Tanacross (''Taats’altęy'' in Tanacross Athabascan) is a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), 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 counte ...

(CDP) in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Alaska, United States. At the 2010 census the population was 136, down from 140 in 2000. It hosts an air tanker base.

History

Tanacross, initially founded as a telegraph station called Tanana Crossing (also known as St. Timothy's). The name was shortened to Tanacross before 1940. The village was initially located on the north bank of the Tanana River. An airstrip was built on the south bank during the mid-1930s and upgraded for military use during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

in 1941–42. Thousands of troops deployed through Tanacross during the period. The airfield was closed after the war. In 1972, the town itself relocated south across the river due to water contamination. In 1979, the old village burned due to an uncontrolled grass fire.

Geography

Tanacross is located at (63.376206, -143.356991). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the CDP has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it (1.38%) is water.

Climate

Tanacross has a dry-winter

continental subarctic climate The subarctic climate (also called subpolar climate, or boreal climate) is a continental 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 ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

Dwc).

Demographics

Tanacross first appeared on the 1920 U.S. Census as the unincorporated village of "Tanana Crossing." In 1940, the name was combined to form "Tanacross." It was made a census-designated place (CDP) in 1980. As of the census of 2000, there were 140 people, 42 households, and 28 families residing in the CDP. The population density was . There were 53 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the CDP was 8.57%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 88.57% Native American, 1.43% from other races, and 1.43% from two or more races. 1.43% of the population were

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race. Of the 42 households, 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.5% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.0% were non-families. 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and none had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.33 and the average family size was 3.93. In the CDP, the age distribution of the population shows 30.7% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 27.1% from 45 to 64, and 6.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 112.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110.9 males. The median income for a household in the CDP was $22,083, and the median income for a family was $31,250. Males had a median income of $71,250 versus $24,583 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the CDP was $9,429. There were 22.6% of families and 33.3% of the population living 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 ...

, including 43.6% of under eighteens and none of those over 64.

Education

Tanacross is part of the Alaska Gateway School District. Tanacross School, a K-8 campus, and serves community students.

References

{{authority control Tanana Athabaskans Census-designated places in Alaska Census-designated places in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Alaska Census-designated places in Unorganized Borough, Alaska