100 Fun Facts About Alaska, fun facts about Alaska, Alaska facts, facts about Alaska, facts Alaska, fun Alaska facts, Alaska interesting facts, — 100 Fun Facts About Alaska + (Myths & Legends)

Article Overview: fun facts about Alaska

Itching for some fun facts about Alaska? You’ve come to the right place! In this article, we’ll cover all kinds of interesting tidbits about the last frontier. Everything from wildlife and weather to sports and history. Let’s get after it and learn some fun facts about Alaska!

Why Trust Us

AlaskaExplored is THE DESTINATION for all things Alaska. Wether you’re planning an epic trip to the last frontier, or you’re just in the mood for some fun facts about Alaska, we got you covered. Here at AlaskaExplored.com you’ll find expert tips, detailed guides, stunning photographs, and so much more.

Together AlaskaExplored has more than twenty years of experience traveling, working, and exploring the beautifully rugged, 49th state. Working in television has taken us all around the world, and no place more than Alaska. During our time here we’ve documented countless stories from every corner and crevasse of the state. We’ve helped showcase the grandeur of this wild place for National Geographic, Discovery, Disney, Animal Planet, and more. Now we want to share our knowledge and real life experiences with you!

My Experience

While I’ve spent most of my Alaskan television career in the camera department, I’ve also helped produce some episodes. Whenever we’re putting together story ideas or planning out shoots, it is important for us to know and understand our subject matter. Wether we are hunting moose or checking temperatures in the arctic, it’s important for us to know facts about Alaska. For us, fun facts about Alaska can make or break a shoot. Like, most camera batteries instantly die at negative 60 degrees, good things to know.

Fun Facts About Alaska

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Why Trust Us
My Experience
Fun Facts About Alaska

Fun Wildlife Facts About Alaska

The first thing a lot of people think about Alaska, is its diverse and wild population of animals. The state is home to so many special species that the rest of the country never gets a chance to witness. From polar bears to humpback whales, it’s got it all. Here are some fun facts about Alaska and its wildlife:

Alaska is home to all three species of North American bears: black bears, grizzly bears, and polar bears.
A Kodiak bear can grow to 1500 pounds!
With more than 30,000 birds, Alaska boasts the highest population of bald eagles in the United States.
The largest salmon ever caught in Alaska weighed in at 97.4 pounds!
Alaska has 5 different species of Salmon: King, Coho, Sockeye, Chum, and Pink.
Almost half of the world’s northern fur seals congregate on Alaska’s Pribilof Islands to breed.
A moose’s antlers can grow to be 6 feet wide.
An estimated 10,000 humpbacks use Alaska’s coasts for feeding grounds in the summer.
Alaska has eight whale species that visit or reside in its waters: Humpbacks, Belugas, Orcas, Right, Minke, Blue, Bowhead, Grey.
Estimates from the Department of Fish and Game suggest there are 175,000 to 200,000 moose in Alaska.

Fun Weather Facts About Alaska

Naturally, Alaska is associated with snow and cold conditions, and rightfully so. However some of these fun facts about Alaska’ weather might surprise you. I know I was shocked the first time I felt 80 degrees in Alaska. Here are some fun weather facts about Alaska:

Alaska experiences extreme temperature variations, with summer temperatures reaching highs of 90°F and winter temperatures dropping as low as -60°F in some regions.
Barrow, Alaska experiences 67 straight days of no sun.
Barrow also experiences 80 days of uninterrupted daylight in the summer.
Prospect Creek Camp holds the record for the coldest temperature ever recorded in the United States, with a low of -80°F in 1971.
On July 4 2019, all-time high temperature records were set in Kenai, Palmer, King Salmon, and Anchorage International Airport. It was 90° at ANC.
On average, Juneau experiences 222 rainy days annually.

Fun Facts About Alaska Sports

There might not be a ton of fun facts about sports in Alaska, but here are a few:

The Iditarod is an annual long-distance sled dog race held in Alaska that covers over 1,000 miles.
There are no professional sports teams in Alaska
Basketball is extremely popular in the bush villages of Alaska.
NBA star Carlos Boozer was born in Juneau, Alaska.
17 year old Lydia Jacoby, from Seward, Alaska, won the gold medal in the women’s 100-meter breaststroke at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Facts about Alaska Industries

Industry and stuff can be kind of boring, so we’re dropping the “fun” and just naming this section “facts about Alaska’s industries.” Ami right or ami right? Check out these not so fun facts about Alaska and its industries:

The most commercial fisheries in the United state are located in Alaska.
More than 20,000 rural Alaskan’s work in the seafood industry.
The Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989 was a major environmental disaster that caused widespread damage to Alaska’s marine ecosystem. It remains one of the worst oil spills in history.
North America’s largest oil field is Prudhoe Bay, Alaska.
Over 18 billion barrels of oil have moved through the Trans-Alaska pipeline.
The Trans-Alaska pipeline is over 800 miles long.
The pipeline took 8 years to complete.
Alaska’s largest mineral export is Zinc.
Tourism is a huge industry in Alaska. An average of 2 million visitors come to Alaska every summer.
In 2019, the Alaska Travel Industry Association estimated that tourism directly supported over 52,000 jobs in the state.

Fun Facts About Alaska Film & TV

Here’s a category I know all too well. I first worked in Alaska after the state passed its tax incentive program to attract those Hollywood dollars! Check out these fun facts about Alaska film and tv.

Alaska’s film tax credit program was established in 2008 and offered producers a refundable tax credit of 30% on qualified production costs incurred while filming in the state.
In 2015, the Alaska State Legislature voted to dismantle the program, citing budgetary concerns.
One of the first films shot in Alaska was the silent movie “The Chechaquo” (1914), a story about a tenderfoot gold prospector.
The long-running television series “Murder, She Wrote” featured several episodes set in Alaska.
The television series “Northern Exposure” (1990-1995) set in the fictional Alaskan town of Cicely became a cultural phenomenon, capturing the quirky charm of Alaskan life.
In the past decade, there has been more than 25 reality shows shot in the state. (I’ve worked on 7 of them!)

Camera monitor records Alaska mountains // 100 Fun Facts About Alaska + (Myths & Legends) // JJ Krehbiel

For more info on Alaskan television, check out our article: Filming in Alaska: Everything You Need to Know + (Film & TV List)

Fun Facts about Alaska’s Population

The state of Alaska is an outlier in so many instances. Its population is no different. Here are some fascinating fun facts about Alaska and its population:

Alaska has the lowest population density of any U.S. state.
Alaska’s population density sits at one person per square mile.
The city of Anchorage is the largest city in Alaska, with over 40% of the state’s population residing there.
Only 7% of Alaska’s population are over 65 years old.
Alaska Native people make up roughly 18% of the population.
52% of the states population are male.
According to the 2020 U.S. Census, approximately 64.1% of Alaska’s population is white.

Fun Facts About Alaska’s Northern Lights

The northern lights is one of natures most fascinating phenomenon. Here are some fun facts about the special show that Alaska can put on.

The northern lights spectrum of colors include greens, yellows, reds, pinks, and even blues.
The northern lights are a silent phenomenon.
Alaska’s indigenous cultures have woven stories and legends around the aurora, attributing them to spirits dancing in the sky.
The northern lights are visible from space.
Auroras aren’t exclusive to Alaska. Canada, Iceland, and Norway are other great places to witness the Northern lights.
The Northern lights occur when charged solar particles collide with Earth’s upper atmosphere.
May to August experiences very little darkness, making it nearly impossible to see the northern lights.

General Facts About Alaska

Looking for fun facts about Alaska to help your kid with their school paper? This section is for you. Growing up I used to love reading about all the different states and their official birds, flags, and what have you. I was always jealous of the people that got to pick out street names and crown the states flower or design the flag. In that same vein, here are some general fun facts about Alaska.

Alaska’s state motto is “North to the Future”.
Juneau is Alaska’s state capital. Its located in the Southeast region of the state and you can’t drive there!
Alaska’s state nickname is “The Last Frontier”
Alaska’s name stems from the Aleut word “Alyeska,” which translates to “great land.”
The Willow Ptarmigan is the state bird. (folks joke that its the mosquito)
The state flower is the beautiful tiny blue Forget-Me-Not flower.
Alaska’s state tree is the Sitka Spruce.
The Four Spot Skimmer Dragonfly is the states official insect.
Chinook, or King Salmon, are the official state fish.
Alaska doesn’t have an official state rock, but the did designate Jade as there official gemstone.
The Alaska state flag depicts the stars of the Big Dipper and the North Star, and was designed by a 13-year-old.

Fun Facts about Alaska’s Geography

Alaska’s geography is mind blowing. We all know it’s massive, but reading these fun facts about Alaska’s geography really brings the point home. Enjoy these fun facts about Alaska’s geography:

Alaska’s Aleutian Island chain stretches over 1,200 miles across the Pacific Ocean and consists of 69 islands.
Sitting 20,320 feet above sea level, Alaska’s Denali is the highest peak in North America.
Alaska is home to 17 of the 20 highest mountain peaks in the United States.
Alaska is home to more than 3 million lakes.
Covering an area over 1,000 square miles Alaska’s largest, Lake Iliamna, is the nations 7th largest lake.
Alaska has more than 3,000 rivers.
At 1980 miles, Alaska’s Yukon river is the 3rd longest river in the United States.
There are an estimated 100,000 glaciers in Alaska.
A whopping 5% of the state is covered by glaciers.
If you include Alaska’s islands, the state has 33,904 miles of shoreline.
Alaska has the northernmost, easternmost, and westernmost points in the United States. Point Barrow (N), Pochnoi Point (E), and Amatignak Island (W).
Alaska is home to 70 active volcano’s.
Alaska experiences an average of 5,000 Earthquakes annually.
Clocking in at 9.2 on the Richter scale, North America’s strongest earthquake took place in Alaska in 1964.
At its western most point, Alaska is only 50 miles from Russia.
America’s two largest national forrest belong to Alaska. The Chugach and Tongas.
Alaska touches two oceans: the Pacific Ocean to the south and the Arctic Ocean to the north.
Alaska is 591,000 square miles.

Facts about Alaska’s Culture

Yes, Alaska is full of a bunch of white men, but there is so much more to the story. To get an idea about the rest of the story, here are some fun facts about Alaska and its culture:

Alaska has a rich indigenous culture, with 228 federally recognized tribes.
The largest Alaskan Native communities are the Yup’ik and Inupiat.
These diverse communities have inhabited the region for thousands of years, each with its own unique language, traditions, and way of life.
Over 200 languages are spoken in Alaska
The state hosts numerous cultural festivals throughout the year, celebrating Alaska Native heritage, arts, and music.
Alaskans love to fly! Approximately 1.24% of the population has a pilots license.

100 Fun Facts About Alaska + (Myths & Legends) // JJ Krehbiel

Facts about Alaska’s History

Alaska has an interesting past, and is a relatively young state. Here are some fun facts about Alaska and its history.

In 1867, Secretary of State William H. Seward negotiated the purchase of Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million.
The discovery of gold in Alaska in 1896 triggered a massive gold rush that brought over 100,000 people to the territory.
Alaska became the 49th state of the United States on January 3, 1959, following a lengthy campaign for statehood.
The only WWII battle that took place on American soil was on an island in Alaska’s Aleutian chain.
Wyatt Earp and his partner ran a saloon in Nome, Alaska.
October 18 is celebrated as Alaska Day, an official state holiday that celebrates the anniversary of the transfer of the territory from Russia.

Fun Facts About Alaska’s Government

Personally, I’m not convinced the Alaska government has any fun facts about itself. Then I’m reminded that the National Parks system is apart of our government, so I suppose there’s an argument to be made. Either way, here are some fun facts about Alaska and its government.

Alaska became the 49th state of the United States on January 3, 1959.
Alaska has only one representative in the U.S. House of Representatives due to its relatively small population.
Sarah Palin’s infamous rise to national prominence as the Republican vice presidential nominee in 2008 put Alaska politics on the world stage.
Alaska does not have a state sales tax. (However, some cities do)
Mary Peltola was the first Alaska Native sworn into Congress.
William A. Egan was Alaska’s first Governor.
Alaska is home to 8 National Parks: Glacier Bay, Kenai Fjords, Lake Clark, Katmai, Gates of the Arctic, Denali, Kobuk Valley, and Wrangell-St. Elias.
In 1913, six years before the 19th Amendment, Alaskan granted women the right to vote.
It is illegal to wake a hibernating bear in Alaska.

Alaska Myths & Legends

Alright, thats enough fun facts about Alaska, let’s get into the myths and legends of the last frontier. I’ve heard these stories first hand, usually from an old timer trying to have fun with an eager tourist or gullible children. Enjoy these Alaska myths and legends:

Alaska myths and legends, — 100 Fun Facts About Alaska + (Myths & Legends)

the Kushta

When I first started working in southeast Alaska, some locals would tell me stories about the Kushta, a half otter half human spirt animal that would sometimes help out humans, and sometimes terrorize them. It apparently lives in the woods and can be pretty violent if it needs to be. Best mind yourself!

Gravity Hill

There’s a place in Alaska where cars defy physics and inexplicably roll uphill on their own! Sounds like something straight out of a sci-fi movie, right? Sure, but nah. The illusion relies on the way our brains interpret visual cues from the surrounding landscape. Gravity Hill is cleverly positioned on a road with a subtle downhill slope. The key is what’s missing from your view. Trees and hills block the horizon and obscure the true incline. Since our brains rely on a level horizon to judge slope, the scene appears tilted downwards when it’s actually the opposite. This misinterpretation makes it seem like your car is coasting uphill when it’s really just rolling downhill as expected, thanks to good ol’ fashioned gravity.

The Lake Monster of Iliamna

Alaska’s Lake Iliamna shimmers with a beauty that inspires both wonder and whispers of mystery. Legends speak of a colossal creature lurking beneath the surface, a leviathan known as “Illie” or the Iliamna Lake Monster. For generations, tales of this serpentine behemoth, reaching lengths of 30 feet or more, have captured the imaginations of locals and visitors alike. Some say it’s a monstrous fish, perhaps a giant white sturgeon far from its usual habitat. Others weave a more fantastical tale, claiming it’s a transformed man, forever bound to the lake’s depths as punishment for past transgressions. (Did I mention Alaska has a drinking problem?)