| Kotzebue, Alaska Qikiqtaġruk |
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|---|---|
| — City — | |
| Aerial view of Kotzebue | |
| Location of Kotzebue in Alaska | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Alaska |
| Borough | Northwest Arctic |
| Area | |
| • Total | 28.7 sq mi (74.2 km2) |
| • Land | 27.0 sq mi (69.9 km2) |
| • Water | 1.7 sq mi (4.3 km2) |
| Elevation | 20 ft (6 m) |
| Population (2007)[1] | |
| • Total | 3,152 |
| • Density | 114.2/sq mi (44.1/km2) |
| Time zone | AKST (UTC-9) |
| • Summer (DST) | AKDT (UTC-8) |
| Area code | 907 |
| FIPS code | 02-41830 |
| Website | http://kotzpdweb.tripod.com/city/index.html |
Kotzebue (Qikiqtaġruk in Iñupiaq) is a city in Northwest Arctic Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 3,237.[2]
Kotzebue gets its name from the Kotzebue Sound, which was named after Otto von Kotzebue, who explored the sound while searching for the Northwest Passage in the service of Russia in 1818.
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Kotzebue is located at (66.897192, −162.585444).[3]
Kotzebue lies on a gravel spit at the end of the Baldwin Peninsula in the Kotzebue Sound. It is 33 miles (53 km) north of the Arctic Circle on Alaska's western coast.
Kotzebue is approximately thirty miles from Noatak, Kiana, and other nearby smaller towns.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 28.7 square miles (74 km2), of which 27.0 square miles (70 km2) is land, and 1.6 square miles (4.1 km2), or 5.76%, is water.
Kotzebue is a gateway to Kobuk Valley National Park and other natural attractions of northern Alaska. [4]
Kotzebue has a subarctic climate (Köppen Dfc), with long, somewhat snowy, and very cold winters, and short, mild summers. Monthly daily average temperatures range from −3.5 °F (−19.7 °C) in February to 54.7 °F (12.6 °C) in July, with an annual mean of 21.8 °F (−5.7 °C). Days of above 70 °F (21 °C) are not common, but can be expected on 5 days per summer.[5] Precipitation is both most frequent and greatest during the summer months, averaging 10.1 inches (257 mm) per year. Snowfall usually falls in light bouts, averaging 39 inches (99 cm) a season. Extreme temperatures have ranged from −58 °F (−50 °C) to 85 °F (29 °C).
| Climate data for Kotzebue, Alaska | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 39 (4) |
40 (4) |
39 (4) |
48 (9) |
71 (22) |
85 (29) |
85 (29) |
80 (27) |
69 (21) |
57 (14) |
40 (4) |
37 (3) |
85 (29) |
| Average high °F (°C) | 3.7 (−15.7) |
3.0 (−16.1) |
7.2 (−13.8) |
19.6 (−6.9) |
37.8 (3.2) |
50.8 (10.4) |
60.0 (15.6) |
56.7 (13.7) |
46.4 (8.0) |
27.5 (−2.5) |
13.3 (−10.4) |
6.0 (−14.4) |
27.7 (−2.4) |
| Average low °F (°C) | −8.6 (−22.6) |
−9.9 (−23.3) |
−7.7 (−22.1) |
3.3 (−15.9) |
25.3 (−3.7) |
38.8 (3.8) |
49.4 (9.7) |
47.4 (8.6) |
37.2 (2.9) |
18.8 (−7.3) |
3.2 (−16.0) |
−6.4 (−21.3) |
15.9 (−8.9) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −55 (−48) |
−52 (−47) |
−58 (−50) |
−44 (−42) |
−12 (−24) |
20 (−7) |
30 (−1) |
26 (−3) |
13 (−11) |
−19 (−28) |
−37 (−38) |
−49 (−45) |
−58 (−50) |
| Precipitation inches (mm) | .55 (14) |
.42 (10.7) |
.38 (9.7) |
.41 (10.4) |
.33 (8.4) |
.57 (14.5) |
1.43 (36.3) |
2.00 (50.8) |
1.70 (43.2) |
.95 (24.1) |
.71 (18) |
.60 (15) |
10.05 (255.3) |
| Snowfall inches (cm) | 5.6 (14.2) |
4.3 (10.9) |
3.9 (9.9) |
3.9 (9.9) |
1.2 (3) |
trace | trace | trace | 1.0 (2.5) |
5.8 (14.7) |
6.5 (16.5) |
7.1 (18) |
39.3 (99.8) |
| Avg. precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 8.5 | 6.9 | 6.7 | 6.5 | 5.5 | 5.9 | 9.9 | 14.0 | 12.3 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 9.6 | 106.2 |
| Avg. snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 7.8 | 6.5 | 6.0 | 6.5 | 2.1 | .1 | 0 | 0 | 1.1 | 7.4 | 8.6 | 8.9 | 55.0 |
| Source: NOAA (normals, 1971−2000) [5], Weather.com (extremes) [6] | |||||||||||||
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1910 | 193 |
|
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| 1920 | 230 | 19.2% | |
| 1930 | 291 | 26.5% | |
| 1940 | 372 | 27.8% | |
| 1950 | 623 | 67.5% | |
| 1960 | 1,290 | 107.1% | |
| 1970 | 1,696 | 31.5% | |
| 1980 | 2,054 | 21.1% | |
| 1990 | 2,751 | 33.9% | |
| 2000 | 3,082 | 12.0% | |
| 2010 | 3,201 | 3.9% | |
| source:[7] | |||
As of the census[8] of 2000, there were 3,082 people, 889 households, and 656 families residing in the city. The population density was 114.1 people per square mile (44.1/km²). There were 1,007 housing units at an average density of 37.3 per square mile (14.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 19.47% White, 0.32% Black or African American, 71.19% Native American, 1.82% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.78% from other races, and 6.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.17% of the population.
There were 889 households out of which 50.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.1% were married couples living together, 17.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.1% were non-families. 19.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 2.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.40 and the average family size was 3.93.
In the city the age distribution of the population shows 39.8% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 17.2% from 45 to 64, and 4.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females there were 102.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $57,163, and the median income for a family was $58,068. Males had a median income of $42,604 versus $36,453 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,289. About 9.2% of families and 13.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.9% of those under age 18 and 6.0% of those age 65 or over.
There is archaeological evidence that Inupiat people have lived at Kotzebue since at least the 15th century. Because of its location, Kotzebue was a trading and gathering center for the entire area. The Noatak, Selawik and Kobuk Rivers drain into the Kotzebue Sound near Kotzebue to form a center for transportation to points inland. In addition to people from interior villages, inhabitants of the Russian Far East came to trade at Kotzebue. Furs, seal-oil, hides, rifles, ammunition, and seal skins were some of the items traded. People also gathered for competitions like the current World Eskimo Indian Olympics [1]. With the arrival of the whalers, traders, gold seekers, and missionaries the trading center expanded.
Kotzebue, was known by natives as Kikiktagruk or Qikiqtagruk, which means "almost an island" in Inupiaq, the language of the Inupiat, which is a reference to the spit. The name of the town was later changed to Kotzebue after Baltic-German navigator Otto von Kotzebue as well as the name of the Kotzebue Sound.
Reindeer herding was introduced in the area in 1897. Although Alaska had caribou, the wild form of reindeer, the domesticated reindeer were brought to Alaska from Asia.
A United States post office was established in 1899.[9]
Kotzebue is currently the largest city in the Northwest Arctic Borough.
John Baker and Ed Iten, both top 10 finishers in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, are residents of Kotzebue.
Kotzebue was a filming location for the 1991 film Salmonberries.
Kotzebue is home to NANA Regional Corporation and the health services organization, Maniilaq Association.
Kotzebue's Ralph Wien Memorial Airport is the one airport in the Northwest Arctic Borough with regularly scheduled large commercial passenger aircraft service to and from Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport and the Nome Airport.
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