McGrath, Alaska

File:Landing Fields - Alaska - McGrath Landing Field - NARA - 68158890 (cropped).jpg

The Old Town McGrath site, across the river from present-day McGrath, was a meeting and trading place for Big River, Nikolai, Telida, and Lake Minchumina villagers.{{Cite web |date=January 24, 2020 |title=McGrath |url=https://www.tananachiefs.org/about/communities/mcgrath/ |access-date=March 18, 2024 |website=Tanana Chiefs Conference |language=en-US}}

In 1904, Abraham Appel established a trading post in Old Town. In 1906, gold was discovered in the Innoko District, and in 1907, and at {{not a typo|Ganes Creek}}. Since McGrath was the northernmost point on the Kuskokwim River accessible by large riverboats, it became a regional supply center. A town was established at the site of Old McGrath in 1907, and was named for Peter McGrath, a local United States Marshal. The Iditarod Trail also contributed to McGrath's role as a supply center. From 1911 to 1920, hundreds of people walked and mushed over the trail on their way to the Ophir gold districts. Mining sharply declined after 1925.

After a major flood in 1933, some residents moved across the river. Changes in the course of the river eventually left the old site on a slough, making it useless as a river stop. In 1940, an airstrip was cleared, the United States Federal Aviation Administration built a communications complex, and a school was opened. McGrath became an important refueling stop for Lend-Lease equipment during World War II.

McGrath is located in Interior Alaska, 221 miles northwest of Anchorage and 269 miles southwest of Fairbanks. It is situated along the convergence of the Takotna River and the south bank of the Kuskokwim River.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of {{convert|54.6|sqmi|km2}}, of which, {{convert|48.9|sqmi|km2}} of it is land and {{convert|5.7|sqmi|km2}} of it (10.48%) is water.

McGrath has a continental subarctic climate (Köppen Dfc).

{{Weather box|width=auto

|location = McGrath Airport, Alaska (1991–2020 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 1939–present)

|single line = Y

| Jan record high F = 54

| Feb record high F = 55

| Mar record high F = 55

| Apr record high F = 68

| May record high F = 86

| Jun record high F = 94

| Jul record high F = 90

| Aug record high F = 89

| Sep record high F = 76

| Oct record high F = 67

| Nov record high F = 50

| Dec record high F = 49

|Jan avg record high F = 33.2

|Feb avg record high F = 40.2

|Mar avg record high F = 43.4

|Apr avg record high F = 58.3

|May avg record high F = 75.4

|Jun avg record high F = 81.8

|Jul avg record high F = 82.6

|Aug avg record high F = 77.4

|Sep avg record high F = 66.0

|Oct avg record high F = 52.7

|Nov avg record high F = 35.3

|Dec avg record high F = 32.9

|year avg record high F= 85.3

| Jan high F = 2.6

| Feb high F = 14.7

| Mar high F = 24.5

| Apr high F = 42.9

| May high F = 58.9

| Jun high F = 68.8

| Jul high F = 69.5

| Aug high F = 64.0

| Sep high F = 53.9

| Oct high F = 34.5

| Nov high F = 14.9

| Dec high F = 5.5

| year high F=

| Jan mean F =-5.8

| Feb mean F =4.5

| Mar mean F =11.9

| Apr mean F =32.2

| May mean F =48.4

| Jun mean F =58.7

| Jul mean F =60.8

| Aug mean F =55.9

| Sep mean F =46.0

| Oct mean F =28.4

| Nov mean F =8.0

| Dec mean F =-2.3

| year mean F =

| Jan low F = -14.1

| Feb low F = -5.6

| Mar low F = -0.7

| Apr low F = 21.5

| May low F = 38.0

| Jun low F = 48.6

| Jul low F = 52.1

| Aug low F = 47.8

| Sep low F = 38.0

| Oct low F = 22.4

| Nov low F = 1.1

| Dec low F = -10.0

| year low F=

|Jan avg record low F = −46.6

|Feb avg record low F = −38.7

|Mar avg record low F = −27.7

|Apr avg record low F = −4.7

|May avg record low F = 23.7

|Jun avg record low F = 36.8

|Jul avg record low F = 42.8

|Aug avg record low F = 34.1

|Sep avg record low F = 22.2

|Oct avg record low F = 0.1

|Nov avg record low F = −26.4

|Dec avg record low F = -39.0

|year avg record low F = -49.0

| Jan record low F = -75

| Feb record low F = -64

| Mar record low F = -51

| Apr record low F = -40

| May record low F = -2

| Jun record low F = 27

| Jul record low F = 31

| Aug record low F = 25

| Sep record low F = 2

| Oct record low F = -28

| Nov record low F = -53

| Dec record low F = -67

| precipitation colour = green

| Jan precipitation inch = 1.15

| Feb precipitation inch = 0.87

| Mar precipitation inch = 0.68

| Apr precipitation inch = 0.74

| May precipitation inch = 0.91

| Jun precipitation inch = 1.66

| Jul precipitation inch = 2.50

| Aug precipitation inch = 2.91

| Sep precipitation inch = 2.53

| Oct precipitation inch = 1.46

| Nov precipitation inch = 1.43

| Dec precipitation inch = 1.21

| year precipitation inch=

| Jul snow inch = 0.0

| Aug snow inch = 0.0

| Sep snow inch = 1.4

| Oct snow inch = 7.4

| Nov snow inch = 18.2

| Dec snow inch = 17.9

| Jan snow inch = 14.7

| Feb snow inch = 12.7

| Mar snow inch = 9.2

| Apr snow inch = 4.4

| May snow inch = 0.6

| Jun snow inch = 0.0

| year snow inch=

|unit precipitation days = 0.01 inch

|Jan precipitation days = 10.4

|Feb precipitation days = 9.2

|Mar precipitation days = 7.8

|Apr precipitation days = 6.7

|May precipitation days = 9.3

|Jun precipitation days = 13.1

|Jul precipitation days = 15.1

|Aug precipitation days = 16.3

|Sep precipitation days = 14.0

|Oct precipitation days = 11.9

|Nov precipitation days = 11.3

|Dec precipitation days = 12.0

|year precipitation days=

|unit snow days = 0.1 inch

|Jul snow days = 0.0

|Aug snow days = 0.0

|Sep snow days = 1.2

|Oct snow days = 7.5

|Nov snow days = 12.4

|Dec snow days = 13.9

|Jan snow days = 11.3

|Feb snow days = 10.2

|Mar snow days = 8.4

|Apr snow days = 4.8

|May snow days = 0.7

|Jun snow days = 0.0

|year snow days=

| Jan humidity = 72.2

| Feb humidity = 68.7

| Mar humidity = 64.3

| Apr humidity = 62.1

| May humidity = 59.5

| Jun humidity = 63.2

| Jul humidity = 69.7

| Aug humidity = 75.2

| Sep humidity = 74.0

| Oct humidity = 77.9

| Nov humidity = 76.7

| Dec humidity = 74.0

| Jan dew point C = −25.4

| Feb dew point C = −23.1

| Mar dew point C = −17.3

| Apr dew point C = −9.3

| May dew point C = −1.1

| Jun dew point C = 5.4

| Jul dew point C = 8.7

| Aug dew point C = 7.5

| Sep dew point C = 1.8

| Oct dew point C = −7.4

| Nov dew point C = −18.1

| Dec dew point C = −24.2

|source 1 = NOAA

{{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 16, 2018}}

{{cite web

|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USW00026510&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL

|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

|title = U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: McGrath AP, AK

|access-date = March 6, 2023

}}

{{cite web

| url = ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG_IV/US/GROUP1/70231.TXT

| title = WMO Climate Normals for MC GRATH/ARPT AK 1961–1990

| access-date = August 31, 2020

| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration}}

}}

;Notes:

{{notelist}}

{{US Census population

|1920= 90

|1930= 112

|1940= 138

|1950= 175

|1960= 241

|1970= 279

|1980= 355

|1990= 528

|2000= 401

|2010= 346

|2020= 301

|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}

}}

McGrath first appeared on the 1920 U.S. Census as an unincorporated village. It formally incorporated in 1975.

As of the census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }} of 2000, there were 401 people, 145 households, and 99 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|8.2|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 213 housing units at an average density of {{convert|4.4|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 42.64% White, 43.89% Native American, 0.75% Asian, 0.75% from other races, and 11.97% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.00% of the population.

Of the 145 household 42.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.5% were married couples living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.7% were non-families. 26.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.34.

In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 35.9% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 25.9% from 45 to 64, and 5.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $43,056, and the median income for a family was $44,167. Males had a median income of $41,875 versus $41,389 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,553. About 8.7% of families and 9.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.8% of those under age 18 and 17.4% of those age 65 or over.

The Iditarod Area School District operates the McGrath School."[http://www.iditarodsd.org/new-page-27/ McGrath School]." Iditarod Area School District. Retrieved on March 28, 2017.

KSKO is a non-commercial NPR affiliate at 89.5 FM. KSKO simulcasts to the villages of Grayling (KGYA), Shageluk (KNKO), Holy Cross (KLOP), Nikolai (KNIB), Sleetmute (KSKP), Crooked Creek (KSKC), and Anvik (KMGS). KSKO has been established since July 1, 1981.

• McGrath Airport

• [http://www.commerce.state.ak.us/dca/commdb/CIS.cfm?Comm_Boro_Name=McGrath Alaska Division of Community and Regional Affairs: McGrath]
• [https://cityofmcgrath.org City of McGrath official website]

{{Yukon–Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska}}

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Category:Cities in Alaska

Category:Cities in Yukon–Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska