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Sunrise, Alaska
Sunrise in 1909
Sunrise in 1909
Sunrise, Alaska is located in Alaska
Sunrise, Alaska
Sunrise, Alaska
Location in Alaska
Country United States
State Alaska
Borough Kenai Peninsula
Area
 • Total 13.02 sq mi (33.73 km2)
 • Land 13.02 sq mi (33.73 km2)
 • Water 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
269 ft (82 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 15
 • Density 1.15/sq mi (0.44/km2)
Time zone UTC-9 (Alaska (AKST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-8 (AKDT)
Area code(s) 907
FIPS code 02-73950
GNIS feature ID 1415091
Sunrise City Historic District
Location Address restricted
Nearest city Hope, Alaska
Built 1895
NRHP reference No. 97000892
Added to NRHP August 19, 1997

Sunrise is a small community in Alaska, United States. It is located in the Kenai Peninsula Borough. A "census-designated place" (CDP) is a special area defined by the government for counting people. It is not an officially incorporated town.

In 2020, only 15 people lived in Sunrise. This shows how small the community is today.

Exploring Sunrise's Location

Sunrise is found on the northern part of the Kenai Peninsula. It sits right on the south shore of Turnagain Arm. This arm is a long, narrow branch of Cook Inlet, which is a large body of water.

The community of Hope is located to the west of Sunrise. If you travel south from Sunrise, the Hope Highway leads about 7 miles (11 km) to Alaska Route 1, also known as the Sterling Highway.

Land and Mountains

The entire area of Sunrise is about 13.02 square miles (33.7 square kilometers). All of this land is dry land, with no water areas. Sunrise is nestled in a valley on the west side of Sixmile Creek.

Tall mountains surround the area. Peaks to the west reach about 4,600 feet (1,400 meters) high. To the east, Bradley Peak stands at 3,001 feet (915 meters).

The History of Sunrise

Sunrise was first settled in 1895. It quickly became an official town in 1896. The town grew very fast because of the gold rush. Many miners came to the area in the late 1890s, looking for gold along Turnagain Arm.

Gold Rush Boomtown

For a short time, Sunrise was the biggest city in the Alaska Territory. In 1898, during the summer, about 800 people lived there. The town had several general stores, places to eat, and even a hotel. It was a busy place for miners to get supplies.

Decline and Legacy

After 1900, the town started to shrink. Miners moved to other parts of Alaska where they found more gold. Many of the buildings in Sunrise were later destroyed by fires. The last store in town closed its doors in 1939.

Today, what is left of the old town on both sides of Sixmile Creek is a special historic district. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1997. This means it is an important historical site that is protected.

Population Changes Over Time

Sunrise has seen its population change a lot over the years.

Historical population
Census Pop.
1900 130
2000 18
2010 18 0.0%
2020 15 −16.7%
U.S. Decennial Census

Sunrise first appeared in the U.S. Census in 1900 as a small village with 130 people. After that, it was not counted in the census for a long time. It reappeared in 2000 as a census-designated place (CDP).

In 2000, the population was 18 people. It stayed the same at 18 people in 2010. By 2020, the number of people living in Sunrise had decreased slightly to 15.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Sunrise (Alaska) para niños

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