Beaver, 2011
Pelican’s story
88 years in pictures
Census counts: 48 in 1940, a peak of 222 in 1990, 98 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2011 and 2 maps from 1951 on.
- 1938Pelican is founded
PelicanAK
Home to 93 people, the town was founded in 1938.
Photo: Joseph from Cabin On The Road, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
93
2025 Census estimate · −4.1% since 2020
Median home value
$188K
Census ACS
Household income
$64K
median
Median age
54.0
years
Land area
1 sq mi
Is Pelican a good place to live?
Pelican’s mean commuting time is 7 minutes, below both Alaska’s towns (21 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Of the 42 Alaska towns we compare, none has a higher median age than Pelican. Pelican has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
93 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Pelican: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Pelican, and how to reach them.
PowerCity of Elfin CoveEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterPelican UtilitiesNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Pelican’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 code9983299832 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 Pelican.
112″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter28–36°
Spring34–47°
Summer48–60°
Fall39–48°
Oct 19
typical first frost
May 4
typical last frost
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Schools
The schools Pelican’s kids attend
Public schools: the Pelican City School District. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pelican SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades K–12 | Grades K–12 | 12 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
Health
A larger share of adults in Pelican have high blood pressure than in the typical Alaska or U.S. town
Among 42 Alaska towns, just one has a higher share of adults who report frequent physical distress than Pelican. For adults here, the share who have diabetes is 12%. The town does better than the Alaska average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 10.
| Pelican | Typical Alaska town | Typical U.S. town | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 14% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 69% | 68% | 79% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 32% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Alaska
1 better21 too close to call10 worse
| What stands out | Pelican | AK |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 72.7% | 68% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.1% | 5.7% |
Bartlett Regional Hospital
68.6 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
Moderate risk in Pelican, with avalanches at the top
70% of Pelican’s expected losses from natural hazards come from avalanches, followed by earthquakes at 17%. On expected storm and flood damage, Pelican sits below three fifths of U.S. communities.
40risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
AvalanchesEarthquakes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Pelican
15pages on Pelican
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Pelican; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 Pelican residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Alaska.
About Pelican
City in Alaska, United States
Pelican (Tlingit: K'udeis'x̱'e) is a small town in the northwestern part of Chichagof Island in Hoonah-Angoon Census Area in the U.S. state of Alaska. Pelican was founded in 1938 by fish buyer Charlie Raatikainen who established the town as a business venture to support his fish processing company. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city was 88, down from 163 at the 2000 census. As of the newest 2020 census, Pelican has a total population of 98 people.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 217 ft
- ZIP code
- 99832
- Area code
- 907
Questions about Pelican
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Pelican, AK a good place to live?
Pelican has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.