What is the abbreviation for Alaska, and what region is it in?

Alaska's two-letter postal abbreviation is AK. The U.S. Census Bureau places it in the West region, in the Pacific division, and about 733,000 people lived there in the 2020 census, which makes it one of the least populous states.

When did Alaska become a state, and what number state was it?

Alaska became the 49th state on January 3, 1959. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Alaska Statehood Act in July 1958, and Alaska voters approved statehood that August.

How did the United States get Alaska?

The United States bought Alaska from Russia in a treaty signed on March 30, 1867, for $7.2 million, a deal negotiated by Secretary of State William Seward. Alaska was governed as a military and then civil district, became the District of Alaska in 1884, and became the Territory of Alaska in 1912.

What does the name Alaska mean?

The name comes from an Aleut (Unangax̂) word usually translated as "mainland" or "the object toward which the action of the sea is directed." Russian explorers first used it for the Alaska Peninsula, and it was later applied to the whole region.

What is the capital of Alaska, and has it always been the capital?

Juneau has been the capital since 1906, when the seat of government moved there from Sitka, the former Russian colonial capital. Juneau has no road connection to the rest of North America, so visitors arrive by air or sea. Voters approved moving the capital in 1974, but in 1982 they rejected paying for the move, and Juneau remained the capital.

Alaska does not border any other U.S. state. It shares a land border with Canada (Yukon and British Columbia) and is surrounded by the Arctic Ocean, the Bering Sea, and the Pacific Ocean. Across the Bering Strait, Russia lies about 55 miles away, and the Diomede Islands of the two countries are less than 3 miles apart.

Alaska is by far the largest state, with about 665,000 square miles of total area, more than twice the size of Texas. It also has more coastline than all the other states combined.

What is Alaska's nickname and state motto?

Alaska is known as "The Last Frontier," and its motto is "North to the Future." Its state bird is the willow ptarmigan, its flower is the forget-me-not, and its tree is the Sitka spruce.

How many representatives and electoral votes does Alaska have?

Based on the 2020 census, Alaska has 1 seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, elected statewide, which gives it 3 votes in the Electoral College, the minimum for any state.

What was the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act?

Signed in December 1971, the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act settled Alaska Native land claims by transferring about 44 million acres of land and $962.5 million to Alaska Native regional and village corporations created under the law. The settlement cleared the way for the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, which began carrying oil from Prudhoe Bay in 1977.

State Guide49th StateEst. 1959

Alaska AK

"The Last Frontier"

The largest state by a staggering margin, Alaska is a place of extremes, the highest mountains, the longest coastlines, the most remote communities, the most dramatic wilderness, and an oil-funded economy unlike anything else in America. It is, in nearly every sense, a world unto itself.

State Debt - FY2024

$5.7 billion

Total state government debt outstanding at the close of fiscal 2024, including long-term bonds and short-term borrowing across state agencies and public universities.

Tax Revenue - FY2024

$2.0 billion

Total Alaska state tax collections in fiscal 2024. Alaska levies no personal income tax or general sales tax, so this modest total is led by oil and gas production (severance) taxes and the corporate income tax, while most state money comes from petroleum royalties and Permanent Fund earnings that are not counted as taxes.

Borrowing

Alaska issues voter-approved general obligation bonds for projects such as transportation, and also uses state authorities and certificates of participation, all sold to investors in the municipal bond market. The state's large Permanent Fund and past oil revenue have kept its tax-supported debt low. The state reported about $166 million in interest on its debt in fiscal 2024.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of State Government Finances.

49th

State admitted to the Union

663K

Square miles, largest state

~733K

Population, least dense state

$70B+

Alaska Permanent Fund value

Alaska's 2026 Midterm Election: Who and What Is on Your Ballot

Alaska, you do elections your own way, and this year you might vote on whether to keep doing them that way. On Tuesday, November 3, 2026, you're picking a new governor (Mike Dunleavy can't run again), a U.S. senator, your one member of the U.S. House, and two ballot measures.

It's a midterm election, halfway through the president's term, and nationally it decides who controls Congress for the next two years.

Here's what makes Alaska different: you rank the candidates. Mark your favorite as 1, your next choice as 2, and so on, as many or as few as you like. If nobody gets more than half of the first choices, the last-place candidate is dropped and their voters' next choices are counted, until someone has a majority. Ranking a second choice never hurts your first. Ballot Measure 2 asks whether to scrap this system.

The key dates and how voting works are right below. Use the buttons above to open each race. Everything here comes from the state's Official Election Pamphlet, including what each candidate says in their own words. You decide.

Checked against official sources on October 4, 2026

Key Dates

Key Dates
Last day to register to vote	Sunday, October 4
Early and absentee in-person voting begins	Monday, October 19
Last day for the state to receive your by-mail ballot application	Saturday, October 24
Election Day: polls open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.	Tuesday, November 3
Last day a mailed ballot postmarked by Election Day can arrive	Friday, November 13

How Voting Works in Alaska

On Election Day, polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Find yours at myvoterportal.alaska.gov or call 1-866-952-8683. Bring one form of ID: a voter ID card, driver's license, state ID, passport, military ID, hunting or fishing license, or even a current utility bill, bank statement, or paycheck with your name and address. No ID? You can still vote a questioned ballot.

Want to vote early? Starting October 19, you can vote at early and absentee voting sites around the state, and many locations have ballots for every district.

To vote by mail, apply by October 24 (online at absenteeballotapplication.alaska.gov is fastest). Mail it back postmarked by Election Day; it counts if it arrives within 10 days after. If you're elderly, ill, or disabled, a personal representative can pick up and deliver a ballot for you.

On the ballot, fill in one oval per column when ranking: one candidate per ranking, one ranking per candidate. Made a mistake? Don't erase it; ask for a new ballot.

Sources & Further Reading

…

Alaska At a Glance

CapitalJuneau
Largest CityAnchorage
StatehoodJan 3, 1959
Order49th state
Population~733,000
Area663,268 sq mi
GovernorMike Dunleavy (R)
U.S. SenatorsMurkowski, Sullivan (both R)
House Seats1 (at-large)
MottoNorth to the Future
NicknameThe Last Frontier
Voting SystemRanked Choice (since 2022)

Quick Check

How much did the United States pay for Alaska, and roughly how much per acre was that?

Reveal answer

$7.2 million, roughly 2 cents per acre. At the time the press called it "Seward's Folly." Within 30 years, the Klondike Gold Rush alone recovered the purchase price many times over. It's now considered one of the greatest real estate deals in history.

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Alaska's 2026 Midterm Election: Who and What Is on Your Ballot

It's a midterm election, halfway through the president's term, and nationally it decides who controls Congress for the next two years.

Checked against official sources on October 4, 2026

Key Dates

Last day to register to vote

Sunday, October 4

Early and absentee in-person voting begins

Monday, October 19

Last day for the state to receive your by-mail ballot application

Saturday, October 24

Election Day: polls open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Tuesday, November 3

Last day a mailed ballot postmarked by Election Day can arrive

Friday, November 13

How Voting Works in Alaska

Want to vote early? Starting October 19, you can vote at early and absentee voting sites around the state, and many locations have ballots for every district.

On the ballot, fill in one oval per column when ranking: one candidate per ranking, one ranking per candidate. Made a mistake? Don't erase it; ask for a new ballot.

Alaska's 2026 Midterm Election: Who and What Is on Your Ballot

Key Dates

How Voting Works in Alaska

📚 Sources & Further Reading

Alaska's 2026 Midterm Election: Who and What Is on Your Ballot

Key Dates

How Voting Works in Alaska

📚 Sources & Further Reading

Sources & Further Reading

Sources & Further Reading