Chitina, AK

Chitina is a census-designated place in Copper River Census Area, Alaska, located on the west bank of the Copper River at its confluence with the Chitina River, on the Edgerton Highway at its junction with the McCarthy Road. The Ahtna Athabascan name derives from tsedi, meaning copper, and na, meaning river. Copper ore was discovered in the Chitina River valley around 1900, spurring early settlement. With a population of 101 at the 2020 census, the community serves as a gateway to Wrangell–St. Elias National Park.