Alaska Railroad | Glenn Aronwits

Anchorage Accolades

Alaska boasts a lot of superlatives: biggest state, tallest North American mountain, highest concentration of glaciers. But another tends to get attached to Anchorage: best.

  • Travel + Leisure named Anchorage to its 50 Best Places to Travel in 2025 list.
  • Alaska is on Conde Nast Traveler's 25 Best Places to Go in 2025, and features many new developments and special anniversaries in Anchorage.
  • Separately, Condé Nast Traveler named the Anchorage Museum one of the best museums in the U.S. in 2025.
  • Anchorage made Fortune’s 2024 Best Places to Live for Families - the second consecutive year for inclusion.
  • Anchorage is in the top of the pack on WalletHub's list of Happiest Cities in America, 2023.
  • Livability ranked Anchorage as a Best City to Live in the USA - No. 23 in 2023.
  • Buzzfeed's 2023 list of underrated cities includes Anchorage, with an anonymous commenter adding "It has the perfect mix of city and nature."
  • In 2022, Lonely Planet called Anchorage "America’s ultimate winter adventure-land."
  • Travel + Leisure named Alaska's Coast as one of the top 50 places to visit in 2021.
  • Resonance Consulting put Anchorage at number six in a nationwide ranking of America’s Best Small Cities in 2020.
  • Expedia named Anchorage one of the "15 Best Places to Experience American Culture."
  • Bicycling Magazine hailed Anchorage’s trail system as one of the best in the U.S.
  • The League of American Bicyclists designated Anchorage a silver-level Bicycle Friendly City
  • The National Civic League recognized Anchorage as an All-America City in 1956, 1965, 1984, and 2002.
     

Accolades don’t end at the edge of Anchorage, either.

  • Powder magazine put Alyeska atop their 2024 roundup for Alaska ski destinations.
  • The Glenn Highway and the Seward Highway leading out of Anchorage are each designated as National Scenic Byways.
  • With many trips departing the Anchorage depot, the Alaska Railroad arrived at number 18 on the New York Times' list of 52 places to visit in 2023.
  • AFAR's "Ultimate Alaska Roadtrip" begins and ends in Anchorage.
  • Girdwood was recognized by SmarterTravel.com as one of "10 Great Mountain Towns."
  • Alyeska Resort got the nod from Travel + Leisure as one of America’s Best Ski Hotels.

Scenic Drives

Ready to see the sights? Each of these scenic trip ideas starts the day in Anchorage, and could have you back...

Outdoors

A visit to Anchorage is a full-on adventure! With more than 60 glaciers within 50 miles of downtown, a salmon...