The City and Borough of Sitka , formerly New Arkhangelsk, or New Archangel under Russian rule ( or , t ), is a unified city-borough located on Baranof Island and the southern half of Chichagof Island in the Alexander Archipelago of the Pacific Ocean (part of the Alaska Panhandle), in the U.S. state of Alaska. As of the 2010 census, the population was 8,881. In terms of land area, it is the largest city-borough in the U.S., with a land area of 2,870.3 mi² (7,434.1 km²) and a total area (including water area) of 4,811.4 mi² (12,460.8 km²). Urban Sitka, the part that is usually thought of as the "city" of Sitka, is situated on the west side of Baranof Island.