Alaska

Capital: Juneau · West · Last Frontier

State Statistics

Population734K
GDP$60.0B
Area1,723,337 km²
CapitalJuneau
Largest CityAnchorage
Political LeanUnknown

About Alaska

Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area — more than twice the size of Texas — and contains some of the last great wilderness areas in North America, including 17 of the 20 highest peaks in the US, more coastline than the lower 48 states combined, and glaciers covering 5% of its land area. Its economy was transformed by the discovery of oil at Prudhoe Bay in 1968, and the state distributes a portion of oil royalties directly to residents through the Permanent Fund Dividend, one of the only universal basic income programs in the US. Alaska's small but diverse population — roughly a quarter of whom are Alaska Native — navigates the tensions between resource extraction, subsistence traditions, and the growing pressures of climate change on Arctic landscapes.

Major Cities

Anchorage

Population: 291K

Anchorage is Alaska's largest city and economic center, home to nearly 40% of the state's population and a critical hub for air cargo connecting Asia and North America. The city is flanked by the C...

Juneau

Population: 32K

Juneau is Alaska's capital and a key tourism destination in the Southeast Panhandle, known for the Mendenhall Glacier and access to Tongass National Forest. As the seat of state government, it host...

Fairbanks

Population: 33K

Fairbanks is Alaska's second-largest city and the primary hub of the Interior, situated in the Tanana Valley near the geographic center of the state. It serves as a gateway to the Arctic and is hom...

Notable Universities

UniversityCityTypeFoundedStudents
University of Alaska AnchorageAnchoragePublic University195414K
University of Alaska FairbanksFairbanksPublic Research University19178K
University of Alaska SoutheastJuneauPublic Liberal Arts University19723K
Alaska Pacific UniversityAnchoragePrivate Liberal Arts University1959650
Explore Alaska in the interactive map →