North Pole, Alaska
North Pole is a city of 2,370 people in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, founded in January 15, 1953.
Why visit North Pole
Townapedia lists 2 museums and landmarks, 2 parks and trails, 17 places to eat and 3 places to stay in and around town.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 71°F; January lows average -18°F, and about 53 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in North Pole
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About North Pole
North Pole is a small city in the Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, United States. Incorporated in 1953, it is part of the Fairbanks metropolitan statistical area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 2,243, up from 2,117 in 2010. Despite its name, the city is about 1,700 miles (2,700 km) south of Earth's geographic North Pole and 125 miles (201 km) south of the Arctic Circle.
From the Wikipedia article North Pole, Alaska (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks2
Parks, trails and playgrounds2
Restaurants and cafes17
Sunrise Bagel & Espresso
Cafe · Coffee Shop, Bagel, Breakfast · 0.7 mi
2860 Doughchee Avenue, North Pole
Mo-Sa 05:30-19:00, Su 07:00-19:00
Saigon Garden Vietnamese Cuisine
Restaurant · Vietnamese, Sandwich, Soup · 0.4 mi
Starbite AK
Restaurant · Mexican, Tacos · 1.1 mi
667 Saint Nicholas Drive, North Pole
Pagoda Chinese Restaurant and Bar
Restaurant · Chinese · 0.5 mi
This restaurant was featured on an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, a Food Network show.
5 more on the map.
Where to stay3
History
The Richardson Highway south of Fairbanks led to an assortment of subdivided and unsubdivided homesteads between Ladd Field and 26 Mile Field in the 1940s and 1950s.
The area that formed the central city of North Pole was homesteaded in 1944 by Bon V. and Bernice Davis. Their son, T. Neil Davis, wrote Battling Against Success in 1997, a fictionalized account of homestead life. The Alaska Railroad established a siding on the Davis homestead as part of its branch line to Eielson Air Force Base, naming the siding Davis. This name temporarily became associated with the fledgling settlement.
In 1952, Dahl and Gaske Development Company purchased the Davis homestead, subdivided it, and renamed it North Pole, in hopes of attracting a toy manufacturer to the area. The City of North Pole was incorporated on January 15, 1953, from portions of the Davis homestead and the adjacent homestead of James Ford. Ford was named the first mayor, with Everett Dahl serving on the first city council.
From the History section of North Pole, Alaska on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship4
Shopping5
Gas and EV charging4
Schools, colleges and libraries6
Map of North Pole
43 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -2°F | -18°F | 0.6 in | 8.4 in |
| Feb | 11°F | -11°F | 0.5 in | 7.7 in |
| Mar | 25°F | -1°F | 0.4 in | 5.6 in |
| Apr | 46°F | 20°F | 0.4 in | 2.8 in |
| May | 62°F | 34°F | 0.8 in | 0.6 in |
| Jun | 70°F | 46°F | 1.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 71°F | 50°F | 2.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 65°F | 44°F | 2.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 53°F | 33°F | 1.6 in | 1.4 in |
| Oct | 33°F | 15°F | 1.0 in | 7.1 in |
| Nov | 9°F | -6°F | 0.8 in | 9.4 in |
| Dec | 1°F | -14°F | 0.6 in | 10.1 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for N Pole 1N (1 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
Fairbanks North Star Borough has had 14 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for fires.
- 2025-07-06: Nenana Ridge Complex (Fire)
- 2025-06-23: Himalaya Road Fire (Fire)
- 2023-08-03: Lost Horse Creek Fire (Fire)
- 2022-03-24: Severe Winter Storm And Straight-Line Winds (Severe Storm)
- 2020-04-09: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Ladd Army Airfield (FBK) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 9 miles away.
- Badger 4 mi north, about 6 min by car
- Moose Creek 7 mi southeast, about 11 min by car
- Fairbanks 10 mi northwest, about 17 min by car
- Eielson AFB 10 mi southeast, about 17 min by car
- Steele Creek 12 mi north, about 19 min by car
- Farmers Loop 15 mi northwest, about 23 min by car
- College 16 mi northwest, about 25 min by car
- Chena Ridge 20 mi west, about 32 min by car
- Ester 22 mi northwest, about 35 min by car
- Goldstream 24 mi northwest, about 38 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
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- North Pole Alaska High School, RadioKAOS, CC BY-SA 3.0
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