Cordova, Alaska
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Cordova, Alaska | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | Alaska |
| Census Area | Valdez-Cordova |
| Area | |
| - Total | 75.6 sq mi (195.9 km²) |
| - Land | 61.4 sq mi (158.9 km²) |
| - Water | 14.3 sq mi (37 km²) |
| Elevation | 82 ft (25 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Total | 2,454 |
| Time zone | Alaska (AKST) (UTC-9) |
| - Summer (DST) | AKDT (UTC-8) |
| Area code(s) | 907 |
| FIPS code | 02-17410 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1421215 |
Cordova [koɹˈdoʊvə] is a small city located near the mouth of the Copper River in the Valdez-Cordova Census Area, Alaska, United States, at the head of Orca Inlet on the east side of Prince William Sound. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 2,327.[1]
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[edit] Geography
Cordova is located within the Chugach National Forest at (60.542805, -145.760164).[2] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 75.6 square miles (195.9 km²), of which, 61.4 square miles (158.9 km²) of it is land and 14.3 square miles (37.0 km²) of it is water. The total area is 18.87% water.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 2,454 people, 958 households, and 597 families residing in the city. The population density was 40.0/sq mi (15.4/km²). There are 1,099 housing units at an average density of 17.9/sq mi (6.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 71.11% White, 23.6% Native American, 10.07% Asian, 0.41% Black or African American, 1.34% from other races, and 6.72% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.06% of the population.
There were 958 households out of which 36.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.5% were married couples living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.6% were non-families. 30.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.17.
In the city the population was spread out with 28.0% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 32.8% from 25 to 44, 25.4% from 45 to 64, and 6.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 119.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 120.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $50,114, and the median income for a family was $65,625. Males had a median income of $40,444 versus $26,985 for females. The per capita income for the city was $25,256. About 4.3% of families and 7.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.2% of those under the age of 18 and 6.2% of those 65 and older.
[edit] History
The area around Cordova was historically home to the Aleut, with a population of Eyak to the east, and occasional visits from Ahtna and Tlingit people for trade or battle. Orca Inlet was named "Puerto Córdova", after the city of Cordoba, Spain, by Don Salvador Fidalgo in 1790.
The town now called Cordova was first settled by prospectors in 1884.
One of the first oil fields in Alaska was discovered in 1902 at Katalla, 76 km (47 miles) southeast of Cordova. Cordova was named in 1906 by Michael James Heney, builder of the Copper River and Northwestern Railway, after the inlet. Cordova became the railroad terminus and port for copper ore from the mines at Kennicott up the Copper River, after it was determined that Katalla was a poor harbor. The first trainload of ore was loaded onto the steamship Northwestern, and taken to a smelter in Tacoma, Washington, in April 1911. The copper mines operated until 1938 and yielded over $200 million in copper, silver and gold. The Katalla oil field produced until 1933, when it was destroyed by fire.
Cordova was also once the home of a booming razor clam industry — indeed, between 1915 and 1964 it was known as the "Razor Clam Capital of the World." Historic commercial harvest in this area was as much as 3 million pounds. Returns began declining in the late 1950s, presumably due to overharvesting. The 1964 Good Friday Earthquake effectively destroyed the industry — in some areas, the ground was thrust up by as much as six feet, exposing the already depleted clam beds. Today the once-thriving industry is all but forgotten even by area residents, though some work is being done on restoring the clam beds.
The economy of Cordova now relies on fishing and canning (particularly of chinook and sockeye salmon), as well as small amounts of tourism. Cordova has a large fishing fleet that operates in Prince William Sound as well as several fish processing plants.
Cordova is accessible by plane or boat. It is linked directly to the Pacific Ocean shipping lanes through the Gulf of Alaska. It receives barge service, and Alaska Marine Highway service all year long.
[edit] See also
- Million Dollar Bridge which is 50 miles out of town! But there are lots of wild life on the way out.
[edit] References
- ^ Annual Estimates of the Population for All Incorporated Places in Alaska (CSV). 2005 Population Estimates. U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division (June 21, 2006). Retrieved on November 9, 2006.
- ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
[edit] External links
- Cordova, Alaska is at coordinates Coordinates:
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