Northway, Alaska facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Northway, Alaska
K’ehtthiign
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Location of Northway, Alaska
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| Country | United States |
| State | Alaska |
| Census Area | Southeast Fairbanks |
| Area | |
| • Total | 247.32 sq mi (640.55 km2) |
| • Land | 242.41 sq mi (627.84 km2) |
| • Water | 4.91 sq mi (12.71 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,709 ft (521 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 234 |
| • Density | 0.97/sq mi (0.37/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-9 (Alaska (AKST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-8 (AKDT) |
| ZIP code |
99764
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| Area code(s) | 907 |
| FIPS code | 02-56220 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1407253 |
Northway is a small community in Alaska, United States. Its name in the Upper Tanana Athabascan language is K’ehtthiign. Northway is known as a census-designated place (CDP). This means it is an area that the U.S. Census Bureau defines for gathering population data.
Before the 2020 Census, the area of Northway grew to include nearby communities. These were Northway Junction and Northway Village. In 2020, about 234 people lived in Northway. This was an increase from 71 people in 2010.
Contents
Where is Northway Located?
Northway is found in the Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Alaska. Its exact location is 62°58′9″N 141°54′18″W / 62.96917°N 141.90500°W. This is in the eastern part of Alaska.
The area of Northway covers about 247 square miles (640 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, around 242 square miles (628 square kilometers). The rest, about 4.9 square miles (12.7 square kilometers), is water.
Northway once held a special weather record. On January 31, 1989, it had the highest sea-level pressure ever recorded in the United States. This record was 31.85 inches. Only two readings in Siberia have been higher. This extreme pressure was so unusual that many aircraft could not fly. Their altimeters, which measure height, could not adjust to such high pressure.
Northway's Climate
Northway has a very cold climate. It is known as a dry-winter continental subarctic climate. This type of climate has long, very cold winters and short, cool summers. It also has low rainfall, especially in winter.
The weather in Northway can be extreme. Temperatures can drop very low in winter. Summers are much milder but still cool.
| Climate data for Northway, Alaska (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1942–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 43 (6) |
48 (9) |
56 (13) |
74 (23) |
88 (31) |
92 (33) |
88 (31) |
88 (31) |
79 (26) |
68 (20) |
42 (6) |
51 (11) |
92 (33) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 18.2 (−7.7) |
27.7 (−2.4) |
42.4 (5.8) |
58.8 (14.9) |
73.4 (23.0) |
81.7 (27.6) |
81.7 (27.6) |
78.7 (25.9) |
66.3 (19.1) |
49.4 (9.7) |
24.7 (−4.1) |
17.8 (−7.9) |
84.1 (28.9) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | −4.5 (−20.3) |
7.8 (−13.4) |
24.5 (−4.2) |
45.3 (7.4) |
60.5 (15.8) |
69.6 (20.9) |
71.5 (21.9) |
66.5 (19.2) |
54.5 (12.5) |
32.1 (0.1) |
7.9 (−13.4) |
−2.3 (−19.1) |
36.1 (2.3) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | −13.3 (−25.2) |
−4.0 (−20.0) |
8.3 (−13.2) |
31.1 (−0.5) |
47.2 (8.4) |
57.2 (14.0) |
59.9 (15.5) |
55.0 (12.8) |
43.2 (6.2) |
23.2 (−4.9) |
−0.7 (−18.2) |
−10.8 (−23.8) |
24.7 (−4.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | −22.1 (−30.1) |
−15.8 (−26.6) |
−8.0 (−22.2) |
16.9 (−8.4) |
34.0 (1.1) |
44.7 (7.1) |
48.4 (9.1) |
43.5 (6.4) |
31.9 (−0.1) |
14.3 (−9.8) |
−9.2 (−22.9) |
−19.3 (−28.5) |
13.3 (−10.4) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −47.6 (−44.2) |
−40.1 (−40.1) |
−32.9 (−36.1) |
−6.8 (−21.6) |
22.2 (−5.4) |
33.7 (0.9) |
39.6 (4.2) |
31.9 (−0.1) |
19.1 (−7.2) |
−8.3 (−22.4) |
−33.0 (−36.1) |
−40.5 (−40.3) |
−51.1 (−46.2) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −72 (−58) |
−71 (−57) |
−56 (−49) |
−42 (−41) |
2 (−17) |
25 (−4) |
32 (0) |
12 (−11) |
−6 (−21) |
−36 (−38) |
−55 (−48) |
−64 (−53) |
−72 (−58) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.31 (7.9) |
0.24 (6.1) |
0.15 (3.8) |
0.22 (5.6) |
0.98 (25) |
2.26 (57) |
2.92 (74) |
1.79 (45) |
1.07 (27) |
0.53 (13) |
0.51 (13) |
0.30 (7.6) |
11.28 (285) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 6.3 (16) |
5.2 (13) |
3.5 (8.9) |
1.2 (3.0) |
1.8 (4.6) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
1.9 (4.8) |
6.1 (15) |
9.8 (25) |
7.1 (18) |
42.9 (108.3) |
| Average precipitation days | 5.5 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 8.2 | 12.4 | 15.0 | 13.4 | 9.1 | 7.9 | 7.2 | 5.7 | 94.3 |
| Average snowy days | 8.4 | 6.6 | 4.2 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.5 | 7.1 | 10.8 | 8.9 | 50.0 |
| Source 1: NOAA | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service | |||||||||||||
Getting Around Northway
Transportation in Northway is limited. A shuttle service runs three times a week. This shuttle connects Northway with Tok, another Alaskan town. From Tok, people can connect to services going to Fairbanks, Glennallen, and Anchorage.
Northway's Population and History
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1950 | 196 | — | |
| 1960 | 196 | 0.0% | |
| 1970 | 40 | −79.6% | |
| 1980 | 73 | 82.5% | |
| 1990 | 123 | 68.5% | |
| 2000 | 95 | −22.8% | |
| 2010 | 71 | −25.3% | |
| 2020 | 234 | 229.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
Northway first appeared in the U.S. Census in 1950. At that time, it was called "Northway-Nabesna." This included a native village called Nabesna. In 1960, the name changed to just Northway. In 1980, it officially became a census-designated place (CDP).
According to the 2010 census, there were 290 people living in Northway. Most of the people, about 66%, were Native American. About 29% were White. The remaining 4.8% were from two or more racial backgrounds. The average age of people living in Northway was about 39.6 years old.
Education in Northway
Students in Northway attend schools within the Alaska Gateway School District. The main school for the community is Walter Northway School. This school teaches students from kindergarten all the way through 12th grade.
See also
In Spanish: Northway (Alaska) para niños
