10 Interesting Facts About Juneau, Alaska

Facts About Juneau

Facts About Juneau

  1. Juneau was founded in 1881 after gold was discovered in the area.
  2. The city is named after a gold prospector from Quebec, Joe Juneau, though the place was once called Rockwell and then Harrisburg.
  3. Juneau was named the capital of Alaska in 1906 when the government of what was then the District of Alaska was moved from Sitka as dictated by the U.S. Congress in 1900.
  4. The estimated population of Juneau is 31,973, as of 2021.
  5. Juneau is unique among the 49 U.S. capitals on mainland North America in that it has no roadways connecting it to the rest of the state or the rest of the continent. Honolulu, Hawaii, is the only other state capital that is not accessible to the rest of North America via road.
  6. Juneau is home to 280 species of birds, brown and black bears, five species of salmon, and whales.
  7. The first European to see the Juneau area is recorded as Joseph Whidbey, master of the Discovery during George Vancouver’s 1791–95 expedition.
  8. The coldest temperature ever recorded in Juneau was −22 °F (−30.0 °C) on February 2, 1968, and January 12, 1972. The hottest temperature was 90 °F (32.2 °C) on July 7, 1975.
  9. Juneau is twinned with the following sister cities; Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada; Chiayi City, Taiwan; Vladivostok, Russia; Mishan, Heilongjiang, People’s Republic of China & Kalibo, Aklan, Philippines.
  10. Juneau is home to the Mendenhall Glacier, about 13.6 miles long. The Juneau Icefield Research Program has monitored the outlet glaciers of the Juneau Icefield since 1942.

Fast Facts

Juneau City Information
NameCity and Borough of Juneau / Dzánti K’ihéeni
Founded byRichard Harris and Joe Juneau
Elevation33 ft / 10 m
Area2, 593.6 square miles of land and 487.6 square miles of water.
Median Family Income$111,886
Total Population31,973
Average Age of the Population38
Average Commute Time16 minutes
Official city websitehttps://juneau.org/
Facts About Juneau
Facts About Juneau