North Pole, Alaska

North Pole
City
Sign outside of North Pole, Alaska, welcoming people to the city
Sign outside of North Pole, Alaska, welcoming people to the city
Location of North Pole in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska
Location of North Pole in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska
North Pole is located in Alaska
North Pole
North Pole
Coordinates: 64°45′4″N 147°21′7″W / 64.75111°N 147.35194°W / 64.75111; -147.35194
CountryUnited States
StateAlaska
Government
 • MayorChandra Clack[1]
Area
[2]
 • Total4.099 sq mi (10.62 km2)
 • Land4.085 sq mi (10.58 km2)
 • Water0.014 sq mi (0.04 km2)
Population
 (2020)[3]
 • Total2,243
Websitewww.northpolealaska.com

North Pole is a city in Alaska. It is hundreds of miles from the actual North Pole, which is under the Arctic Ocean and very hard to get to. The town of North Pole is about 15 miles (24 km) from Fairbanks, the only big city in the Interior of Alaska. At first it was just a small settlement called "Davis" with a stop on the Alaska Railroad.

The first people to form a local government there decided to call it North Pole. Soon a trading post that had been opened there became a Christmas themed shop called the Santa Claus House and was a big attraction for tourists who came to Alaska. The city's mayor pro tem was city council member Santa Claus.[4]

References

  1. ↑ "Office of the Mayor | City of Northpole Alaska". Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  2. ↑ "2021 Gazetteer Places Files - Alaska". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2022-05-02.
  3. ↑ "North Pole city, Alaska - Census Bureau Profile". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2022-05-02.
  4. ↑ "Meet Santa Claus, North Pole politician and medical marijuana advocate". the Guardian. 2015-10-15. Retrieved 2022-04-29.