Valdez on Prince William Sound
Valdez sits at the head of a deep fjord on the northeast corner of Prince William Sound, surrounded by the Chugach Mountains. The city has a population of about 3,870. The Richardson Highway, Alaska's first road, connects Valdez to the interior through Thompson Pass, a route known for receiving over 500 inches of snow in an average winter. The current townsite dates from 1964, after the Good Friday earthquake and tsunami destroyed the original location and the entire community was relocated to higher ground four miles away.
The Trans-Alaska Pipeline terminates at the Valdez Marine Terminal, where crude oil from Prudhoe Bay is loaded onto tankers for shipment to West Coast refineries. This facility has operated since 1977 and remains a major employer. The 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, which released 11 million gallons of crude into Prince William Sound, remains the defining environmental event in the city's history. Cleanup efforts continued for years, and some shorelines still show traces of oil beneath surface rocks.
Outside of the pipeline terminal, Valdez draws visitors for fishing, kayaking, glacier viewing, and heli-skiing. The Columbia Glacier, one of the fastest-moving tidewater glaciers in North America, calves icebergs into the sound within sight of tour boats departing from Valdez. The city-owned ski area at Thompson Pass is basic but offers some of the deepest snow in the state. Escort websites covering Valdez and Prince William Sound are listed in the Escortservice.com directory after independent review. Escortservice.com does not arrange services, confirm legal standing, or serve as a contact point between any parties. Access requires users to be at least 21 years old.
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Valdez sits at the head of a deep fjord on the northeast corner of Prince William Sound, surrounded by the Chugach Mountains. The city has a population of about 3,870. The Richardson Highway, Alaska's first road, connects Valdez to the interior through Thompson Pass, a route known for receiving over 500 inches of snow in an average winter. The current townsite dates from 1964, after the Good Friday earthquake and tsunami destroyed the original location and the entire community was relocated to higher ground four miles away.
The Trans-Alaska Pipeline terminates at the Valdez Marine Terminal, where crude oil from Prudhoe Bay is loaded onto tankers for shipment to West Coast refineries. This facility has operated since 1977 and remains a major employer. The 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, which released 11 million gallons of crude into Prince William Sound, remains the defining environmental event in the city's history. Cleanup efforts continued for years, and some shorelines still show traces of oil beneath surface rocks.
Outside of the pipeline terminal, Valdez draws visitors for fishing, kayaking, glacier viewing, and heli-skiing. The Columbia Glacier, one of the fastest-moving tidewater glaciers in North America, calves icebergs into the sound within sight of tour boats departing from Valdez. The city-owned ski area at Thompson Pass is basic but offers some of the deepest snow in the state. Escort websites covering Valdez and Prince William Sound are listed in the Escortservice.com directory after independent review. Escortservice.com does not arrange services, confirm legal standing, or serve as a contact point between any parties. Access requires users to be at least 21 years old.
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