Alaska
Last Frontier · Capital: Juneau · West (Non Contiguous)
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Bordering states: None (non-contiguous).
About Alaska
Alaska covers 665,384 square miles, about a sixth of the United States, and holds the country's northernmost, westernmost and easternmost points, because the Aleutian chain crosses the 180th meridian. Its 6,640 miles of general coastline exceed those of all other states combined. Denali, at 20,310 feet, tops the Alaska Range, and seventeen of the twenty highest US peaks are here. About 100,000 glaciers cover some five percent of the land, and permafrost underlies much of the interior. The Pacific plate dives under North America along the Aleutian Trench, which produced the magnitude 9.2 earthquake of March 27, 1964. Prospect Creek recorded 80 below zero in 1971, while Ketchikan, in the southeast rainforest, gets about 150 inches of rain a year.
Inupiat, Yupik, Unangax, Athabascan, Tlingit and Haida peoples held the land when Vitus Bering and Alexei Chirikov sighted the coast in 1741, and Russian fur traders followed. Secretary of State William Seward signed the purchase treaty on March 30, 1867, for $7.2 million. Gold rushes through Skagway, Nome and Fairbanks followed, and in 1913 the first bill passed by the new territorial legislature gave women the vote. Japan occupied Attu and Kiska in 1942. Alaska became the 49th state on January 3, 1959. Oil was found at Prudhoe Bay in 1968, and the trans-Alaska pipeline began carrying it in 1977.
The 2020 census counted 733,391 residents, up 3.3% from 2010, or 1.3 people per square mile, with one House seat. Anchorage is the largest city, and the capital, Juneau, has no road link to the rest of the continent. Oil royalties feed the Permanent Fund, which has paid residents a yearly dividend since 1982. The flag's Big Dipper and North Star were designed in 1927 by Benny Benson, then 13, and Elizabeth Peratrovich, a Tlingit leader, helped win the Anti-Discrimination Act of 1945.
4 fun facts about Alaska
- Bought from Russia in 1867 for $7.2 million, about 2 cents per acre. Critics called it "Seward's Folly" before gold and oil were discovered.
- The capital Juneau is not connected by road to the rest of the United States. You can only reach it by boat or plane.
- It has more coastline than all other US states combined (over 6,600 miles).
- The state has two time zones, but most of it runs on Alaska Time, making noon in Anchorage = 4 PM in New York.
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Frequently asked questions about Alaska
Is Alaska a US state?
Yes, Alaska is one of the 50 US states. It was admitted to the Union in 1959, making it the 49th state. Its capital is Juneau and its largest city is Anchorage.
What is the capital of Alaska?
The capital of Alaska is Juneau. Note that the largest city in Alaska is Anchorage, not the capital, a common point of confusion.
When did Alaska become a state?
Alaska became a US state in 1959. It is the 49th state admitted to the Union.
What is the abbreviation for Alaska?
The 2-letter USPS abbreviation for Alaska is AK.
How big is Alaska?
Alaska ranks #1 of 50 US states by area. With 1.3 residents per square mile in 2020, it was the least densely populated state.
What is the population of Alaska?
Alaska had 733,391 residents at the 2020 census, the 48th largest population of the 50 states, up 3.3% since 2010. That count gives it 1 seat in the US House of Representatives.
What region is Alaska in?
Alaska is in the West region of the United States, per the US Census Bureau.
What time zone is Alaska in?
Alaska observes Alaska Time (the western Aleutian Islands use Hawaii-Aleutian Time).
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How to learn the 50 states (full guide)
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