Juneau Borough, Alaska

Juneau is a unified city and borough in Alaska, United States, on the Gastineau Channel in the Alaska Panhandle. It had a population of 32,255 at the 2020 census and covers 2,704 square miles (7,003 km2) centred near 58°18′N 134°25′W.

Juneau is the borough seat and Alaska’s state capital, its postal code is 99801, and the unified municipality contains one incorporated city government (the City and Borough of Juneau itself) plus several unincorporated communities and no civil townships. It observes Alaska Standard Time (UTC−9, UTC−8 during daylight saving).

Towns & Villages in Juneau Borough

Juneau is a single consolidated city-borough rather than a county with separate incorporated towns, so its “settlements” are unincorporated communities and neighborhoods inside the one municipal boundary. None carries its own municipal government; all fall under Type Unincorp. except the historic City of Douglas, absorbed into the unified borough in 1970.

Douglas sits across the Gastineau Channel from downtown Juneau, connected by the Douglas Island Bridge; it was its own incorporated city until the 1970 merger that created today’s unified borough. Auke Bay, northwest of downtown, is the terminal for the Alaska Marine Highway ferry system and home to the University of Alaska Southeast’s main campus. Population figures for these individual places are not separately broken out in 2020 census place data, so cells are left blank rather than guessed.

ZIP Codes

• 99801 — downtown Juneau and Lemon Creek
• 99802 — Juneau post office boxes
• 99803 — Juneau (also serves the Mendenhall Valley)
• 99821 — Auke Bay
• 99824 — Douglas

ZIP codes 99811 and 99812 are reserved for Alaska state government offices headquartered in Juneau rather than for a residential place.

Geography

Juneau lies on the mainland side of the Gastineau Channel, backed by the Coast Mountains and the Juneau Icefield, with Douglas Island forming its western shore. Roughly two-thirds of the borough’s land area is federally managed within Tongass National Forest, and glaciers — including the Mendenhall Glacier, the borough’s best-known natural landmark — cover a significant share of the interior. No road connects Juneau to the rest of Alaska or the contiguous United States; all travel in and out is by air or sea.

Juneau borders Haines Borough to the northwest, the Hoonah-Angoon Census Area to the south and southwest, and Petersburg Borough at a shared corner to the south, with the international boundary with British Columbia, Canada, along its eastern edge. None of these neighboring Alaska boroughs currently has a live page on this site to link to.

Demographics

Juneau’s population was 32,255 at the 2020 census, making it the third most populous borough in Alaska after Anchorage and the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. Downtown Juneau and the Mendenhall Valley area are the two largest concentrations of residents. The 2020 median household income for the borough was about $90,126, above the Alaska median of $88,121. Because the borough’s land area is so large relative to its population — most of it uninhabited icefield and forest — overall density is low, at roughly 12 people per square mile.

Economy & Local Life

Alaska’s state government is Juneau’s largest employer, accounting for roughly a quarter of all jobs in the borough, since Juneau is the capital and hosts the legislature, governor’s office, and numerous state agencies. Tourism is the second pillar of the economy: Juneau receives more than a million cruise ship passengers each summer, and downtown’s waterfront is built around that seasonal trade. Commercial and sport fishing, along with a modest amount of tourism-adjacent mining history (the AJ and Treadwell gold mines once operated here), round out the local economy. The University of Alaska Southeast and Bartlett Regional Hospital are among the borough’s other major employers.

History

Gold discovered by prospectors Joe Juneau and Richard Harris in 1880 drew the settlement that became Juneau, originally called Harrisburg and then Rockwell before taking Juneau’s name. The U.S. Congress moved the seat of Alaska’s territorial government here from Sitka, and Juneau became the capital in 1906. On July 1, 1970, the City of Juneau, the City of Douglas, and the surrounding Greater Juneau Borough consolidated into the single unified municipality that exists today, one larger in land area than Rhode Island and Delaware combined.

Getting There

No highway links Juneau to the rest of Alaska; access is by air or water only.

• Sitka — about 95 miles southwest by air or sea
• Haines — about 80 miles northwest by air or sea
• Ketchikan — about 235 miles south by air or sea
• Anchorage — about 570 miles northwest by air

Juneau International Airport handles the borough’s commercial air traffic, and the Alaska Marine Highway ferry system connects Auke Bay to other Southeast Alaska communities and to Bellingham, Washington.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Juneau, Alaska?
It sits on the Gastineau Channel in the Alaska Panhandle, in the state’s southeastern region, with no road connection to the rest of Alaska or the Lower 48.

What is the population of Juneau?
32,255 people at the 2020 census.

How big is Juneau borough?
2,704 square miles (7,003 km2), making it larger in area than Rhode Island and Delaware combined.

What is the borough seat of Juneau?
Juneau itself is the seat; the unified city and borough has no separate county-style government, and it also serves as Alaska’s state capital.

How many towns are in Juneau borough?
Juneau is one consolidated municipality rather than a group of separately incorporated towns; its main communities are downtown Juneau, Douglas, Auke Bay, and Lemon Creek.

What ZIP codes are in Juneau Borough?
99801, 99802, 99803, 99811, 99812, 99821, and 99824.

Can you drive to Juneau?
No. Juneau has no road connection to the rest of Alaska or the contiguous United States; travel is by airplane or the Alaska Marine Highway ferry.

More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Alaska.