Chandalar, Alaska facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chandalar, Alaska
|
|
|---|---|
 Chandalar, Alaska
Location in Alaska
|
|
| Country | United States |
| State | Alaska |
| Census Area | Yukon-Koyukuk |
| Elevation | 1,873 ft (571 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-9 (Alaska (AKST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-8 (AKDT) |
| Area code(s) | 907 |
Chandalar is a small, remote place in the Yukon-Koyukuk area of Alaska, United States. It's not a city or town with its own local government.
This community is located on the eastern shore of Chandalar Lake. It's right next to the Chandalar Lake Airport. Chandalar is about 200 miles north of Fairbanks. It sits high up, at about 1,873 feet above sea level. The current Chandalar has never officially reported its population in the U.S. Census.
Getting to Chandalar is tricky because there are no roads. You can only reach it by air, using the Chandalar Lake Airport. This remote place was even shown on the National Geographic TV show Life Below Zero.
Contents
What's in a Name? The Story of Chandalar
The name Chandalar comes from an old French expression. In the 1800s, employees of the Hudson's Bay Company used the term "Gens De Large". This meant "nomadic people," referring to groups who moved around a lot. Over time, this French phrase changed and became the name Chandalar we know today.
Chandalar's Past: Different Locations Over Time
The place called Chandalar has moved around a bit! Before the current location, at least two other communities shared the same name.
The Old Mining Camp
One of the earlier Chandalar communities was a mining camp. It was located several miles northeast of where Chandalar is now. 67°35′28″N 148°09′37″W / 67.59111°N 148.16028°W This camp started around 1906 or 1907. It even had its own post office in 1908. However, the mining camp closed down in 1944.
Little Squaw Mining Area
Right next to, or part of, this old mining camp was another area called Little Squaw. It was named after the daughter of Frank and Nevelo Yasuda, who helped start mining in this region. Little Squaw appeared on the U.S. Census twice. In 1930, it had 8 people, and in 1940, it had 10. Sometimes, old maps even showed Little Squaw and Chandalar as the same place.
Chandalar Village and Venetie
There was also a place called Chandalar Village. Today, this location is known as Venetie, Alaska. It's not totally clear if this was the "Chandalar" that was counted in the U.S. Census in 1920 and 1930. Maps from that time weren't always precise. However, a 1929 map did show Chandalar where Venetie is now. Looking at the names of people on the census lists for 1930 Chandalar and 1940 Venetie could help confirm if they were the same place.
Eventually, around the 1940s, the name "Chandalar" was moved to the current settlement. This is the one located on Chandalar Lake, by the airport.
Chandalar's Weather: A Cold Climate
Chandalar has a very cold climate, known as a continental subarctic climate. This means it has long, very cold winters and short, cool summers. The closest place that measures the weather is at Chandalar Lake.
| Climate data for Chandalar Lake, Alaska, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1963–2011 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 38 (3) |
38 (3) |
50 (10) |
54 (12) |
83 (28) |
87 (31) |
92 (33) |
90 (32) |
78 (26) |
59 (15) |
42 (6) |
31 (−1) |
92 (33) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 24.9 (−3.9) |
25.0 (−3.9) |
30.3 (−0.9) |
44.4 (6.9) |
67.1 (19.5) |
77.0 (25.0) |
79.8 (26.6) |
73.7 (23.2) |
60.9 (16.1) |
38.9 (3.8) |
25.8 (−3.4) |
22.8 (−5.1) |
80.3 (26.8) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | −5.7 (−20.9) |
1.4 (−17.0) |
13.3 (−10.4) |
31.6 (−0.2) |
52.1 (11.2) |
66.5 (19.2) |
69.2 (20.7) |
60.6 (15.9) |
46.5 (8.1) |
26.3 (−3.2) |
6.7 (−14.1) |
1.6 (−16.9) |
30.8 (−0.6) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | −15.8 (−26.6) |
−9.9 (−23.3) |
−0.9 (−18.3) |
16.9 (−8.4) |
39.5 (4.2) |
53.8 (12.1) |
56.7 (13.7) |
48.6 (9.2) |
35.8 (2.1) |
16.6 (−8.6) |
−4.0 (−20.0) |
−8.2 (−22.3) |
19.1 (−7.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | −25.9 (−32.2) |
−21.2 (−29.6) |
−15.1 (−26.2) |
2.2 (−16.6) |
26.8 (−2.9) |
41.1 (5.1) |
44.2 (6.8) |
36.6 (2.6) |
25.0 (−3.9) |
6.8 (−14.0) |
−14.8 (−26.0) |
−17.9 (−27.7) |
7.3 (−13.7) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −52.5 (−46.9) |
−51.5 (−46.4) |
−43.4 (−41.9) |
−27.5 (−33.1) |
5.8 (−14.6) |
27.0 (−2.8) |
31.1 (−0.5) |
21.1 (−6.1) |
7.4 (−13.7) |
−19.0 (−28.3) |
−38.2 (−39.0) |
−47.0 (−43.9) |
−56.9 (−49.4) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −74 (−59) |
−68 (−56) |
−62 (−52) |
−45 (−43) |
−25 (−32) |
20 (−7) |
25 (−4) |
11 (−12) |
−8 (−22) |
−44 (−42) |
−57 (−49) |
−63 (−53) |
−74 (−59) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.43 (11) |
0.25 (6.4) |
0.34 (8.6) |
0.20 (5.1) |
0.58 (15) |
1.20 (30) |
1.32 (34) |
1.53 (39) |
0.99 (25) |
0.57 (14) |
0.35 (8.9) |
0.57 (14) |
8.33 (211) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 8.8 (22) |
5.5 (14) |
4.9 (12) |
4.7 (12) |
1.0 (2.5) |
trace | 0.0 (0.0) |
trace | 1.4 (3.6) |
9.1 (23) |
5.9 (15) |
6.6 (17) |
47.9 (121.1) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 6.3 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 4.3 | 5.1 | 9.2 | 10.9 | 10.6 | 9.2 | 8.9 | 6.3 | 6.2 | 86.7 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 6.8 | 5.3 | 5.2 | 4.0 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.3 | 8.8 | 6.3 | 7.1 | 46.1 |
| Source 1: NOAA (precip/snow, precip days/snow days 1981-2010) | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: WRCC (mean maxima and minima 1963-2011) | |||||||||||||
Population: How Many People Live There?
Old Chandalar's Population
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1920 | 32 | — | |
| 1930 | 62 | 93.8% | |
| 1940 | 0 | −100.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
The first time Chandalar appeared on the U.S. Census was in 1920. It was listed again in 1930 as a small village. By 1940, it reported "no population" and didn't show up on the census again under that name. As mentioned in the history section, it's not clear if this was the old mining camp or the place now called Venetie.
New Chandalar's Population Today
The current settlement around the Chandalar Lake Airstrip has never officially reported its population to the U.S. Census. However, as of the 2010 Census, it is estimated to have about 5 people living there.
