Thorne Bay, Alaska facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Thorne Bay
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 Thorne Bay, Alaska
Location in Alaska
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| Country | United States | |
| State | Alaska | |
| Incorporated | August 9, 1982 | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 29.72 sq mi (76.97 km2) | |
| • Land | 26.67 sq mi (69.08 km2) | |
| • Water | 3.04 sq mi (7.88 km2) | |
| Elevation | 128 ft (39 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 476 | |
| • Density | 17.85/sq mi (6.89/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC-9 (Alaska (AKST)) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-8 (AKDT) | |
| ZIP code |
99919
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| Area code | 907 | |
| FIPS code | 02-77140 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 1669435 | |
Thorne Bay is a small city located in the Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area, Alaska, United States. In 2020, a count of the population (called a census) showed that 476 people lived there. This was a small increase from 471 people in 2010.
Contents
Where is Thorne Bay?
Thorne Bay is found in a beautiful part of Alaska. It is located at coordinates 55°40′38″N 132°33′22″W / 55.677232°N 132.556246°W.
The city covers a total area of about 30.4 square miles (78.7 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 25.5 square miles (66 square kilometers), is land. The rest, about 4.8 square miles (12.4 square kilometers), is water.
What's the Weather Like?
The average temperature in Thorne Bay is 45°F (7°C). This is warmer than the average for all of Alaska, which is 32°F (0°C). However, it is cooler than the average temperature for the entire United States, which is 54°F (12°C).
| Weather chart for Thorne Bay | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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11
37
28
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8.5
40
28
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8.2
44
31
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6.6
49
33
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4.2
58
40
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3.1
63
46
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3.3
66
50
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4.9
66
50
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9.9
59
44
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16
50
39
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15
42
33
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13
38
30
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| temperatures in °F precipitation totals in inches source: WeatherBase.com (13 March, 2021) |
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Metric conversion
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| Climate data for Thorne Bay, Alaska (1991–2020 normals, extremes 2007–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 59 (15) |
52 (11) |
66 (19) |
73 (23) |
84 (29) |
89 (32) |
90 (32) |
90 (32) |
83 (28) |
71 (22) |
58 (14) |
55 (13) |
90 (32) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 49.3 (9.6) |
48.2 (9.0) |
51.9 (11.1) |
61.1 (16.2) |
72.2 (22.3) |
77.7 (25.4) |
82.6 (28.1) |
77.8 (25.4) |
70.6 (21.4) |
59.9 (15.5) |
51.2 (10.7) |
46.9 (8.3) |
85.2 (29.6) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 38.2 (3.4) |
39.6 (4.2) |
42.7 (5.9) |
49.9 (9.9) |
57.1 (13.9) |
62.6 (17.0) |
65.5 (18.6) |
65.3 (18.5) |
58.9 (14.9) |
50.6 (10.3) |
41.8 (5.4) |
37.7 (3.2) |
50.8 (10.4) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 33.2 (0.7) |
33.9 (1.1) |
36.2 (2.3) |
41.9 (5.5) |
48.6 (9.2) |
54.4 (12.4) |
58.1 (14.5) |
57.8 (14.3) |
52.1 (11.2) |
44.3 (6.8) |
37.0 (2.8) |
33.7 (0.9) |
44.3 (6.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 28.1 (−2.2) |
28.3 (−2.1) |
29.7 (−1.3) |
33.9 (1.1) |
40.0 (4.4) |
46.2 (7.9) |
50.6 (10.3) |
50.2 (10.1) |
45.2 (7.3) |
38.0 (3.3) |
32.2 (0.1) |
29.6 (−1.3) |
37.7 (3.2) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 14.8 (−9.6) |
15.8 (−9.0) |
18.8 (−7.3) |
26.4 (−3.1) |
32.1 (0.1) |
38.8 (3.8) |
43.7 (6.5) |
44.4 (6.9) |
36.2 (2.3) |
28.5 (−1.9) |
22.4 (−5.3) |
16.3 (−8.7) |
8.5 (−13.1) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 2 (−17) |
7 (−14) |
8 (−13) |
17 (−8) |
25 (−4) |
34 (1) |
38 (3) |
32 (0) |
32 (0) |
17 (−8) |
11 (−12) |
−2 (−19) |
−2 (−19) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 8.16 (207) |
5.46 (139) |
6.25 (159) |
5.09 (129) |
3.51 (89) |
4.08 (104) |
5.30 (135) |
6.98 (177) |
8.63 (219) |
12.12 (308) |
10.52 (267) |
9.08 (231) |
85.18 (2,164) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 11.7 (30) |
11.7 (30) |
8.7 (22) |
0.6 (1.5) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
7.2 (18) |
8.2 (21) |
48.1 (122) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 21.7 | 15.1 | 20.8 | 18.5 | 16.7 | 14.4 | 16.4 | 17.6 | 19.6 | 23.3 | 23.7 | 22.0 | 229.8 |
| Average snowy days | 4.8 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.9 | 3.9 | 19.1 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
Who Lives in Thorne Bay?
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1890 | 17 | — | |
| 1970 | 443 | — | |
| 1980 | 320 | −27.8% | |
| 1990 | 569 | 77.8% | |
| 2000 | 557 | −2.1% | |
| 2010 | 471 | −15.4% | |
| 2020 | 476 | 1.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
Thorne Bay first appeared on the census in 1890. Back then, it was called "Tolstoi Bay" and had only 17 residents. Most of them were Native people, and a few were White.
The area wasn't counted again until 1970, when it was called Thorne Bay. It officially became a city in 1982.
In 2000, there were 557 people living in Thorne Bay. About 35% of the homes had children under 18. Most homes (61.6%) were married couples living together. The average age of people in Thorne Bay was 39 years old.
How Thorne Bay Got Its Name
Thorne Bay is named after Frank Manly Thorn (1836–1907). He was an important person who led the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey from 1885 to 1889.
When the name of the bay was first written down, it was accidentally misspelled. It was supposed to be "Thorn Bay," but it became "Thorne Bay." The spelling was never changed to match his last name.
History of Thorne Bay
Thorne Bay started in 1960 as a large logging camp for the Ketchikan Pulp Company. A logging camp is a place where people live and work while cutting down trees. At first, it was a floating camp, meaning many residents lived in houses that floated on the water.
In the 1960s and 1970s, Thorne Bay was the biggest logging camp in North America. At its busiest time, over 1,500 people lived there!
Thorne Bay became an official city in 1982. In 2001, the logging company left the area. This happened because of problems with an agreement they had with the U.S. Forest Service. Today, many people who live in Thorne Bay are seasonal residents, meaning they live there for part of the year. Jobs in the city are mostly with the Forest Service and in public education.
World's Largest Logging Camp
As mentioned, Thorne Bay was once the world's largest logging camp during the 1960s and 1970s. It is also home to the world's largest tree grapple, which is a giant machine used to grab and move trees. This huge grapple is known as "the claw" and sits proudly in front of the town with a sign that says "Thorne Bay."
Education in Thorne Bay
The main school in the city is the Thorne Bay School. It is managed by the Southeast Island School District.
Images for kids
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A robot illustration.
See also
In Spanish: Thorne Bay para niños
