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 the 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.) According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 4,218.^[1]

Contents 1 Geography 2 Climate 3 Demographics 4 History 5 Trivia 6 See also 7 References 8 External links

[edit] Geography

Barrow is located at 71°18′1″N, 156°44′9″W (71.300371, -156.735840)^GR1.

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. The predominant land type in Barrow is tundra.

[edit] 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. Weather observations are available for Barrow dating back into the late 1800s. Currently there is a National Weather Service Office and a NOAA Climate Monitoring Lab in Barrow.

From the National Climatic Data Center (http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov) and the National Weather Service (http://pabr.arh.noaa.gov):

Barrow is the most northerly First-Order station operated by the National Weather Service. Although this station generally records one of the lowest mean temperatures for the winter months, the surrounding topography prevents the establishment of the lowest minima for the state. With the Arctic Ocean to the north, east, and west, and level tundra stretching 200 miles to the south, there are no natural wind barriers to assist in stilling the wind, permitting the lowering of temperatures by radiation, and no downslope drainage area to aid the flow of cold air to lower levels. Consequently, temperature inversions in the lower levels of the atmosphere are not as marked as those observed at stations in the central interior.

Temperatures at this northern station remain below the freezing point through most of the year, with the daily maxima reaching higher than 32 degrees on an average of only 109 days a year. Freezing temperatures have been observed every month of the year. February is generally the coldest month and March temperatures are but little higher than those observed in the winter months. In April, temperatures begin a general upward trend, with May becoming the definite transitional period from winter to the summer season. July is the warmest month of the year and the frequency of minimum temperatures of 32 degrees or less are about one day out of two for July and August. During late July or early August, the Arctic Ocean is usually ice-free for the first time in summer. The end of the short summer is reached in September. By November about half of the daily mean temperatures are zero or below, and Barrow definitely returns to the clutches of winter cold.

At 12:50 p.m. on November 18, the sun dips below the horizon and is not seen again until 11:51 a.m. on January 24. Then the amount of possible sunshine each day increases by never less than 9 minutes per day. By 1:06 a.m. on May 10th the possible sunshine has increased to 24 hours per day. The sun remains visible from that time to August 2, when it again sets for 1 hour and 25 minutes. The decrease in hours of sunshine is as rapid as the increase.

Variation of wind speed during the year is small, with the fall months being windiest. Extreme winds in the upper 40s and low 50s have been recorded for all months.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there are 4,683 people, 1,399 households, and 976 families residing in the city. The population density is 96.1/km² (249.0/mi²). There are 1,620 housing units at an average density of 34.0/km² (88.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 21.83% White, 1.00% Black or African American, 57.19% Native Alaskan, 9.41% Asian, 1.35% Pacific Islander, 0.70% from other races, and 8.51% from two or more races. 3.34% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 1,399 households out of which 56.5% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.2% are married couples living together, 14.8% have a female householder with no husband present, and 28.0% are non-families. 23.0% of all households are made up of individuals and 1.8% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 3.35 and the average family size is 4.80.

In the city the population is spread out with 27.7% under the age of 18, 13.3% from 18 to 24, 31.6% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 3.4% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 29 years. For every 100 females there are 107.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 109.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $63,094.09, and the median income for a family is $68,223. Males have a median income of $51,959 versus $46,382 for females. The per capita income for the city is $22,902. 8.6% of the population and 7.7% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 7.2% of those under the age of 18 and 13.12% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

[edit] History

Before it was Barrow, Barrow was known as Ukpiagvik. 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 500 CE. Some remains of 16 dwelling mounds from the Birnirk culture of about 800 CE 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.

[edit] 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.) A film based on the comic has been shot in New Zealand and is due to be released some time in October 2007. The film stars Josh Hartnett. It as produced by Ghost House Pictures, producers of The Grudge.
• Barrow has an AM/FM radio station, KBRW, broadcasting on 680 AM and 91.9 FM.
• The Barrow Whalers of Barrow High School played the first ever official football game in the Arctic on August 19, 2006, against Delta Junction High School[1]. Delta Junction won 34-0. Barrow recorded its first win two weeks later defeating Sitka High School 28-22 and the coaches and players celebrated the historic win by jumping into the Arctic Ocean, just 100 yards from the makeshift dirt field. Although finishing just 1-5, the team remained competitive by scoring in its final three contests — all played on the road. The program is slated to join the seven-team Greatland Conference for 2007. The team was profiled on ESPN SportsCenter in late November 2006.
• Barrow, like many communities in Alaska, has a "damp" law prohibiting the sale of alcoholic beverages, but still allows for import, possession and consumption.

[edit] See also

• Rogers-Post Site

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• The City of Barrow (municipal government)
• ESPN Outside the Lines feature on Barrow football
• Barrow Arctic Science Consortium (BASC)
• Maps and aerial photos Coordinates: 71.300371° -156.73584°
  • Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
  • Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
  • Topographic map from TopoZone
  • Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
• National Weather Service Barrow, Alaska

	State of Alaska Juneau (capital)
Regions	Aleutian Islands | Arctic Alaska | Bush Alaska | Interior | Kenai Peninsula | Mat‑Su Valley | North Slope | Panhandle | Seward Peninsula | Southcentral | 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