Whittier

Whittier Rural Health Clinic
P. O. Box 727
Whittier, Alaska 99693
(907) 472-2303

The City of Whittier is at the head of Passage Canal, a fjord of Western Prince William Sound. Whittier is approximately 47 air miles (62 miles by road) southeast of Anchorage. The nearest major communities to Whittier are Anchorage, Cordova (110 miles to the east), Valdez (97 miles to the northeast), and Seward (125 miles to the southwest).

Whittier is a year round ice-free port and is a focal point for marine activity and freight transfer from sea train barge serving South Central Alaska. The Begich Towers is home for 70% of Whittier's population; the other 30% live across town in Whittier Manor, another apartment building. The Towers also house the medical clinic, the church room, the police department, a bed and breakfast, a store, and a rec center, as well as city offices.

The school is in a building directly behind the Towers. Whittier is home to 188 residents. The population triples in the summer. The town and towers are connected by tunnels, left over from the World War II. A few are still in use, although many of the entrances/exits to the tunnel system have been cemented over.