City and Borough of Sitka

Nestled at the foot of magnificent glacial carved mountains facing the Pacific Ocean on Baranof Island, Sitka is located on the outer coast of Alaska’s Inside Passage and lies at the heart of the largest temperate rain forest in the world, the Tongass National Forest. With views of island-studded waters and forests descending to the water’s edge, Sitka is home to just over 9,000 people.

Sitka’s colorful past is a unique blend of native Tlingit culture and Russian history. In 1867, when the United States purchased Alaska from the Russians, the transfer ceremony was held in Sitka, and Sitka became Alaska’s first capital city.

Accessible only by air or sea, Sitka offers incredible scenery, fishing, hiking, abundant wildlife, and Alaska’s most culturally rich history and community. There are twenty two buildings and sites in Sitka that appear in the National Register of Historic Places. Residents and visitors alike enjoy and experience all this dynamic town has to offer.