South Van HornAK
572 people call this town in Alaska home.
Is South Van Horn a good place to live?
South Van Horn’s January low is -17°F, below both the Alaska town median (7°F) and the median of U.S. towns (22°F). Of the 42 Alaska towns we compare, none has a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than South Van Horn. South Van Horn has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
572 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to South Van Horn: who provides what
South Van Horn is unincorporated, so Fairbanks North Star Borough 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.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in South Van Horn.
South Van Horn has a very high natural-hazard risk, chiefly from earthquakes
92% of South Van Horn’s expected losses from natural hazards come from earthquakes. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 82% of U.S. communities. Since 2003, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out here.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The schools South Van Horn’s kids attend
The Galena City School District runs its public schools. The largest public high school is Interior Distance Education of Alaska (IDEA), with 7,876 students. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interior Distance Education of Alaska (IDEA)Largest public high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 7,876 | A |
NCES · EDFacts
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
13.5% of South Van Horn is conserved land
In South Van Horn, the trail network density is 0.7 miles per square mile.
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
How healthy South Van Horn is
For adults in South Van Horn, the share who smoke cigarettes is 16%. This Alaska town tracks Alaska closely on all 32 CDC measures. 38% of adults in South Van Horn sleep under 7 hours; 38% have obesity.
| South Van Horn | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 68% | 68% | 79% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 35% | 36% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 35% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 16% | 14% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Pioneer Park and 4 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around South Van Horn. Close and well known come first.
2 mi Park & preservePioneer Park
4 mi MuseumUniversity of Alaska Museum of the North11 mi Ski areaMoose Mountain Ski Resort98 runs · 1,311 ft vertical20 mi Ski areaSki Land (Mt Aurora)45 runs · 1,084 ft vertical
4 mi GardenGeorgeson Botanical GardenPhoto credits
Pioneer Park: Enrico Blasutto, CC BY-SA 4.0 · University of Alaska Museum of the North: Maureen amerune, CC BY 2.0 · Georgeson Botanical Garden: Abalg, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Everything we know about South Van Horn
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of South Van Horn
About 5 of every 100 South Van Horn residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Alaska.
Questions about South Van Horn
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is South Van Horn, AK a good place to live?
South Van Horn has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.