Kaktovik Alaska Map

About Kaktovik, Alaska

Kaktovik is a locality in North Slope, Alaska, United States. It is a small community with a population of 124. The population density is 76.3 people per km². Kaktovik is located at 70.1319°N, 143.6239°W. It observes the Alaska Time (America/Anchorage) timezone. ZIP code: 99747.

Kaktovik, a scatter of sturdy buildings, hugs the edge of the Arctic Ocean, a place where land and sea blur into an endless expanse of ice and light. It lies 381.3 miles north-north-east of Fairbanks, AK (from Fairbanks, AK: bearing 15°T), and is situated 110.6 miles east of Prudhoe Bay. The terrain here is low and flat, a coastal plain sculpted by the persistent push and pull of the tides and the slow, inexorable crawl of glaciers long gone. Scrubby tundra, a resilient mat of mosses and low-growing shrubs, stretches inland, giving way to shallow lagoons and winding channels that often freeze solid for much of the year. The air itself possesses a sharp clarity, carrying the brine of the sea and the clean, mineral scent of the permafrost beneath, a constant reminder of the profound, unyielding nature of this northern world. The history of Kaktovik is deeply entwined with the Inupiat people, who have navigated these waters and subsisted from this land for generations, their lives a testament to adaptability in the face of extreme conditions. The local economy, once wholly dependent on the bounty of the sea and the land – whaling, fishing, and hunting – now also includes the steady hum of government services and the nascent opportunities brought by its strategic position. The iconic lagoon, a sheltered haven within the broader, formidable ocean, serves as a vital sanctuary for migratory birds and a crucial hunting ground, its waters reflecting the vast, ever-shifting sky in shades of pewter and rose at the long twilight.

About This Kaktovik Map Page

This page provides an embedded street and satellite map of Kaktovik, Alaska — switch between views using the small square in the bottom left-hand corner of the map. Coordinates: 70.131944, -143.623889. Live weather conditions are sourced directly from the National Weather Service, with current observations and a 7-day forecast also powered by Open-Meteo. Real-time local news and world news feeds keep the page current, while a Wikipedia summary or an editorially written description provides background on Kaktovik and North Slope.

Detailed location data for Kaktovik includes the ZIP code (99747), telephone area code (907), county seat of North Slope, and school district assignment (North Slope Borough School District). These are among the most commonly searched location details for any US city or town.

Location data is drawn from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) and cross-verified against 2020 US Census records by coordinate proximity — ensuring the correct Kaktovik is identified even where the name is shared across multiple counties or states. Population figures are sourced from the 2020 US Census.