Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau,
the city has a total area of
21.5 square miles (55.8 km˛), of
which, 14.4 square miles
(37.4 km˛) of it is land and
7.1 square miles (18.4 km˛) of
it (32.93%) is water.
Adjoining communities include
Bear Creek and
Lowell Point.
Economy
- Seward is the seventh
most lucrative fisheries
port in the United States
per value. In 2004, 49.7
million dollars worth of
fish and shellfish passed
through Seward according to
the
National Marine Fisheries
Service.
- Another major industry
in Seward is tourism.
- Seward is also an Alaska
Railroad terminus which has
a maintained dock for cruise
vessels and it controls a
shipping terminal for coal
from Usibelli. The Railroad
and Aurora Energy Services
employ dozens of people in
the local area.
Demographics
As of the
census of 2000, there were
2,830 people, 917 households,
and 555 families residing in the
city. The
population density was 196.0
people per square mile
(75.7/km˛). There were 1,058
housing units at an average
density of 73.3/sq mi
(28.3/km˛).
The median income for a
household in the city was
$44,306, and the median income
for a family was $54,904. Males
had a median income of $36,900
versus $30,508 for females. The
per capita income for the
city was $20,360. About 8.3% of
families and 10.6% of the
population were below the
poverty line, including
12.7% of those under age 18 and
7.9% of those age 65 or over.
Population of
Seward
| Year |
Population |
| 1920 |
700 |
| 1930 |
800 |
| 1940 |
900 |
| 1950 |
2,100 |
| 1960 |
1,900 |
| 1970 |
1,600 |
| 1980 |
1,800 |
| 1990 |
2,700 |
Transportation
Seward is unique among most
small Alaskan communities in
that it has road access in the
Seward Highway, a National
Scenic Byway and All-American
Road, which also brings it bus
service. Seward is also the
southern terminus of the Alaska
Railroad. This keeps the port
busy with freight coming on and
off the trains, but also makes
Seward a primary end point for
north-bound
cruise ships.
Seward is a very bike
friendly community. A paved bike
path runs from the downtown
business district through the
harbor and along the highway to
mile 4.5. Bikes can be rented
from
The Seward Bike Shop.
Seward used to receive
service from the
Alaska Marine Highway
(ferry) system, however, service
was discontinued at the end of
the 2005. Ferry connections are
now available in
Whittier (90 miles North) or
Homer (150 miles by
highway).
Seward Airport (PAWD/SWD) is
home to (general aviation)
services and flight-seeing
operators. Scheduled commercial
service is available at
Kenai Municipal Airport in
Kenai and
Ted Stevens Anchorage
International Airport, both
about 100 miles (160 km) away.
Seasonal bus connections are
also available.
Notable people from Seward
- In 1927, thirteen-year
old Seward resident and
Native Alaskan,
Benny Benson, won a
territory-wide American
Legion contest to design a
flag for Alaska. Born in
Chignik in 1913, he was
three when his mother died
of pneumonia. Soon after her
death the family's house
burned and his Swedish
fisherman father sent Benny
and his brother to the Jesse
Lee Home in Seward. Winning
the contest changed Benny’s
life. The prize for
designing the flag included
a $1000 scholarship which he
used to become an airplane
mechanic. He married, raised
a family, and died of a
heart attack in 1972 at the
age of 58. His design became
the territorial flag and
eventually the state flag.
He is memorialized in Seward
by the Benny Benson Memorial
Park.[5]
-
Harry Kawabe,
Japanese-American
businessman sent to
internment camp during WWII
Points of Interest
