Utqiaġvik

Alaska, United States

Also known as: Barrow

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July 23, 2026

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Utqiagvik, formerly known as Barrow, is the northernmost point of Alaska, situated on the Arctic Ocean. This area has been inhabited by the Inupiaq people since around 500 CE. The headland was named Point Barrow in 1826, while its Inupiaq name is Ukpeagvik, meaning "Place Where Owls Are Hunted". In 2016, the city officially reverted to its Inupiaq name, Utqiagvik, which means "Place for Gathering Edible Roots".1

The economy of Utqiagvik is primarily based on oil and gas deposits, with tourism and bird-watching as supplementary activities. The city is a vital hub for air travel, connecting it to Anchorage and Fairbanks. Utqiagvik also hosted the first international meeting of the Inuit Circumpolar Conference in 1977. Subsistence hunting and fishing are crucial for the local community, with food sources including whales, seals, walrus, and caribou. The Inupiat Heritage Center celebrates the cultural contributions of the Inupiat people, particularly their history with whaling.1

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permafrost
Effects of climate
At Barrow, Alaska, U.S., the mean annual air temperature is −12 °C (10 °F), and the thickness is 400 metres (about 1,300 feet). At Fairbanks, Alaska, in the discontinuous zone of permafrost in central Alaska, the mean annual air temperature is −3 °C (27 °F), and…
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At Barrow, Alaska, U.S., the mean annual air temperature is −12 °C (10 °F), and the thickness is 400 metres (about 1,300 feet). At Fairbanks, Alaska, in the discontinuous zone of permafrost in central Alaska, the mean annual air temperature is −3 °C (27 °F), and…
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Point Barrow
Barrow was incorporated as a city in 1959; in 2016 the city reverted to its Inupiaq name, Utqiaġvik (meaning “Place for Gathering Edible Roots”). It is connected with Anchorage (725 miles [1,165 km] south) and Fairbanks (500 miles [800 km] south-southeast) by regular air service.…
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Barrow was incorporated as a city in 1959; in 2016 the city reverted to its Inupiaq name, Utqiaġvik (meaning “Place for Gathering Edible Roots”). It is connected with Anchorage (725 miles [1,165 km] south) and Fairbanks (500 miles [800 km] south-southeast) by regular air service.…
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Alaska
Settlement patterns
…where the major settlements include Barrow (at Point Barrow), Kotzebue, Nome, Bethel, Dillingham, Kodiak, and Unalaska—all of which experienced significant population growth in the last quarter of the 20th century. Barrow is the major hub of the North Slope as well as the northernmost town in the United States, and…
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…where the major settlements include Barrow (at Point Barrow), Kotzebue, Nome, Bethel, Dillingham, Kodiak, and Unalaska—all of which experienced significant population growth in the last quarter of the 20th century. Barrow is the major hub of the North Slope as well as the northernmost town in the United States, and…
Read More