The Alaskan town where almost everyone lives under one roof

Countries & Cities · Published 13 October 2026 · Updated 25 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Imagine a city of nearly 300 people where the vast majority reside in a single high-rise building. This unique Alaskan community, shaped by extreme weather and seismic history, serves as a vital maritime gateway while maintaining a layout that feels more like a vertical village than a traditional town.

Whittier's distinct urban form is largely a product of its harsh environment and mid-century engineering. The city is dominated by the 14-story Begich Towers, completed in 1957 to house civil service employees and dependent families. Because the region receives an average of 197 inches of annual precipitation, the town was designed for extreme weather; a tunnel even connects the towers to the local school so students can move between them safely during storms.

The town's history is marked by significant military and industrial utility. During World War II, it served as Camp Sullivan, an entry point for U.S. soldiers into Alaska via a dedicated railroad spur completed in 1943. After hostilities ceased, focus moved to power; by 1962, America's Military engineers built a fuel depot plus an 8-inch pipe spanning 62 miles reaching Anchorage.

Whittier's geography presents both beauty and danger. It sits at the northern tip of the Tongass, the world's northernmost temperate rainforest. However, it also bears the scars of the 1964 Good Friday earthquake—the largest in U.S. history (9.2 magnitude). The resulting tsunami reached heights of 13 meters and caused over $10 million in damage to the area.

Today, Whittier serves as a critical logistics hub for the Alaska Marine Highway and a port for mid-sized cruise ships. While it remains a rural community where 100% of residents are classified as living in rural areas, its accessibility changed forever in 2000 with the opening of the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel. This mixed-use rail and highway tunnel through Maynard Mountain is the second-longest highway tunnel in North America.

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