General & Geographic Facts

1. Alaska is the biggest U.S. state—twice the size of Texas!

2. It has more coastline than the rest of the U.S. combined (over 6,600 miles).

3. Juneau, the state capital, is only accessible by boat or plane—no roads connect it to the rest of Alaska.

4. Alaska is home to 3 million lakes and over 12,000 rivers.

5. 17 of the 20 highest peaks in the U.S. are in Alaska, including Denali (20,310 ft), the tallest mountain in North America.

6. Alaska is just 2.4 miles from Russia. At the nearest point in Little Diomede you can look across the international date line into tomorrow at Russia. 

7. It has more active glaciers (over 100,000!) than the rest of the world outside of Antarctica and Greenland.

8. Alaska is home to North America’s largest tide swings—Turnagain Arm near Anchorage can see tides rise and fall over 40 feet!

9. Alaska has more earthquakes than any other state, averaging 5,000 per year.

10. The 1964 Good Friday earthquake was the second-most powerful quake ever recorded (9.2 magnitude).

11. Over 80% of Alaska’s population lives in just three cities: Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau.

12. The Alaska State Ferry System is one of the largest ferry systems in the world, providing transportation to coastal communities.

Weird & Wild Natural Phenomena

13. Alaska has volcanoes! There are over 130 volcanoes, and many are still active.

14. Fairbanks can reach -60°F in winter and 90°F in summer—a 150-degree temperature swing.

15. Utqiaġvik (Barrow) has 66 days of darkness in winter and 82 days of daylight in summer.

16. Alaska has tsunamis, mostly from earthquakes and glacier collapses.

17. The Northern Lights are visible 200+ nights per year in parts of Alaska.

18. Alaska has the world’s largest subpolar rainforest—the Tongass National Forest.

19. The longest day in Anchorage lasts 19+ hours, while Barrow’s lasts over two months.

20. The aurora borealis can sometimes be heard—some people report faint crackling sounds!

21. Frozen bubbles in Alaska lakes create eerie alien-like ice patterns.

22. Alaska's snowiest city is Valdez, receiving up to 300 inches of snow per year.

Bizarre Laws & Funny Facts

23. It’s illegal to whisper in someone’s ear while moose hunting in Alaska.

24. In Fairbanks, it’s illegal to give a moose alcohol. (Why was this ever a problem?)

25. Carrying a slingshot is illegal—unless you have a hunting license.

26. Alaska once tried to make cats mayor (Talkeetna’s Mayor Stubbs was an honorary feline leader for 20 years!).

27. Alaska pays residents to live there through the Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD), which gives out a yearly check (often over $1,000).

28. Alaska has official state sport dog mushing—and people race outhouses on skis in winter festivals.

29. There are no snakes in Alaska. (A paradise for ophidiophobes!)

30. Anchorage has more espresso stands per capita than any other U.S. city.

31. Alaska once had a 100,000-pound glacier ice cream contest—yes, they made ice cream out of glaciers.

Animal & Wildlife Oddities

32. Alaska has more bald eagles than all other U.S. states combined.

33. Moose outnumber people in some areas—there are about 200,000 moose in the state.

34. Grizzly bears can weigh up to 1,500 pounds in Alaska due to their salmon diet.

35. Alaska is home to the world’s largest salmon—a 126-pound king salmon was caught here!

36. There are about 1 bear for every 21 people in Alaska.

37. Some Alaskan highways have “moose crossing” lights because so many moose wander into traffic.

38. Reindeer can see ultraviolet light, helping them spot predators in the Arctic snow.

39. Musk ox have been around since the Ice Age—over 600,000 years!

Historical & Cultural Oddities

40. Alaska was bought from Russia for $7.2 million in 1867—only 2 cents per acre!

41. Nome’s beaches yielded around $10 million in gold (about $300 million in today’s money) during the peak of the Gold Rush in the late 1800’s

42. Alaska used to be on a different calendar—it switched from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar in 1867, meaning Alaska had two Fridays in a row that year!

43. Alaska had a “Battle of Attu” in WWII, the only U.S. ground battle on American soil.

44. Alaska once had a floating post office—a boat that delivered mail up the coast.

45. The Iditarod sled dog race commemorates a real event—the 1925 serum run to Nome, where mushers and dogs saved the town from a diphtheria outbreak.

46. Alaska has a ghost town named Chicken—because the original settlers couldn't spell "ptarmigan."

47. The Alaska flag was designed by a 13-year-old boy in 1927!

48. The town of Whittier is mostly inside one building—the entire population live in a single high-rise, which has apartments, a school, and even a grocery store.

49. Alaska is home to one of the largest collections of petroglyphs in the U.S., especially in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.