Paxson is a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...

(CDP) in

Copper River Census Area, Alaska Copper River Census Area is a census area located in the state of Alaska, United States. It is part of the Unorganized Borough and therefore has no borough seat. On January 2, 2019, it was split from the Valdez–Cordova Census Area, along w ...

, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 26, down from 40 in 2010. It is located on the

Richardson Highway The Richardson Highway is a highway in the U.S. state of Alaska, running 368 miles (562 km) and connecting Valdez to Fairbanks. It is marked as Alaska Route 4 from Valdez to Delta Junction and as Alaska Route 2 from there to Fairbanks. I ...

at the junction with the

Denali Highway Denali Highway (Alaska Route 8) is a lightly traveled, mostly gravel highway in the U.S. state of Alaska. It leads from Paxson on the Richardson Highway to Cantwell on the Parks Highway. Opened in 1957, it was the first road access to Denali Na ...

. Currently, there are five accommodations in Paxson, as well as several gift shops, a post office, a gas station and food shops. The activity of the locality is turned to tourism in summer, and by hunting and livelihood activities for permanent residents.

Geography

Paxson is located at (63.045307, −145.614117). The two highways which converge there come through two nearby mountain passes, Isabel Pass and

Mentasta Pass Mentasta Pass is a major mountain pass in Alaska, separating the Alaska Range on the west from the Mentasta Mountains on the east. Alaska Route 1 (the Glenn Highway) runs through the pass, connecting the Copper River Valley with the Alaska Highway ...

. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the CDP has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it (4.48%) is water.

Climate

Paxson has a

continental subarctic climate The subarctic climate (also called subpolar climate, or boreal climate) is a climate with long, cold (often very cold) winters, and short, warm to cool summers. It is found on large landmasses, often away from the moderating effects of an ocean, ge ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...

Dfc), closely bordering on an

alpine climate Alpine climate is the typical weather (climate) for elevations above the tree line, where trees fail to grow due to cold. This climate is also referred to as a mountain climate or highland climate. Definition There are multiple definitions of ...

(

ET) due to its high elevation and northerly latitude, with only one month above the 50 degree isotherm.

Demographics

Paxson first appeared on the 1980 U.S. Census as a census-designated place (CDP). As of the census of 2000, there were 43 people, 21 households, and 11 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 0.1 people per square mile (0.1/km²). There were 117 housing units at an average density of 0.4/sq mi (0.1/km²). All residents reported that they were

white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

. There were 21 households, of which six had children under the age of 18 living with them, ten were married couples living together, one had a female householder with no husband present, and nine were non-families. Eight households were made up of individuals, and one had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.05 and the average family size was 2.75. In the CDP, the age distribution of the population shows 11 persons under the age of 18, three from 18 to 24, ten from 25 to 44, 14 from 45 to 64, and five who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. There were 20 females and 21 males (including 12 females and 20 males over age 18). The median income for a household in the CDP was $46,500, and the median income for a family was $46,667. Males had a median income of $45,625 versus $21,250 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the CDP was $26,071. None of the population and none of the families were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

References

{{Authority control Census-designated places in Alaska Census-designated places in Copper River Census Area, Alaska Census-designated places in Unorganized Borough, Alaska