Aleutians East Borough is a borough in Alaska, United States, on the base of the Alaska Peninsula facing the Pacific Ocean and the Bering Sea. It had a population of 3,420 at the 2020 census and covers 6,982 square miles (18,080 km2) of land centred near 55°14′N 161°55′W.<\/p>\n
Sand Point is the borough seat, and its postal code is 99661. The borough has five incorporated cities, one census-designated place, and no organized townships — there are no roads connecting any of its communities to each other or to the rest of Alaska. The borough observes Alaska Time (UTC−9, UTC−8 during daylight saving).<\/p>\n
Six places are recognized by the Census Bureau in the borough: five incorporated cities and one census-designated place (CDP). Every community sits on the coast and is reached only by air or sea.<\/p>\n
| Place<\/th>\n | Type<\/th>\n | Pop.<\/th>\n | ZIP<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n |
|---|---|---|---|
| Akutan<\/td>\n | City<\/td>\n | 1,589<\/td>\n | 99553<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Sand Point<\/td>\n | City · seat<\/td>\n | 578<\/td>\n | 99661<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| King Cove<\/td>\n | City<\/td>\n | 757<\/td>\n | 99612<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Cold Bay<\/td>\n | City<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 99571<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| False Pass<\/td>\n | City<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 99583<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Nelson Lagoon<\/td>\n | CDP<\/td>\n | 41<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n Akutan’s count includes seasonal workers housed at its seafood-processing plant, which can more than double the resident total during peak fishing months. Cold Bay and False Pass are the borough’s smallest incorporated cities; their exact 2020 counts were not independently verified for this profile and are omitted rather than estimated.<\/p>\n ZIP Codes<\/h2>\nNelson Lagoon has no dedicated ZIP code of its own and is served through the Cold Bay or Sand Point post offices depending on delivery route.<\/p>\n Geography<\/h2>\nAleutians East Borough occupies the far end of the Alaska Peninsula and the near end of the Aleutian chain, a landscape of volcanic mountains, treeless tundra, and deeply indented coastline. Water area, 8,028 square miles, exceeds the borough’s land area — every community here is a fishing port. The borough has no bordering counties or boroughs with a live townsvillages.com profile at this time: Lake and Peninsula Borough lies to the east and Aleutians West Census Area lies to the west, across Unimak Island.<\/p>\n Demographics<\/h2>\nThe borough’s 2020 population of 3,420 makes it one of the smaller boroughs in Alaska by resident count but one of the largest by area, giving a density well under one person per square mile. Akutan and King Cove are its two largest communities. Median household income data specific to Aleutians East Borough was not independently verified for this profile; Alaska’s statewide 2023 ACS median is $88,121, and rural fishing boroughs like this one typically run close to or above the state figure in years when the fishing fleet lands well.<\/p>\n Economy & Local Life<\/h2>\nCommercial fishing and seafood processing dominate the borough’s economy almost year-round. Trident Seafoods runs major plants at Akutan and Sand Point, and the Peter Pan Seafoods cannery at King Cove — the region’s largest for decades — ceased operations in April 2024, a significant blow to that city’s economy. Sand Point is homeport to the largest fishing fleet in the Aleutians. The borough’s own school district, the Aleutians East Borough School District, runs small K-12 schools in each community, including Sand Point School with its library, gymnasium, and pool.<\/p>\n History<\/h2>\nAleutians East Borough organized on October 23, 1987, taking its name from the Aleutian Islands chain it anchors. Sand Point was founded in 1898 by a San Francisco company as a cod-fishing station and trading post, formally incorporating in 1966 before becoming the new borough’s seat. King Cove incorporated in 1949 around a Peter Pan Seafoods cannery dating to the early 1900s. During the Second World War the region served as a strategic military area, and local residents were evacuated to Ketchikan amid fears of Japanese invasion of the Aleutians.<\/p>\n Getting There<\/h2>\nNo highway reaches Aleutians East Borough; every community is served only by air, floatplane, marine cargo vessel, or the summer Alaska Marine Highway ferry.<\/p>\n
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