Prudhoe Bay
Census-designated place in North Slope Borough, Alaska
Prudhoe Bay is an unincorporated community (census-designated place) in North Slope Borough, Alaska, with 1,310 residents (2020 Census). It sits at 30 ft (9 m) above sea level.
- 1,310residents (2020 Census)
- 30 ftelevation · 9 m
- 390.4 sq miland area · 1,011.0 km²
- 3 / sq mipopulation density
- 99734ZIP code
About Prudhoe Bay
Prudhoe Bay , also known as Deadhorse, is a town located in North Slope Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. As of the 2020 census, the population of the CDP was 1,310 people, down from 2,174 residents in the 2010 census, and up from just 5 residents in 2000; however, at any given time, several thousand transient workers support the Prudhoe Bay Oil Field. Rigs and processing facilities are located on scattered gravel pads laid atop the tundra. It is only during winter that the surface is hard enough to support heavy equipment, and new construction happens at that time.
Overland access to Prudhoe Bay/Deadhorse is by the Dalton Highway from Fairbanks, 495 miles (797 km) south, or Deadhorse Airport. As the bay itself is still 10 miles (16 km) further north through a security checkpoint, open water is not visible from the highway. A few tourists, arriving by bus or their own vehicles after a two-day ride up the Dalton Highway from Fairbanks, come to see the tundra, the Arctic Ocean and the midnight sun, staying in lodgings assembled from modular buildings. Tours must be arranged in advance to see the Arctic Ocean and the bay itself.
Companies with facilities in Deadhorse service Prudhoe Bay, nearby oil fields, and the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS), which brings oil from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez on the south-central Alaska coast. Facilities are built entirely on man-made gravel pads and usually consist of pre-fabricated modules shipped to Deadhorse via barge or air cargo.
Prudhoe Bay was named in 1826 by British explorer Sir John Franklin after his classmate Captain Algernon Percy, Baron Prudhoe. Franklin traveled westerly along the coast from the mouth of the Mackenzie River in Canada almost to Point Barrow.
Text: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
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Map of Prudhoe Bay
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Open in Google Maps ›Prudhoe Bay, AK population
Prudhoe Bay had 1,310 residents in the 2020 Census.
| 2020 Census | 1,310 |
|---|---|
| Density | 3 per sq mi (1 per km²) |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Decennial Census.
Prudhoe Bay at a glance
| State | Alaska (AK) |
|---|---|
| County | North Slope Borough |
| Type | Census-designated place |
| Population | 1,310 (2020) |
| Land area | 390.36 sq mi (1,011.0 km²) |
| Water area | 179.61 sq mi (465.19 km²) |
| Elevation | 30 ft (9 m) |
| Coordinates | 70.3659° N, 148.7498° W |
| ZIP code | 99734 |
| Official website | prudhoebay.com |
| Census code (GEOID) | 0264380 |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Gazetteer, ZCTA), USGS GNIS, Wikidata.
Frequently asked questions about Prudhoe Bay
What county is Prudhoe Bay in?
Prudhoe Bay is in North Slope Borough, Alaska.
What is the population of Prudhoe Bay, AK?
1,310 people lived in Prudhoe Bay at the 2020 Census.
What is the ZIP code of Prudhoe Bay, AK?
The ZIP code of Prudhoe Bay is 99734.
What is the elevation of Prudhoe Bay?
30 feet (9 m) above sea level.
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