Big Delta, Alaska facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Big Delta, Alaska
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Aerial view of Big Delta region
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Location of Big Delta, Alaska
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| Country | United States |
| State | Alaska |
| Census Area | Southeast Fairbanks |
| Area | |
| • Total | 53.84 sq mi (139.44 km2) |
| • Land | 46.95 sq mi (121.59 km2) |
| • Water | 6.89 sq mi (17.86 km2) |
| Elevation | 994 ft (303 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 444 |
| • Density | 9.46/sq mi (3.65/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-9 (Alaska (AKST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-8 (AKDT) |
| ZIP code |
99737
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| Area code(s) | 907 |
| FIPS code | 02-06850 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1398949 |
Big Delta is a small community in Alaska, United States. It's known as a census-designated place (CDP), which is a special area the government uses for counting people. Big Delta is located where two rivers, the Delta River and the Tanana River, meet. Its name comes from the large river delta that forms where these rivers join.
In 2020, about 444 people lived in Big Delta. It's part of the Southeast Fairbanks Census Area.
Contents
History of Big Delta
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For thousands of years, the Athabascan people have lived in the interior parts of Alaska. They were skilled hunters and fishers, using the land and rivers to survive.
Early Trails and Gold Rush
Around 1899, the United States Army started building a long trail. This trail went from Valdez on the coast to Eagle, which is about 660 kilometers (410 miles) away. The trail crossed the Tanana River right where the Delta and Tanana Rivers meet.
In 1902, gold was found in Fairbanks, about 150 kilometers (93 miles) north of this river crossing. This led to a "gold rush," and many people traveled through the area. To help these travelers, places called "roadhouses" were built along the trail. These were like inns where people could rest and get supplies.
One important roadhouse was Bates Landing, built near where the rivers meet. The U.S. government even collected a small fee from people crossing the Tanana River to the north. In 1904, work began on the Richardson Highway, which mostly followed this old trail.
Rika's Roadhouse and Bison
In 1906, a man named John Hajdukovich bought the roadhouse and made it bigger. He ran the lodge and also led hunting trips into the nearby mountains. He traded with the local Athabascan people.
An 18-year-old girl from Sweden, Rika Wallen, came to work for John. After some years, John gave the roadhouse to Rika because he owed her money for her work. Rika also claimed a piece of land next to it. Today, Rika's Roadhouse and the land around it are part of the Big Delta State Historical Park.
In 1928, a group of bison (large, shaggy animals) were brought to Big Delta from Montana. People worried that bison might disappear in the rest of the United States, so they brought some to Alaska to protect them. These bison still roam in the Delta Junction area, which is about 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) south of Big Delta.
During World War II, the Alaska Highway was built. This new highway caused many businesses and activities to move south to Delta Junction. You can find more about the later history of the area in the article about Delta Junction.
Geography of Big Delta
Big Delta is located at 64°8′50″N 145°48′6″W / 64.14722°N 145.80167°W.
The area of Big Delta is about 139.44 square kilometers (53.84 square miles). Most of this area is land, but about 17.86 square kilometers (6.89 square miles) is water, mainly from the rivers.
Climate in Big Delta
Big Delta has a type of climate called a dry-winter humid continental climate. This means it has short, mild summers and long, very cold winters.
| Climate data for Delta 6 N, Alaska, 1991–2020 normals, 1996–2024 extremes: 1059ft (323m) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 45 (7) |
51 (11) |
55 (13) |
72 (22) |
84 (29) |
90 (32) |
88 (31) |
85 (29) |
71 (22) |
74 (23) |
50 (10) |
53 (12) |
90 (32) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 32.6 (0.3) |
33.6 (0.9) |
42.3 (5.7) |
59.7 (15.4) |
74.0 (23.3) |
82.5 (28.1) |
83.3 (28.5) |
78.1 (25.6) |
66.7 (19.3) |
51.4 (10.8) |
33.2 (0.7) |
31.8 (−0.1) |
81.9 (27.7) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 2.9 (−16.2) |
12.9 (−10.6) |
23.6 (−4.7) |
43.8 (6.6) |
59.5 (15.3) |
68.8 (20.4) |
70.0 (21.1) |
64.1 (17.8) |
52.8 (11.6) |
32.4 (0.2) |
12.1 (−11.1) |
5.5 (−14.7) |
37.4 (3.0) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | −6.5 (−21.4) |
1.8 (−16.8) |
8.9 (−12.8) |
30.5 (−0.8) |
45.6 (7.6) |
55.7 (13.2) |
58.1 (14.5) |
52.3 (11.3) |
41.0 (5.0) |
23.0 (−5.0) |
3.4 (−15.9) |
−3.3 (−19.6) |
25.9 (−3.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | −15.8 (−26.6) |
−9.4 (−23.0) |
−5.8 (−21.0) |
17.2 (−8.2) |
31.7 (−0.2) |
42.6 (5.9) |
46.1 (7.8) |
40.5 (4.7) |
29.1 (−1.6) |
13.6 (−10.2) |
−5.3 (−20.7) |
−12.1 (−24.5) |
14.4 (−9.8) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −47.7 (−44.3) |
−38.4 (−39.1) |
−32.8 (−36.0) |
−10.8 (−23.8) |
18.6 (−7.4) |
29.3 (−1.5) |
34.2 (1.2) |
26.6 (−3.0) |
14.4 (−9.8) |
−6.6 (−21.4) |
−30.6 (−34.8) |
−40.8 (−40.4) |
−51.7 (−46.5) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −65 (−54) |
−60 (−51) |
−50 (−46) |
−35 (−37) |
8 (−13) |
17 (−8) |
28 (−2) |
22 (−6) |
−3 (−19) |
−38 (−39) |
−48 (−44) |
−56 (−49) |
−65 (−54) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.41 (10) |
0.33 (8.4) |
0.32 (8.1) |
0.28 (7.1) |
0.99 (25) |
2.35 (60) |
2.81 (71) |
2.12 (54) |
1.25 (32) |
0.72 (18) |
0.58 (15) |
0.46 (12) |
12.62 (320.6) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 6.20 (15.7) |
4.70 (11.9) |
3.60 (9.1) |
2.50 (6.4) |
1.20 (3.0) |
0.00 (0.00) |
0.00 (0.00) |
0.00 (0.00) |
1.50 (3.8) |
7.40 (18.8) |
8.90 (22.6) |
6.80 (17.3) |
42.8 (108.6) |
| Source 1: NOAA | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: XMACIS2 (records & monthly max/mins) | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Big Delta | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 54 (12) |
51 (11) |
58 (14) |
72 (22) |
90 (32) |
92 (33) |
91 (33) |
90 (32) |
79 (26) |
74 (23) |
52 (11) |
55 (13) |
92 (33) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 3.6 (−15.8) |
12.9 (−10.6) |
23.4 (−4.8) |
41.2 (5.1) |
57.1 (13.9) |
67.1 (19.5) |
69.3 (20.7) |
64.5 (18.1) |
52.7 (11.5) |
31.9 (−0.1) |
13.7 (−10.2) |
5.7 (−14.6) |
36.9 (2.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | −10.8 (−23.8) |
−4.2 (−20.1) |
1.7 (−16.8) |
20.9 (−6.2) |
37.2 (2.9) |
47.5 (8.6) |
50.7 (10.4) |
45.8 (7.7) |
35.7 (2.1) |
18.6 (−7.4) |
−0.1 (−17.8) |
−8.5 (−22.5) |
19.5 (−6.9) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −63 (−53) |
−60 (−51) |
−49 (−45) |
−37 (−38) |
−1 (−18) |
26 (−3) |
32 (0) |
22 (−6) |
−2 (−19) |
−39 (−39) |
−47 (−44) |
−62 (−52) |
−63 (−53) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.31 (7.9) |
0.3 (7.6) |
0.23 (5.8) |
0.25 (6.4) |
0.89 (23) |
2.31 (59) |
2.62 (67) |
1.92 (49) |
1.05 (27) |
0.61 (15) |
0.45 (11) |
0.35 (8.9) |
11.3 (290) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 5.6 (14) |
5.2 (13) |
4.3 (11) |
2.8 (7.1) |
0.6 (1.5) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
1.6 (4.1) |
9.2 (23) |
8.5 (22) |
5.8 (15) |
43.8 (111) |
| Average precipitation days | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 93 |
People of Big Delta
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1950 | 155 | — | |
| 1980 | 285 | — | |
| 1990 | 400 | 40.4% | |
| 2000 | 749 | 87.3% | |
| 2010 | 591 | −21.1% | |
| 2020 | 444 | −24.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
Big Delta first appeared in the U.S. Census in 1950. It was later named a census-designated place (CDP) in 1980.
In 2000, there were 749 people living in Big Delta. There were 165 households, which are groups of people living together in one home. Most of the people living there were White, with smaller numbers of Native American and Asian residents. Some people identified with two or more races. A small percentage of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
About 39% of the households had children under 18 living with them. The average household had about 3 people. The average age of people in Big Delta was 29 years old. About 36% of the population was under 18.
The median income for a household in Big Delta was $49,000. This means that half of the households earned more than this amount, and half earned less.
See also
In Spanish: Big Delta (Alaska) para niños
