False Pass

History

False Pass is an early English name for Isanotski Strait on which the city of False Pass is located. The strait was called "False Pass" because it was thought to be impassable for deep draft vessels at the northern end. A salmon cannery was built on the Unimak Island side of the strait in 1919 which provided the nucleus for the modern settlement. A U.S. post office with the name of False Pass was established in 1921 which gave official status to the community. Commercial fishing for salmon, cod, halibut and crab continues to be the core of the community's lifestyle and economy.

Geography

False Pass is at (54.827886, -163.399090). It is near the eastern end of Unimak Island, in the Aleutian Islands chain. Part of the city (26.093 km2, or 10.075 sq mi) is on the mainland's westernmost tip Alaska Peninsula, across the Isanotski Strait (about 600 meters at the closest point), although that section is nearly unpopulated. The city boundaries include the abandoned villages of Morzhovoi and Ikatan. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (60.63%) is water.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• False Pass School
  Other · False Pass · 9 students · 9:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 3 — 2026-09-28
  60 km SE of False Pass, Alaska
• M 2.7 — 2026-09-21
  81 km SSW of False Pass, Alaska
• M 2.6 — 2026-09-18
  46 km S of False Pass, Alaska
• M 2.5 — 2026-09-18
  22 km WNW of False Pass, Alaska
• M 2.5 — 2026-09-18
  96 km SSW of False Pass, Alaska
• M 2.9 — 2026-09-16
  51 km SSW of King Cove, Alaska