Welcome to Wings of Alaska

At the base of grand mountain peaks and at the pristine waterfront of the Gastineau Channel is Juneau, known as “Alaska\'s Peak Experience” Alaska\'s capital city, Juneau is located in Southeast Alaska. The Tongass Rainforest climate provides Juneau with lush terrain and vibrant wildflowers.

Early settlers included miners during Alaska\'s gold rush and Russian fur traders. The Tlingit and Haida Indians were the first settlers to the area and Native Alaska influence is prominent in Juneau today.

Fast Facts:

Location: Located on the mainland of Southeast Alaska, Juneau is 900 air miles northwest of Seattle and 600 air miles southeast of Anchorage

Population: 31,262

Accessibility: Accessible only by air or sea

Miscellaneous: Juneau is the third largest city in Alaska by population; one of the largest cities, by area, in the U.S.

Fun Things To Do:

Throughout the year there are lots of fun things to do in Juneau.

From the formal New Year’s celebrations, to the springtime Alaska Folk Festival in April that brings musicians from around the state together for performances, workshops and dances, to the exciting Juneau Jazz and Classics festival in May, to a summer of fishing, hiking and outdoor fun, to a fall schedule of school sports and football, life in Juneau is full of excitement you won’t want to miss.

Juneau Events

Ski Eaglecrest – Eaglecrest Ski Area is considered by many as the best little ski area in the world. Go to www.skijuneau.com for more information on ski conditions and more. See you on the mountain!

Gold Medal Basketball Tournament - March 26 to April 1 - Teams from throughout southeast Alaska meet in Juneau for a tournament that provides fierce competition as well as social opportunities for the people of Southeast. For information call 789-7077.

32nd Annual Alaska Folk Festival – April 3 to April 9 - The Alaska Folk Festival is the largest gathering of musicians from around Alaska (and the Yukon!). Don’t miss these exciting, fun-filled days of performances, classes and more. For information call 463-3316.

Wings Airways Tour - If you’re in Juneau in the spring and summer, you definitely won’t want to miss our Wings Airways tour to the historic Taku Glacier Lodge. This exciting tour is one of Juneau’s most popular visitor destinations. Learn more at www.wingsairways.com

Juneau Jazz and Classics – May 19 to May 27 – From blues to gospel to classical, music lovers won’t want to miss this great event. Performances by professional musicians, along with master classes and more, make planning a trip to Juneau especially worthwhile. Tickets go on sale April 17.

Juneau and Douglas 4th of July Celebrations – Summer isn’t summer in Juneau and Douglas until the fireworks go off over beautiful Gastineau Channel just after midnight on July 4. Juneau residents line both sides of the Channel early in the evening on July 3rd, visiting and waiting for the big event. And of course you can’t miss the parades, fun runs, and festivities that accompany this great American holiday on the 4th.

Juneau Public Market – November 24 to November 26 – Thanksgiving weekend is also the time the Juneau Public Market happens. Arts and crafts, photography, Native arts, and more are all available to help you get ready for the holidays.

To find out more about special events in Juneau go to www.juneau.com

Current Community Information

Home of the State Legislature

The State, City & Borough of Juneau, and federal agencies provide nearly 45% of the employment in the community. Juneau is home to State Legislators, their families and staff during the legislative session between January and May. Don’t miss a visit to the State Capitol on your next visit to Juneau. This historic building is open year round.

Tourism, mining, fishing and more

Tourism is a significant contributor to the private sector economy during the summer months, providing a $130 million income and nearly 2,000 jobs. Support services for logging and fish processing contribute to the economy. More than 500 residents hold commercial fishing permits. The state operates a hatchery which increases the local salmon population, and cold storage facilities process more than two million pounds of seafood yearly. The Kennecott Greens Creek Mine produces gold, silver, lead and zinc, and is the largest silver mine in North America.

Climate

Juneau has a mild, maritime climate. Average summer temperatures range from 44ºF to 65ºF; winter temperatures range from 25ºF to 35ºF. It is in the mildest climate zone in Alaska. Annual precipitation is 92 inches in downtown Juneau, and 54 inches ten miles north at the airport. Snowfall averages 101 inches per year.

Early History:

Although the Gastineau Channel was a favorite fishing ground for local Tlingit Indians, the town was founded on gold nuggets. In 1880, Sitka mining engineer George Pilz offered a reward to any local chief who could lead him to gold-bearing ore. Chief Kowee of the Auk Tlingit tribe arrived with just that ore and Pilz sent two prospectors, Joe Juneau and Dick Harris, to investigate.

At the head of Gold Creek they found, in the words of Harris, \'little lumps as large as peas and beans.\' On October 18, 1880, the two men staked out a 160-acre town site, and almost overnight a mining camp appeared. It was the state\'s first major gold strike, and within a year the camp became a small town, the first to be founded after Alaska\'s purchase from the Russians.

Initially, the town was called Harrisburg and then Rockwell, then in 1881 the miners met and officially named it after Juneau. The post office was established shortly later, and the name has stuck. After the declining whaling and fur trade reduced the importance of Sitka, the capital of Alaska was moved to Juneau in 1906.

The Treadwell and Ready Bullion mines across the channel on Douglas Island became world-scale mines, operating from 1882 to 1917. In 1916, the Alaska-Juneau gold mine was built on the mainland, and became the largest operation of its kind in the world. In 1917, a cave-in and flood closed the Treadwell mine on Douglas. It produced $66 million in gold in its 35 years of operation. Fishing, canneries, transportation and trading services, and a sawmill contributed to Juneau\'s growth through the early 1900s. The A-J Mine closed in 1944, after producing over $80 million in gold.

Alaska became the 49th state in 1959 and Juneau has continued to grow as a vibrant and exciting capital city.