Welcome To KEY TO THE CITY's Page For
Skagway
Alaska
ZipCodes
99840
Motto
"Gateway to the Klondike"
Page Contents for Skagway, Alaska
History & History-related items
Chamber of Commerce.
Community events.
Organizations, Churches, and Sports.
Statistics & Facts
The Alaska state capital is Juneau.
The population of Skagway is approximately 832 (2006), 920 (2010).
The approximate number of families is 502 (2000), 410 (2010).
The amount of land area in Skagway is 1177.625 sq. kilometers.
The amount of land area in Skagway is 452 sq. miles.
The amount of surface water is 28.822 sq kilometers.
The distance from Skagway to Washington DC is 3152 miles.
The distance to the Alaska state capital is 91 miles. (as the crow flies)
Skagway is positioned 59.52 degrees north of the equator and 135.33 degrees west of the prime meridian.
Skagway elevation is 23 feet above sea level.
Skagway per capita income is $ 27,700 (2000).
Skagway median income is $ 49,000 (2005).
The Skagway median home price is $ 174,000 (2005).
Skagway average annual precipitation is 26.5 inches peryear.
Skagway average annual snowfall is 49.1 inches per year.
Location
at the northern end of the Inside Passage on the Lynn Canal in the Southeastern Alaska Panhandle. Here is a map page for Skagway. It is about One hundred miles northwest of Juneau. Anchorage is about 1,000 miles from Skagway. Nearby communities include Haines, Mud Bay, Lutak, Klukwan, Covenant Life, Mosquito Lake, Excursion Inlet and Gustavus.Return to Index
Climate
a cool, temperate marine environment, just cooler than Seattle, Washington in both the summer and the winter.
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History & History Related Items
The first non-native residents were Capt. William Moore and his son, J. Bernard. They settled in 1887 on the east side of the Skagway River valley. Captain Moore foresaw a gold strike somewhere in the Yukon. When it hit it was big and it hit hard. In July 1897, the first boatloads of stampeders bound for the Klondike landed at Skagway and Dyea.
Historic Skagway saw tens of thousands of fortune-seeking prospectors during the Great Klondike Gold Rush of 1898. Here, the stampeders piled off steamships, eager to head overland to the Yukon gold fields on the White Pass Trail from Skagway or the Chilkoot Trail from nearby Dyea. But before the lonely men could leave town, they faced the temptations of 80 saloons, the lure of painted ladies, and the quick fingers of gamblers and thieves such as Jefferson R. "Soapy" Smith and his ruthless gang. Foreseeing a lucrative future in the Yukon, a group of British financiers began construction of the narrow-gauge White Pass and Yukon Route railroad in July of 1898. Completed to Whitehorse in 1900, and connecting with a region-wide steamship navigation system, the White Pass Corporation began a transportation network in the north that remains to this day.
Skagway boomed during the Gold Rush of 1898, but languished as the rush moved on to Nome in 1899. After the turn of the century many of the businesses moved their buildings from the avenues to front on Broadway and the tracks of the White Pass railroad. The town settled into its ultimate, but less dramatic role as the shipping port for the Yukon. Fire, the scourge of many historic Alaskan towns, thankfully never ravaged downtown Skagway, leaving an authentic Gold Rush atmosphere.
The name Skagway means"Home of the NorthWind" in Tlingit (Indian), and it is appropriate. We have a wind that can be fierce at times, significantly lowering the temperatures with the wind-chill factor.
On 28 June 1900, Skagway became the first incorporated city in Alaska. On 5 June 2007, the residents voted to dissolve the city of Skagway and incorporate as the first first-class borough in the State of Alaska. They are now known as the Municipality of Skagway Borough. The official date of incorporation was 25 June 2007.
Try this history page for the area. Also try this history page.
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The founding of Skagway
1897The incorporation of Skagway
1900Attractions
See our page on Skagway Attractions
Learn more about Skagwayat this Website. Enjoy these great photos of Skagway!
For more information on Skagway Toll-free: 1-888-762-1898.
The Chilkoot Trail
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Economy & Industry
Tourism is the main part of the economic base. The area has over a million visitors annually, mainly from cruise ships.
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Skagway City Government
Municipality of Skagway Borough700B Spring Street
P. O. Box 415
Skagway, AK 99840
Phone: 907-983-2297
Skagway became the first first-class borough in the state of Alaska in 2007. A borough in Alaska is similar to a county in the continental United States.
Skagway Chamber
Skagway Chamber of Commerce
P.O. Box 194
Skagway, Alaska 99840
Phone: (907) 983-1898
The Skagway Chamber of Commerce is a resource for Skagway facts and figures, a forum for information and ideas, and a voice for the Business Community.
Skagway Community Events
Community Events in Skagway
August each year
Flower & Garden Show
This annual three-day event showcases the variety, size and beauty of Skagway's gardens and flower adorned businesses
Contact: Eastern Star Chapter #9
P.O. Box 294
Skagway, AK 99840
Phone: 907-983-2387
September each year
Klondike Road Relay
A 110 miles relay reace that begins in Skagway, Alaska on Friday and ends in Whitehorse, Yukon, the next afternoon. Teams of 10 members from all over the world compete in this event. In 1998, 162 teams competed!
Contact:
Sport Yukon
4061 4th Ave
Whitehorse, YT Y1A 2C5
Phone: 867-668-4236
Skagway Organizations
Skagway Chamber of CommerceP.O. Box 194
Skagway, Alaska 99840
Phone: (907) 983-1898
The Skagway Chamber of Commerce is a resource for Skagway facts and figures, a forum for information and ideas, and a voice for the Business Community. Skagway
Miscellany
The population of Skagway was:1900 - 1,800
1960 - 700
1970 - 700
1980 - 800
1990 - 692
1998 - 816
2000 - 862
2006 - 832
Due to the summer tourist season, the need for seasonal workers increases the population by more than double the winter resident count.
The number of housing units was:
1990 - 404
2000 - 502
Median age:
2000 - 39.2 years
Median household income:
2000 - $ 49,375
2005 - $ 49,000
Median house value:
2000 - $ 150,900
2005 - $ 174,000
Skagway is located in the Alaska Time Zone and does participate in daylight savings time during a portion of the year.
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