Chiniak, Alaska facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chiniak
Cing’iyak
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|---|---|
 Chiniak, Alaska
Location in Alaska
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| Country | United States |
| State | Alaska |
| Borough | Kodiak Island |
| Area | |
| • Total | 38.80 sq mi (100.48 km2) |
| • Land | 38.73 sq mi (100.30 km2) |
| • Water | 0.07 sq mi (0.18 km2) |
| Elevation | 0 ft (0 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 61 |
| • Density | 1.58/sq mi (0.61/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-9 (Alaska (AKST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-8 (AKDT) |
| Area code(s) | 907 |
| FIPS code | 02-13860 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2418827 |
Chiniak (pronounced Chin-ee-ak) is a small community in Alaska, United States. It's located on Kodiak Island, which is a large island off the southern coast of Alaska. Chiniak is known as a census-designated place (CDP). This means it's an area identified by the government for counting people, but it doesn't have its own city government. In the local Alutiiq language, its name is Cing’iyak. In 2020, about 61 people lived there.
Where Chiniak Is Located
Chiniak is found at specific coordinates: 57.610603 degrees North and 152.199817 degrees West. It's a small area, covering about 100.4 square kilometers (about 38.8 square miles). Most of this area is land, with only a tiny part being water.
Chiniak's Weather
Chiniak has a varied climate throughout the year. The warmest month is usually August, with average highs around 65 degrees Fahrenheit (18 degrees Celsius). The coldest months are January and February, with average lows around 25-26 degrees Fahrenheit (-3 to -4 degrees Celsius).
It gets a lot of rain, especially in September and October. Snowfall is common in winter, with December usually seeing the most snow.
| Climate data for Chiniak, Alaska | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 43 (6) |
49 (9) |
55 (13) |
63 (17) |
77 (25) |
85 (29) |
80 (27) |
86 (30) |
73 (23) |
62 (17) |
51 (11) |
43 (6) |
86 (30) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 34.3 (1.3) |
35.2 (1.8) |
40.2 (4.6) |
45.0 (7.2) |
54.0 (12.2) |
59.6 (15.3) |
62.7 (17.1) |
65.0 (18.3) |
57.7 (14.3) |
47.1 (8.4) |
39.1 (3.9) |
34.9 (1.6) |
47.9 (8.8) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 30.5 (−0.8) |
30.4 (−0.9) |
33.8 (1.0) |
39.0 (3.9) |
45.8 (7.7) |
51.6 (10.9) |
55.3 (12.9) |
56.7 (13.7) |
50.7 (10.4) |
40.9 (4.9) |
34.5 (1.4) |
30.0 (−1.1) |
41.6 (5.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 26.6 (−3.0) |
25.6 (−3.6) |
27.4 (−2.6) |
33.0 (0.6) |
37.6 (3.1) |
43.6 (6.4) |
47.9 (8.8) |
48.3 (9.1) |
43.6 (6.4) |
34.7 (1.5) |
29.8 (−1.2) |
25.0 (−3.9) |
35.3 (1.8) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 3 (−16) |
4 (−16) |
−2 (−19) |
18 (−8) |
24 (−4) |
32 (0) |
35 (2) |
35 (2) |
26 (−3) |
20 (−7) |
13 (−11) |
2 (−17) |
−2 (−19) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 8.18 (208) |
6.36 (162) |
6.98 (177) |
7.21 (183) |
6.92 (176) |
5.06 (129) |
6.07 (154) |
5.09 (129) |
11.81 (300) |
10.08 (256) |
8.20 (208) |
10.81 (275) |
92.77 (2,357) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 6.7 (17) |
4.7 (12) |
4.3 (11) |
1.1 (2.8) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.2 (0.51) |
1.3 (3.3) |
11.7 (30) |
30.1 (76.86) |
| Source: WRCC | |||||||||||||
People of Chiniak
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 24 | — | |
| 1990 | 69 | — | |
| 2000 | 50 | −27.5% | |
| 2010 | 47 | −6.0% | |
| 2020 | 61 | 29.8% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
Chiniak first appeared in the U.S. Census in 1880. At that time, 24 Inuit people lived there. It seems the village was left empty for a long time after that. It didn't show up in the census again until 1990. By then, new people had settled there, and it became a census-designated place.
In 2000, there were 50 people living in Chiniak. These people made up 24 households, with 13 of them being families. Most residents were White (88%). A small number were Native American, Asian, or from other backgrounds. Some residents identified as Hispanic or Latino.
The community had a mix of ages. About 18% of the people were under 18 years old. The largest group, 56%, was between 45 and 64 years old. The average age in Chiniak was 49 years.
Life in Chiniak
Chiniak has important services for its residents. These include electricity, telephone service, and running water. There's also a paved road that connects the community to other areas.
The town has a school for students from kindergarten through 12th grade. It's part of the Kodiak Island Borough School District. Chiniak also has its own post office and a library. The Chiniak Post Office is home to Chiniak Art Works, a non-profit group that supports art.
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On the road to Chiniak, winter
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Journey to the Aleutian Chain passes through Chiniak
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Chiniak's post office
See also
In Spanish: Chiniak (Alaska) para niños
