Juneau, Alaska

Juneau is the capital city of the U.S. state of Alaska.

It is located in Southeast Alaska along the Gastineau Channel. The city sits at the base of Mount Juneau. It is positioned directly across the channel from Douglas Island.

Juneau is a unique municipality with a very large land area. In 1970, the City of Juneau merged with the City of Douglas. This merger created the current consolidated city-borough. This area is the second-largest municipality in the United States by area. It is actually larger than the states of Rhode Island and Delaware.

The geography of the region creates a very specific way of life. The terrain surrounding the city is extremely rugged. Because of this, there are no roads connecting Juneau to the rest of Alaska. There are also no roads connecting it to the contiguous United States. Juneau is the only state capital in the country with this characteristic. Honolulu, Hawaii, is the only other state capital without road connections to the mainland. This makes Juneau a de facto island city for transportation. All goods must be brought in or out by plane or by boat.

The natural landscape is defined by water and ice. Downtown Juneau sits at sea level. The tides in the channel average about 16 feet. High mountains rise steeply above the city. Atop these mountains sits the Juneau Icefield. This is a massive ice mass that feeds about 30 different glaciers. Two of these glaciers are visible from the local roads. They are the Mendenhall Glacier and the Lemon Creek Glacier. The Mendenhall Glacier is currently retreating. Its front face is losing both width and height.

The Tlingit people have inhabited this area for thousands of years. The A'akw Kwáan and Taku tribes used the Gastineau Channel for fishing. They specifically harvested herring during the spawning season. The A'akw Kwáan maintained a village and a burying ground at Indian Point. This site is considered sacred territory today. The Tlingit people continue to gather clams, sea urchins, and medicinal tree bark.

In 1890, many Tlingit people joined the Russian Orthodox Church. They built the St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church in 1894.

This church remains an important center for the community.

European exploration and mining shaped the modern city. Joseph Whidbey was the first European to see the area in 1794. However, the city's namesake came much later through gold. In 1879, prospectors Joe Juneau and Richard Harris found gold nuggets. These nuggets were as large as peas and beans. They marked a town site on October 18, 1880. The settlement was initially called Rockwell and later Harrisburg. In December 1881, a miners' meeting chose the name Juneau.

This was the first European-American settlement founded after the U.S. purchased Alaska.

Juneau's role as a political center grew in the early 1900s. The government of the District of Alaska moved from Sitka to Juneau in 1906. This move followed a federal law from 1900. The Alaska State Capitol was constructed to house government offices. Construction began in 1929 and finished in 1931.

The building was designed in the Art Deco architectural style. It originally served as the Federal and Territorial Building. When Alaska gained statehood in 1959, the building became the state capitol. It now houses the state legislature, the governor, and the lieutenant governor.

Today, Juneau is a major center for tourism and state business. As of the 2020 census, the population was 32,255 people. This makes it the third-most populous city in Alaska. The city sees a massive influx of visitors every year. Between May and September, cruise ships bring 16,000 or more people daily.

The city also holds historical importance regarding World War II. During the war, over 50 Japanese citizens were sent to internment camps. The Empty Chair Memorial now honors this community.

Despite many attempts to move the capital, Juneau remains the heart of Alaska's government.