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Ketchikan Basics

Ketchikan, which bills itself as the "Salmon Capital of the World," is located on Revillagigedo Island and sits astride the Ketchikan Creek in Southeast Alaska. Revillagigedo is the 12th largest island in the United States. With a population of around 7,500 inhabitants, Ketchikan is Alaska's fifth largest city by population. The area's population is around 14,000 people.

The mainstays of Ketchikan's economy are tourism, fishing and fish processing. Each year, Ketchikan attracts over a million tourists, mostly in the summer season, and most of the tourists arrive by cruise ship. In 2013, the city will play host to 466 cruise ship visits spanning the period May through September.

Ketchikan is situated in a maritime climate zone noted for its warm winters, cool summers and heavy precipitation. The area surrounding Ketchikan is a rain forest. It's overcast a lot in Ketchikan, with the city experiencing an average of 300 days of cloudy weather each year. And it gets a lot of rain, too; Ketchikan has the heaviest average rainfall in North America, at over 162 inches annually, including 32 inches of snowfall. That's 13.5 feet! Summer is the nicest time of the year to visit the city.

First Impressions

Ketchikan works hard to preserve its frontier town Alaskan heritage. The city is described as being "three miles long and three blocks wide," as everything is close to the waterfront. It's easy to go directly from your ship to the shops and points of interest in town.

Ketchikan is an arty town that really hums during the summer cruise season. With up to six ships visiting the port each day in the summer months, the cruise ship passengers almost outnumber the locals. But the town really has it together in managing the chaos; a free shuttle takes visitors on a loop around downtown, and the buses and vans transporting passengers from the Cruise Ship docks to their tours further afield perform like a well oiled machine.

Your ship will make port at one of the four cruise ship berths that are located in downtown Ketchikan. If there are more than four ships visiting Ketchikan at the same time, the additional ships will anchor in the Ketchikan Creek and passengers will take a short tender trip to the town's downtown pier. In downtown Ketchikan, tour and shuttle buses, taxis and other forms of transportation are readily available for passenger excursions to the area's tour attractions.

The summer is the nicest time of the year in Ketchikan; there's less rain, the average daily high is in the mid-60s (F), the days are long and the town bustles with the rhythm of the tourism industry.

Time Zone

Ketchikan is on Alaska Time, nine hours earlier than Greenwich Mean Time during standard time, or eight hours during daylight savings time. Daylight savings time begins on the second Sunday of March, and ends on the first Sunday of November.

Language

English is universally spoken in Ketchikan.

Currency

The U.S. dollar is the official currency in Alaska. Canadian dollars are accepted in Alaska as well. You'll also find Canadian coins circulating freely in the state, and are accepted at par to their U.S. counterparts.

Banks and ATMs

ATM machines in Ketchikan can be found at bank branches, bars, select hotels and a large number of shops throughout the town. Bank branches with ATM machines can be found at the following locations:

Wells Fargo: Wells Fargo has two offices with ATMs in Ketchikan; the branch closest to the Cruise Ship docks is located at 306 Main Street; another branch is located at 2415 Tongass Avenue.

Alaska Pacific Bank: This Alaska-based bank has two branches with ATMs in Ketchikan; the branch closest to the Cruise Ship docks is located at 410 Mission Street; the other office is located at 2442 Tongass Avenue.

Key Bank: Key Bank has a branch with an ATM located at 2531 Tongass Avenue.

First Bank: This Alaska-based bank has three branches with ATMs in Ketchikan; the branch closest to the Cruise Ship docks is located at 331 Dock Street; other branches are located at 2530 Tongass Avenue, and 2030 Sea Level Drive.

To see the locations of Ketchikan's ATMs, see our Ketchikan ATM map.

Weather

Ketchikan is situated in a maritime climate zone noted for its warm winters, cool summers and heavy precipitation. The area surrounding Ketchikan is a rain forest. Summer high temperatures range from 55 to 65; winter high temperatures are around 40--not what one generally thinks of when speaking of Alaskan weather.

Ketchikan is no place for sun worshipers, as it is cloudy an average of 300 days per year. And it's wet, too: Ketchikan has the heaviest average rainfall in North America, at over 162 inches annually, including 32 inches of snowfall. That's 13.5 feet!

The summer season is the driest time of the year, with the persistent rainfall dropping to only 7 inches in June, and less than 6.5 inches in July. And with almost 18 hours of daylight in June, the natives and tourists alike walk around with smiles on their faces.

Ketchikan Average Temperatures
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Avg High - F	38	41	44	49	55	60	64	65	59	51	44	40
Avg High - C	3	5	7	9	13	16	18	18	15	11	7	4
Avg Low - F	29	31	33	37	42	47	51	52	47	41	34	31
Avg Low - C	-2	-1	1	3	6	8	11	11	8	5	1	-1

Ketchikan Average Precipitation
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Avg, Inches	11.9	11.3	11.2	9.9	8.7	7.0	6.4	9.1	12.2	20.3	15.7	13.7
Avg, mm	303	288	283	250	221	177	163	232	309	515	400	348

Ketchikan Average Daylight Hours
	Jan		Feb		Mar		Apr		May		Jun		Jul		Aug		Sep		Oct		Nov		Dec
Avg Daylight Hrs	9.2		10.9		12.8		14.6		16.3		17.8		16.3		14.5		11.9		10.3		8.7		7.5

Ketchikan Weather Forecast, AK

Keeping In Touch

Internet Access in Ketchikan

The advent of smart phones has made operating a cyber cafe a losing proposition for their owners in Ketchikan. But the Ketchikan Library does have terminals that you can use, if you're traveling without a computer or smart phone. In addition, you can find a number of places that offer Wi-Fi in the town. These include:

Internet Terminals

Ketchikan Public Library offers once-a-day Internet access for 15 minutes to visitors. Guest User passes can be obtained at the Circulation Desk. To sign up for an Internet slot, please go the Registration Kiosk next to the Circulation Desk. The new library is located at 1110 Copper Ridge Lane. Phone: (907) 225-3331.

Wi-Fi Access (Downtown)

O'Brien's Pub and Eatery at the New York Hotel, located at 211 Stedman Street, offers free Wi-Fi internet access along with friendly service, Irish grub and Alaskan beers on tap. Phone: (907) 247-2326.

The Salmon Landing Market, located at the southern end of the Cruise Ship dock, offers Wi-Fi throughout the complex's many stores, including Fat Stan's Bar & Liquor Store, (Phone: (907) 247-9463) and The Crab Cracker Seafood Bar, located inside the Ketchikan Fish Market (Phone: (907) 247-2866).

Annabelle's, located in the Gilmore Hotel at 326 Front Street, offers Wi-Fi in their bar and restaurant area. Phone: (907) 225-6009.

The Asylum, located at 522 Water Street, offers Wi-Fi in their bar. Phone: (907) 220-0809.

The Arctic Bar & Liquor Store, located at 509 Water Street, offers Wi-Fi in their bar. Phone: (907) 225-4709.

The Sourdough Cocktail Lounge, located at 301 Front Street, offers Wi-Fi in their bar. Phone: (907) 225-2217.

Tribal House Coffee, located at 300 Front Street, offers free Wi-Fi in their Ketchikan store. Phone: (907) 228-4926

Wi-Fi Access (Marina area)

Safeway, located at 2417 Tongass Avenue, offers free Wi-Fi in their Ketchikan store near the deli area.

McDonalds, located at 2417 Tongass Avenue, #108, offers free Wi-Fi in their Ketchikan store. Phone: (907) 225-1704

Refiner's Roast Coffee Shop, located at 2050 Sea Level Drive, offers free Wi-Fi in their store. Phone: (907) 247-6278

To see where to find the above Wi-Fi locations, see our Ketchikan Wi-Fi map.

Cellular Phone & Data Services

	Cell service: Verizon's CDMA service provides extended digital coverage to Ketchikan and the surrounding areas. Data services: Verizon offers extended 3G coverage to Ketchikan and the surrounding areas. See details on Verizon's cell and data services coverage in Ketchikan.
	Cell service: AT&T's GSM service covers Ketchikan and much of the surrounding areas. Data services: AT&T offers 4G service covering Ketchikan and much of the surrounding areas. See details on AT&T's cell and data services coverage in Ketchikan.
	Cell service: Sprint's CDMA service covers Ketchikan directly, and other areas through off-network roaming. Data services: Sprint offers service in Ketchikan and the surrounding areas through off-network roaming. See details on Sprint's cell and data services coverage in Ketchikan.
	Cell service: T-Mobile's GSM service is provided through a service partner. Data services: T-Mobile offers 2G service in Ketchikan; there's no access for laptop sticks, tablets, etc. See details on T-Mobile's cell and data services coverage in Ketchikan.

Kindle Connectivity

In Ketchikan, you can download your Kindle 3G data through AT&T's EDGE/GPRS coverage in the city.

Local Holidays & Festivals

Look for the following local festivals, holidays and events taking place in Ketchikan in 2013:

New Year's Day, January 1.

Festival of the North, February. A month-long festival featuring events that include the Annual Wearable Art Show, where you'll see functional and not so-functional wearable art creations in a runway fashion show extravaganza, as well as the Quilting in the Rain annual quilt show, an exhibition of over 200 contemporary and antique quilts on display.

Seward's Day, March 25. Commemorates the signing of the treaty by which the United States bought Alaska from Russia.

Good Friday, March 29.

Easter Sunday, March 31.

Alaska Hummingbird Festival, Month of April. A celebration of the annual return of the Rufous Hummingbird and other migratory birds to Ketchikan. Activities include guided hikes, art shows, activities for children, and many other birding events.

66th Annual Ketchikan King Salmon Derby, Memorial Day Weekend to mid- June. A Ketchikan tradition held to benefit various ketchikan causes. Cash prizes are awarded.

Ketchikan Fourth of July Celebration, July 4. They have fun in Ketchikan on the nation's independence day. Food and game booths, Kiddie and Main Parades, High School Reunion gatherings, Ketchikan's annual Timber Carnival, a rubber duck race down Ketchikan Creek and fireworks.

38th Annual Blueberry Arts Festival, August 3 to 31. An event that's unique to Ketchikan, featuring over 70 arts and crafts vendors, food stalls, games, a battle of the bands contest, the Gigglefeet Dance Festival, a special juried art exhibition, slug races (you won't find this very often), pie eating contests and more.

Alaska Day, October 18. Anniversary of the formal transfer of the Territory and the raising of the U.S. flag at Sitka in 1867.

Thanksgiving Day, November 28. A day to give thanks for the things one has at the close of the harvest season.

Winter Art Faire, November 29 to December 2. Featuring fine arts and crafts for the holiday season.

Christmas Day, December 25.

Cruise Port Schedules

Ketchikan is one of the most popular destination for the seasonal Alaskan cruise ship trade, which extends from May through September. It's not unusual to have up to six ships visiting Ketchikan at any one time.

As a general rule, cruise ship passengers can expect to spend between 7 and 8 hours ashore in Ketchikan.

In 2013, Ketchikan is slated to welcome 906,000 passengers sailing on 466 ships, up 8% and 7%, respectively, from 2012. For further information, see our Ketchikan Cruise Ship Schedule - 2013.