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Cordova, Alaska
Cordova is a city of 2,453 people in Chugach Census Area, Alaska, founded in 1884.
Why visit Cordova
Townapedia lists 10 museums and landmarks, 9 parks and trails, 14 places to eat, 3 places to stay and 9 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Mount Eyak, Pioneer Igloo Hall Number 19 and Cordova Post Office and Courthouse.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 62°F; January lows average 27°F, and about 99 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Cordova
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Cordova
Cordova is a port city in Chugach Census Area, Alaska, United States. It lies near the mouth of the Copper River, at the head of Orca Inlet on the east side of Prince William Sound. The population was 2,609 at the 2020 census, up from 2,239 in 2010.
From the Wikipedia article Cordova, Alaska (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do9
Museums and landmarks10
Pioneer Igloo Hall Number 19
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.1 mi
Building in Alaska, United States of America
621 1st Street, Cordova
Cordova Post Office and Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.0 mi
In Cordova, Alaska, NRHP-listed
Reception Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.0 mi
Building in Alaska, United States of America
Red Dragon Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.0 mi
Historic district in Alaska, United States
Cordova Ranger Distric Office
Monument and historic site · 4.0 mi
612 2nd Street, Cordova
Parks, trails and playgrounds9
Restaurants and cafes14
OK Restaurant
Restaurant · Chinese, American, Korean, Sushi · 4.1 mi
616 1st Street, Cordova
Powder house
Restaurant · Burger, Chicken, American · 3.1 mi
1420 Copper River Highway, Cordova
Reluctant Fisherman Inn
Restaurant · Regional · 4.2 mi
407 Railroad Avenue, Cordova
The Little Cordova Bakery
Bakery · 4.3 mi
201 Breakwater Avenue, Cordova
2 more on the map.
History
In 1790, the inlet in front of the current Cordova townsite was named Puerto Cordova by Spanish explorer Salvador Fidalgo. The city of Cordova was named after it, although the inlet itself was later renamed the Orca Inlet. Cordova proper was founded as a result of the discovery of high-grade copper ore at Kennecott, north of Cordova. A group of surveyors from Valdez laid out a town site and Michael James Heney purchased half the land for the terminus of the Copper River and Northwestern Railway after determining that the neighboring town of Katalla was a poor harbor. Heney and his crew held a brief ceremony to organize the town on March 26, 1906. A week later, crews arrived to begin work on the railroad. The first lots in the new town site, making up the heart of present-day Cordova, were sold at auction in May 1908. As the railroad grew, so did the town. Eventually schools, businesses, a hospital, and utilities were established. After the railroad was completed, Cordova became the transportation hub for the ore coming out of Kennecott. From 1911 to 1938, more than 200 million tons of copper ore were transported through Cordova.
In 1913, Rex Beach's The Iron Trail: An Alaskan Romance, a bestselling novel set against the construction of the Copper River and Northwestern Railway, made Cordova one of the territory's most famous place names.
From the History section of Cordova, Alaska on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay3
Churches and places of worship6
St. Michael the Archangel Church
Church · Orthodox · National Register of Historic Places · 3.4 mi
1002 Lake Avenue, Cordova
Cordova Community Baptist Church
Church · Baptist · 4.0 mi
701 2nd Street, Cordova
St George's Episcopal Church
Church · Episcopal · 4.0 mi
104 Lake Avenue, Cordova
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Church · Mormon · 4.6 mi
1900 Whitshed Road
Shopping3
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries5
Cordova School District Innovative Learning
School · 4.0 mi
100 Fisherman Ave, Cordova
Healthcare2
Map of Cordova
62 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37°F | 27°F | 13.2 in | 20.8 in |
| Feb | 38°F | 28°F | 11.6 in | 20.5 in |
| Mar | 39°F | 28°F | 9.0 in | 20.9 in |
| Apr | 46°F | 33°F | 7.8 in | 3.7 in |
| May | 53°F | 40°F | 8.8 in | 0.1 in |
| Jun | 59°F | 46°F | 6.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 62°F | 51°F | 7.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 62°F | 50°F | 13.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 56°F | 45°F | 21.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 47°F | 37°F | 19.6 in | 1.7 in |
| Nov | 40°F | 31°F | 14.1 in | 8.9 in |
| Dec | 38°F | 29°F | 15.8 in | 22.6 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Cordova N (4 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Getting there and nearby towns
Cordova Municipal Airport (CKU) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 3 miles away.
- Valdez 47 mi northwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Cordova Alaska aerial, Forest Service Alaska Region, USDA, CC BY 2.0
- B Blazer with Cordova District Ranger Robert Skorkowsky (17051318508), Forest Service Alaska Region, USDA, Public domain
- B Blazer with Cordova District Ranger Robert Skorkowsky (17031653697), Forest Service Alaska Region, USDA, Public domain
- B Blazer with Cordova District Ranger Robert Skorkowsky (17052896439), Forest Service Alaska Region, USDA, Public domain
- St. Michael the Archangel Russian Orthodox Church, Cordova, Jet Lowe, Public domain
- Panoramaansicht im Cordova Ranger District, Forest Service Alaska Region, USDA, Public domain
- Cordova Harbour, jynxpup, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Soil erosion maintenance (12824797104), Forest Service Alaska Region, USDA, Public domain
- 20230607-FS-ND-ALTEsurvey-0007 (53330667868), Forest Service Alaska Region, USDA, Public domain
- Sheridan Glacier (8497328786), Joseph from Cabin On The Road, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
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Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.