Your Guide to Buying a Home in Juneau, AK

Buying a Home in Juneau, Alaska

Juneau is located in Juneau County

Location Description  Located on the mainland of Southeast Alaska, Juneau was built at the heart of the Inside Passage along the Gastineau Channel.  It lies 900 air miles northwest of Seattle and 600 air miles southeast of Anchorage.  It lies at approximately 58d 18m N Latitude, 134d 24m W Longitude (Sec. 23, T041S, R067E, Copper River Meridian).  The community is located in the Juneau Recording District.  The area encompasses 2,594 sq. miles of land and 488 sq. miles of water.

History The area was a fish camp for the indigenous Tlingit Indians.  In 1880, nearly 20 years before the gold rushes to the Klondike and Nome, Joe Juneau and Richard Harris were lead to Gold Creek by Chief Kowee of the Auk Tribe.  They found mother lode deposits upstream, staked their mining claims, and developed a 160 acre incorporated city they called Harrisburg, which brought many prospectors to the area.  The state capital was transferred from Sitka to Juneau in 1906 while Alaska was a U.S. Territory.  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.

Culture As the state capital, Juneau is supported largely by State and Federal employment, and by tourists cruising the Inside Passage.  It is the third largest community in Alaska.  Juneau has a Tlingit history with a strong historical influence from the early prospectors and boom town that grew around full-scale gold mining operations.

Economy The State, City & Borough of Juneau, and federal agencies provide nearly 45% of the employment in the community.  Juneau is home to State Legislators and their staff during the legislative session between January and May.  Tourism is a significant contributor to the private sector economy during the summer months, providing a $130 million income and nearly 2,000 jobs.  Over 560,000 visitors are expected to arrive this year from 379 cruise ship dockings, injecting $80 million into the local economy.  The Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau Icefield air tours, Tracy Arm Fjord Glacier, and the new Mount Roberts Tram are local attractions.  Support services for logging and fish processing contribute to the economy.  512 residents hold commercial fishing permits.  The state operates a hatchery which increases the local salmon population, and cold storage facilities process over 2 million pounds of seafood yearly.  The Kensington Gold Mine is currently undergoing the permitting and development process.  The Kennecott Green's Creek Mine produces gold, silver, lead and zinc, and is the largest silver mine in North America

Facilities The municipal water supply is obtained from the Last Chance Basin well field on Gold Creek and the Salmon Creek Reservoir, and is treated and piped to over 90% of uneau households.  Juneau's water demand is 5 million gallons per day.  The Borough is seeking funds to construct a million-gallon reservoir near South Lena Loop to serve the area north of Lena and Tee Harbor.  The Borough's piped sewage system serves almost 80% of residents, and receives secondary treatment.  Sludge is incinerated.  North Douglas Island residents use individual septic tanks, and funds have been provided to begin planning a sewer main extension to this area.  Refuse collection, the landfill and incinerator are owned by a private firm, Arrow Refuse.  Juneau has a hazardous waste collection facility, and local organizations also provide recycling programs.  Alaska Electric Light & Power Company receives the majority of its power from the state-owned Snettisham Hydroelectric Facility south of town.  AEL&P owns the Annex Creek, Upper Salmon Creek and Lower Salmon Creek Hydro Plants, and the Gold Creek, Lemon Creek and Auke Bay Diesel back-up systems.  The U.S. Geological Survey and AEL&P are collecting stream aging data at Dorothy Lake for hydroelectric potential.

Transportation Juneau is accessible only by air and sea.  Scheduled jet flights and air taxis are available at the Municipally-owned Juneau International Airport.  The Airport includes a paved 8,456' runways, and a seaplane landing area.  Marine facilities include a seaplane landing area at Juneau Harbor, two deep draft docks, five small boat harbors, a State ferry terminal.  The Alaska Marine Highway System and cargo barges provide year-round services.

Climate Juneau has a mild, maritime climate.  Average summer temperatures range from 44° to 65°; winter temperatures range from 25° to 35°.  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.