Petersburg, Alaska
Encyclopedia : P : PE : PET : Petersburg, Alaska
Petersburg is a city in Wrangell-Petersburg Census Area, Alaska, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city is 3,224.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 119.2 km² (46.0 mi²). 113.6 km² (43.9 mi²) of it is land and 5.6 km² (2.2 mi²) of it (4.74%) is water.
Demographics
As of the census[Geographic references#2GR2] of 2000, there were 3,224 people, 1,240 households, and 849 families residing in the city. The population density was 28.4/km² (73.5/mi²). There were 1,367 housing units at an average density of 12.0/km² (31.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 81.64% White, 0.31% Black or African American, 7.20% Native American, 2.76% Asian, 0.19% Pacific Islander, 1.86% from other races, and 6.05% from two or more races. 2.85% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.There were 1,240 households out of which 38.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.2% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.5% were non-families. 25.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.11.
In the city the population was spread out with 29.8% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 8.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 108.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 108.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $49,028, and the median income for a family was $54,934. Males had a median income of $42,135 versus $28,792 for females. The per capita income for the city was $25,827. About 3.3% of families and 5.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.5% of those under age 18 and 4.2% of those age 65 or over.
History
The north end of Mitkof Island was a summer fish camp utilized by Kake Tlingit from Kupreanof Island. Some began living year-round at the site, including Chief John Lot. Petersburg was named after Peter Buschmann, a Norwegian immigrant who arrived in the late 1890s. and homesteaded on the north end of the island. He built a cannery, a sawmill and a dock between 1890 and 1900. His family's homesteads grew into Petersburg, which was populated largely by people of Scandinavian origin thus giving Petersburg the nickname "Little Norway". May 17 (Norwegian Constitution Day) is celebrated annually in Petersburg. The cannery, along with three others have operated continuously since their completion. Petersburg is now one of Alaska's major fishing communities.Trivia
- Petersburg is 12th most lucrative fisheries port in the United States by volume according to the National Marine Fisheries Service. In 2004, 103 million pounds of fish and shellfish passed through Petersburg.
- Petersburg is served by a weekly newspaper, the Petersburg Pilot.
- Petersburg usually serves as the jumping off point for the attempted ascents of Devil's Thumb, a very advanced peak located in the Stikine Icecap.
External links
- [City of Petersburg website]
- [Petersburg City Schools]
- [Petersburg Chamber of Commerce]
- [Community forum for Petersburg, Alaska]
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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 | |
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