northwest. Petroleum tankers supply jet fuel for airport operations, barges on-load petroleum products for western and Interior Alaska, and ships from Japan
and Korea call frequently transporting construction materials, pipeline for the north slope or loading refined petroleum.
Port facilities include five berths and 0 feet (0 m) of linear dock space. Docks are maintained at a full seaway depth, which is 35 feet (11 m) to 45 feet (14 m). The docks have excellent direct connections with the Alaska Railroad, and highway connections to Alaska intrastate highway routes.