City of Valdez

Aerial of Valdez-photo by Donna Schantz, PWSRCACValdez is located on the north shore of Port Valdez, a deep-water fjord in Prince William Sound. Its population is about 3,749. Valdez is the southern terminus of the trans-Alaska oil pipeline, with four of its top 10 employers affiliated with the oil terminus. About 400 tankers dock there each year. As a year-round ice-free port, Valdez is an important seaport with a major cargo and container facility. Seasonal commercial fishing and tourism also contribute to the economy, with up to 70 cruise ships docking annually. Three fish processing plants operate in Valdez and a small harbor hosts about 550 commercial fishing boats.

The town of Valdez was developed in 1898 due to its excellent ice-free port; it served as a point of departure for men seeking a route to mining and gold fields. Valdez eventually became the center of its own gold mining region and was incorporated as a city in 1901. The city experienced rapid growth during the trans-Alaska oil pipeline construction in the 1970s, and it served as the center for the massive cleanup after the Exxon Valdez oil spill disaster in 1989.

Stan Stephens and Dorothy M. Moore represent this member entity on the PWSRCAC Board of Directors.

For more information, please visit City of Valdez.
Phone: 907.835.4313
Fax: 907.835.2992