Nightmute

History

literally means ‘the people of the pressed-down place’. The first element is ‘to press down on’. The suffix is ‘people’. It first appeared on the 1940 U.S. Census as the unincorporated Native village of "Nigtmuit". In 1950 and 1960, it was spelled "Nigtmute". In 1970, the spelling used was "Nightmute". It formally incorporated in 1974. In 1964, many of its residents relocated by dogsled and founded the bayside community of Toksook Bay about downriver. The relocation was to avoid the yearly spring-winter migration to and from Umkumiut and Nightmute.

Geography

Nightmute is located on Nelson Island near Toksook Bay. The two villages connect by snowmachine trail in winter. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (4.50%) is water. Nightmute lies 15 to 17 miles east of the neighboring village of Toksook Bay.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Lapland Longspur

  Calcarius lapponicus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  9
• Common Raven

  Corvus corax Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  8
• Glaucous Gull

  Larus hyperboreus Gunnerus, 1767 · Aves
  6
• Long-tailed Jaeger

  Stercorarius longicaudus Vieillot, 1819 · Aves
  6
• Western Sandpiper

  Calidris mauri (Cabanis, 1857) · Aves
  5
• Greater White-fronted Goose

  Anser albifrons (Scopoli, 1769) · Aves
  5
• Savannah Sparrow

  Passerculus sandwichensis (J.F.Gmelin, 1789) · Aves
  5
• Cackling Goose

  Branta hutchinsii (Richardson, 1832) · Aves
  5

Largest nearby schools

• Negtemiut Elitnaurviat School
  Other · Nightmute · 99 students · 33:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.9 — 2026-05-28
  42 km NW of Tununak, Alaska
• M 2.9 — 2026-05-28
  39 km NNW of Tununak, Alaska
• M 3.1 — 2020-12-02
  65 km SW of Kipnuk, Alaska