A few hours from Denali, Fairbanks is the Golden Heart of Alaska, an interior town of about 31,000 people on the Chena River. It began as a gold rush trading post and now leans on the University of Alaska Fairbanks, nearby Fort Wainwright and a steady stream of travelers chasing the northern lights. Aurora viewing runs from late August through April, and many people soak in Chena Hot Springs while they watch. Other stops include the Museum of the North, a paddlewheel riverboat cruise, Pioneer Park and gold mining history at Fox.
Housing is relatively affordable, though everyday costs run above average. The tradeoffs are serious. Cold can reach minus 40 in midwinter, wildfire smoke shows up some summers, and mosquitoes are fierce. Violent crime runs well above the national average, so use sense downtown and along the main highway corridors at night.
Cities with a similar character, anywhere on the site.
Out of 10. Open any score to see how it’s worked out. “Data-based” scores come from published figures; “Hey! En Route estimate” scores are worked out from what we know about the city; “Hey! En Route rating” scores were set by our editors.
- Known as
- Golden Heart City; Golden Heart of Alaska; Gateway to the Arctic
- Founded
- 1901 settled (E. T. Barnette trading post); 1903 incorporated
- Languages
- English; Alaska Native languages including Gwich'in and Koyukon Athabascan spoken by some residents; Spanish and Korean minorities
- Airports
- Fairbanks International Airport (FAI), about 4 miles southwest of downtown, 10 minutes; Anchorage (ANC), about 360 miles, 6 to 7 hours by road or a 1-hour flight; Eielson AFB and Ladd Field are military only; Alaska Railroad connects to Anchorage seasonally
- Tipping
- Restaurants 18 to 20% for table service; bars $1 to 2 per drink; taxis 15 to 20%; tour guides and aurora tour guides 10 to 20% ($5 to 10 per person typical); hotel housekeeping $3 to 5 per night; dog mushing and flightseeing crews 10 to 15%
