Alaska, 1917
Galena’s story
136 years in pictures
Census counts: 15 in 1890, a peak of 833 in 1990, 472 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1917 and a map from 1952 on.
- 1890Galena is settled
GalenaAK
Home to 450 people, the town was settled in 1890.
Photo: Alaska DOT&PF · CC BY 2.0
Population
450
2025 Census estimate · −4.3% since 2020
Median home value
$107K
Census ACS
Household income
$88K
median
Median age
35.3
years
Land area
24 sq mi
Settled
1890
136 years ago
Is Galena a good place to live?
Galena’s January low is -17°F, below both Alaska’s towns (7°F) and U.S. towns (22°F). Galena has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
450 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Galena.
Climate
In Galena, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
77″snow a winter
The midsummer high in the town is 69°F.
Typical low → high °F
Winter-13–3°
Spring16–38°
Summer48–67°
Fall18–32°
Sep 8
typical first frost
May 18
typical last frost
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Schools
The schools Galena’s kids attend
Two of the 3 schools are below, and why each made the list. The Galena City School District runs its public schools. The 3 public schools in Galena teach 292 students between them.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sidney C. Huntington ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 65 | C |
| Galena Interior Learning Academy (GILA)Largest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 185 | C |
NCES · EDFacts
Who lives here
More children than Alaska overall
35.3median age · AK 35.8
Children under 18 are 30% of residents (24% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 19% of residents (25% statewide). 11% of residents are 65 or older in Galena. Since 2020, Galena has lost 4.3% of its people, to 450 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. The town’s median age stands at 35.3 years.
| Galena | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 30% | 24% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 11% | 13% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 37% | 28% | 29% |
| Median age | 35.3 years | 36.6 years | 40.5 years |
GalenaAlaskaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
19%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma5%
High school29%
Some college23%
Associate’s7%
Bachelor’s17%
Graduate21%
Women and men · all residents
53% women, 47% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5.1 points. Across Alaska, 47.5% of residents are women.
| Galena | AK | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 14.9% | 13.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 15.1% | 10.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 3.4% | 9.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 16% | 15.4% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 19% | 14.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.6% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 7.9% | 11.9% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.7% | 9.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 2.5% | 4.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.7% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 28.7% | 28.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 22.6% | 24% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 6.6% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 16.7% | 19.8% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 20.6% | 11.8% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 500, single groups can be off by several points
Health
Galena stands out in Alaska and nationally: a larger share of its adults smoke cigarettes
The share of adults in Galena who report frequent physical distress: 19%. Of the 42 Alaska towns we compare, none has a higher share of adults who get no exercise outside work than Galena.
| Galena | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 16% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 13% | 14% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 13% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 18% | 19% |
32 measures vs. Alaska
0 better12 too close to call20 worse
| What stands out | Galena | AK |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing food insecurity | 29.2% | 14.3% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 16.3% | 8.2% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 17.3% | 9% |
2 of 3
care shortages: dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
Moderate risk in Galena, with cold waves at the top
56risk score of 100
Federal aid has come to Galena households in 2 declared disasters; the latest was in 2023. Compared with 56% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage in the town is higher. Since 1992, Galena has seen 48 flood insurance claims paid out. FEMA puts three fifths of the town’s expected hazard losses down to cold waves, and 16% to avalanches.
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesAvalanchesWildfire
48
paid flood claims since 1992
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Outdoors
0.3% of Galena is conserved land
0.3%conserved
14 miles of trail. In Galena, the concentration of trails is 0.6 miles per square mile.
0.3%
conserved · 41 of 15,514 acres
14 mi
of trails · 0.6 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Galena
16pages on Galena
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Galena: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Galena, and how to reach them.
PowerGalena Electric UtilityEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterGalena Wtp1 - City water system13 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Galena’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 code9974199741 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.
About Galena
City in Alaska, United States
Galena () (Koyukon: Notaalee Denh) is a city in the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area in the U.S. state of Alaska. At the 2020 census the population was 472, slightly up from 470 in 2010. Galena was established in 1918, and a military airfield was built adjacent to the city during World War II. The city was incorporated in 1971.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1918
- Area
- 24 sq mi
- Elevation
- 128 ft
- ZIP code
- 99741
- Area code
- 907
Questions about Galena
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Galena, AK a good place to live?
Galena has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Galena is in here
Say something about Galena.
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