Transportation
No roads connect Sitka to the rest of the State but it is easily accessible by air and water transportation. Alaska Airlines, the Alaska Marine Highway (ferry) System, three barge lines, major courier service such as USPS, FedEx and UPS all support Sitka's movement of both passengers and goods from or to the West Coast and the communities of Southeast Alaska.
Air Service 
Transportation is essential to economic development, and Sitka is fortunate to
have good access. Alaska Airlines provides multiple daily jet service and access to anywhere on the globe. Local air-freight service is provided through Alaska Airlines, United Parcel Service, Airborne, DHL and Federal Express.
Waterways
Sitka is the only Southeast Alaska port fronting on the Pacific Ocean. By also connecting by water to Southeast Alaska's Inside Passage, Sitka serves as a natural link between overseas ships and domestic trade barge lines. Sitka's marine access is a cost-efficient and safe method of transporting product by barge. The barge lines serving Sitka include Alaska Marine Lines (www.shipaml.com) , Northland Services Marine Transportation (www.northlandservicesinc.com) and Samson Tug & Barge (www.samsontug.com). The Sawmill Cove Industrial Park offers opportunities for future marine facilities and access to its deep-water docks.
The Alaska Marine Highway
The Alaska Marine Highway System provides regularly scheduled ferry voyages - as well as freight services - on the scenic waters of Southeast Alaska. This cost-efficient transportation system provides an alternative means of access to Sitka and serves as Southeast Alaska's Interstate highway system.
Sitka is located on an island and like many other Alaska cities, Sitka is only accessible by air or water. In addition to daily jet service provided by Alaska Airlines, the Alaska Department of Transportation operates a ferry system with nine ships that operate from Bellingham, Washington to Sitka in Southeastern Alaska to Dutch Harbor in the Aleutian Islands - an operating system of over 3,700 miles. That system is called the Alaska Marine Highway System.
In order to keep up with changing transportation requirements, in 1995 DOT began planning what eventually became the Southeast Alaska Transportation Plan in 1999. That plan calls for enhanced transportation systems for all of Southeast Alaska. In addition to many improvements to transportation corridors, the plan calls for the construction of a new class of ferry vessel to be added to the fleet. These new ships are high speed, aluminum catamarans capable of carrying up to 35 automobiles and 250 passengers at a cruising speed of 32 knots.
Two fast-vehicle ferries are the Fairweather and Chenega are now providing service between Sitka and Juneau with a running time of a little over four hours between ports.
Shipping
Alaska Marine Lines (AML) is a marine transportation company that ships all types of freight to and from Southeast Alaska and the Yukon Territory of Canada, employing a full range of inter-modal service options and door-to-door, fully insured freight management services: full-container, less-than-container, freeze and chill, rolling stock and general break-bulk. AML is a part of the Lynden family of companies whose major customers are mostly retail businesses such as grocery stores. They also provide special services to support industries such as fishing, mining and timber. They operate year-round, departing Seattle every Wednesday arriving in Sitka on the following Monday and departs Seattle every Friday arriving in Sitka on Wednesday.
Northland Services, Inc., provides common carrier and contract barge transportation services between Seattle, Washington and points in Alaska. They have weekly departures to various Southeast Alaska ports, year-round sailings to Anchorage and seasonal sailings to Western Alaska. They also serve ports in Japan and Russia on a contract or inducement basis. Principle commodities transported to Alaska includes supplies for the fishing industry, construction materials, equipment and general re-supply items such as groceries, hardware and vehicles.
Samson Tug and Barge began as a horse and cart operation, which delivered materials and goods to Alaska mining camps. Known as Baggen Transfer, George Baggen Sr
. based the company in Juneau. In 1937, Baggen and his son George Jr. founded Samson Tug and Barge with a single tug providing freight hauling services throughout Southeast Alaska. Today the company has an extensive line of equipment. The company is headquartered in Sitka. Shipments leave Seattle/Sitka every other week in the winter months and weekly in the summer months.
Overnight Package Service From/To Sitka
United Parcel Service, Federal Express, Alaska Airlines, DHL Worldwide and United States Postal Service provide next day or two day service to and from Sitka. Because of its island location, ground transportation services in the usual sense for goods shipped by UPS are obviously not available. Alaska Airlines package service is to cities served only. United States Postal Service provides same day service to Anchorage and Seattle only. Federal Express provides next day service with a dedicated FedEx jet providing pick-up and delivery services.
Sitka's island location means a keener focus on transporting both people and goods. For example, one can drive, fly or float to & from Sitka. It is possible to drive to Sitka from Seattle through the use of the Alaska Marine Highway System ferryboat, which leaves from Bellingham, Washington (north of Seattle). Similar driving connections to the remainder of Alaska utilizing the ferry are also common.
Other avenues of transportation include three different tug and barge lines. This is how 99% of goods get to Sitka virtually every day of the week. Each barge line maintains a separate and competitive sailing schedule, which gives Sitka if not daily service then every other day service to and from Sitka.
For the movement of people and some goods, Alaska Airlines provides a multiple daily schedule of 737 jet service to and from Sitka that includes three outbound and three inbound flights per day in the winter months and eight flights in / eight flights out daily during the summer months.
Sitka Airport Operations - Rocky Gutierrez Regional Airport
Sitka's Rocky Gutierrez Airport
The Rocky Gutierrez Regional Airport in Sitka is a class one airport owned and operated by the State of Alaska and open 24 hours per day, seven days per week. The airport and runways are at sea level with a single 6,500-foot runway on compass approach positions 11 and 29. The airport is 6 miles from downtown Sitka and flight operations are open 24 hours per day. The airport has complete instrument approach systems including pilot activated lighting, GPS approach and LDA/DME approach systems.
The airport is served by Alaska Airlines, a major commercial carrier with connects to the West Coast, Chicago, Washington D.C., New York, Boston and Denver. Harris Aviation and Air Sitka provide small float-plane commuter service to the villages, camps and communities within Southeast Alaska. Private aircraft can receive FBO services through either Aero Services or Harris Aviation, which includes aviation gasoline and jet fuel and certified repair.
Future expansion of the airport is in the works which includes realignment of the airport road, airport runway-runout extension and parallel taxiway construction. The Department of Transportation has completed its revision to the Sitka Airport Master Plan to update the status of the Sitka Airport Terminal. This facility is seriously substandard to meet current and future needs for security, freight, tenant spaces, and both aircraft and traveler parking. FAA has committed $1 million, and the Alaska Congressional Delegation has provided $325,000, for the Sitka Airport Terminal Facility Design. The City and Borough of Sitka is now evaluating how to fund the ineligible expenses anticipated in the total terminal upgrade, which is projected to cost between $15 million for upgrade of existing terminal) and $23 million for new terminal).
Harbors 
Harbors:
Thomsen Harbor, Eliason Harbor (North Thomsen Harbor), ANB Harbor, Crescent Harbor, Sealing Cove Harbor
Number of Permanent Slips 1,347
Permanent slip rate $1.90/foot/month
Seasonal Reserved Moorage available.
Transient slip rate
0' - 80' feet 35 cents/foot/day
81' - 150' feet 60 cents/foot/day
151' feet+ 90 cents/foot/day
Number of registered boats 2,116 (DMV 2007)
CLICK HERE for more information on Sitka's Harbors
VIEW OPPORTUNITY for new marina at Herring Cove.
Seaplane Terminal:
Public use, NW/SE, 4,000' x 200' water runway
Ferry Terminal: Marine Passenger and Auto Ferry Service Alaska Marine Highway System.
Ferry Dock Located 6 miles from downtown
Number of Disembarking Ferry Passengers 18,047 (2008)
Land
No roads connect the City and Borough of Sitka with other parts of the State.
National Highway System Miles 13.8 miles
Miles of Paved Local Roads 21.4 miles
Miles of Unpaved Local Roads 4.3 miles
O'Connell Bridge, the nation's first vehicular cable-stayed bridge, is located in Sitka.
Span: 1,255 feet with four 100-foot high slender steel pylons
City Transit System - Community Ride
Number of Registered Vehicles 9,705 (2007)
Passenger 4,859
Pick up 2,673
Others 2,173
