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Seward Basics

Seward is located at the base of Mount Marathon along the scenic shoreline of Resurrection Bay. Since the beginning of the 20th century, Seward has served as a gateway to the interior of Alaska, owing to its location (just 126 miles south of Anchorage) and its ice-free harbor. With only 2,700 residents, Seward is not a big town, even by Alaskan standards.

The mainstays of Seward's economy are commercial fishing, commerce and tourism. Tourism is a big deal in quaint Seward, with the locals from Anchorage come to town to enjoy the recreational opportunities it offers. More than one hundred thousand cruise ship passengers pass through Seward to either start or end their cruises.

Seward generally enjoys a relatively temperate maritime climate, primarily due to the influence of the Japanese current that flows through the Gulf of Alaska. Summer daytime temperatures range from the mid 40s to the low 70s F. Overcast and cool rainy days are frequent. It is not unusual to get several long periods of continuous rain in the summer months, but glorious sunny days are not uncommon. That being said, summer is the nicest time of the year to visit Seward.

First Impressions

Seward is a town that people come to in order to leave. That's because most of most people come to Seward to see the beautiful glaciers and wildlife to be found in the Kenai Fjords National Park, which is located south of the town, or Exit Glacier, which is located north of the town, or to go fishing for the ample quantities of salmon and halibut that teem in Resurrection Bay and surrounding waters, or to recreate on the Kenai peninsula. And of course Seward is the north terminus on the Vancouver to Seward cruise circuit.

Yet Seward has charms of its own. Seward is one of the more colorful towns in Alaska, owing to the outdoor murals located throughout the town. The restaurants are good, and for some reason they serve up some of the best pizza in the state. Plus if you're a fan of aquariums, Seward's Alaska SeaLife Center is a first rate institution dedicated to the study of Gulf of Alaska marine wildlife.

Cruise ships visiting Seward dock at the Seward Cruise Ship Terminal, which is located about one mile from the historic downtown area, and adjacent to the Small Boat Harbor.

The summer is the nicest time of the year in Seward; there's generally less rain, daytime temperatures range from the mid 40s to the low 70s F, and the tourists that flock to the city make the cash registers ring.

Time Zone

Seward is on Alaska Time, nine hours earlier than Greenwich Mean Time during standard time, or eight hours during daylight savings time. Daylight savings time begins on the second Sunday of March, and ends on the first Sunday of November.

Language

English is universally spoken in Seward.

Currency

The U.S. dollar is the official currency in Alaska. Canadian dollars are accepted in Alaska as well. You'll also find Canadian coins circulating freely in the state, and are accepted at par to their U.S. counterparts.

Banks and ATMs

Seward is a small place, so ATM machines aren't plentiful. However, there are a couple of banks that also feature ATMs to be found here:

First National Bank of Alaska: located at 303 4th Avenue in downtown.

Wells Fargo Bank: located at 908 3rd Avenue in downtown.

To see the locations of Seward's ATMs, see our Seward ATM map.

Weather

Seward generally enjoys a relatively temperate maritime climate, primarily due to the influence of the Japanese current that flows through the Gulf of Alaska.

Summer daytime temperatures range from the mid 40s to the low 70s F. Overcast and cool rainy days are frequent. It is not unusual to get several long periods of continuous rain in the summer months, but glorious sunny days are not uncommon. Snow often remains in the higher elevations through June or July.

Winter temperatures can range from the low 30s to -20. The Exit Glacier area, located north of Seward, averages close to 200 inches of snowfall annually, but conditions vary greatly. Storms dumping several feet of snow are common, as are rainy mid-winter days with temperatures hovering in the mid-upper 30s.

Seward Average Temperatures
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Avg High - F	31	33	38	45	52	59	62	62	56	45	37	33
Avg High - C	-1	1	3	7	11	15	17	17	13	7	3	1
Avg Low - F	21	22	26	32	39	46	50	50	44	35	27	23
Avg Low - C	-6	-6	-3	0	4	8	10	10	7	2	-3	-5

Seward Average Precipitation
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Avg, Inches	6.3	5.4	3.9	3.8	4.4	2.5	2.1	5.4	10.0	10.5	6.4	7.0
Avg, mm	160	137	99	97	112	64	53	137	254	267	163	178

Seward Weather Forecast, AK

Keeping In Touch

Internet Cafes

You can find a few cyber cafes, mostly offering wi-fi connections, located in Seward.

Seward Community Library, located at 238 5th Avenue, offers internet access.

Rainy Days Internet Cafe, located at 1406 4th Ave., #D at the Small Boat Harbor. Bring your computer, or use one of their 4 laptops for a small hourly fee. Rainy Days serves a variety of Alaskan-roasted coffees, smoothies and baked goods. Open daily 5:30 am to 10:00 pm. Tel: (907) 224-4888.

The Sea Bean, located at 225 Fourth Avenue in downtown Seward, is a Wi-Fi hotspot. Open 7:00 am to 8:00 pm. Tel: (907) 224-6623.

Grant Electronics, located at 222 Fourth Avenue, across the street from the Sea Bean, provides a quiet, comfortable environment for checking email and surfing the Web. Telephone and ethernet connections are available for notebook computers. Rates are $12 per hour. Open weekdays 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. Tel: (907) 224-7015.

Starbucks has a shop at 1907 Seward Highway, not far from the cruise ship docks, that provides Wi-Fi. Tel: (907) 224-6900.

To see the locations of Seward's Internet Cafes/Wi-Fi locations, see our Map of Seward Internet Cafes/Wi-Fi locations.

Finding US Newspapers

US newspapers to be found in Seward include the Seward Phoenix Log, the Anchorage Daily News and USA Today.

Kindle Connectivity

In Seward, you can download your Kindle newspaper and magazine subscriptions, as well as books and selected blogs, through AT&T's EDGE/GPRS coverage in the city.

Local Holidays & Festivals

Look for the following local festivals, holidays and events taking place in Seward in 2012:

New Year's Day, January 1.

Mayor's Cup Sled Dog Race, February 11. A fast and furious ride on a 1-mile course around the Bear Lake area.

Seward's Day, March 30. Commemorates the signing of the treaty by which the United States bought Alaska from Russia.

Good Friday, April 6.

Easter Sunday, April 8. The most important Christian holiday.

Halibut Tournament, June 1 to June 30. Cash prizes are awarded at the end of the tournament for the heaviest fish, as well as for the second and third place entries.

Independence Day, July 4. Day-long celebrations at a number of venues in the city.

85th Running of the Mount Marathon Race®, July 4. The foot race is a climb and descent of Mt. Marathon - a mile and a half up and a mile and a half down, complete with cliffs, scree fields, waterfalls and a spectacular view.

Silver Salmon Derby, August 10 to 19. One of the oldest and largest fishing derbies in the state.

Alaska Day, October 18. Anniversary of the formal transfer of the Territory and the raising of the U.S. flag at Sitka in 1867.

Thanksgiving Day, November 22. A day to give thanks for the things one has at the close of the harvest season.

Christmas Day, December 25. Celebrates the birth of Christ.

Cruise Lines Making Port

Seward is one of the two ports used by the cruise ship lines taking their passengers to Anchorage and beyond. Seward is a embarkation/ disembarkation port for 7-day cruises on Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Holland America and Regent Cruises, as well as day port for longer Alaskan cruises run by Holland America. In 2012, Seward will host just over 72,000 cruise ship passengers sailing on 52 ships. If you'd like to see which cruise ships are scheduled to make port in Seward, check out our Seward Cruise Ship Schedule - 2012.

The following cruise lines make port in Seward: