Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Alaska

Southeast Fairbanks is a census area in Alaska, United States, on the Canadian border east of Fairbanks. It had a population of 6,808 at the 2020 census and covers 25,059 square miles (64,900 km2) of land and water, centred near 63°46′N 143°36′W.

The census area sits in Alaska’s Unorganized Borough and has no borough seat or local government; Delta Junction is its largest incorporated city, and its postal code is 99737. It contains 2 incorporated cities and roughly a dozen unincorporated communities, is in the Alaska Time Zone, and its FIPS code is 02240.

Towns & Villages in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area

Southeast Fairbanks has 2 incorporated cities and about 11 unincorporated communities and census-designated places (CDPs) spread along the Alaska and Richardson highways and the Tanana River. CDP = census-designated place, an unincorporated statistical community with no city government; Unincorp. = an unincorporated place too small or informal for CDP status.

Delta Junction (the marker for the end of the Alaska Highway) and Eagle (on the upper Yukon River, near the Canadian border) are the census area’s only incorporated cities. Deltana is a large unincorporated CDP that surrounds Delta Junction rather than a distinct village, and Tok is the region’s other major hub, at the junction of the Alaska and Glenn highways.

ZIP Codes

• 99737 — Delta Junction (also serves Deltana and Big Delta)
• 99780 — Tok
• 99738 — Eagle
• 99731 — Fort Greely
• 99764 — Northway
• 99733 — Tetlin
• 99776 — Tanacross

Chicken, Dot Lake, Whitestone, and Alcan Border have no dedicated post office and use general delivery through the nearest larger community.

Geography

Southeast Fairbanks stretches from the Tanana River valley near Fairbanks southeast to the Canadian border, taking in the northern slopes of the Alaska Range and the Tanana Uplands. The Tanana and Delta rivers are the main waterways, and the Alaska and Richardson highways form the region’s transportation spine.

The census area borders the Fairbanks North Star Borough to the northwest, the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area to the north, the Copper River Census Area to the south, the Matanuska-Susitna Borough to the southwest, the Denali Borough to the west, and Yukon Territory, Canada, to the east. Of these, live neighbor profiles exist for Fairbanks North Star Borough, Matanuska-Susitna Borough, and Denali Borough.

Demographics

The 2020 census counted 6,808 residents, down from 7,029 in 2010. Deltana and Tok are the two largest communities, each home to over 1,000 people; the remaining population is scattered across small highway communities. Median household income in the census area runs well below the Alaska median of $88,121, reflecting a largely rural, seasonal-work economy. Population density is under 0.3 people per square mile, one of the lowest in the state.

Economy & Local Life

Agriculture centers on the Delta Junction area, part of Alaska’s Delta Agricultural Project, which grows barley and hay on land opened for farming in the 1970s and 80s. Fort Greely, a U.S. Army post near Delta Junction, hosts the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense missile interceptor site and is a major local employer. Tourism and highway services support Tok, a rest stop for travelers on the Alaska Highway, and hunting, fishing, and trapping remain part of daily life across the region.

History

The census area was created for statistical purposes and takes its name from its position southeast of Fairbanks. Delta Junction grew around the 1919–1948 construction of the Richardson and Alaska highways, becoming the highway’s official northern terminus. Eagle, founded during the 1898 Klondike-era gold rush on the Yukon River, was briefly a federal court seat and telegraph hub before Fairbanks eclipsed it. Fort Greely was established in 1942 during World War II and later became an Army cold-weather test center before its missile-defense role began in 2004.

Getting There

The Alaska Highway crosses the census area from Tok to the Canadian border, and the Richardson Highway runs from Delta Junction south toward Valdez and north to Fairbanks. Approximate distances:

• Fairbanks — 95 miles northwest of Delta Junction
• Tok — 108 miles east of Delta Junction
• Eagle — 165 miles northeast of Delta Junction via the Taylor Highway
• Anchorage — 260 miles southwest of Delta Junction via the Richardson and Glenn highways

The nearest commercial airport is Fairbanks International Airport (FAI); Delta Junction and Tok also have small state-maintained airstrips for general aviation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Southeast Fairbanks Census Area?
It is in east-central Alaska, southeast of Fairbanks, stretching along the Alaska Highway to the Canadian border.

What is the population of Southeast Fairbanks Census Area?
6,808 people at the 2020 census.

How big is Southeast Fairbanks Census Area?
25,059 square miles (64,900 km2), one of the larger census areas in Alaska.

What is the seat of Southeast Fairbanks Census Area?
It has none; the census area lies in Alaska’s Unorganized Borough and has no local government. Delta Junction is its largest incorporated city.

How many towns are in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area?
2 incorporated cities (Delta Junction and Eagle) and about 11 unincorporated communities and CDPs.

What ZIP codes are in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area?
Delta Junction (99737), Tok (99780), Eagle (99738), Fort Greely (99731), Northway (99764), Tetlin (99733), and Tanacross (99776) among them.

What is Fort Greely known for?
It hosts the U.S. Army’s Ground-Based Midcourse Defense missile interceptor site, one of the region’s largest employers.

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