Wainwright

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Wainwright

Total population

718

Median home value

$117,000

5.6%

Bachelor's+

Median income

$93,750

Wainwright$94k

National$74k

Founded

1904

Air quality index

34Good

Elevation8 m

Land area111.45 km²

Weather29°F · Mostly Cloudy

Coordinates70.66°, -159.99°

Demographic figures from US Census Bureau · ACS 5-year estimates. Overview below cites Wikipedia and may reference a different year.

City facts

Facts from Wikidata (CC0).

Overview

Wainwright, also known as Ulguniq or Kuuk, is a city in North Slope Borough, Alaska, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 628, making it the third largest city in the North Slope Borough, up from 556 in 2010. The community was named after Wainwright Lagoon, which in turn was named after Lt. John Wainwright, an officer under Capt. F. W. Beechey, who were the first non-native people to travel to the lagoon in 1826. An unincorporated area known as Wainwright Inlet by 1890, Wainwright was founded as an incorporated municipality in 1962.

History & geography

Excerpted from the corresponding Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA).

Demographics & economy

Source: US Census Bureau — American Community Survey, 5-year estimates.

Geography

Coordinates & boundaries from the US Census TIGER/Line shapefiles.

Current forecast

Forecast for Wainwright, AK from NOAA NWS API.

Air quality

Current readings from Open-Meteo Air Quality API (Copernicus CAMS European reanalysis).

Health (adults)

Age-adjusted prevalence estimates from CDC PLACES (latest release).

Wildlife & biodiversity

Citizen-science & research observations from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF).

Schools

Public K–12 schools within ~10 mi from Urban Institute Education Data Portal (NCES Common Core of Data, 2022).

Earthquake history

Events from the USGS Earthquake Catalog (global) (FDSN Event Web Service).

Nearby places in Alaska

• Atqasuk
  62.3 mi away
• Utqiaġvik
  82.8 mi away
• Point Lay
  92.2 mi away · pop. 390
• Red Dog Mine
  192.4 mi away
• Nuiqsut
  210.2 mi away · pop. 616
• Noatak
  224.7 mi away · pop. 786
• Point Hope
  227.4 mi away · pop. 832
• Kivalina
  231.1 mi away · pop. 809
• Kiana
  254.9 mi away · pop. 437
• Anaktuvuk Pass
  265.4 mi away · pop. 329
• Noorvik
  265.9 mi away · pop. 748
• Kotzebue
  268.7 mi away · pop. 2,984

Browse all places in Alaska →

Geography & sun

Elevation, sunrise/sunset and daylight from Open-Meteo. Solar climatology from NASA POWER.

Public attention

Pageview totals from the Wikimedia Pageviews API.

Books about Wainwright

Workplan for U.S. Geological Survey hydrologic data-collection and support activities on Fort Wainwright, Alaska, 1994-97

David V. Claar · 1999

TULUAK AND AMAULIK: DIALOGUES ON DEATH AND MOURNING WITH THE INUIT ESKIMO OF POINT BARROW AND WAINWRIGHT, ALASKA

Stacey B. Day MD · 1973

Natural attenuation of chlorinated-hydrocarbon contamination at Fort Wainwright, Alaska

Kathleen A McCarthy · 1998

Passing on the knowledge

Karim-Aly S. Kassam · 2001

Geological and geophysical investigations of the hydrogeology of Fort Wainwright, Alaska.

1996

Sudoku Genius Mind Exercises Volume 1

Wainwright Al State of Mind Collection · 2019

Traditional knowledge regarding bowhead whales in the Chukchi Sea near Wainwright, Alaska

Lori Trent Quakenbush · 2010

Engineering-geologic maps of northern Alaska, Wainwright quadrangle

John R. Williams · 1983

Search results from Open Library.

Recently spotted species

Lingonberry

Vaccinium vitis-idaea

Seen 2026-07-27

Research-grade observations from iNaturalist (within ~15 mi).