Tanana River

The Tanana River is a 584-mile (940 km) tributary of the Yukon River in Interior Alaska. It begins where the Nabesna and Chisana rivers meet near Northway Junction and flows past Fairbanks to join the Yukon near the town of Tanana.[1]

Course

The river starts at the confluence of the Nabesna and Chisana rivers in the Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge at 1,672 feet. It passes south of Fairbanks, meets the Nenana River at Nenana, and reaches the Yukon near Tanana. Communities along it include Northway, Nenana, Manley Hot Springs and Tanana.[1]

Tributaries

Major tributaries include the Nenana, Kantishna, Chena, Salcha, Delta, Healy, Goodpaster, Tok and Tolovana rivers.[1]

Naming

Linguist William Bright traces the name to a Koyukon phrase meaning trail river, while explorer William Dall translated it as River of Mountains.[1]

Course and basin

The Tanana River is 584 miles (940 km) long and a tributary of the Yukon River. It begins at the confluence of the Nabesna and Chisana rivers just north of Northway, at about 1,672 feet, and flows northwest along the northern slope of the Alaska Range, roughly paralleled by the Alaska Highway. It enters the Tanana Valley lowland, passes south of Fairbanks and the village of Manley Hot Springs, and empties into the Yukon near the town of Tanana. Its basin covers about 44,000 square miles, and average discharge at the mouth is about 41,800 cubic feet per second [2].

Tributaries

Major tributaries in the marsh regions include the Nenana and Kantishna rivers, and others include the Tok, Delta, Salcha, Chena, Healy, Goodpaster, Tolovana, and Chitanana rivers [2].

Nenana Ice Classic

Ice on the river reaches an average maximum thickness of 43 inches at Nenana. The Nenana Ice Classic, begun in 1917, is an annual lottery in which people bet on the exact date and minute the ice breaks up; breakup dates have ranged from April 20 to May 20, and the lottery raises money for local charities [2].

Name and history

The name comes from the Koyukon Athabaskan tene no, given by linguist William Bright as trail river, while explorer William Dall translated it as River of Mountains. People have lived in the Yukon basin for more than 12,000 years, and in summer 1885 Lieutenant Henry Tureman Allen made the first recorded exploration of the river. The Fairbanks area is a center of placer gold mining, which has continued in the basin since the mid-19th century [2].

FAQs

How long is the Tanana River? 584 miles.

What does it flow into? The Yukon River.

Which city is near it? Fairbanks.

How long is the Tanana River? 584 miles (940 km) [2].

What is the Nenana Ice Classic? An annual lottery, begun in 1917, on the date and minute the river ice breaks up [2].

Sources

1. Wikipedia: Tanana River
2. Wikipedia: Tanana River

Editorially reviewed by Specialty Digest Editorial TeamLast reviewed November 12, 2026Researched and drafted with AI assistanceReport an issue