Prince William Sound
Passage Canal opens into the sound: glaciers, boat trips, kayaking and fishing in season. Weather on the sound changes quickly.
PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND · SEWARD HIGHWAY CORRIDOR
City of Whittier · Chugach Census Area · Unorganized Borough · Prince William Sound, Southcentral Alaska
Whittier Homes and Condos on Prince William Sound
Whittier is a small city on Prince William Sound, not a Kenai Peninsula town. You reach it from the Seward Highway at Portage, through the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel. The town sits at the head of Passage Canal: a working port, a concentrated cluster of buildings, and a waterfront that looks out into the sound.
THE PLACE
Where Whittier is, and what that means.
Whittier is an incorporated city in the Chugach Census Area of the Unorganized Borough. It is not in the Kenai Peninsula Borough and it is not on the Kenai Peninsula. We group it here because the drive uses the same Seward Highway corridor as Girdwood, Hope and Seward, and because people looking along that highway often ask about it in the same conversation.
The 2020 Census counted 272 people in Whittier. Housing is concentrated in a small townsite, including condominiums in the Begich Towers building, a converted former military structure, along with other units and a limited number of other properties. The port serves ferries, cruise ships and boats heading into Prince William Sound.
The tunnel is not a footnote. It is how almost all road traffic arrives, it is shared with the railroad, it runs on a schedule, and a toll may apply. If you buy here, the tunnel’s hours and closures become part of daily life.
The 2020 Census counted 272 people in the City of Whittier, in the Chugach Census Area — not in the Kenai Peninsula Borough.
THINGS TO DO
Prince William Sound, a working port and a one-of-a-kind arrival.
Whittier is oriented to the water and to the tunnel. The sound is the reason many people come; the tunnel is the reason the drive is different from any other town on this corridor.
The port
Whittier is a port for the Alaska Marine Highway, cruise ships and private boats. Confirm current ferry and ship schedules with the operators; they change.
Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel
Alaska DOT&PF’s Whittier Tunnel is a 2.5-mile combined highway and railroad tunnel, the road link from the Seward Highway near Portage. Traffic runs on a published schedule, in alternating directions, and a toll may apply. Hours change. Always check the official tunnel page before you go.
A compact townsite
This is a small, concentrated city, not a spread-out borough road system. Most of daily life happens in a tight waterfront area.
GETTING THERE
Getting to Whittier: the tunnel is the road.
From Anchorage, drive the Seward Highway past Girdwood to the Portage / Whittier area, then enter the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel. The tunnel is about 2.5 miles long and is shared with the Alaska Railroad. Vehicles move in scheduled windows, in one direction at a time. A toll may apply. Official schedules, fares and closure notices are on the Alaska DOT&PF Whittier Tunnel site. Do not rely on a remembered timetable.
If you miss a window, you wait for the next one. If the tunnel is closed for railroad traffic, weather, maintenance or an incident, you wait or you turn around. That is a practical housing fact, not atmosphere.
The Alaska Railroad also serves Whittier. Confirm current passenger service with the railroad. There is no driving around the tunnel to reach the city by road.
SEASONS
Seasons in Whittier.
Summer is busier at the port, with more tunnel traffic and more activity on the sound. Winter has shorter hours of daylight, more weather, and the same dependence on the tunnel schedule — including whatever the current winter hours are. If you are considering a home or condo here, think through arrivals and departures on the official schedule, not only a clear July afternoon.
HOUSING
What housing exists in Whittier.
Housing is concentrated. Condominiums, including units in Begich Towers, are a large part of what comes on the market, along with a smaller number of other homes or units. Land listings are uncommon. Read HOA documents carefully. Inventory is often limited.
Condos, including Begich Towers
A large share of housing is in a few buildings. Ask for HOA documents, reserves, rules, parking, and what is included in dues. We do not make income or rental-yield claims.
Other units and homes
A smaller number of other residential properties may be listed. Confirm utilities, parking and access.
Parking and storage
In a compact townsite, parking, snow storage and building access matter as much as the floor plan.
Short-term rental rules
If you hope to rent a unit, confirm current city, building and tax rules before you buy. Do not count on income you have not verified.
Thin inventory
It is normal to see only a handful of listings, or fewer. Save a search if you want to be notified.
CURRENT LISTINGS
Homes for sale in Whittier
Whittier inventory is often limited. If this row is short or empty, open the full search or save a search for new listings.
Current Alaska MLS listings appear here when the area feed loads. If no homes are listed, that can be normal in a small community — save a search or browse land.
UTILITIES & ACCESS
What to check on a Whittier property.
The tunnel
Can you live with scheduled access, waits, tolls and occasional closures? Read the current DOT schedule.
HOA and building documents
Especially in a multi-unit building. Budgets, reserves, insurance, rules and assessments.
Parking and storage
Where you park, where snow goes, and how you move belongings in and out.
Utilities and city services
Whittier is a city; still confirm what the unit includes and what you pay separately.
Weather and the sound
Wind, snow, rain and a maritime climate. Look at the unit in more than one season if you can.
NEARBY
Along the corridor, and on the way.
Whittier is grouped with this corridor for the highway approach, not because it is on the Kenai Peninsula.
Girdwood
Back on the Seward Highway toward Anchorage, in the Municipality of Anchorage — also not a Kenai Peninsula town.
Hope
A Kenai Peninsula creek town reached by the Hope Highway, off the Seward Highway.
Seward
Farther south on the Seward Highway, on Resurrection Bay, in the Kenai Peninsula Borough.
Moose Pass
A small Kenai Peninsula highway community between Seward and the Sterling Highway junction.
Also: Kenai Peninsula overview (proposed hub) · Alaska Living · Home
QUESTIONS
Whittier homes: common questions
Is Whittier on the Kenai Peninsula?
No. Whittier is a city on Prince William Sound in the Chugach Census Area, in the Unorganized Borough. It is not in the Kenai Peninsula Borough. People often look at it alongside Seward Highway towns because the road approach uses that highway and the Whittier Tunnel.
How do you get to Whittier?
Drive the Seward Highway to the Portage / Whittier area and go through the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel, or take the Alaska Railroad when passenger service is offered. The tunnel is scheduled, shared with the railroad, and may have a toll. Check Alaska DOT&PF for current hours and fares.
How long is the Whittier Tunnel?
About 2.5 miles, according to Alaska DOT&PF. Crossing time is only part of the trip; waiting for your direction’s window is the other part.
What types of homes are for sale in Whittier?
Mostly condominiums and other units in a concentrated townsite, including Begich Towers, plus a smaller number of other properties. Inventory is often limited.
What should I check before buying in Whittier?
Tunnel access and schedule, HOA and building documents, parking, utilities, and whether the location works for you in winter, not only in summer.
How many people live in Whittier?
The 2020 Census counted 272 people in the City of Whittier.
YOUR ALASKA SEARCH
Keep Whittier on your radar
Inventory in Whittier is often thin. You can still open the search and tap Save Search so you get an email if a matching listing appears.
On the results page, tap Save Search to save it to your dashboard and set up email alerts. Sign in or create your account if prompted, then choose your alert settings.
This save link uses the MLS city name Whittier. It is not a legal boundary.
Notes & sources
Facts on this page were checked against official sources listed below. Population figures are 2020 Census counts. Drive times are not stated as fixed numbers because weather and road conditions change — use Alaska 511. Listing feeds are live inventory, not an appraisal or a promise that a type of property will be available.
Search-banner photo on this page: iStock.com/EdwardSnow, northern lights over the Knik River near Palmer — the same image used as the first (base) slide of the homepage hero. It is a temporary stand-in, not a photo of Whittier. Town-specific photos will replace it later.
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census (Whittier city: 272, Chugach Census Area), Alaska DOLWD / legislative compilation.
- Alaska DOT&PF, Anton Anderson Memorial (Whittier) Tunnel — length about 2.5 miles, combined vehicle-railroad operation, scheduled openings, possible toll: dot.alaska.gov/creg/whittiertunnel. Hours and fares change; use the official page.
- Alaska 511, 511.alaska.gov.
- Alaska Railroad and Alaska Marine Highway System — confirm current service with the operators.
- City of Whittier — incorporated city in the Unorganized Borough / Chugach Census Area.
- Listings: Alaska MLS through Real Geeks search on this site.
Photos: iStock.com/EdwardSnow.
KELLER WILLIAMS REALTY ALASKA GROUP
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Whittier Homes For Sale
The listing content relating to real estate for sale on this web site comes in part from the IDX Program of Alaska Multiple Listing Service, Inc. (AK MLS). Real estate listings held by brokerage firms other than Properties of Alaska Real Estate Brokers of Alaska are marked with either the listing brokerage’s logo or the AK MLS logo and information about them includes the name of the listing brokerage. All information is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified for accuracy. Listing last updated: