Juneau Economic Development Council
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Photo: Michael Penn/Juneau Empire

The Capital City

The Revival:

Capital of the "the Last Frontier", third largest city in the state, and home to some of nature's greatest creations. Juneau sits in the northern half of the Tongass National Forest and covers more area than Rhode Island or Delaware. Transforming from a Tlingit fishing spot to a mining town and eventually the capital of Alaska.

Federally protected land surrounds much of Juneau so some might not see how this town can grow much more, but people find a way. Alaskans in general understand that they live in an amazing place and find a way to balance progress and their growing community with keeping the wilderness alive. Juneau might be a small town, but it has something for everyone including local theatres, drama groups, local artists, music festivals, campsites, hiking trails, fishing, ski slopes, ice skating, and much more. The University of Alaska Southeast (UAS) gives the students of Juneau the opportunity to get a higher education close to home and even jump start their college career during high school. The local businesses are flourishing and more businesses pop up every year as Juneau starts to move into the twentieth century.

The Life:

Locals learn quickly here that no matter what the weather is there are places to go, trails to hike, fish to catch, ice to skate, water to sail, etc. Being in the state that is known as the "Land of the Midnight Sun" means that summer days are long, although there is no guarantee that there will be sun, but it will be light out. There are 99 potential walks / hikes to do around Juneau located all throughout the town. No matter where you live in Juneau the you are most likely never far from a hiking trail easy or hard from climbing Thunder Mountain, Mount Roberts, or walking the Brotherhood Bridge Trail that follows the Mendenhall River. On a Friday or Saturday night many people spend there night out in Downtown enjoying a movie, going to one of the many restaurants downtown, or just enjoying a drink at one of the local bars. During the winter locals enjoy skiing as well as ice skating. Sunny, cloudy, rainy, snow, there is always something to do in Juneau.

The Stats (as of 2000 census):

  • Pop. 30,711
  • Median Age: 35
  • Median Household Income: $62,034
  • Median Home Value: $195,100
  • Average Commute: 16 minutes
  • Largest Employer: State of Alaska

The Capital City