Barrow, Alaska
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Barrow is a city in North Slope Borough of the U.S. state of Alaska. Barrow is the northernmost settlement in the United States, and one of northernmost towns of more than 2,000 residents in the world (see Khatanga, Tiksi). Nearby Point Barrow is the northernmost point of the United States (see Extreme Points of the United States and Northernmost settlements.) As of 2004, the population of the city was 4,680.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 55 km² (21 mi²). 48 km² (18 mi²) of it is land and 8 km² (3 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 14% water.
Climate
Due to its extreme location far north of the Arctic Circle, Barrow's climate is extremely cold and dry. Winters are dangerously cold, and summers are cool even at their warmest. Accurate weather records have not been kept at Barrow long enough to establish climatic averages. However, the settlement of Prudhoe Bay, Alaska experiences a very similar climate despite its distance, and its weather records can be used as a close approximation.According to the Prudhoe Bay records, the warmest month is July, when the average high temperatures are about 54°F (12°C). Overnight lows average 37°F (4°C). February is the coldest month in the Prudhoe Bay records, with average high temperatures of -13°F (-25°C), and average lows of -26°F (-32°C). The wettest month is August, when 0.95 inches (24.1mm) of precipitation falls. The driest month is May, when 0.08 inches (2.0mm) of precipitation falls. Average precipitation for an entire year is 4.02 inches (102.1mm)
The coldest temperature in the Prudhoe Bay records is -62°F (-52°C), on January 27, 1989. The warmest temperature on record is 83°F (28°C), on June 21, 1991.
Demographics
There were 1,400 households out of which 57% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45% were married couples living together, 15% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28% were non-families. 23% of all households were made up of individuals and 2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.4 and the average family size was 4.8.
In the city the population was spread out with 28% under the age of 18, 13% from 18 to 24, 32% from 25 to 44, 19% from 45 to 64, and 3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 107 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $63,100, and the median income for a family was $68,200. Males had a median income of $52,000 versus $46,400 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,900. 9% of the population and 8% of families were below the poverty line. 7% of those under the age of 18 and 13% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
History
Before it was Barrow, Barrow was known as Utqiagvik. The name means "place where owls are hunted" in Inupiaq.Archaeological sites in the area indicate the Inupiat lived around Barrow as far back as AD 500. Some remains of 16 dwelling mounds from the Birnirk culture of about AD 800 are still in evidence today.
Barrow takes its current name from Point Barrow, which was named for Sir John Barrow of the British Admiralty in 1825. British Navy officers were in the area to explore and map the Arctic coastline of North America. The United States Army established a meteorological and magnetic research station at Barrow in 1881, and the Cape Smythe Whaling and Trading Station was established in 1893.By 1888 there was a Presbyterian church at Barrow, and in 1901, a United States Post Office was opened.
In 1935, the famous humorist Will Rogers and pilot Wiley Post made a planned stop 25 km (15 miles) south of Barrow on an air trip. After they took off again, their plane stalled and plunged into a river, killing them both. Two monuments are located at the crash site. Barrow's airport is named Wiley Post-Will Rogers Memorial Airport in their memory.
The residents of the area cast the lone vote in opposition to passage of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, which passed in December 1971. In 1972, the North Slope Borough was established. The borough used millions of dollars in new revenues to create roads, sanitation services, water and electrical services, and health and educational services in the area.
In 1986, the North Slope Borough created the North Slope Higher Education Center, which later became Ilisagvik College, gaining accreditation in 2003. The two-year college is dedicated to providing an education based on the Inupiat culture.
The Tuzzy Consortium Library is located in Barrow.
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| State of Alaska |
|
|---|---|---|
| Capital | Juneau | |
| Regions | Aleutian Islands | Bush Alaska | Interior | Kenai Peninsula | Mat-Su Valley | North Slope | Southcentral | Southeast | Southwest | Tanana Valley | Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta | |
| Largest cities | Anchorage | Barrow | Bethel | Fairbanks | Homer | Juneau | Kenai | Ketchikan | Kodiak | Kotzebue | Nome | Palmer | Petersburg | Seward | Sitka | Unalaska | Valdez | Wasilla | |
| Boroughs | Aleutians East | Anchorage | Bristol Bay | Denali | Fairbanks North Star | Haines | Juneau | Kenai Peninsula | Ketchikan Gateway | Kodiak Island | Lake and Peninsula | Matanuska-Susitna | North Slope | Northwest Arctic | Sitka | Yakutat | |
| Census areas | Aleutians West | Bethel | Dillingham | Nome | Prince of Wales-Outer Ketchikan | Skagway-Hoonah-Angoon | Southeast Fairbanks | Valdez-Cordova | Wade Hampton | Wrangell-Petersburg | Yukon-Koyukuk | see also Unorganized Borough | |
Trivia
Barrow is the setting for a series of horror comics called 30 Days of Night. The stories center on vampires who take advantage of the month or so of darkness that takes place annually in the town. (This comic's depiction of Barrow bears no resemblance to Barrow in any way but name.)Barrow has an AM/FM radio station, KBRW, broadcasting on 680 AM and 91.9 FM.
See also
External links
- [The City of Barrow (municipal government)]
- [Barrow Arctic Science Consortium (BASC)]
- [Barrow Info]
- [KBRW Radio]
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