12 Ketchikan Fun Facts | Ketchikan Unpacked, The Touchdown Lodge

Surprising Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Alaska’s First City

Ketchikan is a type of locations that appears small on a map however is full of sudden tales, geography, and statistics. Whether you’re researching Alaska, planning a go to, or simply inquisitive about what makes this coastal city distinctive, these Ketchikan enjoyable details spotlight why it stands other than virtually anyplace else within the state.

1. Ketchikan Is Known as “Alaska’s First City”

Ketchikan is usually referred to as Alaska’s First City as a result of it’s the southernmost metropolis within the state and traditionally the primary cease for a lot of vacationers heading north alongside the Inside Passage.

2. It’s One of Alaska’s Most Populated Cities

With roughly 15,000 residents, Ketchikan is among the bigger cities in Alaska, although it’s not the biggest. Anchorage stays essentially the most populous metropolis within the state, adopted by Fairbanks and Juneau. Among Southeast Alaska communities, nevertheless, Ketchikan persistently ranks as one of the crucial important inhabitants facilities.

3. You Can’t Drive to Ketchikan

One of essentially the most stunning Alaska enjoyable details for first-time guests: there are not any roads connecting Ketchikan to the remainder of the state or continent.
You can solely arrive by boat or aircraft. No highways. No highway journeys.

4. The Airport Isn’t Even on the Same Island

Ketchikan is situated on Revillagigedo Island, however the Ketchikan International Airport (KTN) sits on Gravina Island, throughout the Tongass Narrows.
To attain city from the airport, passengers take a 5–7 minute ferry experience, making Ketchikan one of many few U.S. cities the place arrival features a boat crossing.

5. Alaska Airlines Is the Only Major Airline Serving Ketchikan

Because of its location, Alaska Airlines is the one main industrial airline offering common jet service into Ketchikan. Numerous floatplane operators additionally serve surrounding island communities all through Southeast Alaska.

6. Cruise Ships Multiply the Population Each Summer

Another eye-opening Ketchikan enjoyable truth: throughout peak season, greater than 1.5 million cruise passengers cross via city between April and September.
That means a neighborhood of about 15,000 residents helps over 100 tour operators, dealing with fishing charters, wildlife excursions, flightseeing, and cultural experiences.

7. Ketchikan Is Built Within a Cluster of Islands

Ketchikan is situated on Revillagigedo Island, but it surely sits inside a broader community of islands and waterways that outline Southeast Alaska. While town itself occupies solely this single island, the encircling borough and neighboring communities are unfold throughout close by islands, making marine and air journey important all through the area.

8. It’s Not the Only City within the Area

While Ketchikan is the biggest metropolis within the area, it’s not the one integrated metropolis throughout the Ketchikan Gateway Borough.
Just south of city is the City of Saxman, a small neighborhood (about one sq. mile, underneath 400 residents) with deep Tlingit heritage and one of many largest collections of standing totem poles on the planet.

9. Ketchikan Is One of the Rainiest Cities within the U.S.

If you’ve heard Ketchikan referred to as “the Rain Capital of Alaska,” it’s for good cause. The metropolis receives over 150 inches of rain yearly on common, fueling the plush rainforest landscapes that outline the realm.

Read our information on what to do in Ketchikan on wet days.

10. It’s Known because the Salmon Capital of the World

Fishing isn’t only a pastime right here—it’s historical past, tradition, and financial system. Ketchikan’s waters assist:

• All 5 species of Pacific salmon
• A significant industrial fishing business
• One of the most well-liked sport-fishing locations in Alaska

This repute is a cornerstone of Ketchikan Alaska enjoyable details.

Interested in fishing in Ketchikan? Read our Ketchikan fishing information.

11. Totem Poles Are Everywhere for a Reason

Ketchikan has extra standing totem poles than anyplace else on the planet. They symbolize clan histories, cultural identification, and social construction of the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian peoples.

12. Ketchikan Plays a Key Role in Alaska Transportation

With no roads in or out, Ketchikan depends on:

• The Alaska Marine Highway System
• Regional ferries
• Floatplanes
  This makes it one of the crucial essential transportation hubs in Southeast Alaska, linking dozens of coastal communities.

Why These Ketchikan Fun Facts Matter

These aren’t simply trivia, they clarify why Ketchikan feels completely different from most locations in Alaska. From ferry-only entry and island geography to aviation, fishing, and Indigenous heritage, town is formed by water, climate, and motion.

For vacationers researching Alaska enjoyable details, Ketchikan usually stands out as one of the crucial distinctive communities within the state—compact, culturally wealthy, and deeply linked to the Inside Passage.