Transportation
For a small community in Alaska, Seward is easily accessible.
- By Road: Anchorage, Alaska's largest city, is 129 miles away - a 2.5 hour drive on the Seward Highway, a National All-American Road and Alaska Scenic Byway. Don't feel like driving there yourself? Motor coach, bus, and taxi companies offer passenger and cargo service between the two communities.
- By Air: Seward has a small, state-maintained airport. Airport activity is limited to charter flights, as there is no scheduled air service. Ted Stevens International Airport is located in Anchorage, offering direct service to key U.S. cities as well as international destinations.
- By Barge: Cargo vessels dock directly in Seward, delivering personal goods (household goods, bulk purchases, vehicles) from the lower 48.
- By Rail: The Alaska Railroad offers daily passenger service from May through September. Because of the distance, the train arrives once daily (11:15AM) and departs for Anchorage each evening (5:30 PM).
Schools and Libraries
K-12: The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District serves over 9,200 students from pre-kindergarten through high school. The district covers 25,600 square miles - larger than the entire state of West Virginia! Within Seward, the Borough operates 3 schools: elementary, middle (7-8th grade), and high school.
Higher Education: Seward is the primary base for the Alaska Vocational Technical College - offering applied technologies, building trades, information technologies, the U.S. Coast Guard-approved Alaska Maritime Training Center, and home of the Alaska Culinary Academy.
The Kenai Peninsula College operates their Resurrection Bay Extension Site offers collegiate courses to local high school students and adults in Seward.
University of Alaska Fairbanks' Seward Marine Center is a major marine experimental facility - the northern-most university marine station in the U.S. The facility provides access to salt water laboratories and the coastal environment, supporting research vessel operations and shore-based fishery and marine science research. The Center partners with the Alaska SeaLife Center and the Alutiiq Pride Shellfish Hatchery to position Seward as a research base for marine research and arctic studies.
Libraries: Seward is in the process of building a new Library-Museum complex to serve the community. The Seward Library offers youth programs, computer access, and community resources, in addition to a showing of the Waves Over Seward earthquake movie daily during the summer months.
HEALTHCARE
Providence Seward Medical and Care Center features a 24-hour emergency room, 4-bed in-patient hospital, and family medical clinic. Seward Mountain Haven is a state-of-the-art long term care facility, opened in 2009, with capacity for 40 residents.
Other local services include dental, family practice, public health, physical therapy, chiropractic care, pharmacy and counseling services.
Housing
The Seward housing market is varied - from large, high-end homes to small "starter" properties. Property is available for those wishing to build their own home, and renters can choose from single family homes and apartments. Neighborhoods are diverse, with several subdivisions outside city limits.
The Alaska Multiple Listing Service can be accessed online, or you can contact area realtors that are members of the Seward Chamber.
Taxes
There is no personal income tax in Alaska. The sales tax on goods and services is 7% within City limits (4% City sales tax, 3% Borough tax.) The mil rate is a low 3.12 within City limits.
Utilities
The City of Seward provides Water, Sewer, Electricity, and Waste Removal to residents. Some residents utilize private wells and/or septic. Oil and Propane are delivered by local businesses as needed. Local businesses also provide telecommunications support (land-line telephone, cellular service, internet) and cable television.
