Cordova ( ) is a small town located near the mouth of the Copper River in the Valdez-Cordova Census Area , Alaska , United States , at the head of Orca Inlet on the east side of Prince William Sound . The population was 2,239 at the 2010 census , down from 2,454 in 2000 . Cordova was named '' Puerto Cordova '' by Spanish explorer Salvador Fidalgo in 1790 . No roads connect Cordova to other Alaskan towns , so a plane or ferry is required to travel there . In the Exxon Valdez oil spill of March 1989 , an oil tanker ran aground northwest of Cordova , heavily damaging ecology and fishing . It was cleaned up shortly after , but there are lingering effects , such as a lowered population of some birds
Exxon Valdez oil spill
Exxon Valdez oil spill
Cordova, Alaska