Alcan Border, Alaska facts for kids
Alcan Border, also known as Port Alcan, is a small community in Alaska, a state in the United States. It's called a "census-designated place" (CDP), which means it's an area that the government counts for population, but it's not officially a city or town with its own local government.
Alcan Border is located in the Southeast Fairbanks Census Area. It's a very important spot because it's the main place where people driving into Alaska from Canada cross the border. In 2020, only 36 people lived there.
Quick facts for kids
Alcan Border, Alaska
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The Canada–United States border crossing at Alcan Border
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 Alcan Border, Alaska
Location in Alaska
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| Country | United States |
| State | Alaska |
| Census Area | Southeast Fairbanks |
| Area | |
| • Total | 152.61 sq mi (395.25 km2) |
| • Land | 151.74 sq mi (393.01 km2) |
| • Water | 0.86 sq mi (2.24 km2) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 36 |
| • Density | 0.24/sq mi (0.09/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-9 (Alaska (AKST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-8 (AKDT) |
| ZIP code |
99780
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| Area code(s) | 907 |
| FIPS code | 02-01390 |
Contents
Where is Alcan Border and What's the Weather Like?
Alcan Border is located right near the border between Alaska and Canada. It's southeast of a place called Northway and northwest of Beaver Creek, Yukon in Canada. You can find it along the famous Alaska Highway.
The area has a type of weather called a dry-winter continental subarctic climate. This means it has very cold, dry winters and cool summers.
The total area of Alcan Border is about 148.6 square miles (385 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small amount of water.
| Climate data for Port Alcan, Alaska, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1985–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 41 (5) |
47 (8) |
52 (11) |
70 (21) |
82 (28) |
88 (31) |
94 (34) |
86 (30) |
78 (26) |
60 (16) |
44 (7) |
55 (13) |
94 (34) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 20.4 (−6.4) |
26.5 (−3.1) |
42.5 (5.8) |
56.4 (13.6) |
73.9 (23.3) |
80.6 (27.0) |
80.7 (27.1) |
78.3 (25.7) |
67.1 (19.5) |
50.9 (10.5) |
25.7 (−3.5) |
20.7 (−6.3) |
82.9 (28.3) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | −5.3 (−20.7) |
6.1 (−14.4) |
22.9 (−5.1) |
42.8 (6.0) |
57.9 (14.4) |
67.0 (19.4) |
69.3 (20.7) |
65.0 (18.3) |
52.9 (11.6) |
31.0 (−0.6) |
7.5 (−13.6) |
−2.4 (−19.1) |
34.6 (1.4) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | −12.1 (−24.5) |
−3.4 (−19.7) |
8.4 (−13.1) |
29.7 (−1.3) |
45.6 (7.6) |
55.3 (12.9) |
57.9 (14.4) |
53.0 (11.7) |
41.5 (5.3) |
22.6 (−5.2) |
0.3 (−17.6) |
−9.3 (−22.9) |
24.1 (−4.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | −19.0 (−28.3) |
−12.9 (−24.9) |
−6.0 (−21.1) |
16.7 (−8.5) |
33.2 (0.7) |
43.6 (6.4) |
46.6 (8.1) |
41.0 (5.0) |
30.2 (−1.0) |
14.3 (−9.8) |
−7.0 (−21.7) |
−16.1 (−26.7) |
13.7 (−10.1) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −41.7 (−40.9) |
−37.5 (−38.6) |
−28.5 (−33.6) |
−1.8 (−18.8) |
22.1 (−5.5) |
33.0 (0.6) |
37.7 (3.2) |
31.1 (−0.5) |
19.1 (−7.2) |
−1.9 (−18.8) |
−27.9 (−33.3) |
−34.4 (−36.9) |
−46.9 (−43.8) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −55 (−48) |
−56 (−49) |
−49 (−45) |
−29 (−34) |
10 (−12) |
27 (−3) |
32 (0) |
24 (−4) |
0 (−18) |
−26 (−32) |
−47 (−44) |
−51 (−46) |
−56 (−49) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.26 (6.6) |
0.26 (6.6) |
0.14 (3.6) |
0.21 (5.3) |
0.88 (22) |
2.23 (57) |
2.71 (69) |
1.73 (44) |
1.02 (26) |
0.51 (13) |
0.65 (17) |
0.39 (9.9) |
10.99 (280) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 3.5 (8.9) |
2.9 (7.4) |
3.0 (7.6) |
0.9 (2.3) |
0.7 (1.8) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.5 (1.3) |
4.1 (10) |
7.1 (18) |
4.7 (12) |
27.4 (69.3) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 3.7 | 3.1 | 2.3 | 2.4 | 5.7 | 12.5 | 13.0 | 11.0 | 8.0 | 5.4 | 5.6 | 4.6 | 77.3 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 3.9 | 3.1 | 2.4 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.6 | 4.1 | 5.3 | 4.4 | 25.4 |
| Source 1: NOAA | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service (mean maxima/minima 2006–2020) | |||||||||||||
History and People of Alcan Border
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1990 | 27 | — | |
| 2000 | 21 | −22.2% | |
| 2010 | 33 | 57.1% | |
| 2020 | 36 | 9.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
Alcan Border first appeared on the U.S. Census in 1990. Back then, it was just called "Alcan." The name was changed to "Alcan Border" in 2000.
The name "Alcan" comes from the "Alaska-Canadian Highway," which is now known as the Alaska Highway. The "Border" part was added because the community is right next to the border with Canada's Yukon Territory.
Most of the people who live in Alcan Border are families whose parents work for the federal customs office. This office checks people and goods crossing the border. Kids in the community usually go to school in Northway or learn from home through online or mail-based programs.
In 2000, there were 21 people living in Alcan Border. The community had 9 households, and 6 of those were families. The average age of people living there was 35 years old.
Community Services and Infrastructure
The people in Alcan Border get their water from a community well system or from their own private wells. Most homes have indoor plumbing. There's also a community sewage system, but some homes use outhouses or their own septic tanks.
Electricity in Alcan Border comes from a central generator and is provided by Alaska Power & Telephone. There are no state-run schools directly in the community. The closest places to get healthcare are in Northway or Tok.
Alcan Border is considered an "isolated village." This means it's a bit far from bigger towns. Emergency services, like help in a crisis, can reach the community by road or by air. Volunteers help provide these emergency services.
Students in Alcan Border are part of the Alaska Gateway School District. They can attend Walter Northway School, which teaches students from kindergarten all the way through 12th grade.
Alaska does not have a statewide sales tax. Also, because Alcan Border is in an area called the "Unorganized Borough," it doesn't have its own local government that can collect taxes.
See also
In Spanish: Alcan Border (Alaska) para niños
