Fairbanks, Alaska

Fairbanks
Downtown Fairbanks in summer
Downtown Fairbanks in summer
Fairbanks is located in Alaska
Fairbanks
Fairbanks
Coordinates: 64°50′37″N 147°43′23″W / 64.84361°N 147.72306°W / 64.84361; -147.72306
CountryUnited States
StateAlaska
Area
 • Total32.624 sq mi (84.50 km2)
 • Land31.746 sq mi (82.22 km2)
 • Water0.878 sq mi (2.27 km2)
Population
 (2020)[2]
 • Total32,515
Websitewww.fairbanksalaska.us

Fairbanks is a city in Alaska. It is the borough seat of Fairbanks North Star Borough. In 2020, 32,515 people lived there.

The only city in Alaska with more people is Anchorage.

Fairbanks was founded in 1901, and is named after Charles W. Fairbanks, an American Senator and Vice President. It was found on the Chena River. The University of Alaska has one of its main campuses in Fairbanks.

Climate

Being so far north, Fairbanks has long, very cold winters. It is normal for the temperature to be −15 °F (−26 °C) to −25 °F (−32 °C), and it can get as cold as −60 °F (−51 °C).

The summers are short but warm by Alaska standards. It is usually around 70 °F (21 °C), but it can get as warm as 90 °F (32 °C). In the winter the days are very short, on the winter solstice it is light outside for less than three hours. In the summer the opposite is true, it can be light outside for twenty two hours a day. This is called the midnight sun.

References

  1. "2021 Gazetteer Places Files - Alaska". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2022-05-02.
  2. "Fairbanks city, Alaska - Census Bureau Profile". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2022-05-03.