Wainwright, Alaska
{{short description|City in Alaska, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name = Wainwright
| native_name = Ulġuniq
| native_name_lang = ik
| settlement_type = City
| image_skyline = Wainwright.JPG
| image_caption = Wainwright during the summer months with the Arctic Ocean in the background
| image_flag =
| image_seal =
| nickname =
| motto =
| pushpin_map = USA Alaska
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Alaska
| coordinates = {{coord|70|38|50|N|160|00|58|W|region:US-AK_type:city|display=it}}
| coordinates_footnotes =
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = United States
| subdivision_type1 = State
| subdivision_name1 = Alaska
| subdivision_type2 = Borough
| subdivision_name2 = North Slope
| established_title = Incorporated
| established_date = December 31, 1962{{cite book|title=1996 Alaska Municipal Officials Directory|location=Juneau|publisher=Alaska Municipal League/Alaska Department of Community and Regional Affairs|date=January 1996|page=157}}
| government_type =
| government_footnotes =
| leader_title = Mayor
| leader_name = Cheryl Panik
| leader_title1 = State senator
| leader_name1 = Donny Olson (D)
| leader_title2 = State rep.
| leader_name2 = Robyn Burke (D)
| unit_pref = Imperial
| area_total_km2 = 72.61
| area_total_sq_mi = 28.04
| area_land_km2 = 26.71
| area_land_sq_mi = 10.31
| area_water_km2 = 45.90
| area_water_sq_mi = 17.72
| elevation_m =
| elevation_ft = 33
| population_footnotes =
| population_total = 628
| population_as_of = 2020
| pop_est_footnotes =
| population_est =
| pop_est_as_of =
| population_density_km2 = 23.51
| population_density_sq_mi = 60.89
| timezone = Alaska (AKST)
|utc_offset = −9
| timezone_DST = AKDT
|utc_offset_DST = −8
| postal_code_type = ZIP code
| postal_code = 99782
| area_code_type = Area code
| area_code = 907
| blank_name = FIPS code
| blank_info = {{FIPS|02|82750}}
| blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
| blank1_info = 2418869{{GNIS|2418869}}
| website =
}}
Wainwright ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|w|eɪ|n|r|aɪ|t}};{{cite web
| url = http://www.commerce.state.ak.us/dca/commdb/CIS.cfm?Comm_Boro_name=Wainwright
| title = Wainwright
| publisher = Division of Community and Regional Affairs, Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development
| access-date = January 23, 2013
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120406094029/http://www.commerce.state.ak.us/dca/commdb/CIS.cfm?Comm_Boro_Name=Wainwright
| archive-date = April 6, 2012
| url-status = dead}}
Ulġuniq{{Pronunciation needed|date=July 2023}} in Iñupiaq), also known as Ulguniq or Kuuk,{{Pronunciation needed|date=July 2023}} is a city{{cite web
| url = http://www.commerce.state.ak.us/dca/osa/pub/11Taxable.pdf
| title = Alaska Taxable 2011: Municipal Taxation - Rates and Policies
| publisher = Division of Community and Regional Affairs, Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development
| date = January 2012
| access-date = January 24, 2013
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130425132818/http://www.commerce.state.ak.us/dca/osa/pub/11Taxable.pdf
| archive-date = April 25, 2013
| url-status = dead
}} in North Slope Borough, Alaska, United States. At the 2020 census the population was 628,{{Cite web |publisher=United States Census Bureau |title=Search Results |url=https://www.census.gov/search-results.html |access-date=April 23, 2023 |website=The United States Census Bureau |language=EN-US}} making it the third largest city in the North Slope Borough, up from 556 in 2010. The community was named after Wainwright Lagoon, which in turn was named after Lt. John Wainwright, an officer under Capt. F. W. Beechey, who were the first non-native people to travel to the lagoon in 1826. An unincorporated area known as Wainwright Inlet by 1890, Wainwright was founded as an incorporated municipality in 1904.
Geography and climate
File:Alaska - Wainwright - NARA - 23942637.jpg
Wainwright is located on the Chukchi Sea about {{convert|72|mi|km}} southwest of Utqiaġvik.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of {{convert|42.5|sqmi|km2}}, of which, {{convert|17.6|sqmi|km2}} of it is land and {{convert|24.9|sqmi|km2}} of it (58.63%) is water.
Wainwright has a dry-winter Arctic climate (Köppen ETw) with temperatures ranging from {{convert|-56|to|84|F}}. There is little precipitation, mostly snow; however, the dry winters make the annual snowfall totals more modest than they would otherwise be. The Chukchi Sea is unfrozen from early July to late September.
{{Weather box
|location = Wainwright, Alaska (Wainwright Airport (Alaska)), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1998–present
|single line = Yes
|Jan record high F = 40
|Feb record high F = 45
|Mar record high F = 50
|Apr record high F = 40
|May record high F = 61
|Jun record high F = 74
|Jul record high F = 84
|Aug record high F = 74
|Sep record high F = 61
|Oct record high F = 44
|Nov record high F = 37
|Dec record high F = 35
|Jan avg record high F = 20.9
|Feb avg record high F = 24.1
|Mar avg record high F = 17.4
|Apr avg record high F = 29.8
|May avg record high F = 44.7
|Jun avg record high F = 65.4
|Jul avg record high F = 69.6
|Aug avg record high F = 62.1
|Sep avg record high F = 54.3
|Oct avg record high F = 38.0
|Nov avg record high F = 30.2
|Dec avg record high F = 24.1
|year avg record high F = 71.1
|Jan high F = -3.9
|Feb high F = -4.7
|Mar high F = -3.5
|Apr high F = 10.8
|May high F = 28.9
|Jun high F = 45.9
|Jul high F = 52.2
|Aug high F = 48.5
|Sep high F = 38.9
|Oct high F = 25.7
|Nov high F = 11.8
|Dec high F = -0.3
|year high F =
|Jan mean F = -10.8
|Feb mean F = -11.4
|Mar mean F = -10.6
|Apr mean F = 3.8
|May mean F = 24.1
|Jun mean F = 39.4
|Jul mean F = 45.5
|Aug mean F = 43.1
|Sep mean F = 34.9
|Oct mean F = 20.9
|Nov mean F = 5.4
|Dec mean F = -6.6
|year mean F =
|Jan low F = -17.6
|Feb low F = -18.2
|Mar low F = -17.8
|Apr low F = -3.3
|May low F = 19.4
|Jun low F = 33.0
|Jul low F = 38.8
|Aug low F = 37.8
|Sep low F = 30.9
|Oct low F = 16.0
|Nov low F = -1.0
|Dec low F = -12.9
|year low F =
|Jan avg record low F = -34.6
|Feb avg record low F = -36.7
|Mar avg record low F = -32.3
|Apr avg record low F = -21.9
|May avg record low F = 1.5
|Jun avg record low F = 25.9
|Jul avg record low F = 33.3
|Aug avg record low F = 31.7
|Sep avg record low F = 22.4
|Oct avg record low F = 0.7
|Nov avg record low F = -18.7
|Dec avg record low F = -29.7
|year avg record low F = -40.2
|Jan record low F = -50
|Feb record low F = -53
|Mar record low F = -47
|Apr record low F = -29
|May record low F = -14
|Jun record low F = 18
|Jul record low F = 27
|Aug record low F = 23
|Sep record low F = 14
|Oct record low F = -16
|Nov record low F = -33
|Dec record low F = -44
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 0.02
|Feb precipitation inch = 0.02
|Mar precipitation inch = 0.03
|Apr precipitation inch = 0.06
|May precipitation inch = 0.19
|Jun precipitation inch = 0.45
|Jul precipitation inch = 0.94
|Aug precipitation inch = 0.73
|Sep precipitation inch = 0.31
|Oct precipitation inch = 0.17
|Nov precipitation inch = 0.13
|Dec precipitation inch = 0.05
|year precipitation inch =
|Jan snow inch =
|Feb snow inch =
|Mar snow inch =
|Apr snow inch =
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|Jun snow inch =
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|year snow inch =
|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
|Jan precipitation days = 0.8
|Feb precipitation days = 1.0
|Mar precipitation days = 1.3
|Apr precipitation days = 1.1
|May precipitation days = 3.8
|Jun precipitation days = 6.3
|Jul precipitation days = 9.6
|Aug precipitation days = 9.8
|Sep precipitation days = 7.2
|Oct precipitation days = 6.2
|Nov precipitation days = 3.6
|Dec precipitation days = 2.1
|unit snow days = 0.1 in
|Jan snow days =
|Feb snow days =
|Mar snow days =
|Apr snow days =
|May snow days =
|Jun snow days =
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|Dec snow days =
{{cite web
|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USW00027503&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: Wainwright Airport, AK
|access-date = October 21, 2022
}}
|source 2 = National Weather Service (mean maxima and minima, precip/precip days 2006–2020)
{{cite web
|url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/climate?wfo=afg
|publisher = National Weather Service
|title = NOAA Online Weather Data - NWS Fairbanks
|access-date = October 21, 2022
}}
}}
Demographics
{{US Census population
|1890= 72
|1920= 99
|1930= 197
|1940= 341
|1950= 227
|1960= 253
|1970= 315
|1980= 405
|1990= 492
|2000= 546
|2010= 556
|2020= 628
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/prod/www/decennial.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|accessdate=June 4, 2016}}
}}
Wainwright first appeared on the 1890 U.S. Census as the unincorporated area of "Wainwright Inlet." This included the native settlement Kugmiut, camps on Kug River, Setorokamiut, Nuklwok, Nutnago and Shinnowok. All 72 residents were native.{{cite web |title=Report on Population and Resources of Alaska at the Eleventh Census: 1890 |url=http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1890a_v8-01.pdf |website=United States Census Bureau |publisher=Government Printing Office}} It did not appear again on the census until 1920, this time as Wainwright. It was formally incorporated in 1962.
File:Turnaround Point on Cook's Third Voyage at 70 44N - off Wainwright Alaska. Photo taken 25 July 2017.jpg, Captain James Cook decided that his path North through the Northwest passage was completely blocked by ice and turned South again. Photo taken July 24, 2017.]]
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 556 people living in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 90.1% Native American, 7.9% White and 1.6% from two or more races. 0.4% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
At the 2000 census,{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}} there were 546 people, 148 households and 117 families living in the city. The population density was {{convert|31.1|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 179 housing units at an average density of {{convert|10.2|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 6.78% White, 0.18% Black or African American, 90.29% Native American, and 2.75% from two or more races.
There were 148 households, of which 50.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.7% were married couples living together, 16.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.3% were non-families. 18.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.69 and the average family size was 4.17.
37.7% of the population were under the age of 18, 13.4% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 14.3% from 45 to 64, and 6.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 24 years. For every 100 females, there were 114.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 117.9 males.
The median household income was $54,722 and the median family income was $58,125. Males had a median income of $36,667 versus $40,313 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,709. About 8.5% of families and 12.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.4% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.
Education
There is one school in Wainwright, the Alak School of the North Slope Borough School District, which serves students pre-kindergarten through grade 12.Alak School / Homepage. N.p., n.d. Web. August 8, 2013.
See also
References
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20160203112429/http://www.uark.edu/misc/jcdixon/Historic_Whaling/Villages/Wainwright.htm Wainwright information]
{{North Slope Borough, Alaska}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Cities in North Slope Borough, Alaska
Category:Populated coastal places in Alaska on the Arctic Ocean