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, though many more workers come to help at the nearby oil field. Most of the town’s buildings, like 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 the 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.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the area of the town is 558.0 sq mi (1,445 km²). Of this, 416.3 sq mi (1,078 km²) is land and 141.8 sq mi (367 km²) is water. Water makes up 25.40% of the 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, and during some weeks in winter, the sun does not rise at all because the area is above the Arctic Circle. In the summer, the days are long with up to 24 hours of daylight, but 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 first appeared on the 1970 U.S. Census as an unincorporated village. It was made a census-designated place (CDP) in 1980.

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Prudhoe Bay had a population of 1,310. The median age was 45.5 years. Almost all residents were adults, with very few children or older people living there.

There were no homes where families lived. All housing units were empty.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 2,174 people living in the CDP. Most of the people were White, with some Native American, Asian, and other groups represented as well.

Health care

Prudhoe Bay is a remote town with limited access to highways, coastlines, and airports. 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, since there are no roads connecting the two places.