Kobuk

History

Kobuk was founded in 1899 as the village of Shungnak, a supply point for miners north of the Kobuk River in the Cosmos Hills. A trading post, school, and mission were built and residents came to the settlement. In the 1920s, river erosion led many residents to relocate ten miles downstream (west) to a site called "Kochuk." Kochuk became the new Shungnak, while the original Shungnak became Kobuk in 1928. In May 1973, a flood covered the entire village. In September of the same year, it incorporated as a city. The economy of Kobuk is based on subsistence hunting for caribou and moose. The first postmaster at Kobuk (when it was still called Shungnak) was Martin F. Moran, appointed September 24, 1903.

Geography

Kobuk has a typical subarctic climate (Köppen climate classification: Dfc), bordering on a dry-winter subarctic climate (Köppen climate classification: Dwc). Kobuk is located at (66.917579, -156.906829). Kobuk is located on the bank of the Kobuk River, northeast of Shungnak. It is near Kobuk Valley National Park. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it (4.34%) is water. The coldest temperature recorded in Kobuk was -68 °F (-56 °C) on March 1, 1971. Kobuk holds the record for the coldest temperature to ever be recorded in the United States in March.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Common Raven

  Corvus corax Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  11
• White-crowned Sparrow

  Zonotrichia leucophrys (J.R.Forster, 1772) · Aves
  5
• Tree Swallow

  Tachycineta bicolor (Vieillot, 1808) · Aves
  4
• Tundra Swan

  Cygnus columbianus (Ord, 1815) · Aves
  4
• Common Redpoll

  Acanthis flammea (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  4
• White-winged Crossbill

  Loxia leucoptera J.F.Gmelin, 1789 · Aves
  4
• Sandhill crane

  Grus canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  3
• Rough-legged Hawk

  Buteo lagopus (Pontoppidan, 1763) · Aves
  3

Largest nearby schools

• Shungnak School
  Other · Shungnak · 84 students · 21:1 ratio
• Kobuk School
  Other · Kobuk · 35 students · 7:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 3.5 — 2026-09-22
  41 km NE of Ambler, Alaska
• M 2.6 — 2026-08-22
  60 km NNE of Kobuk, Alaska
• M 2.7 — 2026-08-04
  61 km NNW of Huslia, Alaska
• M 2.9 — 2026-08-04
  63 km S of Shungnak, Alaska
• M 3 — 2026-07-26
  54 km NNW of Ambler, Alaska
• M 3 — 2026-03-14
  62 km S of Shungnak, Alaska