Tanacross, Alaska facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tanacross, Alaska
Taats’altęy
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|---|---|
 Tanacross, Alaska
Location in Alaska
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| Country | United States |
| State | Alaska |
| Census Area | Southeast Fairbanks |
| Area | |
| • Total | 80.73 sq mi (209.10 km2) |
| • Land | 79.11 sq mi (204.89 km2) |
| • Water | 1.62 sq mi (4.21 km2) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 144 |
| • Density | 1.82/sq mi (0.70/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-9 (Alaska (AKST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-8 (AKDT) |
| ZIP code |
99776
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| Area code(s) | 907 |
| FIPS code | 02-75050 |
Tanacross is a small community in Alaska, United States. Its name in the native Tanacross Athabascan is Taats’altęy. It is called a census-designated place (CDP). This means it is a place the government counts for population, but it is not a city with its own local government.
In 2020, about 144 people lived in Tanacross. It is also home to an air tanker base. This base helps planes that fight wildfires.
Contents
A Look at Tanacross History
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Tanacross started as a telegraph station. It was first called Tanana Crossing. People also knew it as St. Timothy's. The name was made shorter to Tanacross before 1940.
The first village was on the north side of the Tanana River. In the mid-1930s, an airstrip was built on the south side. This airstrip was made better for military use during World War II. This happened between 1941 and 1942. Many soldiers traveled through Tanacross during this time. The airfield closed after the war ended.
In 1972, the village moved. It went south across the river. This move happened because the water in the old village was not clean. Later, in 1979, the old village area burned down. This was due to a grass fire that got out of control.
Where is Tanacross?
Tanacross is located in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Alaska. It is found at these coordinates: 63°22′34″N 143°21′25″W / 63.37611°N 143.35694°W.
The area of Tanacross is about 81.2 square miles (210 square kilometers). Most of this area is land. About 1.1 square miles (2.8 square kilometers) is water.
What is the Climate Like?
Tanacross has a cold climate. It is called a dry-winter continental subarctic climate. This means winters are very cold and dry. Summers are short and cool.
| Climate data for Tanacross | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 43 (6) |
44 (7) |
52 (11) |
70 (21) |
82 (28) |
91 (33) |
90 (32) |
90 (32) |
78 (26) |
62 (17) |
40 (4) |
45 (7) |
91 (33) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | −5.1 (−20.6) |
8 (−13) |
23.5 (−4.7) |
41.9 (5.5) |
56.6 (13.7) |
69.6 (20.9) |
71.9 (22.2) |
67.9 (19.9) |
52.9 (11.6) |
32.4 (0.2) |
7.1 (−13.8) |
−4.6 (−20.3) |
35.2 (1.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | −25.8 (−32.1) |
−16.7 (−27.1) |
−8.6 (−22.6) |
13.6 (−10.2) |
29.4 (−1.4) |
41.3 (5.2) |
43.7 (6.5) |
39 (4) |
29 (−2) |
12.5 (−10.8) |
−11.5 (−24.2) |
−22.9 (−30.5) |
10.2 (−12.1) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −74 (−59) |
−75 (−59) |
−60 (−51) |
−32 (−36) |
0 (−18) |
23 (−5) |
25 (−4) |
21 (−6) |
−5 (−21) |
−32 (−36) |
−56 (−49) |
−70 (−57) |
−75 (−59) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.28 (7.1) |
0.34 (8.6) |
0.08 (2.0) |
0.2 (5.1) |
1.04 (26) |
2.43 (62) |
1.8 (46) |
1.66 (42) |
1.13 (29) |
0.69 (18) |
0.51 (13) |
0.89 (23) |
11.05 (281) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 3.3 (8.4) |
3.7 (9.4) |
1.5 (3.8) |
2.4 (6.1) |
0.8 (2.0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
1.4 (3.6) |
7 (18) |
4.7 (12) |
8.2 (21) |
33 (84) |
| Average precipitation days | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 60 |
Population of Tanacross
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1920 | 101 | — | |
| 1930 | 80 | −20.8% | |
| 1940 | 135 | 68.8% | |
| 1950 | 137 | 1.5% | |
| 1960 | 102 | −25.5% | |
| 1970 | 84 | −17.6% | |
| 1980 | 117 | 39.3% | |
| 1990 | 106 | −9.4% | |
| 2000 | 140 | 32.1% | |
| 2010 | 136 | −2.9% | |
| 2020 | 144 | 5.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
Tanacross first appeared in the U.S. Census in 1920. It was called "Tanana Crossing" then. By 1940, its name was changed to "Tanacross." In 1980, it became a census-designated place (CDP).
In 2000, there were 140 people living in Tanacross. There were 42 households, which are groups of people living together. Most people in Tanacross (about 88.57%) were Native American. About 8.57% were White. A small number were from other backgrounds.
The average household had about 3.33 people. The average family had about 3.93 people. About 30.7% of the people were under 18 years old. The median age was 33 years. This means half the people were younger than 33, and half were older.
The average income for a household was $22,083. For families, it was $31,250. Some families and people lived below the poverty line. This included about 43.6% of those under 18.
Education in Tanacross
Students in Tanacross go to school through the Alaska Gateway School District. The community has its own school called Tanacross School. It teaches students from kindergarten up to 8th grade.
See also
In Spanish: Tanacross (Alaska) para niños
