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Fairbanks

Travel Guide North America USA Western United States Alaska Fairbanks

Introduction

sea plane Fairbanks

Fairbanks is Alaska's second largest city and the largest in its interior region. Fairbanks developed as a city in the early 1900s when an Italian prospector struck gold in the area. It continues to live off the gold nearby, mined by the Fort Knox Gold Mine, the largest in Alaska. Tourism has also developed as a major industry, as the city has developed as the hub of Alaska's interior. The city is home to the University of Alaska Fairbanks, the state's oldest college.

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Neighbourhoods

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Sights and Activities

University of Alaska Museum of the North
Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge is an 1,800-acre bird sanctuary.
Pioneer Park is an historic themed park.
Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, can be observed during from about September until the beginning of April.
Winter sports like cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, dog mushing and ice fishing.

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Events and Festivals

Fairbanks Golden Days is usually held towards the end of July.
The Rubber Duckie Race, held just after the Golden Days, sees 6,000 rubber ducks race down the Chena River.
The Tanana Valley Sandhill Crane Festival is held in August.
The Midnight Sun Festival celebrates the longest day of the year; Midnight Sun Baseball Game is played at 10:30 pm without any artificial lighting.
Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race
The World Ice Art Championships sees competitors from around the world show off their ice carving skills. Held in March.
The World Eskimo-Indian Olympics in July.
The Festival of Native Arts in March runs for three days, featuring traditional Alaska Native singing, dancing and crafts displays.

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Weather

Fairbanks' short summers last from late May to early September with temperatures mostly around 20 °C or a little higher, but occasionally hitting well over 30 °C (record is 37 °C. Nights are around 10 °C around this time. Winters last from December to March with average daytime temperatures around -15 °C while nights are between -25 °C and -30 °C although below -50 °C has been recorded. Most of the rain falls during the warmer summer months, while winters see an average of about 175 centimetres of snow.

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Avg Max	-18.7 °C	-13.8 °C	-4.6 °C	5 °C	15.2 °C	21.2 °C	22.4 °C	19.1 °C	12.7 °C	0 °C	-11.7 °C	-16.8 °C
Avg Min	-28.1 °C	-25.8 °C	-18.7 °C	-6.4 °C	3.3 °C	9.7 °C	11.4 °C	8.4 °C	2.3 °C	-7.7 °C	-20.9 °C	-26 °C
Rainfall	11.9 mm	10.2 mm	9.4 mm	8.1 mm	15.5 mm	34.8 mm	47.5 mm	49.8 mm	24.1 mm	22.9 mm	20.3 mm	21.6 mm
Rain Days	3.8	2.8	3	2.7	3.8	7.1	8.7	8.5	5.6	6.6	6	5.7

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Getting There

By Plane

There are regular direct flights to Fairbanks International Airport from Anchorage and Barrow and seasonally there are also direct flights from Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Salt Lake City, Denver, Dawson City, and Seattle. Daily jet service is available from a few US cities and there are scheduled or charter service to Europe and Asia. Japan Airlines offers seasonal flights to Fukuoka, Nagoya and Tokyo, and Frankfurt-based Condor Airlines offers weekly direct flights during summer. Several small airlines serve tiny settlements in the arctic.

By Train

In the summer months, Princess Tours runs a service between Fairbanks and Anchorage called the Denali Star Train. The trip takes roughly 12 hours and passes through the Denali National Park. Rates vary seasonally, ranging from $155 one-way in the shoulder seasons to $194 in the peak season. The Alaska Railroad connects Fairbanks also to Whittier and Seward, pas Anchorage.

By Car

The Alaska Highway offers road access via Canada, and the George Parks Highway links Fairbanks to Anchorage.

By Bus

By Boat

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Getting Around

By Car

Many international rental companies have a wide selection of rental cars and these include Hertz, Avis, Dollar, Thrifty, Enterprise, Budget and Alamo/National. Most companies will require you are at least 25 years of age, although younger people might be able to rent cars at slightly higher rates and with some insurance differences as well. A national driver's license is usually enough, but an additional international one is recommended. Also note that it usually costs more to include lots of other extra things. For example extra drivers, GPS, the first full tank, SLI (Supplemental Liability Insurance), PAI (Personal Accident Insurance, usually covered already at home), road assistance/service plan, and drop-off costs for one-way rentals.
If you want to book a car, it is recommended that you book your car before arriving in the USA. This is almost always (much) cheaper compared to just showing up. Also, try and book with a so-called 'broker', which usually works together with a few or many car rental companies and can offer the best deal. Some examples include Holidayautos, Holidaycars and Sunny Cars. Some of the cheapest deals to book from Europe, includes Drive-USA, which also has a German version.

For more information and tips about renting cars and campers, additional costs, insurance, traffic rules, scenic routes and getting maps and fuel it is advised to check the USA Getting Around section.

By Public Transport

By Foot

By Bike

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Eat

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Drink

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Sleep

Budget

Property	Address	Type	Popularity
Billie's Backpackers Hostel	2895 Mack Blvd	Hostel	83
GoNorth Hostel	3500 Davis Rd PO Box 60147	Hostel	82
Glacier House	535 Glacier Avenue Fairbanks, Alaska	Hostel	82
Chandalar Ranch	5804 Chena Hotsprings Road PO Box 74877	Hostel	74
3 Dog Night Hostel	5972 Richardso Salcha River Kennels, Salcha Alaska	HOSTEL	-

Mid-Range

Upscale

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Work

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Learn

University of Alaska, Fairbanks

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Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

Post

The US Postal Service is very good and well priced mail system. There are post offices in every small and large town for sending packages internationally or domestically. If wanting to send a letter or postcard it is best just to leave it in a blue mail box with the proper postage. There are also private postal services like FedEx, UPS and DHL.