Flat, Alaska facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Flat, Alaska
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Flat City, 1911
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Location of Flat, Alaska
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| Country | United States |
| State | Alaska |
| Census Area | Yukon-Koyukuk |
| Area | |
| • Total | 160.27 sq mi (415.09 km2) |
| • Land | 160.27 sq mi (415.09 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 292 ft (89 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 0 |
| • Density | 0.00/sq mi (0.00/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-9 (Alaska (AKST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-8 (AKDT) |
| ZIP code |
99584
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| Area code(s) | 907 |
| FIPS code | 02-25880 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1402165 |
Flat is a very small place in Alaska, United States. It is located in the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area. Flat is known as a census-designated place (CDP). This means it is an area defined by the government for counting people.
Flat was once a busy gold mining town. But today, almost no one lives there. The official count in 2020 showed zero residents. Many of its old buildings have fallen apart. Its post office closed in 2004.
Contents
History of Flat, Alaska
Flat began as a gold mining camp. Prospectors John Beaton and W.A. Dikeman found gold on Otter Creek. This happened on December 25, 1908. News of the discovery spread slowly at first.
The Gold Rush Boomtown
Miners started to arrive in the summer of 1909. They built a small camp and called it Flat City. More gold was found on nearby Flat Creek. This brought even more miners in 1910.
By 1914, the community had grown very quickly. About 6,000 people lived there. Flat City had an elementary school and a telephone system. It also had two stores, a hotel, a restaurant, a pool hall, a laundry, and a jail.
Decline of the Town
A big fire started in 1924. It began at the "Durand Café" and burned most of the town. This fire marked the start of Flat's decline. By 1930, the population had dropped to only 124 people.
Flat was never officially set up as a town with a legal plan. It was built on mining claims. Even so, the U.S. Post Office recognized the community. It served the few residents until the year 2000. Between 1986 and 2000, a family of five were the main year-round residents. They worked to keep the area going for summer mining.
Wiley Post's Airplane Crash in 1933
In July 1933, a famous pilot named Wiley Post was trying to fly solo around the world. This was a very daring trip. On July 20, he was flying from Siberia to Fairbanks, Alaska. His plane, the Winnie Mae, tipped over in Flat.
Local residents quickly came to help him. They helped him set the plane upright again. The only damage was a broken propeller. Another pilot, Joe Crosson, brought a new propeller to Flat. John Miscovich repaired the airplane. Wiley Post then continued his journey. He flew to Fairbanks, then to Edmonton, and finally to New York. He finished his solo flight around the world in less than 8 days. Fifty years later, John Miscovich built a monument to remember Post's amazing flight.
Geography and Climate
Flat is located at 62°27′15″N 158°0′30″W / 62.45417°N 158.00833°W. It is about 7 miles southeast of Iditarod. The area of Flat is about 161.1 square miles (415.09 square kilometers). All of this area is land.
Flat's Weather
Flat has a cold climate. The weather can change a lot between summer and winter. Here is a summary of the climate in Flat:
| Climate data for Flat, Alaska | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 53 (12) |
57 (14) |
59 (15) |
69 (21) |
85 (29) |
88 (31) |
86 (30) |
84 (29) |
75 (24) |
67 (19) |
56 (13) |
51 (11) |
88 (31) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 24 (−4) |
27 (−3) |
33 (1) |
42 (6) |
54 (12) |
61 (16) |
64 (18) |
63 (17) |
56 (13) |
41 (5) |
31 (−1) |
26 (−3) |
44 (6) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 9 (−13) |
11 (−12) |
16 (−9) |
25 (−4) |
35 (2) |
42 (6) |
47 (8) |
47 (8) |
40 (4) |
26 (−3) |
15 (−9) |
11 (−12) |
27 (−3) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −48 (−44) |
−43 (−42) |
−42 (−41) |
−19 (−28) |
4 (−16) |
27 (−3) |
33 (1) |
25 (−4) |
15 (−9) |
−12 (−24) |
−28 (−33) |
−38 (−39) |
−48 (−44) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 1.0 (25) |
0.8 (20) |
0.7 (18) |
1.0 (25) |
1.3 (33) |
1.6 (41) |
2.3 (58) |
3.0 (76) |
3.2 (81) |
2.1 (53) |
1.4 (36) |
1.2 (30) |
19.6 (496) |
| Source: weather.com | |||||||||||||
Population Changes in Flat
| Historical population | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1914 | 6 | — |
| 1920 | 158 | +2533.3% |
| 1930 | 124 | −21.5% |
| 1940 | 146 | +17.7% |
| 1950 | 95 | −34.9% |
| 1960 | 27 | −71.6% |
| 1986 | 5 | −81.5% |
| 2000 | 4 | −20.0% |
| 2020 | 0 | −100.0% |
| Source: and United States Census Bureau | ||
Flat first appeared on the U.S. Census in 1920. It was listed as an unincorporated village. It continued to be counted until 1960. It did not appear again until 2000. At that time, it was made a census-designated place (CDP). Its boundaries included the former city of Iditarod and the old mining village of Otter.
Flat's Population Today
By the 2010 census, the population of Flat was 0. This means no one was officially counted as living there. The population of 6,000 for 1914 was an estimate. It was not an official count by the U.S. Census Bureau.
See also
In Spanish: Flat (Alaska) para niños
