Alaska's cities
Fort Yukon, Alaska
River location was important for trading
Alaska.com
Fort Yukon, Alaska, sits at the confluence of the Yukon and Porcupine rivers about 145 air miles northeast of Fairbanks. It is just north of the Arctic Circle in the Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge.
The winters in Fort Yukon, population about 600, are long and harsh and the summers are short but warm.
After freeze-up the plateau is a source of cold, continental arctic air. Daily minimum temperatures between November and March are usually below 0. Extended periods of minus 50 to minus 60 are common. Summer high temperatures run 65 to 72. Total annual precipitation averages 6.58 inches, with 43.4 inches of snowfall.
The Yukon River is ice-free from the end of May through mid-September.
Most Fort Yukon residents are descendants of the Yukon Flats, Chandalar River, Birch Creek, Black River and Porcupine River Gwich'in tribes. Subsistence is an important component of the local culture.
The sale of alcohol is restricted to the city-owned package store.
A federally recognized tribe is located in the community: Native Village of Fort Yukon; the Canyon Village Traditional Council is not recognized. Almost 90 percent of the population is Alaska Native or part Native.
City, state and federal agencies and the Native corporation are the primary employers in Fort Yukon. The school district is the largest employer. Unlike in many Alaska villages, winter tourism is becoming increasingly popular -- Fort Yukon has spectacular northern lights.
The Bureau of Land Management operates an emergency firefighting base at the airport. The Air Force operates a White Alice Radar Station in Fort Yukon.
Trapping and Native handicrafts also provide income. Residents rely on subsistence foods. Salmon, whitefish, moose, bear, caribou, and waterfowl provide most meat sources.
Fort Yukon is accessible by air year-round and by barge during the summer months. Heavy cargo is brought in by barge from the end of May through mid-September; there is a barge off-loading area but no dock. Riverboats and skiffs are used for recreation, hunting, fishing and other subsistence activities.
A state-owned 5,810-foot lighted gravel airstrip is available; Hospital Lake, adjacent to the airport, is used by float planes. There are 17 miles of local roads and more than 100 automobiles and trucks. The City Transit Bus system provides transport throughout the town. Snowmachines and dog sleds are used on area trails or the frozen river, which becomes an ice road to area villages during winter.
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