Nenana, Alaska

Nenana is a city in the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area of Interior Alaska, where the Nenana River meets the Tanana River. It lies 55 road miles southwest of Fairbanks on the George Parks Highway and had 358 residents in 2020. It is known for the Nenana Ice Classic and for the 1923 golden spike ceremony of the Alaska Railroad.[1]

History

The place was first known to European Americans as Tortella and later took the name of the river and of the Nenana people. Russian traders bartered for furs at nearby Tanana from 1838. An Episcopal mission and school opened in 1905 and a post office in 1908. Construction of the Alaska Railroad began in 1915 and doubled the population, and Nenana was incorporated as a city in 1921.[1]

In 1923 the railroad depot was completed and President Warren Harding drove the golden spike at the north end of the Mears Memorial Bridge. In 1925 Nenana was the starting point of the serum run to Nome. A severe flood struck in 1967, a vehicle bridge was completed in 1968 and the George Parks Highway was finished in 1971.[1]

Mears Memorial Bridge

Completed in 1923, the bridge crosses the Tanana River and is 700 feet long. It was the longest span in the United States and its territories when built, remains the longest span in Alaska and is the third-longest truss bridge in the country.[1]

Nenana Ice Classic

The Ice Classic began in 1917 among Alaska Railroad surveyors. Participants guess the exact minute the Tanana River ice will break up, usually in April or May. A tripod on the ice is tied to a clock that stops when the ice moves it. Nearly $10 million has been paid out in total, with recent pools near $300,000, and tabulation employs nearly 100 local people.[1]

Climate and economy

Nenana has a transitional humid continental and subarctic climate with long, cold, dry winters and warm summers. Mean daily highs are 5.3°F in January and 73.2°F in July, and precipitation averages about 12.4 inches a year. More than 40 percent of year-round jobs are in government, and the town is a rail-to-river barge transfer point for the Interior, with Crowley Marine a major private employer.[1]

People

Native Americans and Alaska Natives made up 41.1 percent of residents in 2020. The federally recognised Nenana Native Association represents the community, whose traditional language is Lower Tanana.[1]

FAQs

What is the Nenana Ice Classic? A contest to guess the minute the Tanana River ice breaks up, begun in 1917.

Who drove the golden spike at Nenana? President Warren Harding, in 1923.

How far is Nenana from Fairbanks? 55 road miles.

Sources

1. Wikipedia: Nenana, Alaska

Editorially reviewed by Specialty Digest Editorial TeamLast reviewed November 13, 2026Researched and drafted with AI assistanceReport an issue