Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Today 192 people live in this town, first settled in 1942.
Northway’s typical journey to work is 10 minutes, where Alaska’s towns sit at 21 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. No town among the 42 in Alaska we compare has a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Northway. 44% of the land in Northway is conserved, where Alaska’s towns sit at 15% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. The biggest place to walk is Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge, 66,115 acres with 1.3 miles of trail. Northway has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 196 in 1950, a low of 40 in 1970, 234 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1917 and a map from 1954 on.
Northway is unincorporated, so Southeast Fairbanks Census Area and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Northway.
Trails total 2.9 miles in 1 park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge | 1.3 mi | 66,115 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The public schools here belong to the Alaska Gateway School District. Its one school is below. Northway’s only public school teaches 59 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walter Northway SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 59 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts
The risk rating from FEMA in Northway is 90 of 100. One declared disaster, in 2002, has brought federal aid to Northway households. FEMA puts 40% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to avalanches, and 39% to wildfires.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The July high for Northway comes to 72°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
70% of adults had a checkup this year in Northway. Of the 42 Alaska towns we compare, none has a higher share of adults who get no exercise outside work than Northway. Against the Alaska average, Northway comes out ahead on 2 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 22.
| Northway | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 18% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 16% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 8.8% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 13% | 14% |
| What stands out | Northway | AK |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 14.1% | 17.6% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 74.1% | 68% |
| More adults who have had a stroke | 6.5% | 3.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
None within 15 miles of Northway; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 Northway residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Alaska.
CDP in Alaska, United States
Northway (Upper Tanana: K’ehtthiign) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Alaska, United States, also encompassing the sites of Charlieskin Village and Kathakne. Prior to the 2020 Census, the borders of the CDP was expanded, merging with Northway Junction and Northway Village. The population was 234 at the 2020 census, up from 71 in 2010.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Northway has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.