Alaska Travel

Juneau

Juneau, the capital of Alaska, bursts during the summer with hundreds of thousands of cruise-ship passengers. Twelve decades ago, the young city was swamped with prospectors. Juneau is the place to let your imagination run wild. Explore the lush Tongass National Forest. Visit the rustic shops in town. Or get out and kayak, dogsled, raft, whale watch, flight see or fish.

There's no end to the adventure because we're in port long enough to truly take advantage of the long daylight hours. The City and Borough of Juneau is a unified municipality located on the Gastineau Channel on the Alexander Archipelago of Alaska. Juneau is the capital of the U.S. state of Alaska. The municipality unified in 1970 when the City of Juneau merged with the City of Douglas and the surrounding borough to form the current home rule municipality. more...

Location: Juneau is in the Panhandle of Southeast Alaska, 900 air miles north of Seattle and 600 air miles south of Anchorage. 58 18 N Latitude, 134 24 W Longitude
Country: United States
State: Alaska
Borough: Juneau City and Borough
Founded: 1881
Incorporated: 1890
Mayor: Bruce Botelho
Area: 2, 593.6 square miles of land and 487.6 square miles of water.
Total Population: 30711 100.00%

History of Juneau

Long before European settlement in the Americas, the Gastineau Channel was a favorite fishing ground for local Tlingit Indians, known then as the Auke and Taku tribes, who had inhabited the surrounding area for thousands of years. The native cultures are rich with artistic traditions including carving, weaving, orating, singing and dancing, and Juneau has become a major social center for the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian of Southeast Alaska.

In 1880, Sitka mining engineer George Pilz offered a reward to any local chief who could lead him to gold-bearing ore. Chief Kowee arrived with some ore and several prospectors were sent to investigate. On their first trip, to Gold Creek, they found little deposits of interest. However, at Chief Kowee's urging Pilz sent Joe Juneau and Richard Harris back to the Gastineau Channel, directing them to Snow Slide Gulch (the head of Gold Creek) where they found nuggets "as large as peas and beans," in Harris' words. more...

An overview on Juneau's Economy

Employment: 18,279 jobs in 2003; 17,521 in 1999; 16,995 jobs in 1995
Unemployment: 6.2% in 2003; 4.9% in 2000; varied between 4.9% and 7.1% from 1991to 2003
Adults Not In Labor Force: 28.5% in 2000; 21.2% in 1990
Per Capita Income: $29,200 in 1999; $30,000 in 1995 (in 1999 dollars)
Transfer Payments: $3,800/person in 1999; $3,100/person in 1995
Population: 31,283 people in 2003 or 4.8% of Alaska's population
Net Migration: Average in-migration of .5 persons per year per 1,000 population from 1991 to 2003
Ethnicity: In 2002, the population was 12% all or part Alaska Native
Below Poverty Level: 6% of population in 2000; 5.5% in 1990

Facts for Travellers

Transportation in Juneau

You might know that Juneau has no roads coming into town. Juneau is easily physically accessible via sea or air. The State-owned ferry is called the Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) to indicate that water is a transportation system. Nearly one million passengers arrive each summer on cruise ships. About 40 miles of paved road provide local transportation only. Juneau residents own more vehicles than there are people; many here also own light planes, floatplanes, and boats. Local government operates Capital Transit, a bus service; several taxicab companies provide service.

Tour buses also take many cruise ship visitors to local sights and excursions. Alaska Airlines is now the only commercial jet passenger operator here (Western, successor Delta, and start-up Mark Air no longer providing service here), with service to Anchorage, Fairbanks, and most Alaskan communities over 3,000 population and to Seattle and beyond. Barge lines (Alaska Marine Lines, etc.) transport heavy freight; some freight also arrives via AMHS ferries or by jet. more...

Climate of Juneau

Juneau has a mild, maritime climate. The mean annual temperature is 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Winter temperatures seldom drop below 20 degrees Fahrenheit and summer temperatures seldom exceed 65 degrees.

Abundant rainfall contributes to the growth of very large Sitka spruce and Western hemlock in the coastal forests and to abundant fish populations in local waters. Snowfall is heavy in most winters, averaging 101 inches. Statistically, June is the month with the least rainfall. more...

Also Read: Demographics of Juneau | Government of Juneau | Best Time to Visit Juneau | Getting Around in Juneau

Cities in Alaska
Anchorage
Fairbanks
Juneau
Wasilla
Palmer
Sitka
Kenai
Ketchikan
Homer
Honeymoon in Alaska
Alaska
South Central
Insider Passage
Interior
Far North
South West