Explore the Frozen Frontier: Top 8 Fun Facts About Fairbanks, Alaska You Can't Miss!

1. Cold Feet: Permafrost's Chilling Effects

Fairbanks, Alaska: where the ground has a serious case of cold feet all year-round! This frosty phenomenon is known as permafrost, where thousands of years' worth of soil remains frozen and only the top layer thaws during summertime. This chilly situation affects everything from drainage and ground water to infrastructure and the release of sequestered carbon, with average yearly temperatures being the key culprit for permafrost's existence. Although temperatures warmed up near the melting point in the mid-1990s, the recently colder temperatures are giving the permafrost a little more time to chill.
Source => pmel.noaa.gov

2. Twilight Who? Summer Sun & Reindeer Fun

Step aside, vampires of Twilight, there's a place in Alaska where the sun barely bats an eye in summer, and someone's been keeping Santa's sleigh team in top shape too: Fairbanks, Alaska has long daylight hours in June due to its Arctic Circle location, and the University of Alaska Fairbanks Reindeer Research Program works tirelessly to advance the reindeer industry across the state, collaborating with producers, schools, and communities alike.
Source => reindeer.salrm.uaf.edu

Did you know that during winter solstice, Anchorage, Alaska enjoys a mere 5.5 hours of daylight, creating a beautiful pastel landscape and prime opportunities for spotting the Northern Lights? Discover more intriguing Alaskan facts!

=> Fun Facts about Alaska

3. Cosmic Fairy Lights: Aurora Borealis

Who needs streetlights when you have cosmic fairy lights dancing above you? In the celestial theatre of Fairbanks, Alaska: Debuts the ethereal spectacle known as the aurora borealis. Park yourself under the dazzling "Auroral Oval" for three nights, complete with sky-gazing enthusiasm, and you've got a 90% chance of witnessing Mother Nature's finest cosmic ballet.
Source => travelalaska.com

4. Frosty's Oscars: World Ice Art Championships

When ice sculpting hits the Oscars and Frosty the Snowman becomes a maestro: Fairbanks, Alaska is home to the annual World Ice Art Championships, where talented artists create breathtaking masterpieces from local, crystal-clear ice, enticing spectators from all around the globe and transforming the location into an enchanting, illuminated park at night.
Source => alaskaphotographics.com

5. Gold-Member City: Fairbanks' Rich History

Ah, Fairbanks, the "Gold-member" of Alaska, where million-dollar smiles have a whole different meaning: Found within 25 miles of the city, a gold-producing district contributed an astonishing 15.4 million ounces of gold – about one-third of Alaska's entire gold output – mined by the USSR&M Company and their impressive fleet of eight bucket-line dredges between 1928 and 1965, while the Fort Knox mine has added over 6 million ounces since 1996.
Source => explorefairbanks.com

6. Blast from the Past: The 2059 Time Capsule

What do Rubik's Cubes, Polaroid cameras, and oil pipelines have in common? They're all part of a blast from the past waiting to be discovered in 2059: Fairbanks, Alaska is home to a Time Capsule filled with nearly 200 memorabilia items from 1984 when the 25th Anniversary of Alaska Statehood was celebrated. Crafted entirely from parts of the trans-Alaska oil pipeline and weighing a hefty 200 pounds, it's set to reveal its contents on January 3, 2059, on Alaska's centennial Statehood Day.
Source => festivalfairbanks.info

7. Snooze-Lovers' Dream: Extreme Daylight Hours

If you've got a love-hate relationship with alarm clocks, boy do we have a city for you: Fairbanks, Alaska experiences up to a snooze-worthy 21.5 hours of daylight in June while in December, you can snooze through 20 hours of darkness, leaving merely 3 hours and 41 minutes of daylight – making it an ideal spot to catch the mesmerizing northern lights in winter.
Source => weatherspark.com

8. Mother Nature's Rave: Winter Northern Lights

When the night sky in Fairbanks decides to put on a rave, Mother Nature gets the memo: Fairbanks, Alaska is renowned for its breathtaking Northern Lights displays during the winter months, drawing in countless visitors who come to marvel at the atmospheric party every year.
Source => princessjourney.co.uk