Editing Ketchikan, Alaska

{{short description|City in Alaska, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Ketchikan
| native_name        = Kichx̱áan
| native_name_lang   = tli
| settlement_type    = [[City (Alaska)|City]]
| image_skyline      = {{multiple image
 |border                  = infobox
 |total_width             = 300
 | caption_align            = center 
 | image_style             = border:1;
 | perrow                   = 1/2/3
 | image1                 = Ketchikan, Alaska, Estados Unidos, 2017-08-16, DD 59-63 PAN.jpg
 | caption1               = View of the Newtown area
 | image4                 = Burkhart dibrell house.jpg
 | caption4               = [[Burkhart-Dibrell House]]
 | image5                 = Ketchikan_City_Hall_(cropped).jpg  
 | caption5               = City Hall 
 | image2                 = Downtown Ketchikan - panoramio.jpg
 | caption2               = [[Downtown Ketchikan Historic District|Downtown]] in 2013
 | image3                 =  Downtown Ketchikan - panoramio (1).jpg
 | caption3               =  Front Street 
 | image6                 =  Ketchikan sign June 2009.jpg
 | caption6               = Sign over Mission Street
}}
| imagesize          = 
| image_caption      = 
| image_flag         = Flag of Ketchikan, Alaska.gif
| image_seal         = 
| nickname           = Salmon Capital of the World, Rain Capital of Alaska, Alaska's First City
| image_map             = Ketchikan_Municipal_Map.png
| map_caption           = Location in Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska
| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = {{Flag|United States}}
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1  = {{Flag|Alaska}}
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of boroughs and census areas in Alaska|Borough]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska|Ketchikan Gateway]]
| established_title  = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
| established_date   = August 25, 1900<ref>{{Cite book|title=1996 Alaska Municipal Officials Directory|location=[[Juneau]]|publisher=Alaska Municipal League/[[Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development|Alaska Department of Community and Regional Affairs]]|date=January 1996|page=78}}</ref>
| leader_title       = [[Mayor]]
| leader_name        = Dave Kiffer
| leader_title1      = [[Legislative branch|Governing body]]
| leader_name1       = [[City Council]]
| leader_title2      = [[Alaska Senate|State senator]]
| leader_name2       = [[Bert Stedman]] ([[Republican Party (United States)|R]])
| leader_title3      = [[Alaska House of Representatives|State rep.]]
| leader_name3       = [[Dan Ortiz (politician)|Dan Ortiz]] ([[Independent politician|I]])
| area_total_km2     = 12.70
| area_land_km2      = 9.88
| area_water_km2     = 2.82
| elevation_m        = 0
| elevation_ft       = 0
| population_footnotes = 
| population_total   = 8192
| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_density_km2 = 829.19
| population_blank1_title = [[Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska|City and Borough]]
| population_blank1  = 13,477
| population_blank2_title = City and Borough Estimate (2014)
| population_blank2  = 13,787
| timezone           = [[Alaska Standard Time|AKST]]
| utc_offset         = &minus;9
| timezone_DST       = [[Alaska Daylight Time|AKDT]]
| utc_offset_DST     = &minus;8
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP code]]s
| postal_code        = 99901, 99950<ref name=USPS-CityTown>{{cite web|title=ZIP Codes by City|publisher=[[United States Postal Service]]|url=http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/citytown.jsp?city=Ketchikan&state=AK|access-date=September 6, 2013}}</ref>
| area_code_type     = [[North American Numbering Plan|Area code]]
| area_code          = [[Area code 907|907]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS]] code
| blank_info         = {{FIPS|02|38970}}
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = {{GNIS4|1423039}}, {{GNIS4|2419408}}
| website            = {{URL|https://www.ktn-ak.us}}
| pop_est_as_of      = 
| pop_est_footnotes  = 
| population_est     = 
| population_density_sq_mi = 2147.88
| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_02.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=October 29, 2021}}</ref>
| area_total_sq_mi   = 4.90
| area_land_sq_mi    = 3.81
| area_water_sq_mi   = 1.09
| image_blank_emblem = City of Ketchikan, Alaska city logo.jpg
| blank_emblem_type  = Logo
}}
'''Ketchikan''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|k|ɛ|tʃ|ᵻ|k|æ|n}} {{Respell|KETCH|ih|kan}};<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.commerce.state.ak.us/dca/commdb/CIS.cfm?comm_Boro_name=Ketchikan|title=Ketchikan|publisher=Division of Community and Regional Affairs, [[Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development]]|access-date=January 24, 2013}}</ref> {{langx|tli|Kichx̱áan}}) is a [[City (Alaska)|city]] in and the borough seat of the [[Ketchikan Gateway Borough]] on [[Revillagigedo Island]] of [[Alaska]].<ref name="2010 Census">{{Cite web|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/1600000US0238970|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212113040/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/1600000US0238970|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 12, 2020|title=Ketchikan city, Alaska|work=Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 22, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.commerce.state.ak.us/dca/osa/pub/11Taxable.pdf |title=Alaska Taxable 2011: Municipal Taxation – Rates and Policies |publisher=Division of Community and Regional Affairs, Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development |date=January 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130425132818/http://www.commerce.state.ak.us/dca/osa/pub/11Taxable.pdf |archive-date=April 25, 2013 }}</ref>  It is the state's southeasternmost major settlement. Downtown Ketchikan is a [[National Historic Landmark District]].

With a population at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]] of 8,192, up from 8,050 in 2010,<ref name="2020 Census Data">{{cite web|url = https://live.laborstats.alaska.gov/cen/2020-census-data.html|title = 2020 Census Data – Cities and Census Designated Places|format = Web|publisher = State of Alaska, Department of Labor and Workforce Development|access-date = October 31, 2021}}</ref><ref name="2010 Census"/> it is the [[List of cities in Alaska|sixth-most populous city]] in the state, and thirteenth-most populous community when [[census-designated place]]s are included. The surrounding borough, encompassing suburbs both north and south of the city along the [[Tongass Highway]] (most of which are commonly regarded as a part of Ketchikan, albeit not a part of the city itself), plus small rural settlements accessible mostly by water, registered a population of 13,948 in that same census.<ref name="2020 Census Data" />

Incorporated on August 25, 1900, Ketchikan is the earliest extant incorporated city in Alaska, because [[Consolidated city-county|consolidation or unification]] elsewhere in Alaska resulted in the dissolution of those communities' city governments.  Ketchikan is located on [[Revillagigedo Island]], so named in 1793 by Captain [[George Vancouver]].

Ketchikan is named after [[Ketchikan Creek]], which flows through the town, emptying into the [[Tongass Narrows]] a short distance southeast of its downtown. "Ketchikan" comes from the Tlingit name for the creek, {{lang|tli|Kitschk-hin}}, the meaning of which is unclear. It may mean "the river belonging to Kitschk"; other accounts claim it means "Thundering Wings of an Eagle".<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9045193/Ketchikan |title=Ketchikan |encyclopedia=Britannica.com |date=May 12, 2008 |access-date=November 21, 2010}}</ref> In modern Tlingit, this name is {{lang|tli|Kichx̱áan}}.<ref>Edwards, Keri. ''Dictionary of Tlingit''. Juneau: Sealaska Heritage Institute, 2009.</ref>

==History==
[[File:Alaska - Ketchikan - NARA - 23939789.jpg|thumb|right|View of Ketchikan in the 1940s]]
Ketchikan Creek served as a summer fish camp for [[Tlingit|Tlingit natives]] for untold years before the town was established by Mike Martin in 1885. He was sent to the area by an Oregon canning company to assess prospects. He established the saltery Clark & Martin and a general store with [[Nova Scotia]] native George Clark, who had been foreman at a cannery that burned down.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sitnews.us/Kiffer/TongassPacking/040707_tongass_packing.html|title = SitNews – Ketchikan took shape 120 years ago|author= Dave Kiffer}}</ref>

Ketchikan became known as "Alaska's first city" due to its strategic position at the southern tip of the [[Inside Passage]], connecting the [[Gulf of Alaska]] to [[Puget Sound]].

In 1905 a mission house was built, which in 1909 became the Yates Memorial Hospital. In 2020, the [[National Trust for Historic Preservation]] named the former hospital as one of America's most endangered historic places.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Brandon |first1=Elissaveta M. |title=Eleven historic places in America that desperately need saving |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/these-11-historic-places-in-america-desperately-need-saving-180975924/ |website=Smithsonian |access-date=October 20, 2020}}</ref>

==Totem poles==
[[File:Ketchikan from the waterfront, Alaska, nd (COBB 56).jpeg|thumb|Ketchikan waterfront ca. 1918]]
Ketchikan has the world's largest collection of standing [[totem pole]]s, found throughout the city and at four major locations: [[Saxman, Alaska|Saxman]] Totem Park, [[Totem Bight State Historical Park|Totem Bight State Park]], Potlatch Park, and the [[Totem Heritage Center]]. Most of the totems at Saxman Totem Park and Totem Bight State Park are recarvings of older poles, a practice that began during the [[Franklin D. Roosevelt|Roosevelt Administration]] through the [[Civilian Conservation Corps]]. The Totem Heritage Center displays preserved 19th-century poles rescued from abandoned village sites near Ketchikan.  The Chief Kyan pole in Whale Park in the city center is one of the featured background images in most US passports.

==Geography==
[[File:Ketchikan, Alaska, Estados Unidos, 2017-08-16, DD 67.jpg|thumb|Example of the extremely steep roads in Ketchikan.]]
{{wide image|Deer Mtn panorama.jpg|1200px|A panorama of downtown Ketchikan and surrounding terrain from the peak of [[Deer Mountain (Alaska)|Deer Mountain]] in October 2004. Pennock Island divides the [[Tongass Narrows]] on the left, and [[Gravina Island]] lies on the distant side of the Narrows.|center}}
Ketchikan's [[GPS]] [[geographic coordinates]] are latitude 55.342 (slightly south of both Copenhagen, Denmark at 55.676 and Glasgow, Scotland at 55.864) and longitude -131.648. The city is located in southernmost Southeast Alaska on [[Revillagigedo Island]], {{convert|700|mi|km}} northwest of [[Seattle, Washington]], {{convert|235|mi|km}} southeast of [[Juneau, Alaska]], and {{convert|88|mi|km}} northwest of [[Prince Rupert, British Columbia]], Canada. It is surrounded by the [[Tongass National Forest]], which is managed by the [[United States Forest Service]] from its headquarters in the [[Ketchikan Federal Building]] downtown, and to the south by the [[Tongass Narrows]], a narrow east–west saltwater channel, which is part of the [[Inside Passage]].

Due to its steep and forested terrain, Ketchikan is long and narrow with much of the built-up area being located along, or no more than a few city blocks from, the waterfront. Elevations of inhabited areas range from just above sea level to about {{convert|300|ft|m}}. [[Deer Mountain (Alaska)|Deer Mountain]], a {{convert|3001|ft|adj=on}} peak, rises immediately east of the city's downtown area.

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|15.3|km2|order=flip}}. {{convert|11.3|km2|order=flip}} of it is land and {{convert|4.0|km2|order=flip}} of it (29.14%) is water.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US0238970| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200210211724/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US0238970| url-status=dead| archive-date=February 10, 2020| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Ketchikan city, Alaska| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder| access-date=March 26, 2013}}</ref>

The half-mile (800 m) wide channel called the Tongass Narrows separates Ketchikan from [[Gravina Island]], where [[Ketchikan International Airport]] is located.

==Climate==
[[File:Ketchikan Alaska Rain Gauge.jpg|thumb|upright|Ketchikan's Liquid Sunshine Gauge. The town experienced record annual rainfall in 1949, with {{convert|202.55|inch|mm|disp=or}} measured.]] 
Ketchikan has a mild maritime or [[oceanic climate]] ([[Köppen-Geiger climate classification|Köppen]]: ''Cfb'', [[Trewartha climate classification|Trewartha]] ''Dolk''), characterized by heavy cloud cover, high humidity and abundant rainfall throughout the year (even in the driest month), earning it the nickname of the "Rain Capital of Alaska". Prolonged breaks in the very wet weather occur only when very cold air from the [[Yukon]] penetrates the coastal mountains, bringing frigid and clear conditions all the way to the coast,<ref name="Winter">See {{cite journal|journal=Climatology|title=The Winter Climate of Juneau: A Mean of Contrasting Regimes|year=1983|first=Bradley|last=Colman|volume=11|issue=2|pages=29-34}}</ref> and often leaving residents unprepared as water pipes will then freeze.<ref name="Climatological">{{cite report|last=Dale|first=Robert F.|volume=xxxvi|issue=1|date=January 1950|title=Climatological Data: Alaska|page=2|location=[[San Francisco]]|publisher=[[United States Department of Commerce]]}}</ref> This occurred notably in the Januaries of 1916, 1950<ref name="Climatological"/> and 1969.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Wagner|first=A. James |title=The Weather and Circulation of January 1969: Continued Strong High-Latitude Blocking and Flood-Producing Rains in California |journal=Monthly Weather Review |date=April 1969 |volume=97 |issue=4 |pages=351-358}}</ref>

Outside of these continental outbreaks winters are chilly but milder than its latitude alone may suggest: January has a 24-hour average of {{convert|35.6|°F|1}} with an average daytime high of {{convert|39.7|°F|1}} and an overnight low of {{convert|31.5|°F|1}}. Further east and away from moderating maritime influence, winters on these parallels in inland North America are much colder. Summers are mild, as August's temperature averages {{convert|59.0|°F|1}} with an average daytime high of {{convert|64.7|°F|1}} and an overnight low of {{convert|53.3|°F|1}}. Rainfall averages {{convert|149.54|in|mm|}} per year, falling more heavily in autumn and winter. On average, the growing season (non-freezing temperatures) lasts about 6.3 months or 191 days, extending from about April 19 to about October 27.

The record high temperature in Ketchikan was {{convert|96|°F}} on June 25, 1913. The record low temperature was {{convert|-7|°F}} on January 23, 1916. The wettest year was 1949 with {{convert|202.55|in|mm}} and the driest year was 1995 with {{convert|88.45|in|mm}}. The most rainfall in one month was {{convert|53.85|in|mm}} during November 1917 and the most rainfall in 24 hours was {{convert|8.71|in|mm}} on October 11, 1977. The most [[snow]]fall in one month was {{convert|45.1|in|m|2}} in January 1971.

{{Weather box
|location = Ketchikan, Alaska ([[Ketchikan International Airport]]), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1910–present
|single line = Yes

|Jan record high F = 62
|Feb record high F = 63
|Mar record high F = 69
|Apr record high F = 75
|May record high F = 93
|Jun record high F = 96
|Jul record high F = 92
|Aug record high F = 89
|Sep record high F = 80
|Oct record high F = 72
|Nov record high F = 65
|Dec record high F = 62

|Jan avg record high F = 50.4
|Feb avg record high F = 49.9
|Mar avg record high F = 53.5
|Apr avg record high F = 61.3
|May avg record high F = 70.8
|Jun avg record high F = 76.1
|Jul avg record high F = 76.3
|Aug avg record high F = 75.3
|Sep avg record high F = 67.9
|Oct avg record high F = 59.1
|Nov avg record high F = 52.5
|Dec avg record high F = 49.6
|year avg record high F = 79.6

|Jan high F = 39.7
|Feb high F = 40.9
|Mar high F = 43.6
|Apr high F = 49.8
|May high F = 56.9
|Jun high F = 61.3
|Jul high F = 64.5
|Aug high F = 64.7
|Sep high F = 58.9
|Oct high F = 51.1
|Nov high F = 43.7
|Dec high F = 40.2
|year high F =

|Jan mean F = 35.6
|Feb mean F = 36.2
|Mar mean F = 38.0
|Apr mean F = 43.5
|May mean F = 50.1
|Jun mean F = 55.3
|Jul mean F = 58.8
|Aug mean F = 59.0
|Sep mean F = 53.6
|Oct mean F = 46.2
|Nov mean F = 39.7
|Dec mean F = 36.4
|year mean F =

|Jan low F = 31.5
|Feb low F = 31.5
|Mar low F = 32.4
|Apr low F = 37.2
|May low F = 43.3
|Jun low F = 49.3
|Jul low F = 53.2
|Aug low F = 53.3
|Sep low F = 48.3
|Oct low F = 41.3
|Nov low F = 35.6
|Dec low F = 32.6
|year low F =

|Jan avg record low F = 13.7
|Feb avg record low F = 18.3
|Mar avg record low F = 19.2
|Apr avg record low F = 27.9
|May avg record low F = 33.4
|Jun avg record low F = 40.0
|Jul avg record low F = 45.6
|Aug avg record low F = 44.7
|Sep avg record low F = 37.5
|Oct avg record low F = 29.7
|Nov avg record low F = 22.6
|Dec avg record low F = 18.1
|year avg record low F = 7.3

|Jan record low F = -7
|Feb record low F = 2
|Mar record low F = 3
|Apr record low F = 12
|May record low F = 25
|Jun record low F = 31
|Jul record low F = 36
|Aug record low F = 34
|Sep record low F = 28
|Oct record low F = 17
|Nov record low F = 5
|Dec record low F = -1

|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 16.17
|Feb precipitation inch = 11.80
|Mar precipitation inch = 10.98
|Apr precipitation inch = 10.25
|May precipitation inch = 8.68
|Jun precipitation inch = 7.02
|Jul precipitation inch = 7.33
|Aug precipitation inch = 11.30
|Sep precipitation inch = 14.30
|Oct precipitation inch = 18.37
|Nov precipitation inch = 17.07
|Dec precipitation inch = 16.27
|year precipitation inch =

|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
|Jan precipitation days = 22.0
|Feb precipitation days = 17.0
|Mar precipitation days = 20.6
|Apr precipitation days = 19.4
|May precipitation days = 16.1
|Jun precipitation days = 16.4
|Jul precipitation days = 16.0
|Aug precipitation days = 16.8
|Sep precipitation days = 19.5
|Oct precipitation days = 22.8
|Nov precipitation days = 23.6
|Dec precipitation days = 22.4

|source 1 = NOAA<ref name = NOAA>
{{cite web
|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USW00025325&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL
|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
|title = U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Ketchikan INTL AP, AK
|access-date = March 7, 2023
}}
</ref>
|source 2 = National Weather Service<ref name = NOWData>
{{cite web
|url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/climate?wfo=ajk
|publisher = National Weather Service
|title = NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Juneau
|access-date = March 7, 2023
}}
</ref>
}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1890= 40
|1900= 459
|1910= 1613
|1920= 2458
|1930= 3796
|1940= 4695
|1950= 5305
|1960= 6483
|1970= 6994
|1980= 7198
|1990= 8263
|2000= 7922
|2010= 8050
|2020= 8192
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}
Ketchikan first appeared on the 1890 U.S. Census as the unincorporated village of "Kichikan." Of its 40 residents, 26 were Native, nine were White and five were Creole (Mixed Russian and Native).<ref>{{cite web |title=Report on Population and Resources of Alaska at the Eleventh Census: 1890 |url=http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1890a_v8-01.pdf |website=United States Census Bureau |publisher=Government Printing Office}}</ref> It returned as Ketchikan beginning in 1900 and in every successive census. It incorporated as a city also in 1900.
 
[[File:Ketchikan AK.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Ketchikan's Newtown neighborhood, between Downtown and the West End, its two largest neighborhoods. [[First Lutheran Church (Ketchikan, Alaska)|First Lutheran Church]], at the right edge of this photo, is [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska|listed on the National Register of Historic Places]].  East of the church (beyond view of the photo), three adjoining streets were named [[Warren G. Harding|Warren, G, and Harding]] following President Harding's visit to Alaska in 1923.]]
[[File:Ketchikan From Dock.jpg|thumb|Ketchikan as seen from the dock near the cruise terminal.]]
[[File:Misty Fjords Ranger Station.jpg|thumb|The Ketchikan Misty Fjords Ranger station.]]

{{As of|2010}}, there were 8,050 people, 3,259 households, and 1,885 families residing in the city. As of 2017, the population density was 1,829.5 per square&nbsp;mile (714.1/km<sup>2</sup>).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/ketchikancityalaska|title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Ketchikan city, Alaska|website=Census Bureau QuickFacts|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181201093514/https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/ketchikancityalaska|archive-date=December 1, 2018|url-status=live|access-date=December 1, 2018}}</ref> There were 3,731 housing units at an average density of {{convert|848.0|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 60.7% [[Race (United States Census)|White]], 16.7% [[Race (United States Census)|Native American]] (8.3% [[Tlingit]]-[[Haida people|Haida]], 1.9% [[Tsimshian]]), 10.8% [[Race (United States Census)|Asian]] (9.4% Filipino), 10.0% from two or more races, 0.8% [[Race (United States Census)|Black]] or [[Race (United States Census)|African American]], 0.3% [[Race (United States Census)|Pacific Islander]], and 0.7% [[Race (United States Census)|some other race]]. 4.4% of the population were [[Race (United States Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Race (United States Census)|Latino]] (2.6% Mexican) of any race.<ref name="census1">{{cite web|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=DEC_10_DP_DPDP1&prodType=table |archive-url=https://archive.today/20190521214830/https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=DEC_10_DP_DPDP1&prodType=table |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 21, 2019 |title=American FactFinder – Results |author=Data Access and Dissemination Systems (DADS) |work=census.gov }}</ref><ref name="census2">{{cite web |url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/02/0238970.html |title=Ketchikan (city) QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau |publisher=Quickfacts.census.gov |access-date=December 28, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120303153556/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/02/0238970.html |archive-date=March 3, 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=DEC_10_SF1_QTP7&prodType=table|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212213915/http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=DEC_10_SF1_QTP7&prodType=table|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 12, 2020|title=American FactFinder – Results|author=Data Access and Dissemination Systems (DADS)|work=census.gov}}</ref>

[[File:St John's Episcopal Church and hospital, Ketchikan, Alaska, August 1904 (COBB 285).jpeg|thumb|St John's Episcopal Church and a mission hospital, August 1904]]
There were 3,259 households. 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.6% were headed by married couples living together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.2% were non-families. 33.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.0% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41, and the average family size was 3.07.<ref name="census1"/>

The population was spread by age ranges, with 23.9% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 29.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.5 males.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/1600000US0238970| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212113040/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/1600000US0238970| url-status=dead| archive-date=February 12, 2020| title=Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Ketchikan city, Alaska| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder| access-date=March 26, 2013}}</ref>

In 2017, the ACS-estimated median and average annual incomes for a household in the city were $56,372 and $70,490, respectively. The median and average incomes for a family were $68,438 and $84,518, respectively. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $30,474. About 12.4% of the population, including 19.8% of those under 18-years old, were below the [[poverty line]].<ref>{{cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_5YR/DP03/1600000US0238970| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200210232540/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_5YR/DP03/1600000US0238970| url-status=dead| archive-date=February 10, 2020| title=Selected Economic Characteristics: 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (DP03): Ketchikan city, Alaska| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder| access-date=December 26, 2013}}</ref> 90.0% spoke English, 6.0% Tagalog, 1.8% Spanish, and 0.7% Tsimshian as their first language.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mla.org/cgi-shl/docstudio/docs.pl?map_data_results |title=Data Center Results |access-date=August 7, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130815140430/http://www.mla.org/cgi-shl/docstudio/docs.pl?map_data_results |archive-date=August 15, 2013 }}</ref>

==Media==
{{unreferenced section|date=November 2020}}
[[File:Ketchikan sign June 2009.jpg|thumb|Ketchikan sign, which arches over Mission Street. Front Street is in the immediate foreground.]]
Ketchikan is home to four radio stations: [[KTKN]]-AM 930, [[KGTW]]-FM 106.7, [[KFMJ]]-FM 99.9, and community-owned [[NPR]]-affiliated [[KRBD]]-FM 105.3.

Ketchikan has one over-the-air broadcast television station, [[KUBD (TV)|KUBD]], Channel 13 digital and 4 visual, a [[CBS]] network affiliate.

Ketchikan also houses the publishing offices of the ''[[Ketchikan Daily News]]''.

The region has local cable television programming provided by Ketchikan Public Utilities, including public meetings, [[Southeast Alaska]] programming, Ketchikan High School sports and events, local history, gardening and scenes, and a calendar of upcoming local events; local television signals carried on the cable system are also translations of [[Seattle, Washington|Seattle]] and [[Anchorage, Alaska|Anchorage]] stations.

==Government and infrastructure==
[[File:Cartel de bienvenida, Ketchikan, Alaska, Estados Unidos, 2017-08-16, DD 55.jpg|thumb|left|Welcome sign]]
The City of Ketchikan operates under a [[council-manager]] form of government. The Ketchikan Gateway Borough includes both the City of Ketchikan and the City of Saxman and encompasses more than {{convert|6,000|sqmi|km2|abbr=out}} from the Canada–US border to just south of Wrangell. The [[Alaska Marine Highway|Alaska Marine Highway System]] has its headquarters in Ketchikan.<ref>"[http://www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs/contact_us.shtml#mail Contact Us] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130330005347/http://www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs/contact_us.shtml |date=2013-03-30 }}." [[Alaska Marine Highway]]. Retrieved on October 25, 2009.</ref>

[[File:Baseball game at Ketchikan, Alaska, nd (COBB 275).jpeg|thumb|Undated photo of a baseball game in Ketchikan by [[John Nathan Cobb]]]]

Over the decades, Ketchikan has produced a number of political figures of note to Alaska in general.  In territorial days, [[Norman Ray Walker|Norman Ray "Doc" Walker]], a Canadian-born pharmacist practicing in Ketchikan, was arguably[[fact]] the first career member of the [[Alaska Legislature]].  Walker served in the territorial Senate for 16 years before losing reelection in 1948. Ketchikan native Terry Gardiner was the youngest person elected to the [[Alaska House of Representatives]] at age 22.

The [[United States Coast Guard]] maintains a large shore installation, [[Coast Guard Base Ketchikan]], south of the downtown area, which serves as a homeport to three cutters and as a regional maintenance base for Alaska.

One of Ketchikan's two zip codes, 99950, is the highest-numbered in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://about.usps.com/who-we-are/postal-facts/fun-facts.htm|title=Fun Facts – Postal Facts|website=about.usps.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170203142552/https://about.usps.com/who-we-are/postal-facts/fun-facts.htm|archive-date=February 3, 2017|url-status=dead|access-date=February 13, 2016}}</ref>

==Economy and industries==
[[File:Street scene, Ketchikan, Alaska, September 18, 1908 (COBB 13).jpeg|thumb|A main street in Ketchikan, September 1908]]
[[File:Fishermen dressing and packing halibut on dock, Ketchikan, Alaska, October 3, 1910 (COBB 127).jpeg|thumb|Fishermen dressing and packing [[halibut]] at a dock in Ketchikan, October 1910]]

A major and first port of entry into Alaska, Ketchikan's economy has been based on fishing industries, canneries in particular, tourism, government, and forestry. Average annual civilian employment in 2017 was 4,070, with a substantial seasonal work force peaking in July.

The area near the mouth of Ketchikan Creek earned Ketchikan a measure of infamy during the first half of the 20th century for a [[red-light district]] known as [[Creek Street (Ketchikan, Alaska)|Creek Street]], with [[brothel]]s aligned on either side of the creek.

Ketchikan's economy is currently based upon government services, tourism and commercial fishing. Civic boosters have dubbed the community the "[[Salmon]] Capital of the World."<ref name=LonelyPlanet>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=02vPnH0UbNAC&q=ketchikan+salmon+capital+of+the+world&pg=PA158|title=Pauline Frommer's Alaska|isbn=9780470280041|last1=Thompson|first1=David|year=2008|publisher=Wiley }}</ref>

Ketchikan also receives a large number of tourists, both by air and sea, due to its popularity as a [[cruise ship]] stop. In 2018, Ketchikan Harbour saw 40 different cruise ships making more than 500 stops in the harbour and bringing more than 1,073,000 visitors to Ketchikan.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.visit-ketchikan.com/en/Membership/Visitor-Statistics|title=Visit Ketchikan Alaska – Visitor Statistics|website=www.visit-ketchikan.com}}</ref> The [[Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show]], a [[lumberjack]] show, is performed near [[Ketchikan Creek]] between May and September.<ref name="Kheiry2010-09-03">{{cite news |last=Kheiry |first=Leila |date=2010-09-03 |title=Ketchikan lumberjack pulls Alaska tourist out of water |url=https://www.newsminer.com/news/alaska_news/ketchikan-lumberjack-pulls-alaska-tourist-out-of-water/article_bc73109b-b5b1-55d5-b29a-e494f3e99223.html |newspaper=[[Ketchikan Daily News]] |via=''[[Fairbanks Daily News-Miner]]'' |access-date=2024-06-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240608091817/https://www.newsminer.com/news/alaska_news/ketchikan-lumberjack-pulls-alaska-tourist-out-of-water/article_bc73109b-b5b1-55d5-b29a-e494f3e99223.html |archive-date=2024-06-08 }}</ref><ref name="Nisenbaum2007">{{cite magazine |last=Nisenbaum |first=Shana |date=April 2007 |title=Alaska: Big, Bold and Bountiful. The Last Frontier is a tourism potpourri: Alaska is every outdoorman's dream, but if the idea of roughing it doesn't thrill you, there's still plenty to appreciate |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A165939747/ITOF?u=wikipedia&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=ced73699 |magazine=Alaska Business Monthly |via=[[Gale (publisher)|Gale]] |issn=8756-4092 |volume=23 |number=4 |pages=139–142 |id={{EBSCOhost|24687117}} |access-date=2024-06-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240608092400/https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&u=wikipedia&id=GALE%7CA165939747&v=2.1&it=r&sid=bookmark-ITOF&asid=ced73699 |archive-date=2024-06-08 }}</ref>

The [[Misty Fiords National Monument]] is one of the area's major attractions, and the [[Tongass National Forest]] has long been headquartered in Ketchikan, mostly in the city's historic [[Ketchikan Federal Building|Federal Building]].  For most of the latter half of the 20th century, a large portion of Ketchikan's economy and life centered on the [[Ketchikan Pulp Company]] [[pulp mill]] in nearby [[Ward Cove, Alaska|Ward Cove]]. The mill closed in 1997 in the wake of the passage of the Tongass Timber Reform Act of 1990, which reduced timber harvest targets in the national forest.<ref name="LoC">[http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/101/hr987#summary/libraryofcongress HR 987, 101st Congress, Tongass Timber Reform Act], summary by the [[Library of Congress]].</ref>

{{wide image|Ketchikan Alaska Panoramic.jpg|750px|Downtown Ketchikan, with seasonal storefronts along Front Street shown in the foreground.  Cruise ship tourism drives a large part of the local economy from May to September each year.|right}}

===Lumber===
Ketchikan Pulp Company (KPC), a subsidiary of [[Louisiana-Pacific Corp.]], was headquartered just outside Ketchikan's city limits on the shores of Ward Cove.  The company's [[pulp mill]] opened in the cove in 1954.  A 1995 joint EPA and FBI investigation of the company revealed it had dumped contaminated wastewater and sludge in the waters around Ward Cove, leaving them classified as "impaired" by the EPA. KPC plead guilty to the charges and agreed to pay a $3 million fine.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/Pre_96/March95/123.txt.html |title=#123 Ketchikan Pulp Co. Pleads Guilty to Environmental Crimes |publisher=Justice.gov |date=February 6, 1995 |access-date=December 10, 2011}}</ref>

In 1996, following the Clinton Administration's refusal to reinstate the original terms of KPC's timber contract, Louisiana-Pacific Corp. announced it would be shutting down the pulp mill, and did so in March 1997. A total of 514 direct year-round jobs and more than 500 indirect jobs were lost as a result.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sitnews.us/Kiffer/KetchikanPulpMill/032217_ketchikan_pulp_mill.html|title=SitNews: Ketchikan Pulp Mill Closed 20 Years Ago |author=Dave Kiffer |website=www.sitnews.us}}</ref>

===Marine===
[[File:Salmon in Ketchikan Creek.jpg|thumb|[[Salmon]] travel up the creek during spawning season to lay their eggs.]]
The Ketchikan Shipyard consists of two dry-docks (10,000 ton and 2,500 ton) owned and operated by Alaska Ship & Drydock, a subsidiary of [[Vigor Industrial]]. It successfully launched the [[Knik Arm ferry|M/V ''Susitna'']] in April 2010. A prototype ferry craft for use by Alaska's [[Matanuska-Susitna Borough]], the ''Susitna'' is the result of planning by Admiral [[Jay M. Cohen]], former chief of the Office of Naval Research, and former Navy captain Lew Madden, then working as a project manager for [[Lockheed Martin]].

[[File:Fishing fleet, Ketchikan, Alaska, June 29, 1911 (COBB 20).jpeg|thumb|Fishing Fleet at Ketchikan June 29, 1911]]
The contract for two new Alaska-class day ferries in the [[Alaska Marine Highway]] was awarded to the shipyard on September 20, 2014, at a cost of $101 million.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://vigorindustrial.com/news-press/alaskas-newest-ferries-will-be-built-by-alaskans|title=Alaska's newest ferries will be built by Alaskans|work=vigorindustrial.com|access-date=October 13, 2014|archive-date=October 21, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141021071858/http://vigorindustrial.com/news-press/alaskas-newest-ferries-will-be-built-by-alaskans|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Power and telecom ===
Companies involved in power and telecommunications include Ketchikan Public Utilities (KPU), which is city-owned, as well as [[GCI (company)|GCI]] and [[Alaska Power and Telephone Company]] (AP&T).

==Transportation==
[[File:Puerto de Ketchikan, Alaska, Estados Unidos, 2017-08-16, DD 49.jpg|thumb|Port of Ketchikan]]
[[File:Ketchikan, Alaska, Estados Unidos, 2017-08-16, DD 03.jpg|thumb|Port of seaplanes, one of the main transportation means.]]
[[File:Ketichikan-Creek-Street.jpg|thumb|Looking down Creek Street, immediately outside of Ketchikan's downtown near the mouth of Ketchikan Creek.  Creek Street, along with a block of Fourth Avenue in [[Fairbanks]], were Alaska's two significant [[red-light districts]] until the passage of the Anti-Crib Laws in the early 1950s.]]

Ketchikan serves as both an air and marine transportation hub for southern [[Alaska Panhandle|Southeast Alaska]].

The [[Ketchikan International Airport]] serves as both a gateway for [[Alaska Airlines]] nonstop jet service to and from [[Seattle]], [[Juneau]], [[Sitka, Alaska|Sitka]] and [[Wrangell, Alaska|Wrangell]], with direct service to [[Anchorage, Alaska|Anchorage]], and as a bush carrier and charter aircraft hub for destinations such as [[Hyder, Alaska|Hyder]], [[Metlakatla, Alaska|Metlakatla]] and [[Prince of Wales Island (Alaska)|Prince of Wales Island]] communities. Flying time to/from Seattle, Washington is approximately ninety minutes, making Ketchikan easily accessible to travelers from the continental U.S. [[Delta Air Lines]] began operating seasonal service to Seattle in May 2015.

Ketchikan receives service from two separate ferry lines. Ketchikan is a major port along the [[Alaska Marine Highway System]]'s [[Inside Passage]] route. Vessels depart northbound to Alaskan ports of call and southbound to [[Prince Rupert, British Columbia]], a six-hour trip, &mdash; where a connection can be made to the [[BC Ferries]] system &mdash; and [[Bellingham, Washington]], a thirty-six-hour voyage. Sailings depart several times each week.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs/|title=Alaska Marine Highway System – Official site of the Alaska DOT&PF|work=state.ak.us}}</ref> Ketchikan also sees regular day service from the Alaska Marine Highway vessel [[M/V Lituya|M/V ''Lituya'']], a day boat that shuttles between its homeport in Metlakatla, AK and Ketchikan.

The [[Inter-Island Ferry Authority]] serves Ketchikan with daily service from its homeport in [[Hollis, Alaska|Hollis]] on Prince of Wales Island.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.interislandferry.com/|title=Welcome To Alaska's Inter-Island Ferry Authority|work=interislandferry.com}}</ref>

==Education==

===Colleges and universities===
The former Ketchikan Community College became the Ketchikan campus of the [[University of Alaska Southeast]] during the late 1980s restructuring of the [[University of Alaska System]].  The campus is located on the uphill side of Ketchikan's West End neighborhood and consists of two buildings, the Paul Building and the Ziegler Building.  Both are named for prominent Ketchikan residents of the early and mid 20th century, [[William Paul (attorney)|William Lewis Paul]] and Adolph Holton Ziegler, respectively.

===Public education===
* [[Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District]]
** [[Ketchikan High School]]
** Revilla Junior/Senior High School
** [[Schoenbar Middle School]]

==Health care==
The city of Ketchikan and its surrounding areas are primarily served by the [[PeaceHealth]] Ketchikan Medical Center, which operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

==Sister cities and twin towns==
[[File:Ketchikan twin towers.jpg|thumb|The West End (or Westend), located in the valleys of Carlanna and Hoadley creeks and across Tongass Narrows from [[Ketchikan International Airport]], is Ketchikan's largest commercial and residential area. Shown are the city's tallest buildings, the Marine View Building and Tongass Towers. [[Ketchikan High School]] is partially visible at upper right.]]
{{Further|List of twin towns and sister cities in the United States}}
* [[Palm Desert, California]]
* [[Gero, Gifu#History|Kanayama]], [[Gifu Prefecture|Gifu]], Japan [former]

Ketchikan's former sister city of [[Gero, Gifu#History|Kanayama]], Gifu Prefecture, Japan, was incorporated along with four other cities into the larger city of [[Gero, Gifu|Gero]] on March 1, 2004. An educational exchange program has been active between the two towns since 1986. Every year, Ketchikan and Kanayama exchange one teacher each to instruct middle-school level language classes in their respective tongues. In addition, Kanayama sends a group of students to Ketchikan during the spring, and students from Ketchikan travel to Kanayama the following summer. Ketchikan students travel across Japan, with the majority of their time spent in Kanayama with home-stay families, attending classes and touring the town.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gov.state.ak.us/trade/2005/sister_states.php |title=Alaska sister cities index |publisher=Gov.state.ak.us |access-date=November 21, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120205045516/http://www.gov.state.ak.us/trade/2005/sister_states.php |archive-date=February 5, 2012 }}</ref>

==Notable people==
* [[Danny Edwards]] (born 1951), professional golfer<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pgatour.com/golfers/001305/danny-edwards/ |title=Danny Edwards |publisher=PGA Tour |access-date=December 10, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018192105/http://www.pgatour.com/golfers/001305/danny-edwards/ |archive-date=October 18, 2012 }}</ref>
* [[Nathan Jackson (artist)|Nathan Jackson]] (born 1938), [[Tlingit people|Tlingit]] artist famous for his carving of [[totem poles]]<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.nea.gov/honors/heritage/fellows/fellow.php?id=1995_07&type=bio |title= Nathan Jackson |publisher= National Endowment for the Arts |access-date= February 13, 2013 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121019195729/http://nea.gov/honors/heritage/fellows/fellow.php?id=1995_07&type=bio |archive-date= October 19, 2012 }}</ref>
* [[Roy Jones (aviator)|Roy Jones]] (1893–1974), first person to fly commercially in Alaska
* [[Jerry Mackie (politician)|Jerry Mackie]] (born 1962), Alaska state legislator and businessman, born in Ketchikan<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.akleg.gov/basis/Member/Detail/20?code=MAK|title=Alaska State Legislature|website=www.akleg.gov}}</ref>
* [[Jack McBride (politician)|Jack McBride]], legislator and member of city council
*[[Tallie Medel]], actress<ref>{{cite news |last1=Miller |first1=Raegan |title=Medel cast in new science-fiction film |url=https://www.ketchikandailynews.com/news/scene/medel-cast-in-new-science-fiction-film/article_9a9b1b94-b828-11ec-8575-f390281ee0c5.html |access-date=April 10, 2022 |work=Ketchikan Daily News |date=April 9, 2022 |language=en}}</ref>
* [[Frank Murkowski]] (born 1933), former [[United States Senator]] and [[Governor of Alaska]]; Murkowski grew up in Ketchikan, where his father was vice-president of the First National Bank of Ketchikan, which exists today as a [[Southeast Alaska|Southeast regional]] bank called First Bank<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.apfboardconfirmation.org/fmurkowski.html |title= Governor Frank Murkowski |publisher= Alaska Permanent Fund Board Confirmation Committee |access-date= November 7, 2013 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130921110118/http://www.apfboardconfirmation.org/fmurkowski.html |archive-date= September 21, 2013 }}</ref>
* [[Lisa Murkowski]] (born 1957), second daughter of Frank Murkowski and his successor as U.S. Senator, born in Ketchikan<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url= http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=m001153 |title=Murkowski, Lisa, (1957– ) |dictionary= Biographical Directory of the United States Congress |access-date= November 7, 2013}}</ref>
* [[Rudy Pankow]] (born 1998), American actor
* [[William Paul (attorney)|William Paul]] (1885–1977), (''Shgúndi''), Tlingit statesman and leader in the [[Alaska Native Brotherhood]] born near Ketchikan. Paul was the first Alaska Native to become an attorney and first elected to the [[Territory of Alaska|Alaska Territorial legislature]]<ref>Stephen W. Haycox, {{cite web|url= http://www.alaskool.org/native_ed/articles/literacy_act/LiteracyTxt.html |title=William Paul, Sr., and the Alaska Voters' Literacy Act of 1925}}, ''Alaska History'', Vol. 2., No. 1, (Winter 1986/87): 17-38.</ref>
* [[Ray Troll]] (born 1954), artist famous for blending art and science in his fish-laden drawings<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.seattlepi.com/archives/1991/9110220097.asp |title=Artist Ray Troll's creations are filled to the gills |newspaper=[[Seattle Post-Intelligencer]] |date=October 22, 1991 |access-date=January 17, 2009 }}{{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=http://wsm.wsu.edu/stories/2007/February/Troll.html |title=Ray Troll-A Story of Fish, Fossils and Funky Art |publisher=[[Washington State University]] |work=Washington State Magazine |author=Sudermann, Hannelore |date=Spring 2007 |access-date=January 17, 2009}}</ref>
* [[Don Watts (farmer)|Don Watts]] (born 1956 or 1957), farmer and entrepreneur<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cloid Elmer Watts  Obituary (2016) Tri-City Herald |url=https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/tricityherald/name/cloid-watts-obituary?id=21182341 |access-date=November 3, 2022 |website=Legacy.com}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Gilblom |first=Kelly |date=March 21, 2010 |title=JA Laureate: Don Watts |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2010/03/22/focus6.html |access-date=November 3, 2022 |website=Puget Sound Business Journal}}</ref>

== In popular culture ==
Several movies have been shot in Ketchikan, including ''[[The Silver Horde (1930 film)|The Silver Horde]]'', ''[[Spawn of the North]]'', ''[[Timber Tramps]]'' and ''[[Cry Vengeance]]'', as well as episodes of the television programs ''[[The Love Boat]]'' and ''[[Baywatch]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sitnews.us/DaveKiffer/100305_kiffer.html |title=Totem Land Tinsel Town |publisher=Sitnews.us |date=October 3, 2005 |access-date=November 21, 2010}}</ref> An episode of ''[[MythBusters|Mythbusters]]'' where the team sees if a ship made out of ice and sawdust can really float was filmed in Ketchikan in 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/mythbusters/projects/4313387|title=Can you Build Ships Out of Ice? The Mythbusters Investigate|author=Jamie Hyneman|work=Popular Mechanics|date=May 2009}}</ref> The [[National Geographic Channel]] series ''[[Alaska Wing Men]]'' in the episode "Fatal Crash"<ref>{{cite web |author=Commercial Development Unit |url=http://shop.abc.net.au/browse/product.asp?productid=701411 |title=Alaska Wing Men – National Geographic |publisher=Shop.abc.net.au |access-date=December 28, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120714164611/http://shop.abc.net.au/browse/product.asp?productid=701411 |archive-date=July 14, 2012 }}</ref> follows a [[National Transportation Safety Board]] investigator's site visit of a July 2010 [[bush flying|bush pilot]] fatal crash near Ketchikan.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ntsb.gov/aviationquery/brief.aspx?ev_id=20100723X60734&key=1 |title=NTSB preliminary report |publisher=NTSB |date=July 23, 2010 |access-date=December 28, 2012}}</ref>

In ''[[The Young Pope]]'', the character Pope Pius XIII sends several cardinals who upset him to Ketchikan as a punishment, which is depicted as a frozen wasteland.

In [[Arthur Miller]]'s play ''[[Death of a Salesman]]'', Uncle Ben must leave Willy to go to Ketchikan, where he presumably made part of his fortune.

==See also==
* [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska]]
* [[Seathwaite, Allerdale]], wettest settlement in the [[United Kingdom]]

==References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Ketchikan, Alaska}}
{{Wikivoyage|Ketchikan}}
* {{Official website|http://www.city.ketchikan.ak.us}}
* [http://www.visit-ketchikan.com Ketchikan Visitor's Bureau]
* [http://www.sitnews.us/Kiffer/SalmonCapital/092309_ketchikan.html Catching a Can in Ketchikan, A History of the Canned Salmon Capital of the World], by Dave Kiffer
* {{citation |title=Alaska's Silent Summer |publisher=[[Wendover Productions]] |year=2021 |medium=[[documentary film]] |via=[[Nebula (streaming service)|Nebula]] |url=https://nebula.tv/alaskassilentsummer |url-access=subscription |access-date=January 30, 2023}}

{{Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska}}
{{Alaska borough seats}}
{{Alaska}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Ketchikan, Alaska| ]]
[[Category:Borough seats in Alaska]]
[[Category:Cities in Alaska]]
[[Category:Cities in Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska]]
[[Category:Micropolitan areas of Alaska]]
[[Category:Populated coastal places in Alaska on the Pacific Ocean]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1885]]