About Valdez | Valdez, AK – Official Website

Welcome to the City of Valdez

The City of Valdez, population 3,900, is located in Southcentral Alaska on the northeast tip of Prince William Sound. On the road system, Valdez is 300 road miles east of Anchorage, and 365 road miles south of Fairbanks. It lies at approximately 61° 07′ 30.60″ North Latitude and -146° 20″ 32.40″ West Longitude. The City encompasses 222.0 square miles of land and 55.1 square miles of water.

The City was founded just prior to the turn of the 20th century as a gateway to the “All-American Route” to interior gold and copper fields. Incorporated in 1901, the community’s first hundred years have been marked by a number of significant events the most notable of which are the 1964 Alaska Earthquake, being chosen as the terminus of the trans-Alaska Pipeline, and the 1989 Exxon Valdez Oil Spill.

Vision for the City of Valdez

Capitalizing on the intrinsic qualities of our area and its people; create a place our grandchildren will be proud to call home.