Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska

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Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska
Borough
Fairbanks North Star Borough Administrative Center.jpg
Fairbanks North Star Borough Administrative Center
Seal of the Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska.svg
Seal
Map of Alaska highlighting Fairbanks North Star Borough.svg
Location within the U.S. state of Alaska
Alaska in United States (US50).svg
Alaska's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 64°50′N146°25′W / 64.833°N 146.417°W / 64.833; -146.417
CountryFlag of the United States.svg United States
StateFlag of Alaska.svg Alaska
Incorporated January 1, 1964 [1]
Named after Fairbanks and Polaris, the North Star
Seat Fairbanks
Largest cityFairbanks
Area
 • Total
7,444 sq mi (19,280 km2)
 • Land7,338 sq mi (19,010 km2)
 • Water105 sq mi (270 km2)  1.4%
Population
 (2020) [2]
 • Total
95,655
 • Estimate 
(2024)
94,951 Decrease2.svg
 • Density13.04/sq mi (5.033/km2)
Time zone UTC−9 (Alaska)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−8 (ADT)
Congressional district At-large
Website co.fairbanks.ak.us

The Fairbanks North Star Borough is a borough located in the U.S. state of Alaska. As of the 2020 census, the population was 95,655, down from 97,581 in 2010. [2] The borough seat is Fairbanks. [3] The borough's land area is slightly smaller than that of the state of New Jersey.

Contents

Fairbanks North Star Borough comprises the Fairbanks, AK, Metropolitan Statistical Area, one of only two metropolitan areas in Alaska.

The borough is home to the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fort Wainwright and Eielson Air Force Base.

Geography

The borough has a total area of 7,444 square miles (19,280 km2), of which 7,338 square miles (19,010 km2) is land and 105 square miles (270 km2) (1.4%) is water. [4]

Adjacent boroughs and census areas

Government and politics

The assembly is the borough's governing body, or legislative branch. The assembly consists of nine members who are elected at-large (borough-wide), serving three-year terms. The borough operates under a "strong mayor" system. The mayor, along with his chief of staff, performs many of the job duties normally associated with a city manager.

Though a somewhat urban county with a notable student population, the borough is generally as Republican as Alaska as whole. As of 2025, Democratic candidates have not won Fairbanks North Star Borough since Alaska's first two presidential elections. That said, Joe Biden in 2020 won forty percent of the vote for the first time since Lyndon Johnson's 1964 landslide victory. In 2024, Kamala Harris lost a percentage point, but still did better than a half-century's worth of Democrats. As with the rest of Alaska, the borough is also friendlier to third parties than most of the United States. George Wallace, Roger MacBride, Ed Clark, Ross Perot, Ralph Nader, and Gary Johnson each received over ten percent of the vote in their candidacies despite campaigning on radically different platforms.

Downballot, Fairbanks North Star Borough is a bellwether county. Fairbanks North Star Borough has voted for the winner of Alaska's governorship since its founding: which has included multiple victories for both major parties, multiple victories for independents, and one victory the Alaskan Independence Party.

Mayor
Assembly members

The borough operates a public library system; the main library is the Noel Wien Public Library.

United States presidential election results for Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska [5]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No. %No. %No. %
1960 3,81848.40%4,07051.60%00.00%
1964 3,52642.30%4,81057.70%00.00%
1968 4,27047.00%3,43537.81%1,38115.20%
1972 7,70653.70%5,53938.60%1,1067.71%
1976 10,27954.00%6,68135.10%2,07510.90%
1980 11,60150.70%5,28523.10%5,99526.20%
1984 18,80666.30%8,11228.60%1,4475.10%
1988 18,72860.50%10,58734.20%1,6405.30%
1992 15,22439.60%10,88028.30%12,34132.10%
1996 18,52152.40%10,81630.60%6,00917.00%
2000 25,52661.50%10,20124.58%5,78013.93%
2004 20,26864.40%10,10332.10%1,1013.50%
2008 27,30261.50%15,89335.80%1,1982.70%
2012 23,75558.60%14,71636.30%2,0685.10%
2016 22,01253.86%13,49433.02%5,36413.12%
2020 24,91755.10%18,13840.11%2,1654.79%
2024 24,85756.90%17,03739.00%1,7914.10%

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1960 43,412—
1970 45,8645.6%
1980 53,98317.7%
1990 77,72044.0%
2000 82,8406.6%
2010 97,58117.8%
2020 95,655−2.0%
2024 (est.)94,951 [6] −0.7%
U.S. Decennial Census [7]
1790–1960 [8] 1900–1990 [9]
1990–2000 [10] 2010–2020 [2]

2020 census

As of the census of 2020, there were 95,655 people.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 82,840 people, 29,777 households, and 20,516 families were residing in the borough. The population density was 11 people per square mile (4.2 people/km2). There were 33,291 housing units at an average density of 4 per square mile (1.5/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 77.79% White, 5.6% Black or African American, 6.90% Native American, 2.08% Asian, 0.30% Pacific Islander, 1.71% from other races, and 5.39% from two or more races. 4.15% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 29,777 households, 41.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.70% were married couples living together, 9.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.10% were non-families. 23.60% of households were one person, and 3.60% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.20.

In the borough the population was spread out, with 30.10% under the age of 18, 12.20% from 18 to 24, 33.30% from 25 to 44, 19.80% from 45 to 64, and 4.60% 65 or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 109.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110.90 males.

Communities

Cities

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Education

The entire borough is zoned to Fairbanks North Star Borough School District. [11]

Sister cities

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1996 Alaska Municipal Officials Directory. Juneau: Alaska Municipal League/Alaska Department of Community and Regional Affairs. January 1996. p. 5.
  2. 1 2 3 "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  3. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  4. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  5. ↑ Elections, RRH. "RRH Elections". rrhelections.com. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  6. ↑ "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2024". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  7. ↑ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
  10. ↑ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
  11. ↑ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved July 22, 2022. - Text list
  12. ↑ Archived March 3, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  13. ↑ Archived February 5, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
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