Utqiagvik

Utqiagvik is the northernmost city in the United States, located on the Arctic Ocean along Alaska’s North Slope. It serves as the administrative center of the North Slope Borough and is home to a traditional Inupiat community with a long history of whaling, hunting, and coastal living. The city’s population is in the low thousands, making it the region’s largest community.

The city was historically known as Barrow, a name used in much of its colonial-era history. In 2016 the community officially adopted the Iñupiaq name Utqiagvik as its primary name, though Barrow remains widely encountered in older references and in some institutions. Utqiagvik’s location subjects it to extreme Arctic conditions, including polar nights in winter and continuous daylight in summer.

Climate in Utqiagvik is polar, with long, very cold winters and brief, cool summers. The area experiences permafrost and strong seasonal daylight variation that shapes daily life, subsistence practices, and cultural activities. The local economy centers on public services, education, health care, and government employment, with subsistence hunting—especially bowhead whale hunts—still important to many residents.

Cultural life in Utqiagvik is anchored by Inupiat traditions and institutions such as the Iñupiat Heritage Center. The community maintains a strong emphasis on subsistence knowledge, language preservation, and Arctic adaptation. Transportation to and from Utqiagvik is primarily by air, with no year-round road connection to the rest of Alaska, and sea access is seasonal. The Utqiagvik Airport code is BRW.