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Petersburg, Alaska offers a unique combination of Alaskan accommodations. Our quality Alaska Hotels, Bed & Breakfasts, Cabins, Hostels, Fishing Lodges, and Long Term Vacation Rentals are perfect for your Alaskan vacation in the heart of Alaska’s Inside Passage.
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Canada is just east of the City of Petersburg, AK.
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The staff at Petersburg Alaska Lodging encourage you to browse our list of Petersburg accommodation. If you need assistance in making your lodging reservation or just need a little more info to plan your Alaskan vacation, contact us and we will assist you in your planning. Plus, since we are located in the heart of southeast Alaska, we can offer the latest information on activities in the area. Also check out our main website www.petersburgalaska.com
Petersburg, AK is located on the northwest end of Mitkof Island, where the Wrangell Narrows meet Frederick Sound. It lies midway between Juneau and Ketchikan, about 120 miles from either community. The area encompasses 43.9 sq. miles of land and 2.2 sq. miles of water. Petersburg's climate is characterized by mild winters, cool summers and year-round rainfall. Average summer temperatures range from 40 to 56; winters average from 27 to 43. Annual precipitation averages 106.3 inches, including 97 inches of snow.
The community maintains a mixture of Tlingit and Scandinavian history. It is known as "Little Norway" for its history and annual Little Norway Festival during May.
Tlingit Indians from Kake utilized the north end of Mitkof Island as a summer fish camp. Some reportedly began living year-round at the site, including John Lot. Petersburg was named after Peter Buschmann, a Norwegian immigrant and a pioneer in the cannery business, who arrived in the late 1890s. He built the Icy Strait Packing Company cannery, a sawmill, and a dock by 1900. His family's homesteads grew into this community, populated largely by people of Scandinavian origin. In 1910, a City was formed, and by 1920, 600 people lived in Petersburg year-round. During this time, fresh salmon and halibut were packed in glacier ice for shipment. Alaska's first shrimp processor, Alaska Glacier Seafoods, was founded in 1916. A cold storage plant was built in 1926. The cannery has operated continuously, and is now known as Petersburg Fisheries, a subsidiary of Icicle Seafoods, Inc. Across the narrows is the town of Kupreanof, which was once busy with fur farms, a boat repair yard and a sawmill. Petersburg has developed into one of Alaska's major fishing communities.
Since its beginning, the City of Petersburg's economy has been based on commercial fishing and timber harvests. Petersburg currently is one of the top-ranking ports in the U.S. for the quality and value of fish landed. 469 residents hold commercial fishing permits. In 2000, gross fishing revenues of residents was nearly $22 million. Unlike the rest of Southeast, it has escaped the marked cycles of boom-and-bust. Several processors operate cold storage, canneries and custom packing services, employing over 1,100 people during the peak season.
Petersburg is accessed by air and water. It is on the mainline Alaska ferry route. The State-owned James A. Johnson Airport and Lloyd R. Roundtree Seaplane Base (on the Wrangell Narrows) allow for scheduled jet and float plane services. The runway is paved, at 6,000'. Harbor facilities include three docks, two petroleum wharves, two barge terminals, three boat harbors with moorage for 600 boats, a boat launch and boat haul-out. Freight arrives by barge, ferry or cargo plane. There is no deep water dock for large ships such as cruise ships; passengers are lightered to shore. (Source DCED)
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