Geography

Between the arms of the Alaska Range and the Brooks Range lies the Interior region of Alaska: vast country with few roads and only one major city, Fairbanks, the Golden Heart of Alaska.  Fairbanks is defined by its stunning geographical location set among rivers and mountains.  The city of Fairbanks is surrounded by a panorama of gorgeous mountain vistas: to the south are beautiful views of Denali and the Alaska Range, and to the north the White Mountains.  North, east and west of the city are the rolling hills of the Chatinika, Chena and Salcha river drainage areas. 

Fairbanks is built on both sides of the Chena River, which flows from the White Mountains in the Alaskan Interior into the Tanana River just south of the city.  Several species of fish can be found in the Chena River and it is a spawning area for King salmon. 

South of Fairbanks is the Tanana River, which means ‘mountain river’ in Athabascan.  Flowing from headwaters in the Wrangell Mountains in southeast Alaska, the Tanana River emerges into the lowland marsh of the Tanana Valley, which surrounds Fairbanks at an elevation of 436 feet above sea level. 

Fairbanks shares the state of Alaska’s fascinating geological features.  Alaska is an area of high seismic and volcanic activity.  On average there are 50 to 100 earthquakes recorded in Alaska daily, and over 24,000 annually, only a small percentage of which are of a great enough magnitude to be felt.  For more information on Alaskan earthquakes visit the Alaska Earthquake Information Centre website.  There are over 130 volcanoes in Alaska, 50 of which have been active in the last 300 years.  There are currently no active volcanoes in the Fairbanks region, and only smaller volcanoes, some active within the last 10,000 years, are found in interior Alaska.  For more information on Alaskan volcanoes visit the website of the Alaska Volcano Observatory.

Alaska abounds with wildlife and the Fairbanks area is no exception. The list of animals, birds and fish to be found is long and includes three types of bear, bison, musk ox, Dall sheep, caribou, migratory song birds and waterfowl, birds of prey, Arctic Char and Grayling, and 5 kinds of salmon to name just a few.  Check the Alaska Department of Fish and Game website for wildlife information and viewing festivals.