Ketchikan Alaska Map

About Ketchikan, Alaska

Ketchikan is a locality in Ketchikan Gateway, Alaska, United States. It has a population of approximately 8,192. The population density is 829.3 people per km². Ketchikan is located at 55.3571°N, 131.6746°W. It observes the Alaska Time (America/Sitka) timezone. Ketchikan is an incorporated locality. ZIP codes: 99901, 99950.

Ketchikan emerges from the mist as a rugged maritime enclave where the dense, emerald canopy of the Tongass/Ketchikan National Forest meets the persistent tides of Ketchikan Harbor. It lies 229.8 miles south-southeast of Juneau, AK (from Juneau, AK: bearing 152°T), and is situated 83.0 miles south-southeast of Wrangell. The landscape is defined by the steep, dramatic rise of California Ridge in the distance, while the nearby Granite Basin offers a quiet, glacial-carved depth to the terrain. Water defines the local pulse, with the clear, swift waters of Ketchikan Creek carving a path directly through the center of the architecture. Travelers might glimpse the distant silhouette of East Clump rising from the water, a stark reminder of the island geography that shapes every horizon. A short distance away, the quiet stillness of Scout Lake provides a serene counterpoint to the salt-heavy air of the coast. The gentle spray of Beaver Falls occasionally catches the low, subarctic light, casting long, soft shadows across the damp, moss-covered earth.

Ketchikan grew from the hard-won labor of those who sought a life defined by the harvest of the sea and the bounty of the timberlands. The local economy remains deeply anchored to the rhythms of the fishing industry, which has sustained families here for generations through the seasonal runs of salmon and other marine life. Beyond the docks, the history of the region is etched into the wooden pilings and boardwalks that elevate the waterfront above the high-tide line. Economic life here is cyclical, rising and falling with the arrival of maritime traffic and the processing of natural resources. The legacy of early trade and resource extraction continues to inform how Ketchikan conducts its daily business, emphasizing resilience and a practical approach to the elements. Industry in this corner of the world does not merely operate; it persists against the backdrop of an immense, often unforgiving wilderness.

Cultural character in Ketchikan is defined by a deep respect for the indigenous heritage and the artistic expressions that have flourished in the rain-drenched silence of the forest. Whale Park serves as an essential gathering space where the interaction between the land and the ocean becomes a shared public experience. The town has long been a place of creative output, notably attracting the presence of the writer Ray Bradbury, who spent formative years here, absorbing the atmospheric tension of the coast into his early perspective. Local events often center on the return of the salmon or the celebration of maritime skills, bringing residents together in a display of communal continuity. Walking the streets, one finds a deliberate pace that favors the steady over the hurried, reflecting the long, dark winters and the sudden, explosive brightness of the summer months. Landmarks are frequently marked by intricate carvings and public art, ensuring that the identity of the people remains visible against the looming, silent giants of the surrounding woods.

About This Ketchikan Map Page

This page provides an embedded street and satellite map of Ketchikan, Alaska. Coordinates: 55.357145, -131.674552. Live weather conditions are sourced directly from the National Weather Service. Real-time local and world news feeds keep the page current.

Detailed location data for Ketchikan includes the ZIP code (99901, 99950), telephone area code (907), county seat of Ketchikan Gateway, and school district assignment (Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District).

Search Maps opens a second, independent map. It searches OpenStreetMap for any US town, county or landmark by name; offers USGS topographic maps and USGS aerial imagery as base layers; overlays a labelled U.S. National Grid (USNG) so the map can be read like a printed topographic quad; measures distance and grid, true and magnetic bearings between any two points; and takes a single GPS fix reporting your position as a USNG grid reference and as latitude and longitude. Map tiles require cell coverage, but a GPS position does not, so the coordinates remain correct even where the map cannot load.

Location data is drawn from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) and cross-verified against 2020 US Census records by coordinate proximity. Population figures are sourced from the 2020 US Census.