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Chitina Emporium
Alaska›Copper River Census Area

ChitinaAK

A town of 100, settled in 1910.

Photo: Frank Kovalchek · CC BY 2.0
Photo of Chitina

Chitina, AK · Photo: Frank Kovalchek · CC BY 2.0 · Source ↗

Is Chitina a good place to live?

Chitina’s average commute is 4 minutes, where Alaska’s towns sit at 21 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Of the 42 Alaska towns we compare, none has a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Chitina. The biggest place to walk is Wrangell-Saint Elias National Park, 39,597 acres with 18.8 miles of trail. Chitina has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.

Small town

100 people, and everyone knows the way

In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.

Chitina Tin Shop
Chitina Tin Shop · National Register of Historic Places
Chitina’s story

116 years in pictures

Census counts: 171 in 1920, a low of 31 in 1960, 101 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1914 and 2 maps from 1951 on.

2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.

  • 1910Chitina is settled
Explore the history →
Getting set up

Moving to Chitina: who provides what

Chitina is unincorporated, so Copper River Census Area and regional agencies provide most services.

PowerBirch Creek Village Elec UtilEIAHIFLD · EIA
Internet1 providers71% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesCopper River Census AreaCopper River Census Area provides services here
SchoolsCopper River School DistrictWhich school depends on your addressNCES
Register to voteOnlineIn Alaska you can register online until 30 days before Election Day, in person until 30 days before Election Day, or by mail (received 30 days before).vote.gov
Who runs elections hereAbsentee and Petition OfficeState of Alaska; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code9956699566 100%Census 2020

EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.

The data

Ordered by what stands out in Chitina.

Natural hazards

Chitina faces a very high natural-hazard risk, led by avalanches

Storm and flood damage is expected to run higher than in 84% of U.S. communities. Expected losses in Chitina break down as 76% from avalanches and 11% from earthquakes.

84risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
84Very high riskLowerHigher
AvalanchesEarthquakes

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Climate

In Chitina, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers

Chitina’s typical July afternoon high is recorded as 70°F.

48″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter-7–12°
Spring17–45°
Summer43–68°
Fall18–38°
Sep 3
typical first frost
May 31
typical last frost

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Health

A larger share of adults have high blood pressure in Chitina than in most of Alaska or the rest of the country

11% of adults have diabetes in Chitina. Among 42 Alaska towns, just 4 have a higher share of adults who had a checkup this year than Chitina. This Alaska town does better than the Alaska average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 7.

ChitinaTypical Alaska townTypical U.S. town
Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES)72%68%79%
High blood pressure (CDC PLACES)39%32%35%
Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES)16%13%14%
Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES)21%18%19%
32 measures vs. Alaska
1 better24 too close to call7 worse
What stands outChitinaAK
More adults treating high blood pressure75.2%68%
More adults who have had cancer10.4%7%
Cordova Community Medical Center
87.6 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Outdoors

0.2% of Chitina is conserved land

Count the trails in 4 parks and preserves and they come to 21 miles. Chitina’s parks and preserves take up 39,894 acres in all.

0.2%conserved
0.2%
conserved · 119 of 63,036 acres
21 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
Biggest places to walkTrailsAcres
1. Wrangell-Saint Elias National Park18.8 mi39,597
2. Wrangell-Saint Elias National Preserve—288
3. Wrangell-Saint Elias Wilderness—7

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

Housing

Homes in Chitina sell for about $200K

Only 2 of the 42 Alaska towns we compare have a lower owner-occupancy rate than Chitina.

$200Kmedian sale price
0
homes sold in May

Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Chitina

14pages on Chitina
After high school

Colleges nearby

None within 15 miles of Chitina; the nearest are

About Chitina

CDP in Alaska, United States

Chitina (Ahtna Athabascan Tsedi Na' [tʃɛ.diː.näʔ] < tsedi "copper" + na' "river") is a census-designated place (CDP) in Copper River Census Area, Alaska, United States. As of the 2020 census, Chitina had a population of 101.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Area
100 sq mi
Elevation
568 ft
ZIP code
99566

Questions about Chitina

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Chitina, AK a good place to live?

Chitina has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.