View source for Utqiagvik, Alaska

{{short description|City in Alaska, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name                     = Utqiagvik
| native_name_lang         = ik
| official_name            = City of Utqiaġvik
| settlement_type          = [[City (Alaska)|City]]

<!-- Images -->| image_skyline            = Barrow Alaska.jpg
| image_caption            = Street view of Utqiagvik in July 2008. Like all the others in Utqiagvik, this street has been left unpaved due to the prevalence of [[permafrost]].
| image_flag               = 
| image_seal               = Seal of Utqiagvik, Alaska.gif
| motto                    = The Northernmost American City
| image_map                = 
| map_caption              = 
| image_map1               = 
| map_caption1             = 
| pushpin_label            = Utqiagvik
| pushpin_map              = Alaska#North America
| pushpin_map_caption      = Location within Alaska
| pushpin_relief           = yes

<!-- Location -->| coordinates              = {{coord|71|17|26|N|156|47|19|W|region:US-AK_type:city_source:GNIS|display=it}}
| coordinates_footnotes    = <ref name=gnis/>
| subdivision_type         = [[Country]]
| subdivision_name         = United States
| subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1        = [[Alaska]]
| subdivision_type2        = [[List of boroughs and census areas in Alaska|Borough]]
| subdivision_name2        = [[North Slope Borough, Alaska|North Slope]]

<!-- Established -->| established_title        = [[Platted]]
| established_date         = 
| established_title1       = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
| established_date1        = June 8, 1959<ref>{{Cite journal|title=Directory of Borough and City Officials 1974|journal=Alaska Local Government|volume=XIII|issue=2|page=20|date=January 1974}}</ref>

<!-- Government -->| government_footnotes     = 
| government_type          = 
| leader_title             = City [[Mayor]]
| leader_name              = Elizabeth (Asisaun) Toovak
| leader_title1            = Borough mayor
| leader_name1             = [[Josiah Patkotak]]
| leader_title2            = [[Alaska Senate|State Senator]]
| leader_name2             = [[Donny Olson]] ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]])
| leader_title3            = [[Alaska House of Representatives|State Rep]]
| leader_name3             = [[Robyn Burke]] ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]])

<!-- Area  -->| area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_02.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 29, 2021}}</ref>
| area_total_sq_mi         = 21.48
| area_land_sq_mi          = 18.77
| area_water_sq_mi         = 2.71
| area_total_km2           = 55.63
| area_land_km2            = 48.61
| area_water_km2           = 7.01
| unit_pref                = Imperial
| elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft             = 10
| elevation_m              = <!-- Population -->
| population_footnotes     = 
| population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_total         = 4927
| pop_est_footnotes        = 
| pop_est_as_of            = 
| population_est           = 
| population_density_sq_mi = 262.49
| population_density_km2   = 101.35

<!-- General information -->| timezone                 = [[Alaska Time Zone|AKST]]
| utc_offset               = &minus;09:00
| timezone_DST             = AKDT
| utc_offset_DST           = &minus;08:00
| postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code              = 99723<ref name="GR7">{{cite web|url=https://tools.usps.com/go/ZipLookupAction!input.action!input.action|title=USPS - Look Up a ZIP Code|access-date=November 3, 2016|author=United States Postal Service|year=2016}} Only "Barrow AK 99723" is accepted by the U.S. Postal Service for addresses in Utqiagvik.</ref>
| area_code_type           = [[North American Numbering Plan|Area code]]
| area_code                = [[Area code 907|907]]
| blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standards|FIPS code]]
| blank_info               = 02-05200 <ref name=gnis/>
| blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS ID]]
| blank1_info              = 1398635<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|1398635}}</ref>
| website                  = {{URL|utqiagvik.us}}
| footnotes                = 
}}

'''Utqiagvik'''<ref group="upper-alpha" name="official" /> ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|ʊ|t|k|i|ˈ|ɑː|v|ᵻ|k}} {{respell|UUT|kee|AH|vik}};<ref>{{cite web|title=Barrow's new name is its old one, Utqiaġvik. Local Iñupiaq leaders hope its use heals as it teaches|url=https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/rural-alaska/2016/10/29/barrows-new-name-is-its-old-one-utqiagvik-local-inupiaq-leaders-hope-its-use-heals-as-it-teaches/|last=Demer|first=Lisa|date=October 29, 2016|website=Anchorage Daily News|access-date=December 18, 2017}}</ref> {{langx|ik|Utqiaġvik}}, {{IPA|ik|utqe.ɑʁvik|IPA}}), formerly known as '''Barrow''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|b|ær|oʊ}} {{respell|BARR|oh}}), is the borough seat and largest city of the [[North Slope Borough, Alaska|North Slope Borough]] in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Alaska]].<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |access-date=June 7, 2011 |title=Find a County |publisher=National Association of Counties |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120712220218/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |archive-date=July 12, 2012 }}</ref> Located north of the [[Arctic Circle]],<ref>{{cite video |people=[[Stephen Fry]] |date=November 16, 2008 |title=[[Stephen Fry in America]] |medium=Documentary |publisher=[[British Broadcasting Corporation]] |location=London, United Kingdom}}</ref> it is one of the [[List of northernmost settlements|northernmost cities and towns]] in the world and the [[List of extreme points of the United States|northernmost in the United States]], with nearby [[Point Barrow]] as the country's northernmost point.

Utqiagvik's population was 4,927 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], an increase from 4,212 in 2010.<ref name="2020 Census Data">{{cite web|url = https://live.laborstats.alaska.gov/cen/2020-census-data.html|title = 2020 Census Data - Cities and Census Designated Places|format = Web|publisher = State of Alaska, Department of Labor and Workforce Development|access-date = October 31, 2021}}</ref> It is the [[List of cities in Alaska|12th-most populated city]] in Alaska.

==Name==
[[File:Welcome to Barrow, Alaska.jpg|thumb|left|English (Welcome to Barrow) and [[Inupiat language|Iñupiaq]] ({{Lang|ik|Paġlagivsigiñ Utqiaġvigmun}}) (2004)]]
The location has been home to the [[Iñupiat]], an indigenous [[Inuit]] ethnic group, for more than 1,500 years. The city's [[Iñupiaq]] name refers to a place for gathering wild roots. It is derived from the [[Inupiat language|Iñupiat]] word {{lang|ik|utqiq|italic=yes}}, also used for ''[[Claytonia tuberosa]]'' ("[[Eskimo potato]]").<ref>Demer, Lisa (October 29, 2016). [https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/rural-alaska/2016/10/29/barrows-new-name-is-its-old-one-utqiagvik-local-inupiaq-leaders-hope-its-use-heals-as-it-teaches "Barrow's new name is its old one, Utqiagvik. Local Iñupiaq leaders hope its use heals as it teaches."] ''Alaska Dispatch News''.</ref> The name was first recorded by European explorers in 1853 as "Ot-ki-a-wing" by Commander [[Rochfort Maguire]], Royal Navy.<ref>(Great Britain, 1854, map facing p. 186).</ref> John Simpson's native map dated 1855 has the name "Otkiawik", which was later misprinted on a British Admiralty chart as "Otkiovik."<ref>{{cite web | url=https://geonames.usgs.gov/apex/f?p=138:3:0::NO::P3_FID,P3_TITLE:1398635,Utqiag%CC%87vik | title=GNIS Detail - Utqiaġvik }}{{Dead link|date=July 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

The former name Barrow was derived from [[Point Barrow]] and was originally a general designation because non-native Alaskan residents found it easier to pronounce than the Inupiat name. Point Barrow was named after [[Sir John Barrow, 1st Baronet|Sir John Barrow]] of the British Admiralty by explorer [[Frederick William Beechey]] in 1825.  A U.S. post office was established in 1901, which helped the name "Barrow" to become dominant.

Following a [[referendum]] approved by residents on October 6, 2016, the city's name was formally [[list of renamed places in the United States|changed]] from Barrow to Utqiaġvik on December 1, 2016.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/rural-alaska/2016/10/13/barrow-voters-support-name-change-to-utqiagvik/|title=Barrow voters support name change to 'Utqiaġvik'|work=Alaska Dispatch News|access-date=October 14, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ktuu.com/content/news/Barrow-voters-narrowly-approve-ordinance-to-rename-city-to-Utqiagvik-396998551.html|title=Barrow voters narrowly approve ordinance to rename city|work=KTUU|last1=Mackintosh|first1=Cameron|access-date=October 14, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/oct/16/alaskan-city-votes-to-take-traditional-inupiat-eskimo-name|title=Alaskan City Votes to Take Traditional Iñupiat Eskimo Name|date=October 16, 2016|newspaper=The Guardian|agency=Associated Press|access-date=October 16, 2016}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/12/01/503979353/barrow-alaska-changes-its-name-back-to-its-original-utqiagvik|title=Barrow, Alaska, Changes Its Name Back To Its Original 'Utqiaġvik'|newspaper=NPR.org|access-date=December 2, 2016}}</ref> City Council member Qaiyaan Harcharek said the name change supports the use of the Iñupiaq language and is part of a [[decolonization]] process.<ref name="walker">{{cite web |url=http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2016/11/01/barrow-alaska-closer-getting-its-inupiat-name-back-166301 |first= Richard |last=Walker |title=Barrow, Alaska, Closer to Getting Its Inupiat Name Back |newspaper=Indian Country Today |date=November 1, 2016 |access-date=November 1, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161114133251/http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2016/11/01/barrow-alaska-closer-getting-its-inupiat-name-back-166301 |archive-date=November 14, 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Another recorded Iñupiaq name is '''{{lang|ik|Ukpiaġvik|italic=no}}''' ({{IPA|ik|ukpi.ɑʁvik|IPA}}), which comes from {{lang|ik|ukpik|italic=yes}} "[[snowy owl]]" and is translated as "the place where snowy owls are hunted". A spelling variant of this name was adopted by the [[Ukpeaġvik Iñupiat Corporation]] when it was established in 1973.

==History==
[[File:ukpeagvik mounds.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|The Ukpeakvik mounds are the site of ancient [[sod house]]s in Utqiagvik]]

===Prehistory to the 20th century===

[[Archaeological]] sites in the area indicate the Iñupiat lived around Utqiagvik as far back as 500 AD. Remains of 16 sod dwelling [[mound builder (people)|mounds]], from the [[Birnirk culture]] of about 800 AD, can be seen on the shore of the Arctic Ocean. Located on a slight rise above the high-water mark, they risk being lost to erosion.

Bill Streever, who chairs the [[Alaska North Slope|North Slope]] Science Initiative's Science Technical Advisory Panel, wrote in his 2009 book ''Cold: Adventures in the World's Frozen Places'':

{{blockquote|Barrow, like most communities in Alaska, looks temporary, like a pioneer settlement. It is not. Barrow is among the oldest permanent settlements in the United States. Hundreds of years before the European Arctic explorers showed up... Barrow was more or less where it is now, a natural hunting place at the base of a peninsula that pokes out into the [[Beaufort Sea]]... Yankee whalers sailed here, learning about the [[bowhead whale]] from Iñupiat hunters... Later, the military came, setting up a radar station, and in 1947 [[Iḷisaġvik College|a science center]] was founded at Barrow.<ref>{{cite book |last= Streever |first= Bill |title= Cold: Adventures in the World's Frozen Places |url= https://archive.org/details/coldadventuresin00stre |url-access= registration |location= New York |publisher= Little, Brown and Company |year= 2009 |pages= [https://archive.org/details/coldadventuresin00stre/page/154 154–155]|isbn= 9780316042918 }}</ref>}}

[[File:Whalebone_arch_in_Utqiagvik_Alaska.png|thumb|Whalebone arch in Utquiagvik. Whales were a [[subsistence]] resource in the region,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.encountersalaska.com/bowhead-whaling |title=Bowhead whaling in northwest alaska |date=2017 |access-date=July 9, 2024}}</ref> and whalers would return to this arch near the waterfront when returning from hunts.]]
British [[Royal Navy]] officers came to the area to explore and map the [[Arctic]] coastline of North America. The US acquired Alaska in 1867 by purchasing it from Russia. The [[United States Army]] established a meteorological and magnetic research station at Utqiagvik in 1881.<ref>{{cite web |title=Barrow Arctic Research Center/ Environmental Observatory: History and Facilities |url=https://eu-interact.org/field-sites/barrow-arctic-research-centerenvironmental-observatory/ |website=Barrow Arctic Research Center/ Environmental Observatory |access-date=February 20, 2019}}</ref>

In 1888, a [[Presbyterianism|Presbyterian]] church was built by United States missionaries at Utqiagvik. The church is still in use today. In 1889, a [[Point Barrow Refuge Station|whaling supply and rescue station]] was built. It is the oldest wood-frame building in Utqiagvik and is listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]]. The rescue station was converted in 1896 for use as the retail Cape Smythe Whaling and Trading Station. In the late 20th century, the building was used as Brower's Cafe.

===20th century to the present===
A [[United States Postal Service|United States Post Office]] was opened in 1901.
[[File:Rogers-Post Memorial at Barrow, Alaska.jpg|left|thumb|Will Rogers–Wiley Post Memorial|upright]]
[[File:Inupiat child at Point Barrow, Alaska circa 1960s.jpg|thumb|Iñupiaq child at [[Point Barrow]] c. 1960s|upright]]
In 1935, famous humorist [[Will Rogers]] and pilot [[Wiley Post]] made an unplanned stop at Walakpa Bay, {{convert|15|mi|abbr=on}} south of Utqiagvik, en route to the city. As they took off again, their plane [[Stall (flight)|stalled]] and plunged into a river, killing them both. Two memorials have been erected at the location, now called the [[Rogers–Post Site]]. Another memorial is located in Utqiagvik, where the airport was renamed the [[Wiley Post–Will Rogers Memorial Airport]] in their honor.<ref>[http://www.cityofbarrow.org/content/view/5/13/] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20111006153935/http://www.cityofbarrow.org/content/view/5/13/|date=October 6, 2011}}</ref>

In 1940, the Indigenous Iñupiat organized as the Native Village of Barrow Iñupiat Traditional Government (previously, Native Village of Barrow), a federally recognized Alaska Native Iñupiat "tribal entity" as listed by the US [[Bureau of Indian Affairs]] around 2003. They wrote a constitution and by-laws under the provisions of the [[Indian Reorganization Act]] (IRA) of 1934. An IRA corporation was also created.

Utqiagvik was incorporated as a first-class city under the name Barrow in 1958. Natural gas lines were brought to the town in 1965, eliminating the need for traditional heating sources such as whale blubber.<ref name=burks>{{cite news | url = https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1971/12/13/90706241.html?pageNumber=50| title = Her Court Is on Arctic Shores, Her Cause Is Eskimos' Rights | date = December 13, 1971 | first = Edward C. | last = Burks | page = 50 | newspaper = New York Times | access-date = May 3, 2020 }}</ref>

[[The Barrow Duck-In]] was a civil disobedience event that occurred in the spring of 1961.<ref>{{Cite web|title="ANCSA paved the way for Alaska Natives, state to prosper together".|url=https://www.alaskajournal.com/community/2010-10-14/ancsa-paved-way-alaska-natives-state-prosper-together|access-date=October 14, 2020|website=Alaska Journal|date=October 13, 2010}}</ref> During the Duck-in, the Iñupiat protested a federal hunting ban on ducks, which threatened their livelihood and access to food security.

The residents of the North Slope were the only Native people to vote on the acceptance of the [[Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act]]; they rejected it. The Act was passed in December 1971 and, despite their opposition, became law. The [[Ukpeaġvik Iñupiat Corporation]] is a for-profit village corporation established under the Act.

In 1972, the [[North Slope Borough, Alaska|North Slope Borough]] was established. The borough has built sanitation facilities, water and electrical utilities, roads, and fire departments, and has established health and educational services in Utqiagvik and the villages of the [[Alaska North Slope|North Slope]] with millions of dollars in new revenues from the settlement and later oil revenues.

In 1986, the North Slope Borough created the North Slope Higher Education Center. Renamed [[Iḷisaġvik College]], it is an accredited two-year college providing education based on the Iñupiat culture and the needs of the North Slope Borough.

The Tuzzy Consortium Library, in the [[Inupiat Heritage Center|Iñupiat Heritage Center]], serves the communities of the North Slope Borough and functions as the academic library for Iḷisaġvik College. It was named after Evelyn Tuzroyluk Higbee, an influential community leader.
[[File:Traditional Clothing at Iñupiat Heritage Center in Barrow.jpg|thumb|left|Traditional clothing at Iñupiat Heritage Center in Utqiagvik]]

Utqiagvik, like many communities in Alaska, has enacted a [[dry county|"damp" law]] prohibiting the sale of alcoholic beverages. However, the import, possession, and consumption of such beverages are still allowed.<ref name=comdata/>

In 1988, Utqiagvik became the center of worldwide media attention when three California [[gray whale]]s became trapped in the ice offshore.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/10/18/us/unlikely-allies-rush-to-free-3-whales.html | title= Unlikely Allies Rush to Free 3 Whales | date=October 18, 1988 | website=New York Times |last=Mauer|first=Richard |access-date=June 12, 2008}}</ref> After a two-week rescue effort ([[Operation Breakthrough]]), a Soviet icebreaker freed two of the whales.<ref name="ANDwhales">{{cite web|url=http://www.adn.com/242/story/786008.html |title=Whales Break Free |last=Mauer |first=Richard |date=October 29, 1988 |website=Anchorage Daily News |access-date=January 7, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090621184932/http://www.adn.com/242/story/786008.html |archive-date=June 21, 2009 }}</ref> Journalist [[Tom Rose]] details the rescue, and the media frenzy that accompanied it, in his 1989 book ''Freeing The Whales''.<ref name="booksite">{{cite web|url=http://www.highnorth.no/Library/MediaWatch/fr-th-wh.htm|title=Freeing The Whales - How the Media Created the World's Greatest Non-Event|last=Rose|first=TOM|access-date=January 7, 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100121072624/http://www.highnorth.no/Library/MediaWatch/fr-th-wh.htm| archive-date= January 21, 2010 | url-status=live}}</ref> The movie ''[[Big Miracle]]'' is based on the rescue and was released on February 3, 2012.<ref name="ADNmovie">{{cite web|url=http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/newsreader/story/786889.html |title=May 7: Barrow whale rescue movie… |last=Dent |first=Mark |date=May 7, 2009 |website=Anchorage Daily News |access-date=January 7, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090510152638/http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/newsreader/story/786889.html |archive-date=May 10, 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=''Everybody Loves Whales''|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1430615/ |publisher=IMDb.com|access-date=October 28, 2015}}</ref>

==Geography==
[[File:Barrow Milepost.jpg|thumb|Utqiagvik Milepost]]
[[File:Barrow AK.jpg|thumb|Aerial photograph of Utqiagvik]]
Utqiagvik is roughly {{Convert|1300|mi|abbr=on}} south of the [[North Pole]]. Only 2.6% of the Earth's surface lies as far or farther from the equator as Utqiagvik.<ref>Area of a [[spherical cap]]: <math>S = 2 \pi r h = 2 \pi r^2 (1-\sin \phi)</math>, where <math>\phi</math> is latitude, <math>h</math> if height of the cap, and <math>r</math> is radius of the sphere. Ratio of this area to area of all the sphere is <math>(1-\sin \phi) / 2</math>.</ref>

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|21|sqmi|abbr=on}}, of which {{Convert|3|sqmi|abbr=on}} are covered by water (14% of the total area). The predominant land type in Utqiagvik is [[tundra]], which is formed over a [[permafrost]] layer that is as deep as {{Convert|1300|ft|abbr=on}}.<ref name=2doe>{{cite web|title=Technology status assessment|url=http://www.netl.doe.gov/technologies/oil-gas/publications/Hydrates/reports/MH42962_TechStatAssess.pdf|publisher=Netl.doe.gov|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927171827/http://www.netl.doe.gov/technologies/oil-gas/publications/Hydrates/reports/MH42962_TechStatAssess.pdf|archive-date=September 27, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Utqiagvik is surrounded by the [[National Petroleum Reserve–Alaska]].

The city of Utqiagvik has three sections, which can be classified as south, central, and north.  They are known to residents as Utqiagvik, Browerville, and NARL, respectively.

* The southernmost section, known historically as the "Barrow side", is the oldest and second-largest of the three; it serves as downtown. This area includes [[Wiley Post–Will Rogers Memorial Airport]], [[Barrow High School]], [[North Slope Borough School District]], and Fred Ipalook Elementary School, as well as restaurants, hotels, the police station, the Utqiagvik City Hall, a [[Wells Fargo]] bank branch, and numerous houses.
{{Anchor|Browerville}}
* The central section is the largest of the three and is called Browerville. This has traditionally been a residential area for the City of Utqiagvik, but many businesses have opened or moved into this area in recent years. Browerville is separated from the south section by a series of lagoons, with two connecting dirt roads. In addition to houses, this area includes [[Tuzzy Consortium Library]], the US Post Office, Eben Hopson Middle School, Samuel Simmonds Memorial Hospital, the [[Iñupiat Heritage Center]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nps.gov/inup/index.htm |title=Iñupiat Heritage Center |publisher=US National Park Service |date=January 5, 2015 |access-date=October 28, 2015}}</ref> two grocery stores, one hotel, and two restaurants.
* The north section, the smallest and most isolated of the three, is known to residents as NARL because it was originally the site of the [[Naval Arctic Research Laboratory|Naval Arctic Research Lab (NARL)]]. It is only connected to the central section by Stevenson Street, a two-lane dirt road. The federal government transferred the NARL facility to the North Slope Borough, which adopted it as [[Iḷisaġvik College]]. This area also includes a small broadcasting station, run by the college students.<ref name="Home">{{cite web |url=http://www.cityofbarrow.org |title=Home |publisher=Cityofbarrow.org |date=April 3, 2015 |access-date=October 28, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110101095049/http://www.cityofbarrow.org/ |archive-date=January 1, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

An ancient {{convert|8|km|order=flip|abbr=on}}-sized crater, [[Avak crater|Avak]], is situated near Utqiagvik.

===Climate===
[[File:Barrow-icebow.jpg|thumb|Probable [[Fog bow|fogbow]] in Utqiagvik]]
[[File:Arctic Shore at Barrow Alaska.jpg|thumb|Homes along the Arctic Ocean in Utqiagvik]]
[[File:NOAA-barrow-ice.jpg|thumb|400px|left|Utqiagvik sea ice, July 2006, 2007]]

Owing to its location {{convert|330|mi|abbr=on}}<!-- source? --> north of the [[Arctic Circle]], Utqiagvik's climate is cold and dry, classified as a [[Tundra#Climatic classification|tundra climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''ET''). Winter weather can be hazardous because of the combination of cold and wind, while summers are cool even at their warmest. Weather observation records are available for Utqiagvik, dating back to the late 19th century. The [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] (NOAA) Climate Monitoring Lab operates in Utqiagvik. The [[United States Department of Energy]] has a climate observation site in Utqiagvik as part of its [[Atmospheric Radiation Measurement]] Climate Research Facility.

Despite the extreme northern location, temperatures at Utqiagvik are moderated by the surrounding [[topography]]. The [[Arctic Ocean]] is on three sides, and flat tundra stretches some {{Convert|200|mi|abbr=on}} to the south. No wind barriers or protected valleys exist where dense cold air can settle or form [[Inversion (meteorology)|temperature inversions]] in the lower atmosphere, as commonly happens in the interior between the [[Brooks Range|Brooks]] and the [[Alaska Range|Alaska]] ranges.<ref name=3fgi>{{cite web|title=Summary about Barrow NWS Station |url=http://climate.gi.alaska.edu/Stations/Arctic/Barrow.html |publisher=Climate.gi.alaska.edu |access-date=October 28, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130119021827/http://climate.gi.alaska.edu/Stations/Arctic/Barrow.html |archive-date=January 19, 2013 }}</ref>

Utqiagvik has the lowest average temperatures of cities in Alaska. Although Utqiagvik rarely records the lowest temperatures statewide during cold waves, extremely low [[wind chill]] and [[Whiteout (weather)|"white out"]] conditions from [[blowing snow]] are prevalent. Temperatures remain below freezing (32&nbsp;°F or 0&nbsp;°C) from early October through late May, and below {{convert|0|F}} from December through March.

The high temperature reaches or tops the freezing point on an average of only 136 days per year, and 92 days have a maximum at or below {{convert|0|F}}.<ref name=4wxd>{{cite web |url = https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=afg |title = NOWData – NOAA Online Weather Data |publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] |access-date = March 14, 2022}}</ref> Freezing temperatures and snowfall can occur during any month of the year.<ref name=3fgi/>

As of 2023, Utqiagvik falls within [[United States Department of Agriculture|USDA]] [[Hardiness zone|Hardiness Zone]] 2B.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map {{!}} USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map |url=https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/ |access-date=2025-01-25 |website=planthardiness.ars.usda.gov}}</ref>

Regarding precipitation, Utqiagvik has a desert climate and averages less than {{convert|6|in|abbr=on}} "rainfall equivalent" per year. One inch of rain has an estimated water content equal to {{Convert|12|in|cm|abbr=on}} of snow. According to 1981−2010 normals, this includes {{convert|37|in|cm|abbr=on}} of snow,<ref name=comdata>{{cite web
 |title=State of Alaska Community Database Online 
 |url=http://www.dced.state.ak.us/dca/commdb/CF_BLOCK.htm 
 |publisher=Dced.state.ak.us 
 |access-date=October 28, 2015 |url-status=dead 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130106214458/http://www.dced.state.ak.us/dca/commdb/CF_BLOCK.htm
 |archive-date=January 6, 2013
}}</ref><ref name=noaa2>{{cite web
 |title=Coastal Pilot 9, 25th Edition, 2007 
 |publisher=NOAA 
 |url=http://chartmaker.ncd.noaa.gov/NSD/Cp9/CP9-25ed-Ch09_9.pdf 
 |url-status=dead 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080229053400/http://chartmaker.ncd.noaa.gov/NSD/Cp9/CP9-25ed-Ch09_9.pdf 
 |archive-date=February 29, 2008 }}</ref> compared to {{convert|99|in|cm|abbr=on}} for [[Kuujjuaq]] in [[Nunavik]], [[Quebec]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://climate.weatheroffice.gc.ca/climate_normals/results_e.html?stnID=6095&prov=&lang=e&dCode=1&dispBack=1&StationName=kuujjuaq&SearchType=Contains&province=ALL&provBut=&month1=0&month2=12 |title=Canadian Climate Normals 1971-2000 Station Data |publisher=Climate.weatheroffice.gc.ca |date=September 22, 2015 |access-date=October 28, 2015}}</ref> or {{Convert|87|in|cm|abbr=on}} and {{Convert|69|in|cm|abbr=on}} for much warmer [[Juneau, Alaska|Juneau]] and [[Kodiak, Alaska]], respectively. Even [[Sable Island]], at around 44 degrees latitude and under the influence of the [[Gulf Stream]], received {{Convert|44|in|cm|abbr=on}}, or 20 percent more snowfall than Utqiagvik. Snowfall in Utqiagvik has increased in recent years, with an average annual snowfall of {{convert|46|in|cm|abbr=on}} according to the more recent 1991&ndash;2020 normals.<ref name=4wxd/>

The annual first snow (defined as snow that will not melt until the next spring) generally falls during the first week of October, when temperatures cease to rise above freezing during the day. October is usually the month with the heaviest snowfall, with measurable amounts occurring on over half the days and a 1991−2020 normal total accumulation of {{convert|10.3|in|cm|abbr=on}}.<ref name=4wxd/> Sunlight is around 6 hours per day by the end of October.

When the sun sets on November 18, it stays below the horizon until January 23, resulting in a [[polar night]] that lasts about 66 days.<ref name=Night>{{cite news |last1=Cappucci |first1=Matthew |title='Polar night' arrives in Utqiagvik, Alaska, bringing 66 days of darkness |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2020/11/18/polar-night-utqiagvik-darkness/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=November 19, 2020}}</ref> When the polar night starts, about 6 hours of civil twilight occur, with the amount decreasing each day during the first half of the polar night. On the [[winter solstice]] (around December 21 or December 22), civil twilight in Utqiagvik lasts 3 hours.<ref name=4wxd/><ref name=5day>{{cite web|title=Daylight and darkness|url=http://www.alaska.com/about/weather/story/4481284p-4773632c.html|publisher=Alaska.com|access-date=October 28, 2015|archive-date=October 22, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081022032120/http://www.alaska.com/about/weather/story/4481284p-4773632c.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> After this, the amount of civil twilight increases each day to around 6 hours at the end of the polar night.

Particularly cold weather usually begins in January, and February is generally the coldest month, averaging {{convert|-11.9|F}}. By March 1, the sun is up for 9 hours, and temperatures begin to warm, although winds are usually higher. Starting on March 23, astronomical night ceases to occur, with only daylight and twilight until the start of the midnight sun in May. This is also true from the end of the midnight sun at the beginning of August until September 22. April brings less extreme temperatures, with an average of {{convert|4.0|F}}, and on April 1, the sun is up for more than 14 hours. By May 1, the sun is up for 19 hours, and by May 10 or 11 (depending on the year's relationship to the nearest leap year), the sun stays above the horizon for the entire day. This phenomenon is known as the [[midnight sun]]. The sun does not set for 83 days, until August 1 or 2 (again, depending on the year's relationship to the nearest leap year).<ref name=Night/> In May, temperatures are much warmer, averaging {{convert|22.7|F}}. On June 6, the daily mean temperature rises above freezing, and the normal daily mean temperature remains above freezing until September 21<!--Daily normals-->.<ref name=4wxd/>

[[File:Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020) - Barrow Area, AK(ThreadEx).svg|thumb|right|Climate chart for Utqiagvik]]
July is the year's warmest month, with an average temperature of {{Convert|41.7|F}}. Beginning in mid-July, the Arctic Ocean is relatively ice-free until late October.<ref name=4wxd/> The highest temperature recorded in Utqiagvik was {{Convert|79|F}} on July 13, 1993, while the lowest was {{convert|−56|F}} on February 3, 1924; the highest minimum was {{Convert|56|F}} on August 5, 2023, while the lowest maximum was {{Convert|−47|F}} on January 3, 1975.<ref name=4wxd/><ref name=5day/><ref name=6sun>{{cite web
| title = NOAA Sunset/Sunrise
| url = http://www.nws.noaa.gov/climate/astronomical.php?wfo=pafg
}}
</ref> On average, during the 1991 to 2020 reference period, the coldest winter maximum was {{convert|-29|F|C}} and the warmest summer minimum was {{convert|47|F|C}}.<ref name=4wxd/> Utqiagvik records an average 26 days per year where the high reaches at least {{convert|50|F}}.<ref name=4wxd/> Temperatures above {{convert|60|F}} are rare but have been recorded in most years. Even in July and August, the low falls to or below the freezing mark on an average of 18 days.<ref name= 4wxd/>

In addition to its low temperatures and polar night, Utqiagvik is one of the cloudiest places on Earth. Owing to the prevailing easterly winds off the Arctic Ocean, it is completely overcast slightly more than 50% of the year. It is at least 70% overcast around 62% of the time. Cloud types are mainly low [[Stratus cloud|stratus]] and fog; [[Cumulus cloud|cumuli]] forms are rare. Peak cloudiness occurs in August and September when the ocean is ice-free. Dense fog occurs an average of 65 days yearly, mostly in summer. [[Ice fog]] is very common during the winter months, especially when the temperature drops below {{Convert|-30|F}}.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Maykut|first1=Gary A.|last2=Church|first2=Phil E.|title=Journal of Applied Meteorology|publisher=Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Washington|year=1973|pages=620–621}}</ref>

Wind speed variation during the year is limited, with the fall days being windiest. Extreme winds from {{convert|40|to|60|mph|abbr=on}} have been recorded every month.<ref name=3fgi/> Winds average {{convert|12|mph|abbr=on}} and are typically from the east.<ref name=comdata/><ref name=noaa2/>

{{Weather box
|location = Utqiagvik, Alaska ([[Wiley Post–Will Rogers Memorial Airport]], 1991&ndash;2020 normals,{{efn|Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e., the highest and lowest temperature readings during an entire month or year) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.}} extremes 1901–present)
|single line = Y
|Jan record high F = 36
|Feb record high F = 36
|Mar record high F = 34
|Apr record high F = 42
|May record high F = 47
|Jun record high F = 73
|Jul record high F = 79
|Aug record high F = 76
|Sep record high F = 62
|Oct record high F = 44
|Nov record high F = 39
|Dec record high F = 40
|Jan avg record high F = 19.4
|Feb avg record high F = 17.3
|Mar avg record high F = 17.2
|Apr avg record high F = 28.1
|May avg record high F = 38.2
|Jun avg record high F = 59.5
|Jul avg record high F = 65.2
|Aug avg record high F = 60.6
|Sep avg record high F = 51.1
|Oct avg record high F = 35.6
|Nov avg record high F = 28.9
|Dec avg record high F = 20.3
|year avg record high F= 67.2
|Jan high F = -5.2
|Feb high F = -5.5
|Mar high F = -3.8
|Apr high F = 10.6
|May high F = 26.9
|Jun high F = 40.9
|Jul high F = 47.7
|Aug high F = 44.5
|Sep high F = 37.1
|Oct high F = 25.6
|Nov high F = 11.5
|Dec high F = -0.4
|year high F = 19.2
|Jan mean F = -11.5
|Feb mean F = -11.9
|Mar mean F = -10.5
|Apr mean F = 4.0
|May mean F = 22.7
|Jun mean F = 36.0
|Jul mean F = 41.7
|Aug mean F = 39.8
|Sep mean F = 33.7
|Oct mean F = 21.2
|Nov mean F = 5.7
|Dec mean F = -6.3
|year mean F = 13.7
|Jan low F = -17.8
|Feb low F = -18.3
|Mar low F = -17.2
|Apr low F = -2.5
|May low F = 18.5
|Jun low F = 31.1
|Jul low F = 35.6
|Aug low F = 35.1
|Sep low F = 30.3
|Oct low F = 16.8
|Nov low F = -0.1
|Dec low F = -12.2
|year low F = 8.3 
|Jan avg record low F = -37.8
|Feb avg record low F = -39.1
|Mar avg record low F = -36.1
|Apr avg record low F = -22.6
|May avg record low F = 0.1
|Jun avg record low F = 23.7
|Jul avg record low F = 29.7
|Aug avg record low F = 28.7
|Sep avg record low F = 20.2
|Oct avg record low F = -5.0
|Nov avg record low F = -19.9
|Dec avg record low F = -31.5
|year avg record low F= -42.7
|Jan record low F = -53
|Feb record low F = -56
|Mar record low F = -52
|Apr record low F = -42
|May record low F = -19
|Jun record low F = 4
|Jul record low F = 22
|Aug record low F = 20
|Sep record low F = 1
|Oct record low F = -32
|Nov record low F = -40
|Dec record low F = -55
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 0.14
|Feb precipitation inch = 0.21
|Mar precipitation inch = 0.18
|Apr precipitation inch = 0.18
|May precipitation inch = 0.28
|Jun precipitation inch = 0.43
|Jul precipitation inch = 0.98
|Aug precipitation inch = 1.09
|Sep precipitation inch = 0.77
|Oct precipitation inch = 0.54
|Nov precipitation inch = 0.37
|Dec precipitation inch = 0.22
|year precipitation inch = 5.39

|Jul snow inch = 0.2
|Aug snow inch = 0.8
|Sep snow inch = 4.1
|Oct snow inch = 10.3
|Nov snow inch = 7.8
|Dec snow inch = 5.0
|Jan snow inch = 3.5
|Feb snow inch = 3.5
|Mar snow inch = 2.9
|Apr snow inch = 3.6
|May snow inch = 3.4
|Jun snow inch = 0.7
|year snow inch = 45.8
|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
|Jan precipitation days = 4.8
|Feb precipitation days = 5.5
|Mar precipitation days = 5.1
|Apr precipitation days = 5.3
|May precipitation days = 6.3
|Jun precipitation days = 6.3
|Jul precipitation days = 9.7
|Aug precipitation days = 11.5
|Sep precipitation days = 13.6
|Oct precipitation days = 13.5
|Nov precipitation days = 9.7
|Dec precipitation days = 6.7
|year precipitation days = 98.0
|precip days colour =
|unit snow days = 0.1 in
|Jul snow days = 0.6
|Aug snow days = 2.1
|Sep snow days = 8.3
|Oct snow days = 17.0
|Nov snow days = 13.8
|Dec snow days = 10.0
|Jan snow days = 7.5
|Feb snow days = 7.8
|Mar snow days = 7.1
|Apr snow days = 8.4
|May snow days = 7.7
|Jun snow days = 2.0
|year snow days = 92.3
|humidity colour = green
|Jan humidity = 72.7
|Feb humidity = 70.0
|Mar humidity = 70.9
|Apr humidity = 76.8
|May humidity = 87.0
|Jun humidity = 88.5
|Jul humidity = 87.9
|Aug humidity = 91.1
|Sep humidity = 90.6
|Oct humidity = 85.6
|Nov humidity = 79.4
|Dec humidity = 74.0
|year humidity = 81.2
|Jan dew point C = -28.6
|Feb dew point C = -31.4
|Mar dew point C = -29.9
|Apr dew point C = -21.8
|May dew point C = -8.7
|Jun dew point C = -0.7
|Jul dew point C = 2.0
|Aug dew point C = 1.8
|Sep dew point C = -2.3
|Oct dew point C = -12.1
|Nov dew point C = -21.5
|Dec dew point C = -27.5
|source 1 = NOAA (relative humidity and dew point 1961–1990)<ref name= 4wxd /><ref name="NCEI Summary of Monthly Normals - 1991-2020">{{cite web
|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USW00027502&format=pdf 
|title = Summary of Monthly Normals 1991–2020 
|publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] 
|access-date = March 14, 2022
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230809121547/https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USW00027502&format=pdf
|archive-date = August 9, 2023}}</ref><ref name="NCDC txt PABR">{{cite web 
|url = ftp://ftp.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/normals/1991-2020/products/station/USW00027502.normals.txt 
|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
|title = Station Name: AK BARROW POST ROGERS AP 
|access-date = September 11, 2016}}</ref><ref name="WMO 1961−90 PABR">{{cite web 
|url = ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG_IV/US/GROUP1/70026.TXT 
|title = WMO Climate Normals for BARROW/W. POST W. ROGERS, AK 1961&ndash;1990 
|access-date = September 1, 2020 
|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230620102226/ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG_IV/US/GROUP1/70026.TXT
|archive-date = June 20, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
|url = https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/attachments/CCD-2018.pdf
|title = Comparative Climatic Data For the United States Through 2018
|publisher = NOAA
|access-date = July 28, 2020
|archive-date = September 19, 2020
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200919104105/https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/attachments/CCD-2018.pdf
|url-status = dead}}</ref>
}}<section end="weather box" />

====Consequences of global warming====
The Arctic region is warming at a rate that is three times the global average,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stancil |first=Kenny |date=May 21, 2021 |title=Arctic warming three times faster than average rate of the planet, study finds |url=https://www.peoplesworld.org/article/arctic-warming-three-times-faster-than-average-rate-of-planet-study-finds/ |access-date=2024-04-18 |website=People's World}}</ref> forcing major adjustments to life on the North Slope with regard to hunting and whaling practices over the prior millennium, as well as to habitation. Thinner sea ice endangers the landing of [[bowhead whale]] strikes on offshore ice by springtime whalers. Caribou habitat is also affected while thawing soil threatens homes and municipal and commercial structures. The city's infrastructure is endangered, particularly water, sanitation, power, and road stability. The shoreline is rapidly eroding and has been encroaching on buildings for decades. According to Dr. Harold Wanless of the [[University of Miami]], an anticipated rise in sea level and consequent global warming is inevitable, meaning the existence of Utqiagvik at its current location is doomed in the relative geological short term.<ref>[https://www.hcn.org/issues/52.7/indigenous-affairs-climate-change-what-choice-do-we-have As the Arctic warms, the Inupiat adapt], ''[[High Country News]]'', Jenna Kunze, July 31, 2020. Retrieved August 3, 2020.</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Jamail |first=Dahr |date=January 2019 |title=The End of Ice: Bearing Witness and Finding Meaning in the Path of Climate Disruption |location=New York|publisher=The New Press |pages=181–206, 115–131 |isbn=978-1-62097-234-2 }}</ref> Smoothed data from NOAA show<!-- dat is plural --> that Utqiagvik has warmed by more than {{convert|11|F-change|abbr=on}} since 1976.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://climate.gi.alaska.edu/ClimTrends/Change/TempChange.html|title=Temperature Changes in Alaska &#124; Alaska Climate Research Center|access-date=November 1, 2020|archive-date=July 18, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718101916/http://climate.gi.alaska.edu/ClimTrends/Change/TempChange.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> On December 5, 2022, Utqiagvik broke its previous record for the warmest winter temperature, hitting {{convert|40|F|C|abbr=on}}.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1880= 225
|1890= 246
|1900= 314
|1910= 446
|1920= 322
|1930= 330
|1940= 363
|1950= 951
|1960= 1314
|1970= 2104
|1980= 2207
|1990= 3469
|2000= 4581
|2010= 4212
|2020= 4927
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/prod/www/decennial.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|accessdate=June 4, 2016}}</ref>
}}
The town first appeared in census records in the 1880 U.S. Census as the unincorporated Inuit village of "Ootiwakh".<ref>{{cite web | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Rr9RAQAAMAAJ&q=barrow&pg=PA49 | title=Geological Survey Professional Paper| year=1949}}</ref> All 225 of its residents were Inuit.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1880a_v1-17.pdf |title=Census data |website=www2.census.gov |access-date=September 6, 2019}}</ref> In 1890, the community and area were returned as the "Cape Smythe Settlements", which included the refuge and whaling stations, Pengnok, Utkeavie, Kugaru (Inaru) River villages, four other camps, and Whaling Steamer ''Balaena''. Of the 246 residents, 189 were Natives, 46 were White, one was Asian, and 10 were other races.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1890a_v8-01.pdf |title=Census data |website=www2.census.gov |access-date=September 6, 2019}}</ref> This did not include nearby Point Barrow, which was a separate community. In 1900, the community reported again as "Cape Smythe Settlements".<ref>{{cite web |title=Statistics of Population - Populations of States and Territories by Minor Civil Divisions: 1890 and 1900 |url=http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/33405927v1ch07.pdf |page=426 |date=1900}}</ref> In 1910,<ref>{{cite web |title=Supplement for Alaska - Population, Agriculture, Manufactures, Mines, and Quarries |url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/41033927n358-359ch10.pdf |website=United States Census Bureau |date=1910}}</ref> it first reported as Barrow and did so in every successive census to 2010.<ref>{{cite web |author1=U.S. Census Bureau |title=2010 Census of Population and Housing - Alaska |url=https://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/cph-1-3.pdf |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140224134536/https://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/cph-1-3.pdf |archive-date=February 24, 2014 |date=June 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The community formally incorporated in 1959. The native name Utqiagvik was adopted in 2016 and was used in the 2020 census.

[[File:Barrow-Alaska-skyview.jpg|thumb|left|Homes built on [[piling]]s]]
[[File:Barrow household.jpg|thumb|left|A typical home in Utqiagvik]]

In the [[2010 United States Census]], 4,212 persons were reported living in the city. The city's racial makeup was 60.5% Alaskan Native, 16.2% White, 8.9% Asian, 8.1% from two or more races, 3.1% Hispanic or Latino of any race, 2.3% Pacific Islander, and 0.9% African.

In the [[United States Census|census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref> of [[2000 United States Census|2000]], 4,683 persons, 1,399 households, and 976 families were reported living in the city. The population density was {{convert|249.0|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 1,620 housing units at an average density of {{convert|88.1|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The [[Race and ethnicity in the United States Census|racial makeup]] of the city was 57.2% [[Alaska Natives|Alaska Native]], 21.8% [[White Americans|White]], 9.4% [[Asian Americans|Asian]], 1.0% [[African Americans|African American]], 1.4% [[Pacific Islands Americans|Pacific Islander]], 0.7% from [[Race and ethnicity in the United States census|other races]], 8.5% from [[Multiracial Americans|two or more races]], and 3.3% [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanics or Latinos]] of any race.

Of the 1,399 households, 56.5% had children under 18 living with them, 45.2% were married couples living together, 14.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.0% were not families.  23.0% of all households were individuals, and 1.8% had someone 65 or older living alone. The average household size was 3.35, and the average family size was 4.80.

In Utqiagvik, the age distribution was 27.7% under 18, 13.3% from 18 to 24, 31.6% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 3.4% who were 65 or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 107.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 109.5 males.

The [[median household income|median income for a household]] in the city was $63,094.09, and the median income for a family was $68,223. Males had a median income of $51,959 versus $46,382 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $22,902. About 7.7% of families and 8.6% of the population were below the [[Poverty threshold|poverty line]], including 7.2% of those under 18 and 13.1% of those 65 and older.

As of December 2022, the city's website says: "The largest city in the North Slope Borough, Utqiagvik, has 4,429 residents, of which approximately 61% are Iñupiat Eskimo."<ref name="Home"/><!-- Iñupiat are Alaska Native -->

==Economy==

Utqiagvik is the economic center of the North Slope Borough, the city's primary employer. Many businesses provide support services to oil field operations. State and federal agencies are employers. The midnight sun has attracted tourism, and arts and crafts offer some cash income. Because transporting food to the city is expensive, many residents continue relying on subsistence food sources. [[Whale]], [[Pinniped|seal]], [[polar bear]], [[walrus]], [[waterfowl]], [[Reindeer|caribou]], and [[fish]] are harvested from the coast or nearby rivers and lakes.<ref name=akdced1>{{cite web|title=State of Alaska Community Database|url=http://www.dced.state.ak.us/dca/commdb/CF_BLOCK.cfm|publisher=dced.state.ak.us|access-date=October 28, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130629032147/http://www.dced.state.ak.us/dca/commdb/CF_BLOCK.cfm|archive-date=June 29, 2013}}</ref> Utqiagvik is the headquarters of the [[Arctic Slope Regional Corporation]], one of the Alaska Native corporations set up following the [[Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act]] in 1971 to manage revenues and invest in development for their people in the region.

==Politics==
The city is the center of the North Slope borough and has been a swing city for presidential elections. A substantial number of third-party voters have resided there from time to time.

{{PresHead|place=Barrow/Utqiagvik, Alaska |source1=<ref>1960–1992: https://www.elections.alaska.gov/Core/Archive/60GENR/60genr.pdf {{lang|la|et seq.}}. 1996: https://www.elections.alaska.gov/results/96PRIM96GENR/96gsovc/sovchd37.pdf. 2000–present: https://www.elections.alaska.gov/research/statistics/. Figures do not include absentee votes but do include write-in votes for the precinct under third-party.</ref>}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|525|473|54|Alaska}}
{{PresRow|2016|Democratic|410|545|166|Alaska}}
{{PresRow|2012|Democratic|343|743|53|Alaska}}
{{PresRow|2008|Republican|597|518|36|Alaska}}<!--2004 and earlier doesn't include Browerville-->
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|535|355|34|Alaska}}
{{PresRow|2000|Republican|629|358|94|Alaska}}
{{PresRow|1996|Democratic|440|449|160|Alaska}}
{{PresRow|1992|Democratic|302|340|209|Alaska}}
{{PresRow|1988|Republican|374|311|37|Alaska}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|355|229|13|Alaska}}
{{PresRow|1980|Republican|189|157|90|Alaska}}
{{PresRow|1976|Democratic|106|280|11|Alaska}}
{{PresRow|1972|Democratic|131|306|16|Alaska}}
{{PresRow|1968|Democratic|167|269|20|Alaska}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|47|370|0|Alaska}}
{{PresFoot|1960|Democratic|140|223|0|Alaska}}

==Arts and culture==

===Special events===
[[File:Nalukataq Blanket Toss Barrow.jpg|thumb|upright|Blanket Toss during a [[Nalukataq]] in Utqiagvik]]
* ''[[Kivgiq]],'' the Messenger Feast, in more recent times, has been held almost every year, but "officially" is held every two or three years in late January or early February, at the discretion of the [[North Slope Borough, Alaska|North Slope Borough]] mayor. Kivgiq is an international event that attracts visitors from around the Arctic Circle.
* ''Piuraagiaqta,'' the Spring Festival, celebrates breaking a path in the ice for boats to hunt whales. Held in mid-April, it includes many outdoor activities.
* ''[[Nalukataq]],'' the Blanket Toss Celebration, is held on multiple days beginning in the third week of June to celebrate each successful spring whale hunt.
* July 4, [[Independence Day (United States)|Independence Day]], in Utqiagvik is time for Eskimo games, such as the [[two-foot high kick]] and [[ear pull]], with the winners going on to compete at the [[World Eskimo Indian Olympics]].
* [[Aboriginal whaling|Whaling]] generally happens during the second week of October.
* ''Qitik,'' Eskimo Games, also known as Christmas Games, are held from December 26 through January 1.

===Depictions in popular culture===
Singer-songwriter [[John Denver]] visited the town for his 1979 television special ''Alaska, The American Child''.{{citation needed|date=December 2022}}

The ABC TV special ''[[The Night They Saved Christmas]]'' was filmed here and first aired on December 13, 1984.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0087797/locations |title=The Night They Saved Christmas (1984 TV Movie) |publisher=IMDb |access-date=December 4, 2022}}</ref>

Fran Tate, a local restaurant owner, was a frequent guest by telephone on a [[Chicago]] radio program, the ''Steve and Johnnie Show'' on [[WGN (AM)|WGN]], during the 1990s. She also appeared on the ''[[Tonight Show]]'' with [[Johnny Carson]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2007-01-12-0701110434-story.html|title=Angel of the Arctic |publisher=Chicago Tribune |date= January 12, 2007|access-date=July 3, 2019}}</ref>

The town is the setting for a series of [[Horror fiction|horror]] [[comic book]]s titled ''[[30 Days of Night]]''. A commercially successful [[30 Days of Night (film)|film]], named after and based upon the comic, was released on October 19, 2007, followed by a straight-to-video [[30 Days of Night: Dark Days|sequel]] on July 23, 2010.{{citation needed|date=December 2022}}

[[Karl Pilkington]] is sent to the town in the second season of ''[[An Idiot Abroad]]''.{{citation needed|date=December 2022}}

''[[On the Ice]]'', a film released in 2011 about teenagers dealing with a tragic accidental death, was filmed entirely in the town, with locals acting in most roles.{{citation needed|date=December 2022}}

''[[Big Miracle]]'', a 2012 film starring [[Drew Barrymore]], is based on the true story of whales trapped under ice near Point Barrow and features scenes in and characters from the town.{{citation needed|date=December 2022}}

[[Stephen Fry]] visited the town and its people during the last segment of his documentary ''Stephen Fry in America''.{{citation needed|date=December 2022}}

In 2015, the [[NFL Network]] began an eight-part documentary series focusing on the Barrow High School Whalers football team.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://hiddenremote.com/2015/09/22/fall-tv-preview-nfl-network-presents-football-town-barrow-alaska/|title=NFL Network Presents 'Football Town: Barrow, Alaska'|author=Cody Schultz|access-date=May 25, 2019|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190525165530/https://hiddenremote.com/2015/09/22/fall-tv-preview-nfl-network-presents-football-town-barrow-alaska/|archive-date=May 25, 2019|date=September 22, 2015}}</ref>

In 2023, the location was chosen as the starting point for season 8 of [[Nebula (streaming service)|Nebula]] and [[YouTube]] series ''[[Jet Lag: The Game]]'', a travel competition show.<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 6, 2023 |title=Jet Lag Season 8 - Trailer |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0c2hgRtGO94 |access-date=June 26, 2023 |website=Youtube}}</ref>

==Sports==

===Football===
[[File:Barrow-Whalers-turf-field.jpg|thumb|Artificial turf field for the Barrow High School's football team]]
On August 19, 2006, the Whalers of [[Barrow High School]]<ref>[http://www.nsbsd.org/schools/bhs] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726072923/http://www.nsbsd.org/schools/bhs|date=July 26, 2011}}</ref> played the first official [[High school football|football]] game in the Arctic against [[Delta Junction, Alaska|Delta Junction]] High School.<ref>[http://www.nsbsd.org/site/index.cfm/1,51,412,html]  {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013132536/http://www.nsbsd.org/site/index.cfm/1%2C51%2C412%2Chtml|date=October 13, 2007}}</ref> Barrow High School recorded its first win two weeks later; the coaches and players celebrated the historic win by jumping into the Arctic Ocean, just {{convert|100|yd|abbr=on}} from the makeshift dirt field.

On August 17, 2007, the Whalers football team played their first game of the season on their new [[artificial turf|artificial-turf]] field. The historic game, which was attended by former [[Miami Dolphins]] player [[Larry Csonka]], was the first live Internet broadcast of a sporting event in the United States from north of the Arctic Circle.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.republicanherald.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18697246&BRD=2626&PAG=461&dept_id=529073&rfi=6 |title=Pottsville news, sports, obituaries, and shopping &#124; republicanherald.com |publisher=Republican Herald |access-date=October 28, 2015 |archive-date=March 8, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160308042304/http://republicanherald.com/site/news.cfm?brd=2626&dept_id=529073&newsid=18697246&pag=461&rfi=6 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Since the team's formation, it has gathered a record of 33–24, and most recently, the team reached the semifinal round of the Alaskan State Small School Football Championship.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.maxpreps.com/news/q3nQ5-BZHU657dXUtidCuA/alaska-high-school-football-programs-with-the-most-wins-since-2008.htm |title=Alaska high school football programs with the most wins since 2008 |publisher=MaxPreps |date=May 16, 2013 |access-date=October 28, 2015}}</ref>

In 2017, the Barrow High School football team won its first-ever state championship by beating the [[Homer High School (Alaska)|Homer Mariners]] 20–14.

===Basketball===

In 2015, the Barrow High School boys' basketball team won the Alaska Class 3A State Championship with a 50–40 victory over two-time defending state champion [[Monroe Catholic High School|Monroe Catholic]]. The Whalers' team was led by 5-star recruit [[Kamaka Hepa]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/college-sports/basketball/recruiting/player/_/id/214112/kamaka-hepa|title=Kamaka Hepa - Basketball Recruiting - Player Profiles - ESPN}}</ref> As a 6'7" freshman he was regarded as one of the top basketball recruits in the country. He was ranked as the #68 basketball recruit in the country by [[ESPN]] for the class of 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/college-sports/basketball/recruiting/playerrankings/_/class/2018/view/super60/sort/rank/order/true|title=ESPN Basketball Recruiting - Super 60 Player Rankings}}</ref> Hepa transferred to Jefferson High School in Portland, Oregon, for his junior year. By October 2017, at 6'8" tall, he had committed to go to the [[University of Texas]].<ref>[http://www.oregonlive.com/recruiting/index.ssf/2017/10/kamaka_hepa_jefferson_4-star_p_1.html Kamaka Hepa, Jefferson 4-star PF, commits to Texas Longhorns], ''[[Oregon Live]]'', October 31, 2017. Retrieved December 16, 2017.</ref>

The Whalers' boys' basketball team finished the 2014–2015 season with a 24–3 record, the highest win percentage in school history. Guard Travis Adams was a standout as well. Coach Jeremy Arnhart's teams won 186 games in 10 seasons.<ref>[http://www.asaa365.com/news_article/show/628893?referrer_id=1044915 Basketball fans come to watch Hepa, but leave talking about Adams as well], ''ASAA365'', Van Williams, March 23, 2016. Retrieved November 20, 2016.</ref> In 2015, the Barrow High School girls' team also easily won the ACS tournament.<ref>[https://www.adn.com/sports/article/valdez-girls-kotzebue-boys-claim-4th-place-acs-tourney/2015/01/04/ ACS boys, Barrow girls capture basketball titles], ''[[Alaska Dispatch News]]'', January 15, 2015. Retrieved November 20, 2016.</ref>

==Education==
[[File:Barrow High School 2007-12-08.jpg|thumb|[[Barrow High School]]]]
Utqiagvik is served by the [[North Slope Borough School District]]. The schools serving the city are Ipalook Elementary School, Hopson Middle School, [[Barrow High School]], and an alternative learning center known as the Kiita Learning Community.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Home|url=https://kiitansbsd.ss10.sharpschool.com/home|access-date=October 25, 2020|website=kiitansbsd.ss10.sharpschool.com|language=en-US|archive-date=January 16, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230116002152/https://kiitansbsd.ss10.sharpschool.com/home|url-status=dead}}</ref>
 
[[Iḷisaġvik College]], which is a two-year college and the only [[Tribal colleges and universities|tribal college]] in Alaska, is located in Utqiagvik. The college offers various certificates and [[associate's degree]]s in [[accounting]], [[allied health]], business and management, construction technology, dental health therapy, [[Indigenous education]], [[information technology]], [[Iñupiaq]] studies, [[liberal arts]], and [[office management]]. It also offers a [[bachelor's degree]] in [[business administration]]. The college additionally provides [[adult education]] courses for [[GED]] preparation and certificates in various programs. Local students may attend [[University of Alaska Fairbanks]] and other colleges in Alaska and other states.

==Media==

===Newspaper===
''The Arctic Sounder''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thearcticsounder.com/|title=The Arctic Sounder - Serving the Northwest Arctic and the North Slope|website=thearcticsounder.com}}</ref> newspaper is published weekly by Alaska Media, LLC, covering news of interest to the North Slope Borough, which includes Utqiagvik, and the [[Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska|Northwest Arctic Borough]], which provides for [[Kotzebue, Alaska|Kotzebue]] in northwestern Alaska.

===Radio===

[[File:Barrow Radio.jpg|thumb|The front entrance of the KBRW studios]]
[[KBRW (AM)]]/[[KBRW-FM]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kbrw.org/ |title=AM/FM Silakkuagvik Communications - "Top of the World Radio"KBRW – AM/FM Silakkuagvik Communications &#124; "Top of the World Radio" |publisher=KBRW |access-date=October 28, 2015}}</ref> broadcasts in Utqiagvik on 680&nbsp;[[Hertz|kHz]] [[AM broadcasting|AM]] and 91.9&nbsp;MHz [[FM broadcasting|FM]]. KBRW is also broadcast via [[Broadcast relay station|FM repeaters]] in all of the North Slope Borough villages, from [[Kaktovik]] to [[Point Hope]].

[[Image:Barrow-alaska-terminal.jpg|thumb|Alaska Airlines Terminal at Wiley Post–Will Rogers Memorial Airport]]
[[File:Air Force station Point Barrow.jpg|thumb|Sign and facilities of the [[Point Barrow Long Range Radar Site]]]]

==Infrastructure==
[[File:Alaska Airlines B737-490 (N768AS) at Wiley Post–Will Rogers Memorial Airport.jpg|thumb|left|[[Alaska Airlines]] [[Boeing 737|737-400]] [[combi aircraft]] at [[Wiley Post–Will Rogers Memorial Airport|Post–Rogers Airport]] in December 2007. Note that it is [[twilight]]; the sun does not rise in December, but is close enough to the horizon to illuminate the sky.]]

===Transportation===
The roads in Utqiagvik are unpaved due to the permafrost. No roads connect the city to the rest of Alaska.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.astresystems.com/barrow/ |title=Barrow, Alaska |publisher=astresystems.com |access-date=September 10, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060205164620/http://www.astresystems.com/barrow/ |archive-date=February 5, 2006 }}</ref> Utqiagvik is served by Alaska Airlines with passenger jet service at the [[Wiley Post–Will Rogers Memorial Airport]] to and from [[Anchorage, Alaska|Anchorage]] and [[Fairbanks, Alaska|Fairbanks]]. New service between Fairbanks and Anchorage began from [[Era Aviation]] on June 1, 2009. Freight arrives by air cargo year-round and by ocean-going marine [[barge]]s during the annual summer [[sealift]].<ref>{{cite web
 |title       = About Barrow
 |url         = http://www.cityofbarrow.org/index.php/about-barrow
 |url-status=dead
 |archive-url  = https://archive.today/20110725173058/http://www.cityofbarrow.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5&Itemid=8
 |archive-date = July 25, 2011
|access-date  = February 6, 2017
}}</ref>

Utqiagvik is the transportation hub for the North Slope Borough's Arctic coastal villages. Multiple jet aircraft, with service from [[Deadhorse, Alaska|Deadhorse]] ([[Prudhoe Bay, Alaska|Prudhoe Bay]]), [[Fairbanks]], and [[Anchorage]] provide daily mail, cargo, and passenger services, which connect with smaller single- and twin-engine [[general aviation]] aircraft that provide regular service to other villages, from [[Kaktovik, Alaska|Kaktovik]] in the east to [[Point Hope, Alaska|Point Hope]] in the west.<ref name=akdced1/> The town is also served by several radio taxi services, most using small [[four-wheel drive]] vehicles.

===Health care===
Samuel Simmonds Memorial Hospital, located in the City of Utqiagvik, is the primary healthcare facility for the North Slope region of Alaska. Individuals in the city needing medical care can access the hospital by road. Because no roads lead in or out of Utqiagvik, individuals in surrounding communities and towns (including Point Hope, Prudhoe Bay, and [[Wainwright, Alaska|Wainwright]]) must be airlifted in by plane, helicopter, or air ambulance. The facility operates continuously, and is the northernmost hospital or medical facility in the United States.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arcticslope.org|title=Samuel Simmonds Memorial Hospital|publisher=[[Arctic Slope Regional Corporation]]|access-date=October 28, 2015}}</ref>

==Notable people==
* [[Harry Brower Sr.]] (1924–1992), a whaling captain, community leader
* [[Kamaka Hepa]] (born 2000), college basketball player for the [[Texas Longhorns]] and [[Hawaii Rainbow Warriors]]
* [[Eben Hopson]] (1922–1980), a former member of the [[Alaska Senate]]
* [[Morgan Kibby]] (born 1984), actress, singer, songwriter
* [[Edna Ahgeak MacLean]] (born 1944), linguist, educator, and former President of [[Iḷisaġvik College]]
* [[Sadie Neakok]] (1916–2004), the first female magistrate in Alaska
* [[John Nusunginya]] (1927–1981), a former member of the [[Alaska House of Representatives]]
* [[Josiah Patkotak]] (born 1994), a former member of the Alaska House of Representatives, mayor of the North Slope Borough
* [[Tara Sweeney]] (born 1973), former Assistant Secretary for Native American affairs at the [[United States Department of the Interior]].

==See also==
{{Portal|Alaska}}
* [[Arctic Slope Regional Corporation]]
* [[The blob (Chukchi Sea algae)]]
* [[National Petroleum Reserve–Alaska]]
* [[Native Village of Barrow Iñupiat Traditional Government]]
* [[Naval Arctic Research Laboratory]]
* [[Ukpeaġvik Iñupiat Corporation]]
* [[Umiak]]

== Notes ==
{{reflist|group=upper-alpha|refs=
<ref name=official>The official name is the "City of Utqiaġvik", spelled with the diacritical mark on the "g".</ref>
}}
{{notelist}}
{{clear}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite magazine|title=Sealed in Time|first=Albert A. Jr.|last=Dekin|magazine=[[National Geographic (magazine)|National Geographic]]|pages=824–836|volume=171|issue=6|date=June 1987|issn=0027-9358|oclc=643483454}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20170202044956/https://www.nsf.gov/geo/plr/arctic/arc_envir/tundra_ea.pdf National Science Foundation] Barrow area cartography
* [https://archives-manuscripts.dartmouth.edu/repositories/2/resources/1097 The Papers of Palmer W. Roberts on Eskimos at Point Barrow] at [[Dartmouth College]] Library
* [https://archives-manuscripts.dartmouth.edu/repositories/2/resources/282 The Papers of Albert Dekin on the Recovered Remains of the Barrow Inuit Population] at Dartmouth College Library
* [https://archives-manuscripts.dartmouth.edu/repositories/2/resources/1016 The Papers of Charles D. Brower, Postmaster of Barrow] at Dartmouth College Library

==External links==
{{Commons category|Utqiagvik, Alaska}}
{{Wikivoyage|Utqiagvik}}
* {{Official website|http://www.utqiagvik.us/}}
* [https://seaice.alaska.edu/gi/observatories/barrow_webcam/ Utqiagvik Sea Ice Webcam]
* [https://archive.today/20130806235305/http://www.inupiatheritage.org/ Iñupiat Heritage Center (IHC)] - Official museum website
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130509061558/http://gfp.usgs.gov/sites/barrow_ak_asi/index.html CAC (Civil Applications Committee)/USGS Global Fiducials Program web page containing scientific description and interactive map viewer featuring declassified high-resolution time-series imagery]
* [http://www.touchalaska.com/visitorsguide.html Barrow, Alaska Visitor's Guide]
* [http://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/PABR/1993/7/22/MonthlyHistory.html July 1993 weather record]
* [http://www.uicalaska.com/arctic-experts/barrow-development Barrow land development] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170726130303/http://www.uicalaska.com/arctic-experts/barrow-development/ |date=July 26, 2017 }}
{{Utqiagvik, Alaska}}
{{Alaska borough seats}}
{{North Slope Borough, Alaska}}
{{Alaska}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Utqiagvik, Alaska| ]]
[[Category:Arctic Slope region]]
[[Category:Beaufort Sea]]
[[Category:Borough seats in Alaska]]
[[Category:Chukchi Sea]]
[[Category:Cities in Alaska]]
[[Category:Cities in North Slope Borough, Alaska]]
[[Category:Populated coastal places in Alaska on the Arctic Ocean]]
[[Category:Populated places of the Arctic United States]]
[[Category:Road-inaccessible communities of Alaska]]
[[Category:Populated places established in the 6th century]]
[[Category:6th-century establishments in North America]]