Craig, Alaska facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Craig
Sháan Séet
|
|
|---|---|
Oblique aerial view of Craig from the south
|
|
 Craig, Alaska
Location in Alaska
|
|
| Country | United States of America |
| State | Alaska |
| Borough | Unorganized |
| Census area | Prince of Wales-Hyder |
| Township | T74S R81E Copper River Meridian |
| Settled | 1907 |
| Incorporated | March 1, 1922 (2nd-class city) |
| Incorporated | 1973 (1st-class city) |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor–council |
| Area | |
| • Total | 9.51 sq mi (24.62 km2) |
| • Land | 6.69 sq mi (17.32 km2) |
| • Water | 2.82 sq mi (7.30 km2) |
| Elevation | 23 ft (7 m) |
| Population
(2020)
|
|
| • Total | 1,036 |
| • Density | 154.90/sq mi (59.81/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-9 (Alaska (AKST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-8 (AKDT) |
| ZIP code |
99921
|
| Area code | 907 |
| FIPS code | 02-17740 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1421260 2419374 |
| Website | www.CraigAK.com |
Craig (Tlingit: Sháan Séet) is a city in Alaska, USA. It is located in the Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area. In 2020, about 1,036 people lived there.
Craig is the biggest town on Prince of Wales Island. This island is the fourth-largest in the United States. Craig is about 56 miles (90 km) northwest of Ketchikan by air. It is also about 220 miles (354 km) south of Juneau.
Contents
What is Craig's Climate Like?
Craig has an oceanic climate. This means it has mild summers with cool nights. Winters are chilly and wet. It rains a lot all year, but especially in the autumn.
| Climate data for Craig, Alaska (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1936–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 65 (18) |
73 (23) |
64 (18) |
74 (23) |
86 (30) |
88 (31) |
79 (26) |
84 (29) |
76 (24) |
73 (23) |
59 (15) |
63 (17) |
88 (31) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 52.1 (11.2) |
52.5 (11.4) |
54.0 (12.2) |
61.5 (16.4) |
68.1 (20.1) |
71.7 (22.1) |
72.4 (22.4) |
73.3 (22.9) |
69.0 (20.6) |
61.2 (16.2) |
53.4 (11.9) |
50.4 (10.2) |
76.9 (24.9) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 39.3 (4.1) |
40.0 (4.4) |
41.7 (5.4) |
47.2 (8.4) |
53.0 (11.7) |
56.7 (13.7) |
59.7 (15.4) |
61.0 (16.1) |
56.8 (13.8) |
49.8 (9.9) |
43.0 (6.1) |
39.6 (4.2) |
49.0 (9.4) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 36.1 (2.3) |
36.1 (2.3) |
37.3 (2.9) |
42.2 (5.7) |
48.0 (8.9) |
52.4 (11.3) |
55.8 (13.2) |
56.8 (13.8) |
52.6 (11.4) |
45.7 (7.6) |
39.6 (4.2) |
36.6 (2.6) |
44.9 (7.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 33.0 (0.6) |
32.1 (0.1) |
32.8 (0.4) |
37.3 (2.9) |
42.9 (6.1) |
48.2 (9.0) |
52.0 (11.1) |
52.7 (11.5) |
48.4 (9.1) |
41.7 (5.4) |
36.3 (2.4) |
33.5 (0.8) |
40.9 (4.9) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 19.6 (−6.9) |
21.4 (−5.9) |
22.2 (−5.4) |
30.2 (−1.0) |
35.6 (2.0) |
41.5 (5.3) |
46.8 (8.2) |
47.1 (8.4) |
40.4 (4.7) |
32.2 (0.1) |
25.3 (−3.7) |
22.0 (−5.6) |
14.3 (−9.8) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −2 (−19) |
5 (−15) |
4 (−16) |
15 (−9) |
23 (−5) |
30 (−1) |
38 (3) |
33 (1) |
30 (−1) |
23 (−5) |
11 (−12) |
2 (−17) |
−2 (−19) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 9.08 (231) |
6.90 (175) |
8.12 (206) |
7.16 (182) |
5.50 (140) |
3.96 (101) |
5.11 (130) |
7.34 (186) |
10.43 (265) |
13.12 (333) |
12.34 (313) |
10.86 (276) |
99.92 (2,538) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 4.0 (10) |
3.6 (9.1) |
2.3 (5.8) |
0.4 (1.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
1.6 (4.1) |
3.0 (7.6) |
14.9 (37.6) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 23.1 | 16.2 | 20.5 | 20.6 | 17.2 | 17.6 | 16.8 | 19.7 | 20.7 | 24.3 | 24.4 | 22.5 | 243.6 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 2.8 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.1 | 2.1 | 10.6 |
| Source 1: NOAA | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service | |||||||||||||
What is the History of Craig?
Craig started as a temporary fishing camp. People used it to gather herring.
How Did Craig Get Its Name?
The city of Craig is named after Craig Miller. In 1907, he started a fish saltery (a place to salt fish) on Fish Egg Island. He got help from the local Haida natives. They had moved to Prince of Wales Island from Haida Gwaii (which is now in British Columbia).
Later, Craig Miller built a cold storage plant and a packing company where Craig is today. In 1922, he helped make Craig an official city.
How Did Craig Grow?
The commercial fishing industry helped Craig grow a lot. In the 1930s, many new people moved to Craig because there were so many pink salmon. But in the 1950s, the salmon population went down, and the fishing industry struggled.
In 1972, a big sawmill opened nearby. This gave people steady jobs all year. Today, Craig's economy still depends on commercial fishing, processing fish, and the timber industry.
What Happened During the 2013 Earthquake?
On January 5, 2013, a strong 7.5-magnitude earthquake hit the ocean near Craig. It was about 63 miles (102 km) west of the town. People were warned about a possible tsunami. Some people chose to leave town for safety. Luckily, no one was hurt, and there was no serious damage. The tsunami was very small, only causing minor changes in sea level.
Who Lives in Craig?
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1920 | 212 | — | |
| 1930 | 231 | 9.0% | |
| 1940 | 505 | 118.6% | |
| 1950 | 374 | −25.9% | |
| 1960 | 273 | −27.0% | |
| 1970 | 272 | −0.4% | |
| 1980 | 527 | 93.8% | |
| 1990 | 1,260 | 139.1% | |
| 2000 | 1,397 | 10.9% | |
| 2010 | 1,201 | −14.0% | |
| 2020 | 1,036 | −13.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
Craig first appeared on the U.S. Census in 1920. It became an official city in 1922.
The number of people living in Craig has changed with the fishing industry. From 1980 to 2000, Craig's population more than doubled!
How Do People Get Around Craig?
Craig is the biggest town on Prince of Wales Island. It's an important center for many businesses. However, it has limited direct ways to travel off the island.
Seaplane Base
Most travel from Craig is by floatplane. These planes take off and land on water at the Craig Seaplane Base. Klawock Airport is a short drive away and can be used for planes with wheels.
Ferry Service
The Inter-Island Ferry Authority offers ferry service all year. The ferry travels between Ketchikan and Hollis. Hollis is on the east coast of Prince of Wales Island. The ferry terminal is about an hour's drive from Craig. The ferry ride to Ketchikan takes about 3 hours.
Some shipping companies also bring cargo by barge to southeastern Alaska. Craig is often one of their stops. They deliver large shipping containers to other communities.
Shuttle Services
Prince of Wales Transportation, based in Craig, offers shuttle services across the island. They can take people from the ferry terminals to other towns and attractions.
What is Craig's Economy Like?
Fishing and businesses that support fishing are the biggest parts of Craig's economy. The timber industry, like the sawmill, also provides jobs. Many people also get food and resources from nature to help their families.
In 2000, many Craig residents worked in fishing. There were 42 boat owners who fished in federal waters and 84 in state waters. Also, 149 people were registered crew members. About 199 residents had 437 commercial fishing permits. Many people also bought sport fishing licenses, especially visitors.
Commercial fishing brings a lot of money to Craig. The town has two harbors. One is for smaller charter and recreational boats. The North Cove Harbor is where bigger fishing boats like trollers and seiners are docked. In the summer, during peak fishing season, the harbor gets so full that boats have to anchor in the bay.
Tourism also creates jobs and income. Many fishing lodges host visitors who come to the island to fish for salmon. People also visit for black bear and deer hunting.
The U.S. Forest Service is another main employer in Craig. Other businesses support the community. There's a city medical clinic, restaurants, a general store, banks, a grocery store, a coffeeshop/bookstore, clothing store, gift store, and an outdoor outfitter.
Schools in Craig
Craig has an elementary school, a middle school, a high school, and an alternative school. There are about 35 teachers and 300 students.
City Services
The City of Craig provides clean water from the North Fork Lake reservoir. They also have a public sewage system.
Alaska Power & Telephone provides electricity from hydropower, phone service, and internet. They serve much of southeastern Alaska, including Craig. There are also a few cell phone companies that offer service on Prince of Wales Island, mainly in places like Craig where more people live.
Who are Some Famous People from Craig?
- Holly Madison (born 1979), a model and television personality. She was one of the stars of the TV show The Girls Next Door.
See also
In Spanish: Craig (Alaska) para niños
