Headland at Cold Bay, ca. 1910, c. 1910
Cold Bay’s story
136 years in pictures
Census counts: 231 in 1890, 50 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1910 and 3 maps from 1943 on.
- 1890Cold Bay is settled
Cold BayAK
With 54 residents, this town was settled in 1890.
Photo: US Fish and Wildlife Service · Public domain
Is Cold Bay a good place to live?
Cold Bay’s typical journey to work is 5 minutes, where Alaska’s towns sit at 21 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Only one of the 42 Alaska towns we compare has a lower midpoint age than Cold Bay. 71% of the land in Cold Bay is conserved, where Alaska’s towns sit at 15% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. The biggest place to walk is Izembek Wilderness, 5,975 acres with 19.3 miles of trail. Cold Bay has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
54 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Cold Bay: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Cold Bay, and how to reach them.
PowerNelson Lagoon Elec CoopEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterCold Bay water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Cold Bay’s trash rules yet
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.govWho runs elections hereAbsentee and Petition OfficeState of Alaska; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code9957199571 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 Cold Bay.
Outdoors
Cold Bay has set aside nearly a third of its land for conservation
The trail density in Cold Bay is 2.1 miles per square mile. In 2 parks and preserves, walkers have 143 miles of trail.
70.6%conserved
70.6%
conserved · 30,412 of 43,106 acres
143 mi
of trails · 2.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge | 21.6 mi | 3,319 |
| 2. Izembek Wilderness | 19.3 mi | 5,975 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazards
Cold Bay stands out in Alaska and nationally: the FEMA risk score there is higher
One declared disaster, in 1999, has brought federal aid to Cold Bay households. Expected losses in Cold Bay break down as 58% from tsunamis and 22% from volcanic activity.
99risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
TsunamisVolcanic activityEarthquakes
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In Cold Bay, a typical July afternoon runs cooler than in the typical Alaska or U.S. town
Cold Bay brings chilly, snowy winters and cool summers. July afternoons reach 56°, January nights drop to 24° and about 67 inches of snow falls in a winter.
67″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter25–35°
Spring30–41°
Summer46–55°
Fall37–47°
Oct 4
typical first frost
May 25
typical last frost
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Cold Bay is
For adults in Cold Bay, the share who worry about having enough food is 25%. On the CDC’s 32 measures, Cold Bay is ahead of Alaska on 1 and behind on 17. No town among the 42 in Alaska we compare has a higher share of adults who say their health is fair or poor than Cold Bay. Among adults in the town, 44% sleep under 7 hours and 66% had a checkup this year.
| Cold Bay | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 16% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 35% | 36% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 66% | 68% | 79% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 13% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Alaska
1 better14 too close to call17 worse
| What stands out | Cold Bay | AK |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.9% | 7% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 28.4% | 13.5% |
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Cold Bay
13pages on Cold Bay
The big questions
The story
About Cold Bay
City in Alaska, United States
Cold Bay (Aleut: Udaamagax,; Sugpiaq: Pualu) is a city in Aleutians East Borough, Alaska, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 108, but at the 2020 census this had reduced to 50. Cold Bay is one of the main commercial centers of the Alaska Peninsula, which extends west towards the Aleutian Islands, and is home to Cold Bay Airport.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1982
- Area
- 72 sq mi
- Elevation
- 138 ft
- ZIP code
- 99571
- Area code
- 907
Questions about Cold Bay
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Cold Bay, AK a good place to live?
Cold Bay has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.