Bettles, Alaska

Bettles Kk’odlel T’odegheelenh Denh
City
Aerial view of Bettles (right) and its neighbor Evansville (left)
Location in Alaska
Coordinates:
Country	United States
State	Alaska
Census Area	Yukon-Koyukuk
Incorporated	December 20, 1985
Government
• Mayor	Heather J. Fox
• State senator	Donald Olson (D)
• State rep.	Benjamin Nageak (D)
Area
• Total	1.6 sq mi (4.2 km2)
• Land	1.6 sq mi (4.2 km2)
• Water	0 sq mi (0 km2)  0%
Elevation	630 ft (200 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	12
• Density	7.5/sq mi (2.9/km2)
Time zone	Alaska (AKST) (UTC-9)
• Summer (DST)	AKDT (UTC-8)
ZIP code	99726
Area code	907
FIPS code	02-06630

Bettles (Kk’odlel T’odegheelenh Denh in Koyukon) is a city in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska, United States. The population was 12 at the 2010 census.

History

The city was founded in 1896 during the Alaska Gold Rush. The airstrip that serves the community was built in World War II and is now used for commercial air service. The Hickel Highway was used to transport equipment and supplies to the North Slope for oil exploration, and to build the Dalton Highway, which is now used as a truck route to the oilfields.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1930	23		—
1940	10		−56.5%
1950	47		370.0%
1960	77		63.8%
1990	36		—
2000	43		19.4%
2010	12		−72.1%
Est. 2014	12		0.0%
U.S. Decennial Census

As of the census of 2000, there were 43 people, 16 households, and 9 families residing in the city. The population density was 26.2 people per square mile (10.1/km²). There were 36 housing units at an average density of 21.9/sq mi (8.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 76.74% White, 18.60% Native American, and 4.65% from two or more races.

There were 16 households out of which 37.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.0% were married couples living together, 6.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.8% were non-families. 18.8% of all households were made up of individuals and none had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.44.

In the city the population was spread out with 30.2% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 37.2% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 104.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 130.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $49,375, and the median income for a family was $65,000. Males had a median income of $47,917 versus $48,750 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,585. There were 10.0% of families and 6.4% of the population living below the poverty line, including 11.1% of under eighteens and none of those over 64.

Geography

Bettles is located on the southeast bank of the Koyukuk River at (66.913419, −151.522374). The city is on the former Hickel Highway, that now connects to the Dalton Highway as a winter ice road only and crosses the Jim River (Alaska). Bettles is 35 miles (56 km) north of the Arctic Circle just south of the Brooks Range. The city is also served by a 5,190-foot (1,580 m) gravel airstrip built by the military.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²), all of it land.

Climate

As is typical of the Alaska Interior, Bettles experiences a subarctic climate (Köppen Dfc) with very long, frigid winters and short, warm summers, and is located in USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 1, indicating the coldest temperature of the year is typically at or below −50 °F (−46 °C). Temperatures remain consistently below freezing from late October to late March, and the bulk of the year's snow occurs from October to April, with generally light accumulations in May and September; the average annual snowfall stands at 91 inches (231 cm). In summer, temperatures reach 70 °F (21 °C) on 37 days and 80 °F (27 °C) on 6.4, with an average of 1 night not falling below 60 °F (16 °C). The threat of frost usually begins in late August, but sometimes it can happen during the first half of the month. A majority of the annual precipitation of 14.9 inches (378 mm) occurs during summer as well. Extreme temperatures have ranged from −70 °F (−57 °C) up to 93 °F (34 °C).

Climate data for Bettles, Alaska (1981−2010 normals, extremes 1944−present)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	42 (6)	40 (4)	49 (9)	66 (19)	86 (30)	92 (33)	93 (34)	88 (31)	79 (26)	57 (14)	45 (7)	38 (3)	93 (34)
Average high °F (°C)	−2.2 (−19)	4.5 (−15.3)	16.7 (−8.5)	34.3 (1.3)	54.6 (12.6)	69.3 (20.7)	69.8 (21)	62.1 (16.7)	48.9 (9.4)	25.6 (−3.6)	6.0 (−14.4)	1.9 (−16.7)	32.8 (0.4)
Average low °F (°C)	−17.9 (−27.7)	−14.5 (−25.8)	−8 (−22)	12.3 (−10.9)	34.2 (1.2)	47.6 (8.7)	49.6 (9.8)	42.9 (6.1)	32.3 (0.2)	12.1 (−11.1)	−8.1 (−22.3)	−13.4 (−25.2)	14.2 (−9.9)
Record low °F (°C)	−70 (−57)	−64 (−53)	−56 (−49)	−37 (−38)	−10 (−23)	27 (−3)	29 (−2)	15 (−9)	−11 (−24)	−35 (−37)	−57 (−49)	−60 (−51)	−70 (−57)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	0.81 (20.6)	0.85 (21.6)	0.58 (14.7)	0.60 (15.2)	0.88 (22.4)	1.40 (35.6)	2.36 (59.9)	2.64 (67.1)	1.91 (48.5)	1.04 (26.4)	0.91 (23.1)	0.92 (23.4)	14.90 (378.5)
Average snowfall inches (cm)	13.9 (35.3)	14.0 (35.6)	9.3 (23.6)	6.3 (16)	1.3 (3.3)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	2.5 (6.4)	12.4 (31.5)	16.1 (40.9)	15.6 (39.6)	91.4 (232.2)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in)	9.0	9.0	7.3	6.4	8.3	10.8	13.5	14.6	12.2	12.0	10.6	11.4	125.1
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in)	10.0	10.3	8.1	5.6	1.2	0	0	0	2.1	11.4	11.5	12.5	72.7
Average relative humidity (%)	68.6	67.0	65.3	67.2	60.7	59.8	67.7	75.8	75.6	77.7	73.5	71.7	69.2
Source: NOAA (relative humidity 1961–1990), Weather.com