Two Rivers, Alaska
{{Cleanup|date=May 2013|reason=There is an adjacent census-designated place called Pleasant Valley. Portions of the article text appear to refer to Pleasant Valley rather than Two Rivers.}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name = Two Rivers, Alaska
|settlement_type = CDP
|nickname =
|motto =
|image_skyline = File:Chena Hot Springs Road, mile 14, Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska.JPG
|imagesize =
|image_caption = Chena Hot Springs Road at mile 14 (km 22), looking westbound and downhill with the Little Chena River valley at the bottom.
|image_flag =
|image_seal =
| image_map = Fairbanks North Star Borough Alaska incorporated and unincorporated areas Two Rivers highlighted.svg
| mapsize = 260px
| map_caption = Location within Fairbanks North Star Borough and the state of Alaska
|subdivision_type = Country
|subdivision_name = United States
|subdivision_type1 = State
|subdivision_name1 = Alaska
|subdivision_type2 = Borough
|subdivision_name2 = Fairbanks North Star
|government_footnotes =
|government_type =
| leader_title = Borough mayor
| leader_name = Bryce J. Ward
|leader_title1 = State senator
|leader_name1 = Robert Myers (R)
|leader_title2 = State rep.
|leader_name2 = Frank Tomaszewski (R)
|established_title =
|established_date =
|area_magnitude =
|area_total_km2 = 71.68
|area_land_km2 = 71.68
|area_water_km2 = 0.00
|area_total_sq_mi = 27.67
|area_land_sq_mi = 27.67
|area_water_sq_mi = 0.00
|population_as_of = 2020
|population_footnotes =
|population_total = 650
|population_density_km2 = 9.07
|population_density_sq_mi = 23.49
|timezone = Alaska (AKST)
|utc_offset = -9
|timezone_DST = AKDT
|utc_offset_DST = -8
|elevation_footnotes =
|elevation_m =
|elevation_ft =
|coordinates = {{coord|64|51|45|N|147|5|56|W|region:US-AK|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type = ZIP code
|postal_code = 99716
|area_code = 907
|blank_name = FIPS code
|blank_info = 02-79830
|blank1_name =
|blank1_info =
|website =
|footnotes =
|pop_est_as_of =
|pop_est_footnotes =
|population_est =
|unit_pref = Imperial
}}
Two Rivers is a census-designated place (CDP) in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, United States. It lies between mile 13 (the Little Chena River) and mile 25 (the Chena River) on the Chena Hot Springs Road, northeast of Fairbanks. As of the 2010 United States Census, the CDP had a population of 719,{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=2011-04-23|date=2011-02-12|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}} up from 482 in 2000.
Geography and climate
Two Rivers is located at {{coord|64|51|45|N|147|5|56|W}} (64.862366, -147.098884).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of {{convert|28.5|sqmi|km2}}, all of it land.
Two Rivers has a subarctic climate (Dfc) showing signs of seasonal lead, with June being warmer than August and May being warmer than September. Summers are warm and rainy, coupled with cool nights, while winters are severely cold and snowy, with annual snowfall averaging 62 inches (157 cm).{{Cite web|title=TWO RIVERS, ALASKA - Climate Summary|url=https://wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?ak9489|access-date=2020-06-13|website=wrcc.dri.edu}}
{{Weather box
|single line = yes
|width = 65%
|collapsed = yes
|location = Two Rivers, Alaska (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1992–2017)
|Jan record high F = 58
|Feb record high F = 49
|Mar record high F = 59
|Apr record high F = 77
|May record high F = 88
|Jun record high F = 91
|Jul record high F = 92
|Aug record high F = 89
|Sep record high F = 77
|Oct record high F = 74
|Nov record high F = 50
|Dec record high F = 47
|year record high F = 92
|Jan high F = 6.2
|Feb high F = 17.6
|Mar high F = 28.5
|Apr high F = 48.5
|May high F = 64.6
|Jun high F = 74.1
|Jul high F = 74.5
|Aug high F = 67.6
|Sep high F = 56.1
|Oct high F = 35.6
|Nov high F = 15.6
|Dec high F = 8.7
|year high F = 41.5
|Jan mean F = -3.4
|Feb mean F = 6.5
|Mar mean F = 14.9
|Apr mean F = 35.3
|May mean F = 49.4
|Jun mean F = 59.6
|Jul mean F = 62.0
|Aug mean F = 55.9
|Sep mean F = 45.3
|Oct mean F = 27.0
|Nov mean F = 6.8
|Dec mean F = -0.5
|year mean F = 29.9
|Jan low F = -12.9
|Feb low F = -4.5
|Mar low F = 1.4
|Apr low F = 22.1
|May low F = 34.2
|Jun low F = 45.2
|Jul low F = 49.4
|Aug low F = 44.2
|Sep low F = 34.4
|Oct low F = 18.3
|Nov low F = -1.9
|Dec low F = -9.7
|year low F = 18.4
|Jan record low F = -55
|Feb record low F = -59
|Mar record low F = -36
|Apr record low F = -22
|May record low F = 5
|Jun record low F = 22
|Jul record low F = 30
|Aug record low F = 27
|Sep record low F = 14
|Oct record low F = -27
|Nov record low F = -45
|Dec record low F = -52
|year record low F = -59
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 0.55
|Feb precipitation inch = 0.57
|Mar precipitation inch = 0.39
|Apr precipitation inch = 0.40
|May precipitation inch = 1.02
|Jun precipitation inch = 2.41
|Jul precipitation inch = 3.19
|Aug precipitation inch = 3.13
|Sep precipitation inch = 1.95
|Oct precipitation inch = 0.88
|Nov precipitation inch = 0.73
|Dec precipitation inch = 0.59
|year precipitation inch = 15.81
|Jan snow inch = 10.5
|Feb snow inch = 6.9
|Mar snow inch = 6.0
|Apr snow inch = 2.1
|May snow inch = 0.7
|Jun snow inch = 0.0
|Jul snow inch = 0.0
|Aug snow inch = 0.0
|Sep snow inch = 1.4
|Oct snow inch = 12.1
|Nov snow inch = 12.7
|Dec snow inch = 9.0
|year snow inch = 61.4
|Jan precipitation days = 8.6
|Feb precipitation days = 7.0
|Mar precipitation days = 5.6
|Apr precipitation days = 1.8
|May precipitation days = 0.2
|Jun precipitation days = 0.0
|Jul precipitation days = 0.0
|Aug precipitation days = 0.0
|Sep precipitation days = 1.0
|Oct precipitation days = 9.1
|Nov precipitation days = 10.1
|Dec precipitation days = 8.7
|year precipitation days = 52.1
|source 1 = NOAA{{Cite web
|url=https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USC00509489&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL
|title=Summary of Monthly Normals 1991-2020
|publisher=NOAA
|access-date=2023-05-27
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230527055139/https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USC00509489&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL
|archive-date=2023-05-27}}
}}
Demographics
{{US Census population
|1980= 359
|1990= 453
|2000= 482
|2010= 719
|2020= 650
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=U.S. Decennial Census|publisher=Census.gov|accessdate=June 6, 2013}}
}}
Two Rivers first appeared on the 1980 U.S. Census as a census-designated place (CDP).
As of the census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=2008-01-31|title=U.S. Census website}} of 2000, there were 482 people, 177 households, and 124 families residing in the CDP. The population density was {{convert|16.9|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 192 housing units at an average density of {{convert|6.7|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the CDP was 88.59% White, 0.21% Black or African American, 2.70% Native American, 2.49% Asian, 0.83% from other races, and 5.19% from two or more races. 1.24% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 177 households, out of which 40.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.9% were married couples living together, 6.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.9% were non-families. 24.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 1.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.19.
In the CDP the population was spread out, with 31.1% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 34.6% from 25 to 44, 26.6% from 45 to 64, and 1.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 120.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 119.9 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $58,571, and the median income for a family was $58,661. Males had a median income of $45,500 versus $21,736 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $24,351. None of the families and none of the population were living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and none of those over 64.
Economy
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Most Two Rivers residents who are not self-employed work in Fairbanks, North Pole or the area's military installations, Eielson Air Force Base and Fort Wainwright. Businesses in Two Rivers include one general store, restaurants, a post office, a laundromat and the former HIPAS Observatory, which closed in 2011.
Most people who move to Two Rivers are attracted by the rural nature of the community and the extensive network of trails in the area. The trail system is popular with dog sled mushers, horseback, snowmachine, motorcycle and ATV riders, hunters, hikers, and others. Two Rivers borders the extensive Chena River State Recreation Area.
Two Rivers is especially popular with both recreational and professional dog sled mushers. Sled dogs outnumber humans in Two Rivers by about 4 to 1. Notable Two Rivers mushers include 5-time Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Champion Rick Swenson, the first Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race champion, Sonny Lindner, and only woman to win that race, Aliy Zirkle (2000) and her husband Allen Moore who won the 2013 Yukon Quest making them the only husband and wife team to have both won the race. In February, Two Rivers hosts a checkpoint for the Yukon Quest.
References
{{Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska}}
Category:Census-designated places in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska