Haines, Alaska
Haines is a community of 1,757 people in Haines Borough, Alaska, founded in January 24, 1910.
Why visit Haines
Townapedia lists 7 museums and landmarks, 2 parks and trails, 8 places to eat, 11 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Hammer Museum, Charlie Anway Cabin and Haines Small Boat Harbor.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 65°F; January lows average 18°F, and about 164 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Haines
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Haines
Haines (Tlingit: Deishú) is a census-designated place located in Haines Borough, Alaska, United States. It is in the northern part of the Alaska Panhandle and near Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. As of the 2020 census, the population of the Haines CDP was 1,657, down from 1,713 in 2010; it has 79.6% of Haines Borough's total population.
From the Wikipedia article Haines, Alaska (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks7
Hammer Museum
Museum · 2.0 mi
108 Main Street, Haines
May-Sep Mo-Sa 10:00-17:00; May-Sep Su 10:00-14:00
Charlie Anway Cabin
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
United States historic place
Fort William H. Seward
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.5 mi
Fort in Alaska
Government Indian School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.9 mi
School building in Haines Borough, United States of America
Parks, trails and playgrounds2
Restaurants and cafes8
History
The original Native name for Haines was Deishú, meaning "end of the trail"; it was named by the Chilkoot band of the Tlingit. The name is derived from the fact that they could portage (carry) their canoes from the trail they used to trade with the interior. The trail began at the outlet of the Chilkat River and went to Dtehshuh; portaging saved 20 miles (32 km) of rowing around the Chilkat Peninsula.
The first European, George Dickinson, an agent for the North West Trading Company, settled at Dtehshuh in 1879. In 1881, the Chilkat asked Sheldon Jackson to send missionaries to the area.
John Muir, Alexander Alderson, and Samuel Hall Young, a Presbyterian minister, were sent. Jackson built the Chilkat Mission and school at Dtehshuh in 1881, on land given to the church by the Chilkat. The Mission was renamed "Haines" in 1884 in honor of Francina E. Haines, the chairwoman of the committee which raised funds for its construction. Haines is the only town in Southeast Alaska to be named after a woman. At the time, the boundary between Canada and the U.S. was disputed and vaguely defined. There were overlapping land claims from the United States' purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867 and British claims along the coast.
From the History section of Haines, Alaska on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay11
Churches and places of worship4
Shopping5
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries5
Map of Haines
45 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29°F | 18°F | 7.0 in | 45.0 in |
| Feb | 32°F | 21°F | 5.6 in | 25.0 in |
| Mar | 37°F | 24°F | 4.5 in | 23.9 in |
| Apr | 48°F | 33°F | 3.0 in | 2.5 in |
| May | 59°F | 41°F | 2.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 64°F | 48°F | 2.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 65°F | 51°F | 1.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 63°F | 50°F | 3.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 56°F | 44°F | 6.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 46°F | 36°F | 8.5 in | 1.8 in |
| Nov | 34°F | 25°F | 7.8 in | 25.7 in |
| Dec | 30°F | 22°F | 9.8 in | 40.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Haines #2 (2 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Haines Borough has had 3 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for biologicals.
- 2021-02-17: Severe Storm, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Mud/Landslide)
- 2020-04-09: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Haines Airport (HNS) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 2 miles away.
- Skagway 15 mi northeast, about 25 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- HainesView, LCGS Russ, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Haines Alaska June 2012 a, Mike Quach, CC BY-SA 3.0
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.