Prudhoe Bay, Alaska

Prudhoe Bay is a town in the North Slope Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. As of the 2020 census, the town had 1,310 people, with many more workers visiting for the nearby oil field. Most buildings, such as the airport, shops, and places to stay, are actually in a nearby place called Deadhorse. The oil rigs and buildings are spread out on special gravel spots over the tundra, and major building work can only happen in the winter when the ground is hard enough.

People can reach Prudhoe Bay by the Dalton Highway, but the actual bay is a bit farther north past a security check. Some tourists travel a long distance from Fairbanks to see the Arctic Ocean, the tundra, and experience the midnight sun. If they want to see the ocean or the bay itself, they need to plan tours ahead of time.

The town was named in 1826 by a British explorer named Sir John Franklin after his friend Captain Algernon Percy, Baron Prudhoe. Franklin explored along the coast from the Mackenzie River in Canada almost all the way to Point Barrow.

Geography

Prudhoe Bay is located on the Sagavanirktok River.

The town covers an area of 558.0 sq mi (1,445 km²). Most of this is land, about 416.3 sq mi (1,078 km²), and the rest is water, about 141.8 sq mi (367 km²). Water makes up about 25% of the town's total area.

Climate

Prudhoe Bay, like other places on the North Slope of Alaska, has a tundra climate. Winters there are long and very cold. During some weeks in winter, the sun does not rise because the area is above the Arctic Circle. In the summer, the days are long with up to 24 hours of daylight. The weather stays cool, usually between 45 and 55 °F (7 and 13 °C), and sometimes it can even get cold enough to freeze.

Demographics

Prudhoe Bay was first counted in the 1970 U.S. Census as a small village. It became a census-designated place (CDP) in 1980.

2020 census

The 2020 census said Prudhoe Bay had 1,310 people. The middle age was 45.5 years. Almost all residents were adults, with very few children or older people.

There were no homes where families lived. All houses were empty.

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 2,174 people in the CDP. Most people were White, with some Native American, Asian, and other groups as well.

Health care

Prudhoe Bay is a remote town with few roads, coastlines, or airports nearby. Emergency help comes from a paid medical team and the Fairweather Deadhorse Medical Clinic. Oil company staff and the Greater Prudhoe Bay Fire Department also help with health care. People who need hospital care are usually taken by helicopter or air ambulance to Sammuel Simmonds Memorial Hospital in Utqiaġvik, because there are no roads connecting the two places.