Wainwright, Alaska
Location of Wainwright, Alaska
Coordinates: 70°38′50″N 160°0′58″W / 70.64722, -160.01611
Country	United States
State	Alaska
Borough	North Slope
Area
- Total	42.5 sq mi (109.9 km²)
- Land	17.6 sq mi (45.5 km²)
- Water	24.9 sq mi (64.5 km²)
Elevation	26 ft (8 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	546
- Density	31.1/sq mi (12.0/km²)
Time zone	Alaska (AKST) (UTC-9)
- Summer (DST)	AKDT (UTC-8)
Area code(s)	907
FIPS code	02-82750
GNIS feature ID	1411728

Wainwright or Ulguniq or Kuuq is a city in North Slope Borough, Alaska, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 546, making it the second largest city in the North Slope Borough. The community was named after Wainwright Lagoon, which in turn was named an officer under Capt. F.W. Beechey, Lt. John Wainwright, who both discovered the lagoon in 1826. Wainwright as we know today was founded in 1904.

Geography and Climate

Wainwright is located at 70°38′50″N, 160°0′58″W (70.647185, -160.016216)^[1], on the Chukchi Sea about 72 miles southwest of Barrow.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 42.5 square miles (109.9 km²), of which, 17.6 square miles (45.5 km²) of it is land and 24.9 square miles (64.5 km²) of it (58.63%) is water.

Wainwright has an Arctic climate with temperatures all the way from -56 to 80°F. There is little precipitation, mostly snow. The Chukchi Sea is unfrozen from mid-July through September.

Demographics

As of the census^[2] of 2000, there were 546 people, 148 households, and 117 families residing in the city. The population density was 31.1 people per square mile (12.0/km²). There were 179 housing units at an average density of 10.2/sq mi (3.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 6.78% White, 0.18% Black or African American, 90.29% Native American , and 2.75% from two or more races.

Most of the population are Inupiat Eskimos who rely on subsistence hunting based primarily on whales and caribou. Whaling occurs in the spring.

There were 148 households out of which 50.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.7% were married couples living together, 16.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.3% were non-families. 18.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.69 and the average family size was 4.17.

In the city the population was spread out with 37.7% under the age of 18, 13.4% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 14.3% from 45 to 64, and 6.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 24 years. For every 100 females there were 114.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 117.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $54,722, and the median income for a family was $58,125. Males had a median income of $36,667 versus $40,313 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,709. About 8.5% of families and 12.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.4% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.

Education

There is one school in Wainwright, the Alak School, which serves students kindergarten through grade 12.

See also

• Nalukataq -- traditional blanket toss celebrations

References

1. ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
2. ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.

External links

• Wainwright, Alaska is at coordinates 70°38′50″N 160°00′58″W / 70.647185, -160.016216 (Wainwright, Alaska)Coordinates: 70°38′50″N 160°00′58″W / 70.647185, -160.016216 (Wainwright, Alaska)
• Wainwright Information

v â€¢ d â€¢ e Municipalities and communities of North Slope Borough, Alaska
Borough seat: Barrow
Cities	Anaktuvuk Pass | Atqasuk | Barrow | Kaktovic | Nuiqsut | Point Hope | Wainwright
CDPs	Alpine | Point Lay | Prudhoe Bay