Chevak, Alaska Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Chevak Cevʼaq
City
Chevak, August 2013
Chevak, Alaska Location in Alaska
Country	United States
State	Alaska
Census Area	Kusilvak
Incorporated	October 13, 1967
Area
• Total	1.14 sq mi (2.96 km²)
• Land	1.14 sq mi (2.96 km²)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km²)
Elevation	49 ft (15 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	951
• Density	832.02/sq mi (321.11/km²)
• Demonym	Chevaker
Time zone	UTC-9 (Alaska (AKST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-8 (AKDT)
ZIP code	99563
Area code	907
FIPS code	02-13230
GNIS feature ID	1400219

Chevak (Cevʼaq, meaning "cut-through channel" in Chevak Cup’ik) is a city in Kusilvak Census Area, Alaska, United States. In 2020, the city had a population of 951 people. This was a small increase from 938 people in 2010.

Chevak is special because its people use three languages. They speak English, Cup'ik, and a mix of both. The Cup'ik language is a dialect of Central Yup'ik. People in Chevak call themselves Cup'ik, not Yup'ik. This unique identity helped them create their own school district. It is called the Kashunamiut School District. The Cup'ik language changes "y" sounds to "ch" sounds. It also has some words that are different from Yup'ik words.

Exploring Chevak: Location and Travel
- How to Get to Chevak
- City Size and Water Areas
Powering Chevak: Energy and Utilities
- Electricity Supply
- Water and Internet Services
Chevak's Growing Population
- Age Groups in the City
History of Chevak: Moving the Town
Photo gallery
See also

Exploring Chevak: Location and Travel

Chevak is located in southwest Alaska. It is part of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta region. The city is about 6 miles from the Bering Sea coastline. It is also 18 miles east of Hooper Bay.

How to Get to Chevak

Getting to Chevak is mostly by air or water. Small planes fly into the city. Boats can also reach it. In winter, people can use regional ice roads. Chevak is not connected to the main road network of the United States. This is common for many communities in Alaska.

City Size and Water Areas

The city covers a total area of about 1.2 square miles (2.96 square kilometers). Most of this area is land. Only a very small part, about 0.04 square miles (0.10 square kilometers), is water.

Powering Chevak: Energy and Utilities

Chevak uses a mix of power sources. It has four large wind turbines. These turbines are 30 meters tall. The wind in Chevak is very strong, rated as "Class 6 – Outstanding." The wind power is managed by AVEC, which is the Alaska Villages Electric Cooperative.

Wind turbine farm in Chevak

Electricity Supply

Besides wind power, Chevak also has four diesel generators. These generators can produce a lot of electricity. They can supply up to 1828 kilowatts of power all year. The city stores a large amount of diesel fuel for these generators. With both wind and diesel, Chevak's power system is very strong.

Water and Internet Services

Most buildings in Chevak have running water and sewage systems. A water treatment plant was built in 1984. A wastewater treatment plant was added in 2001. Internet access is available through GCI's TERRA microwave network. Residents and businesses also have 3G cellular service and broadband internet.

Chevak's Growing Population

The number of people living in Chevak has grown over the years.

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1950	230	—
1960	315	37.0%
1970	387	22.9%
1980	466	20.4%
1990	598	28.3%
2000	765	27.9%
2010	938	22.6%
2020	951	1.4%
U.S. Decennial Census

In 2000, there were 765 people in Chevak. Many households had children under 18 living with them. The average household had about 4.58 people. The average family had about 5.38 people.

Age Groups in the City

Chevak has a very young population. In 2000, more than half of the people (51.8%) were under 18 years old. About 8.8% were between 18 and 24. Only a small group (4.1%) was 65 years or older. The average age in Chevak was 17 years.

History of Chevak: Moving the Town

The first record of Chevak was in the 1940 U.S. Census. It was a small native village back then. The original village was located near the Keoklevik and Kashunuk Rivers.

Original trading post on the Keoklevik River at the old town of Chevak, 2006
Old town of Chevak on the Kashunuk river

Relocating to New Chevak

In the 1940s, the residents moved the village. They moved about 9 miles northwest to a higher area. This was because the old site often flooded during high storm tides. The old site became known as "Old Chevak" and was left empty. The new location appeared on the U.S. Census in 1950. Chevak officially became a city in 1967.

Modern Chevak Today

As of 2022, Chevak has many important buildings. These include a post office, a community hall, and a radio station. There are also three stores, a church, and a clinic. The city has a public safety building and two restaurants. There are no public hotels. However, visitors invited by the Traditional Council often get housing.

The Chevak School

The current Chevak school was built in 2005. It serves about 360 students and has around 60 staff members. In 2021, the old school building was destroyed in a fire. This old school was going to be renovated and turned into a community center. The cause of the fire is still unknown. The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation is helping with the cleanup of the old school site.