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Data source: OurAirports (2026-09-01 Snapshot) · Methodology & Verification →

Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport

Compiled by Bill Gao

Anchorage, Alaska (United States)

IATA: ANC ICAO: PANC

Longest Active Runway

12,400 ft

3,780 meters

Field Elevation

152 ft

46 m MSL

Runway Inventory

3 active

Lighted / Paved

Coordinates & Class

61.1790°, -149.9926°

LARGE AIRPORT

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Multi-Universe Rankings & Statistical Standing

How ranks work →

RunwayFacts Published Dataset

#139 of 650

In curated primary commercial index

Global Commercial Universe

#219 of 7558

Top 2.9% percentile worldwide

National Standing (United States)

#10 of 63 in US

#44 of 2020 in full national registry

vs Large Airport Median

+24%

Compared to 10,000 ft baseline

💡 ANC in numbers: 12,400 ft longest runway · #139 of 650 published · #219 of 7,558 worldwide (top 2.9%) · #10 in United States.

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Editorial Aerodrome Deep Dive: Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC)

Curated Aerodrome Profile

Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport is the undisputed transpacific freight crossroads of the globe. Positioned strategically on the Great Circle polar route between North America and Asia, hundreds of Boeing 747 and 777 freighters touch down daily to refuel and swap flight crews. Runway 07R/25L at 12,400 ft easily handles maximum gross landing and takeoff weights under challenging sub-Arctic winter conditions.

Runway Layout & Magnetic Alignments

Three active runways: parallel east-west pair 07L/25R (10,600 ft) / 07R/25L (12,400 ft / 3,780 m) and north-south crosswind Runway 15/33 (10,960 ft / 3,341 m).

Expansion Milestones & Predecessor Facilities

Opened in 1951 to replace Merrill Field for large commercial airliners. Flourished during the Cold War as the 'Air Crossroads of the World' for transpacific passenger refueling, pivoting post-1990 into a global air cargo sorting titan.

Regional Differentiation & Cluster Role

World's fourth-busiest cargo airport, positioned within 9.5 hours flying time of 90% of the industrialized world, located 115 NM southwest of Fairbanks (FAI).

Data Nuances & Operational Quirks

Equipped with specialized heavy aircraft de-icing pads and snow-clearing fleets engineered to handle sub-zero Alaskan winters and Cook Inlet tidal crosswinds.

📚 Official Aerodrome Sourcing: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) · FAA Form 5010-1 Airport Master Record & NFDC Surveyed Aeronautical Data · AirNav ANC Master Record ↗

Verification Methodology →

🔬 Operational & Aerodrome Engineering Comparative Analysis

Longest runway ≥10,500 ft

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Elevation & National Context

Lowland Aerodrome (<2,000 ft)

ANC lies at 46 m (152 ft), #399 of 650 published airports by elevation and 33.4 percentile among 7,558 worldwide. It is 455 ft below the United States median (607 ft, 63 airports); COS is highest at 6,187 ft, 6,035 ft higher than ANC.

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Regional Density & Alternates (100 NM)

0 Qualifying Aerodromes in Vicinity

No published neighbour with a paved runway of 5,000 ft or more within 100 NM of ANC. Nearest published airport: Vancouver International Airport (YVR), 1,153 NM, 11,500 ft (900 ft shorter than ANC); none other within 250 NM.

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Runway Inventory & National Standing

Primary Runway: 12,400 ft (3,780 m)

ANC runways: 07R/25L 12,400 × 200 ft asphalt (asp); 15/33 10,865 × 200 ft asphalt (asp); 07L/25R 10,600 × 150 ft asphalt (asp). National standing: #10 of 63 in United States; DEN leads by 3,600 ft (16,000 ft). +24% vs the 10,000 ft baseline.

🛫 Physical Runway Inventory & Surface Engineering

Runway Designator	Length (ft / m)	Width (ft / m)	Surface Material	Lighting	Status
07R/25L	12,400 ft (3780 m / 3.780 km)	200 ft (61m)	`Asphalt (ASP)`	✅ Lighted	✅ Active
15/33	10,865 ft (3312 m / 3.312 km)	200 ft (61m)	`Asphalt (ASP)`	✅ Lighted	✅ Active
07L/25R	10,600 ft (3231 m / 3.231 km)	150 ft (46m)	`Asphalt (ASP)`	✅ Lighted	✅ Active

🛡️ Source: OurAirports Open Aviation Database, snapshot 2026-09-01 · Provenance →