City Government
The city is governed by a strong mayor and 6 council members. The City provides police protection with 14 fulltime employees, fire protection with 14 fulltime employees and 30 volunteers, water and sewer service and public works with 6 fulltime employees. In addition the city employs a city accountant, city clerk, director of city services, and city accounts receivable & payable.
Climate
Moderate rainfall, dry air and long hours of daylight during the summer characterizes North Pole. Extreme seasonal temperature differences are typical of the Interior. Temperatures have been recorded as low as –78 in the winter and as high as 95 in the summer. Annual precipitation is 11.2 inches. National Weather Service
Communication
KJNP ( King Jesus North Pole) is a local AM/FM radio and television studio providing religious and community broadcasts.
Economy
Major employers: Flint Hills LLC, Petro Star Refinery, Fairbanks North Star Borough School District, Safeway, Wells Fargo, Mt. McKinley Bank, Key Bank, Alaska USA Credit Union, McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, Subway, Taco Bell, Blockbuster Video, United States Postal Service, Santa Claus House, Tesoro, Sourdough Fuel, Great Alaska Pizza Co,, and Hector’s Welding. North Pole Plaza Mall, Beaverbrook Mall, Wendy's, Little Richards and three mini-malls provide a variety of services and goods.
Health Care
Dr. Marshall/Lefgren, family practice, North Pole Prescription Laboratory, North Pole Chiropractic, North Pole Optical, North Pole Vision Clinic, North Pole Physical Therapy, North Pole Veterinary Hospital and four dentists: Dr. Buetow, Dr. Burns, Dr. Eichler, Dr. Rodriguez
History
In 1944, bon Davis homesteaded this area. Dahl and Gaske Development Company later bought the Davis Homestead, subdivided it and named it North Pole. The name was selected to attract the toy industry to manufacture articles made in "North Pole". This endeavor failed to blossom, but North Pole has continued to grow. There is continued interest to develop North Pole as a theme city, "Where the spirit of Christmas lives year round". Many streets bear holiday names: Santa Claus Lane, Snowman Lane, Kris Kringle, Mistletoe, Holiday Rd., Saint Nicholas Drive, North Star Drive, Blitzen, and Donnor. Street lights are decorated in candy cane motifs and many buildings are painted with Christmas colors and designs. The Santa Claus house, the "official" home of Santa Claus greets all visitors who pass through the city on the Richardson Highway. Live reindeer and Santa Claus himself are available for photographs year round. Each year the community starts the holiday season with a candle lighting ceremony and tree lighting event the first Sunday in December.
Incorporated
January 16,1953 - Home Rule City
Land Area
4.1 square miles in city limits
Location
14 miles southeast of Fairbanks on the Richardson Highway in the Tanana River Valley, 386 miles north of Anchorage, 2,347 miles north of Seattle, 140 miles south of the Arctic Circle. North Pole lies midway between Fort Wainwright Army Post and Eielson Air Force Base. 64 45’ N Latitude, 147 21’ W Longitude Section 09, T002E, Fairbanks Meridian,
Political Geography
Fairbanks North Star Borough, Fairbanks Recording District, 4th Judicial District,
House District 11 Senate District F.
Population:
The Dept of Labor's official number through Dept of Commerce, Community and Economic Development for 2008 lists the population at 2,200 32,000 within a 15 mile radius of the city.
Property Tax
(2010) 3.0 Mils City North Pole Fairbanks North Star Borough 13.8980Mils (2009)
Sales Tax - City
4% (some exemptions) $8.00 maximum collected per sale. Tax collected from businesses within the Corporate City Limits or any sales made within the Corporate City Limits.
North Pole Sales Tax Code
Sales Tax - State
0
Schools
North Pole Elementary
400 students 250 Snowman Lane
Phone: 488-2286 North Pole Middle School
650 students
300 East 8th Ave.
Phone: 488-2271 North Pole High School
1000 students
601 NPHS Blvd.
Phone: 488-3761
Service Organizations
North Pole Community Chamber of Commerce, North Pole Moose, North Pole Lions, North Pole Rotary, North Pole Kiwanis, VFW, Santa’s Seniors, Senior Housing Authority, North Pole Grange, and Masons.
Sunshine - Longest Day
June 21 - 23 hours
Sunshine - Shortest Day
December 21 - 3 hours 42 minutes
Traffic Counts
Alaska Department of Transportation reports 12,000 vehicles passing through North Pole City limits daily
Transportation
The Richardson Highway and the Alaska Railroad pass through the city linking the city to the rest of the state and Canada. There are five privately-owned air strips in the vicinity and Fairbanks International Airport is nearby. Borough Bus System, Taxi, and Van Tran for qualified persons ( Senior Citizens, Disabled Residents)
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