North Pole, Alaska | ||
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City | ||
City of North Pole | ||
![]() An aerial view of North Pole, looking north, with the Tanana River to the southwest of it
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Motto: "Where the Spirit of Christmas Lives Year Round!" | ||
![]() Location within Fairbanks North Star Borough and the U.S. state of Alaska |
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Coordinates: 64°45′04″N 147°21′07″W / 64.75111°N 147.35194°W | ||
Country | United States | |
State | Alaska | |
Borough | Fairbanks North Star | |
Incorporated | January 15, 1953 | |
Government | ||
• Type | Home rule city | |
• Mayor | Bryce J. Ward | |
• Borough mayor | Karl Kassel | |
• State senator | John Coghill (R) | |
• State rep. | Tammie Wilson (R) | |
Area | ||
• Total | 4.2 sq mi (10.9 km2) | |
• Land | 4.2 sq mi (10.9 km2) | |
• Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) | |
Elevation | 482 ft (147 m) | |
Population (2010) | ||
• Total | 2,117 | |
• Density | 508.0/sq mi (196.2/km2) | |
Time zone | Alaska (AKST) (UTC-9) | |
• Summer (DST) | AKDT (UTC-8) | |
ZIP code | 99705 | |
Area code | 907 | |
FIPS code | 02-55910 | |
GNIS feature ID | 1407230 | |
Website | www |
North Pole, a suburb of Fairbanks (located to the southeast of Fairbanks), is a small city in the Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, United States. It is part of the Fairbanks, Alaska metropolitan statistical area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a population of 2,117.
The name "North Pole" is often applied to the entire area covered by its zip code, 99705. This area stretches between Fort Wainwright and Eielson Air Force Base, and between the Chena River and the Tanana River, including subdivisions off of Badger Road, a loop road connecting the eastern edge of Fairbanks city limits with North Pole city limits, and in the nearby census-designated place of Moose Creek. Despite the name, the city is about 1,700 miles (2,700 km) south of Earth's geographic North Pole.
The city is a summertime attraction for tourists visiting nearby Fairbanks and, due to its location on the Richardson Highway, those traveling to and from the Alaska Highway and Valdez. North Pole is home to two oil refineries, the town's major industry aside from tourism. The larger refinery, operated by Flint Hills Resources, is a major source of jet fuel for Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. Tanker car traffic on the Alaska Railroad, entering and leaving the refinery, frequently bisects the city.