Bethel Alaska

Population: 5899

Location and Climate
Bethel is located at the mouth of the Kuskokwim River, 40 miles inland from the Bering Sea. It lies in the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge, 400 air miles west of Anchorage. It lies at approximately 60.792220° North Latitude and -161.75583° West Longitude. (Sec. 09, T008N, R071W, Seward Meridian.) Bethel is located in the Bethel Recording District. The area encompasses 43.8 sq. miles of land and 5.1 sq. miles of water. Precipitation averages 16 inches a year in this area, with snowfall of 50 inches. Summer temperatures range from 62 to 42; winter temperatures average 19 to -2.

History, Culture and Demographics
Bethel was first established by Yup'ik Eskimos who called the village "Mumtrekhlogamute," meaning "Smokehouse People," named for the nearby fish smokehouse. There were 41 people in Bethel during the 1880 U.S. Census. At that time, it was an Alaska Commercial Company Trading Post. The Moravian Church established a mission in the area in 1884. The community was moved to its present location due to erosion at the prior site. A post office was opened in 1905. Before long, Bethel was serving as a trading, transportation and distribution center for the region, which attracted Natives from surrounding villages. The City was incorporated in 1957. Over time, federal and state agencies established regional offices in Bethel. A federally recognized tribe is located in the community -- the Orutsararmuit Native Council. 68% of the population are Alaska Native or part Native. The region is fortunate in that rapid development did not occur before the importance of protecting the Native culture was realized. The traditional Yup'ik Eskimo practices and language remain predominant in the area. Subsistence activities and commercial fishing are major contributors to residents' livelihoods. The sale of alcohol is banned in the community, although importation or possession is allowed. During the 2000 U.S. Census, there were 1,990 total housing units, and 249 were vacant. 61 of these vacant housing units are used only seasonally. 2,459 residents were employed. The unemployment rate at that time was 8.95%, although 33.49% of all adults were not in the work force. The median household income was $57,321, per capita income was $20,267, and 11.18% of residents were living below the poverty level.

Facilities, Utilities, Schools and Health Care
Some residents are connected to the central piped water and sewer system. Approximately 75% of households have water delivered and sewage hauled by truck. Several facilities in Bethel have individual wells and septic tanks. For health reasons the City ruled that residents can no longer use honeybuckets. Extensions of the piped systems to the City Subdivision and Old Town are under construction. Water Treatment Plant improvements have been completed in Bethel Heights. Additional funding has been requested to connect 105 homes to the piped system. Electricity is provided by Bethel Utilities Corporation. There are 6 schools located in the community, attended by 1,328 students. Local hospitals or health clinics include Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta Regional Hospital (543-6511); Bethel Family Health Clinic (543-3773). The hospital is a qualified Acute Care facility, and the clinic is a qualified Emergency Care Center. Specialized Care: YKHC Phillips Alcohol Program (City-operated health care, lodging, rehabilitation); YKHC Outpatient Services (Calista-operated health care, information); Bethel Community Services' Malon. Bethel is classified as a large town/Regional Center, it is found in EMS Region 7A in the Yukon/Kuskokwim Region. Emergency Services have limited highway, river, floatplane and airport access. Emergency service is provided by 911 Telephone Service, volunteers and a health aide. Auxiliary health care is provided by Bethel Fire Dept. & Ambulance Service (543-2131); Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corp. Ambulance & Aeromed Int'l. Medevac (677-7501/888-283-7220).

Economy and Transportation
Bethel serves as the regional center for 56 villages in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. Food, fuel, transportation, medical care, and other services for the region are provided by Bethel. 50% of the jobs in Bethel are in government positions. Commercial fishing is an important source of income; 200 residents hold commercial fishing permits, primarily for salmon and herring roe net fisheries. Subsistence activities contribute substantially to villager's diets, particularly salmon, freshwater fish, game birds and berries. Poor fish returns since 1997 have significantly affected the community. The State-owned Bethel Airport is the regional transportation center, and is served by a number of passenger airlines, cargo carriers, and numerous air taxi services. Bethel is the third busiest airport in Alaska. It offers a 6,398' long by 150' wide asphalt runway and 1,850' long by 75' wide gravel crosswind runway, and is currently undergoing a $7 million renovation and expansion. Two float plane bases are nearby, Hangar Lake and H Marker Lake. The Port of Bethel includes a small boat harbor, dry land storage, and up to 5,000 feet of transient moorage on the seawall. River travel is the primary means of local transportation in the summer, and it becomes a 150-mile ice road to surrounding villages in the winter. A barge service based in Bethel provides goods to the Kuskokwim villages. There are 16 miles of graded dirt roads maintained by the City and 22 miles of paved roads maintained by the State DOT. Winter trails are marked to Napakiak (1.1 mi.) and Akiachak (19 mi.).

Source: State of Alaska, Department of Community and Economic Development.

Bethel Alaska Links
If you would like your website listed here please contact .

More Alaska Cities
Anchorage Alaska, Barrow, Bethel, Big Lake, Butte, Cantwell, Cooper Landing, Copper Center, Cordova, Delta Junction, Denali National Park, Dillingham, Douglas, Eagle River Chugiak, Fairbanks Alaska, Girdwood, Glennallen, Haines, Healy, Homer, Hoonah, Iliamna, Juneau, Kenai, Kenai Fjords National Park, Ketchikan, King Salmon, Knik Fairview, Kodiak, Kotzebue, Lake Louise, McGrath, Moose Pass, Nenana, Nikiski, Nome, North Pole, Palmer, Petersburg, Seward Alaska, Sitka, Skagway, Soldotna, Sterling, Talkeetna, Unalaska, Valdez, Wasilla, Whittier Alaska, Willow, Wrangell, Yakutat

[printer version Bethel Alaska]