Ketchikan

About Ketchikan

Ketchikan hugs a narrow strip of Revillagigedo Island on the southern edge of the Inside Passage and is usually the first or last Alaska port of call on Seattle and Vancouver round-trips. The town bills itself as the "Salmon Capital of the World" and the "First City," and its downtown is built on pilings over the water, with Creek Street's boardwalks, totem-pole parks, and the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center all within easy walking distance of the cruise berths. Popular excursions include the Misty Fjords floatplane tour, a visit to Saxman Native Village for Tlingit carving demonstrations, and the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show. Expect rain — Ketchikan averages over 150 inches a year and is one of the wettest cities in North America.

• Incorporated on August 25, 1900, Ketchikan is the earliest extant incorporated city in Alaska, sitting at the state's southeasternmost tip on Revillagigedo Island.
• Downtown Ketchikan is a designated National Historic Landmark District, famous for its colorful boardwalks, Creek Street cannery buildings, and Southeast Alaska's rainforest setting.
• The name 'Ketchikan' derives from the Tlingit name Kitschk-hin for the creek running through town; one translation is 'Thundering Wings of an Eagle.'
• Ketchikan receives more than 150 inches of rain per year on average, earning it a reputation as one of the rainiest cities in the United States.
• The city is home to the world's largest collection of standing totem poles and is often called the 'Salmon Capital of the World' for its prolific sport and commercial fisheries.