Before the construction of the Alaska Highway, the establishment of military bases and Alaska's induction into the union as the 49th state, Fairbanks was an energetic mining town at the center of the largest territories in the United States. Italian immigrant, Felix Pedro is credited with the initial discovery of gold in 1902. As luck would have it, Captain E.T. Barnette's goal of building a trading post on the banks of the Chena River coincided with this, as well as other key gold strikes north of town. Subsequently, Fairbanks was incorporated by a 75% majority vote in 1903.
More than one hundred years later, our small boomtown has a diversified economy, with oil, gas, gold and coal mining, military, tourism and the University of Alaska as key components. Fairbanks continues in its role as the services hub and gateway to Alaska's Interior and Arctic. With a population of close to 31,000, Fairbanks' citizenry swells to almost 97,000 when including the surrounding Fairbanks North Star Borough.
Also see: City of Fairbanks | Fairbanks North Star Borough
Events Calendar
Current Vacancies
