Prudhoe Bay, Alaska
| Prudhoe Bay Sagavanirktok | |
|---|---|
| CDP | |
_in_ice.jpg) | |
  Prudhoe Bay | |
| Coordinates: 70°19′32″N 148°42′41″W / 70.32556°N 148.71139°WCoordinates: 70°19′32″N 148°42′41″W / 70.32556°N 148.71139°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Alaska |
| Borough | North Slope |
| Government | |
| • Borough mayor | Charlotte Brower[1] |
| Area | |
| • Total | 558.0 sq mi (1,445.3 km2) |
| • Land | 416.3 sq mi (1,078.1 km2) |
| • Water | 141.8 sq mi (367.2 km2) |
| Elevation | 30 ft (9 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 2,174 |
| • Density | 3.9/sq mi (1.5/km2) |
| Time zone | Alaska (AKST) (UTC-9) |
| • Summer (DST) | AKDT (UTC-8) |
| ZIP code | 99734 |
| Area code(s) | 907 |
| FIPS code | 02-64380 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1865563 |
Prudhoe Bay /ˈpruːdoʊ/ or Sagavanirktok is a census-designated place (CDP) located in North Slope Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. As of the 2010 census, the population of the CDP was 2,174 people; however, at any given time several thousand transient workers support the Prudhoe Bay oil field. The airport, lodging, and general store are located at Deadhorse; the rigs and processing facilities are located on scattered gravel pads laid atop the tundra. It is only during winter that the surface is hard enough to support heavy equipment and new construction happens at that time.
Prudhoe Bay is the unofficial northern terminus of the Pan-American Highway. The Bay itself is still 10 miles further North beyond a security checkpoint, so open water is not visible from the Highway. A few tourists, arriving by bus after a two-day ride up the Dalton Highway from Fairbanks, come to see the tundra, the Arctic Ocean, and the midnight sun, staying in lodgings assembled from modular buildings. Tours must be arranged in advance (photo ID required) to see the Arctic Ocean and the Bay itself.
Prudhoe Bay was named in 1826 by British explorer Sir John Franklin after his classmate Captain Algernon Percy, Baron Prudhoe. Franklin traveled along the coast from the mouth of the Mackenzie River almost to Point Barrow.
Geography
Prudhoe Bay is located at 70°19′32″N 148°42′41″W / 70.325490°N 148.711387°W.[2]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 558.0 square miles (1,445 km2), of which, 416.3 square miles (1,078 km2) of it is land and 141.8 square miles (367 km2) of it is water. The total area is 25.40% water.
| Climate data for Prudhoe Bay, Alaska | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °F (°C) | −11.9 (−24.4) |
−10.1 (−23.4) |
−5.2 (−20.7) |
10.1 (−12.2) |
28.8 (−1.8) |
45.2 (7.3) |
55.4 (13) |
51.0 (10.6) |
38.3 (3.5) |
21.0 (−6.1) |
0.9 (−17.3) |
−6.6 (−21.4) |
18.1 (−7.7) |
| Average low °F (°C) | −24.0 (−31.1) |
−24.3 (−31.3) |
−20.3 (−29.1) |
−4.8 (−20.4) |
19.0 (−7.2) |
32.7 (0.4) |
39.7 (4.3) |
37.5 (3.1) |
28.9 (−1.7) |
9.7 (−12.4) |
−11.0 (−23.9) |
−19.2 (−28.4) |
5.3 (−14.8) |
| Precipitation inches (mm) | 3.00 (76.2) |
2.57 (65.3) |
2.74 (69.6) |
1.78 (45.2) |
1.49 (37.8) |
1.39 (35.3) |
0.68 (17.3) |
1.64 (41.7) |
4.11 (104.4) |
9.68 (245.9) |
4.48 (113.8) |
3.70 (94) |
37.36 (948.9) |
| Snowfall inches (cm) | 2.8 (7.1) |
2.4 (6.1) |
2.7 (6.9) |
1.7 (4.3) |
1.4 (3.6) |
1.0 (2.5) |
0.0 (0) |
0.5 (1.3) |
3.5 (8.9) |
9.3 (23.6) |
4.3 (10.9) |
3.5 (8.9) |
33.1 (84.1) |
| Source: [http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?akprud | |||||||||||||
Demographics
As of the 2010 census[3], there were no households in the town.
Prudhoe Bay oil field
Prudhoe Bay is adjacent to the largest oil field in the United States.
See also
- 2006 Alaskan oil spill
- Ice Road Truckers
References
- ↑ "2013 ACoM Members". Online Resource Center, Alaska Conference of Mayors. Juneau: Alaska Municipal League. 2013. Retrieved June 4, 2013.
- ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2011-05-14.
External links
Media related to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska at Wikimedia Commons
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