Explore this Alaska map to know everything you want to know about the forty-ninth state of the US. Learn about Alaska’s location in the USA. Look at its geography, name/location of the capital/largest city, major cities, time zones, history, area/zip codes, flag/seal, national parks, trails, frequently asked questions (FAQs), etc.

About Alaska

Alaska is the forty-ninth state and the most significant state (in terms of total area) in the United States. On October 18, 1867, it was admitted to the Union. Juneau is Alaska’s capital city, and Anchorage is its largest city by population. Both Juneau and Anchorage are urban areas. English is the most spoken language in this state. In the US, Alaska is one of the least populated states.

The US state of Alaska has nicknames, such as:

• The Last Frontier
• The Land of the Midnight Sun
• Seward’s Icebox

Alaska’s state motto is “North to the Future.”

Check Key Facts of Alaska to learn more about this US state.

Alaska Flag

The flag of Alaska was adopted on May 2, 1927. It has eight gold stars profiling the Big Dipper and Polaris against a dark blue background. Benny Benson, a fourteen-year-old orphan boy, designed the flag in 1927.  

Alaska’s State Seal was adopted before it officially became a state. During that period, it was known as the District of Alaska. Alaska’s first governor, William A. Egan, officially designated the district’s seal. It had pictures of glaciers, northern lights, igloos, and an Inuit person fishing in the ice.

Alaska State Symbols

Alaska’s Great Seal was designed in 1910. It symbolizes the state’s extraordinary wealth, economy, and natural resources. The fish and seals on the emblem symbolize the value of seafood to the state’s economy.

The trees represent the vast quantity of timber the state has. The farmer, his horse, and the three sheaves of wheat epitomize the importance of agriculture to the state. 

Alaska Location

Alaska Location Map shows the exact location of the US state of Alaska on the USA map. This map shows the US state’s boundaries, neighboring countries, and oceans.

 The State of Alaska is situated in the Western United States to the northwest extreme of North America. It shares its land borders with:

• The Beaufort Sea (in the north)
• Arctic Ocean (in the north)
• Yukon Territory and British Columbia of Canada(in the east)
• The Gulf of Alaska (in the south)
• Pacific Ocean (in the south)
• The Bering Sea and Bering Strait (in the west)
• Chukchi Sea (in the northwest)

Alaska’s coordinates are 51°20’N to 71°50’N Latitude and 130°W to 172°E Longitude. Check the Alaska Longitude and Latitude Map to learn more about the location.

Alaska Geography

Alaska is spread across a total area of 663,268 sq mi (1,717,856 sq km), out of which 571,951 sq mi (1,481,346 sq km) is land area and 91,316 sq mi (236,507 sq km) is water area. It is the largest state in the United States in terms of size. 

The geographical area of Alaska has four significant landforms:

•         Ice fields: The Juneau Icefield covers an area of 2,500 square kilometers (between Lynn Canal and the Taku River). Up north, the Kluane Icecap resides on the British Columbia-Yukon Territory-Alaska border. It surrounds most of the Saint Elias Mountains.

•         Perennial snowfields: Perennial snowfields are the heart of Alaska’s Arctic parks. However, global warming is rapidly shifting the Arctic, and perennial snowfields are moving back.

•         Alpine glaciers: Around 25% of Alaska’s alpine glaciers are within the national parks. The Kenai Fjords National Park has many glaciers. 

•         Valley glaciers: Valley glaciers are born on the high alpine mountains but meet their end on land. When the ice overflows from a valley glacier and spreads to form a lobe, it is called a piedmont glacier. The Malaspina glacier in Alaska is the biggest piedmont glacier in North America. Check this Alaska Topographic Map to learn more.

 Learn about the location of state boundary, ocean, neighboring states, mountain peaks, rivers, lakes, and the state capital from this Physical Map of Alaska.

Alaska History

Alaska’s history goes back to the Upper Paleolithic age (around 14,000 BC). During this time, marauding armies landed in modern western Alaska, having crossed the Bering land bridge. Alaska Native groups were inhabiting this area in and around this time. The name “Alaska” came from the Aleut word Alaxsxaq (also spelled Alyeska), meaning “mainland.”

The United States of America (USA) bought Alaska from Russia in 1867. In the 1890s, gold rushes in Alaska and Yukon Territory attracted thousands of miners and other people to this land. Alaska was given the status of a territory in 1912 by the USA.

Alaska was officially given US statehood on January 3, 1959. Five years later, in 1964, the devastating “Good Friday earthquake” killed 131 people and destroyed many villages.

The discovery of oil at Prudhoe Bay in 1968 and the completion of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline in 1977 triggered an oil boom in Alaska. Currently, the tussle between development and conservation manifests itself in the argument over oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Check out Alaska Facts to learn more about the History and Colonization of the state.

Alaska Counties

Alaska does not have counties. Instead, it has boroughs that are equivalent to counties. Alaska has nineteen organized boroughs and one unorganized borough. The state adopted the term borough to avoid legal and political controversies.

Utqiaġvik is the largest city by area in Alaska and falls within the North Slope Borough. This city, previously known as Barrow, is the northernmost human settlement in the US. Utqiaġvik is spread across a total area of 245,520 square kilometers or 94,796 square miles.

Skagway is the smallest city-borough in Alaska, with an area of only 1,124 square kilometers or 434 square miles. 

Check the Alaska County Map to learn more about the counties.

Alaska Area Codes

Alaska has four area codes:

•     907: Anchorage, Juneau, and Fairbanks use this area code.
•     236, 250, 778: Other area codes which have overlays with British Columbia

The Alaska Area Codes Map will help you know the exact location of a particular area code. You can also use this map to learn more about the area code, county/state boundaries, and state capital.

Alaska Zip Codes

There are 238 active zip codes in Alaska. Some of the zip codes in Alaska that are best to live in are 99587, 99516, 99686, 99515, and 99709. You can also use the Alaska Zip Codes Map to learn more about a particular zip code’s location, boundary/state boundary, and location of the state capital.

Alaska Major Cities

Explore the Alaska cities map to learn about the state’s major cities. It also helps you know the state capital’s exact location, other significant cities, neighboring states, state boundaries, oceans, and many more.

Alaska’s most prominent cities are:

• Anchorage
• Juneau
• Fairbanks
• Badger
• Knik-Fairview

Check out the Alaska Cities Map for more details.

Alaska Airports

The busiest airport in Alaska is Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, which lies five miles southwest of downtown Anchorage. There are 84 passenger service airports in Alaska. Fairbanks, Juneau, Nome, and Ketchikan are the other international airports.

Check the location of all airports in the state on the Alaska Airports Map. This map also shows Alaska’s state and country boundaries, cities, the state capital, neighboring states, and oceans.

Alaska National Park and Trails

Denali, Gates of the Arctic, Glacier Bay, Katmai, Kenai Fjords, Kobuk Valley, Lake Clark, and Wrangell-St. Elias are the eight national parks in Alaska. Alaska’s national parks protect 41,460,625 acres of land. This is almost the size of the US state of Wisconsin. Approximately 297 million visitors went to these national parks in 2021.

There are around seven fantastic walking and hiking trails in Alaska. These are:

• Chilkoot Trail, Skagway
• Exit Glacier/Harding Icefield, Seward
• Reed Lakes, Anchorage/Wasilla
• West Glacier Trail, Juneau
• Deer Mountain, Ketchikan
• Eielson Alpine Trail, Denali National Park
• Flattop Mountain, Anchorage

Check out the National Parks in Alaska Map to get a clear idea about the locations of different national parks, monuments, preserves, etc.

Explore the US National Parks Map to understand the locations of different national parks, monuments, preserves, etc.

Alaska Climate

Alaska’s average yearly temperatures are in the low 40 °F (4.4 °C) in the south to 10 °F (-12.2 °C) north of the Brooks Mountain Range. The maximum seasonal temperature variation happens in the central and eastern parts of the inland areas.

There is hardly any sunshine in winter. So, the temperatures can go down to -50 °F (-45.6 °C) or even lower. The average minimum temperature hovers around -20 °F (-28.9 °C) to -30 °F (-34.4 °C). 

Winter temperatures have a crucial role in how Alaska’s major rivers flow. Many of the rivers stop flowing during the coldest months. Freezing typically starts towards the end of October and lasts till May. 

The southeastern panhandle has yearly precipitation of approximately 200 inches (5,080 mm). It reaches up to 150 inches (3,810 mm) on the northern coast of the Gulf of Alaska but is around 60 inches (1,524 mm) in the south of the Alaska range.

To learn more about the climatic conditions of Alaska, check out the Key Facts of Alaska. 

FAQs On Alaska

FAQ #1: What Time Zone Is Alaska?

Ans: There are two time zones in Alaska: Alaska Time and Hawaii-Aleutian Time. Most of Alaska is on Alaska time, four hours behind Eastern Daylight Time.

FAQ #2: Where is Alaska?

Ans: Alaska is in the western United States, northwest of North America. It borders British Columbia and the Yukon territory. 

FAQ #3: Is Alaska A Red State?

Ans: Yes, Alaska is a Red state. Donald Trump of the Republican Party won the state of Alaska in 2020.

FAQ #4: What Is Alaska Known For?

Ans: Alaska is known for its national parks, glaciers, Northern lights, midnight sun, and boundless wilderness.

FAQ #5: What Is The Capital Of Alaska?

Ans: Juneau is the capital of Alaska. 

FAQ #6: What Planting Zone Is Alaska?

Ans: In Alaska, the planting zones are between 1a and 8b. 

FAQ #7: Are There Any Glaciers In Alaska?

Ans: According to authentic sources, there are 664 glaciers in Alaska that have names.

FAQ #8: What Is The Population Of Alaska?

Ans: Alaska’s population in 2022 is estimated to be 0.7 million.

FAQ #9: Who Is The Governor Of Alaska?

Ans: Republican Mike Dunleavy is the current governor of Alaska. He is Alaska’s 12th governor. He assumed office on December 3, 2018. 

FAQ #10: Do You Find Polar Bears In Alaska?

Ans: According to official estimates, Alaska has around 4000-7000 polar bears.