Boroughs in Alaska, Counties in Alaska, How many counties are in there in Alaska, list of Alaska counties, Alaska boroughs, Alaska counties, does Alaska have counties, Alaska census areas, unorganized boroughs in Alaska, city boroughs in Alaska, map of boroughs in Alaska, — Map of the boroughs in Alaska //Shutterstock

Article Overview: Boroughs in Alaska

Unlike most US states divided into counties, Alaska carves its vast territory into boroughs. Similar to counties, but like many things in the last frontier, they do things a tad differently. While most of the areas serve as local governments with a focus on public services and infrastructure, Alaska’s boroughs reflect the state’s rugged landscape and sparse population. Join us as we break down the Boroughs in Alaska!

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Boroughs in Alaska

Boroughs vs. Counties

Counties and boroughs are both local government divisions, but with some key differences. Counties are the standard across most US states, handling things like roads and public health. Boroughs aren’t legally required to adhere to the same terms that counties are. Generally, counties have more power than boroughs, which can be incorporated (having their own government) or unincorporated (run by the state or county).

Alaska is the only state that has boroughs instead of Counties, although Louisiana has parishes instead of counties. America’s special children.

Why Does Alaska Have Boroughs?

Alaska’s founders opted for a unique path when designing local government, the just had to feel special I suppose! They debated using the term “county” system, but ultimately chose “boroughs” to avoid inheriting the legal and political baggage associated with counties in the Lower 48. How libertarian of them.

These boroughs were envisioned to be more adaptable and hold greater power than traditional counties. Alaska’s vast size and scattered population played a role in this decision as well, as some areas simply wouldn’t have the tax base to sustain a county structure. This resulted in a system where boroughs were primarily established in areas with stronger economies.

How Many Boroughs are in Alaska?

There are currently 19 organized boroughs in Alaska, and 1 unorganized borough. The 19 organized boroughs in Alaska encompass roughly half the state’s landmass, around 46%. The remaining territory falling under the unorganized borough status, is overseen by the state government and divided into 10 census areas, for statistical purposes.

Furthermore, Alaska’s boroughs aren’t all created equal. There are four classifications that define their level of authority. At the top, “Unified Home Rule” and “Non-unified Home Rule” boroughs have the most freedom, able to make their own laws as long as they don’t conflict with existing ones. Then there are “First Class” boroughs, which can pass ordinances for most matters within their borders. Finally, “Second Class” boroughs have the least power and need voter approval to handle many non-local issues.

Honestly it gets pretty confusing what the major differences are. At its core, there are three main types of boroughs in Alaska: 4 City Boroughs, 15 organized boroughs, and 11 unorganized census areas. For a total of 30 boroughs or counties in Alaska.

Alaska’s City Boroughs

Alaska’s four city boroughs are home to the state’s major population centers, Anchorage and Juneau; as well Sitka and Wrangell. The city boroughs in Alaska provide a full range of municipal services, including police, fire departments, and public transportation. Per the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Research and Analysis Section, and U.S. Census Bureau these four boroughs in Alaska have “unified home rule municipalities where the city government and borough government are merged.”

Municipality of Anchorage
City and Borough of Sitka
City and Borough of Wrangell
City and Borough of Juneau

Alaska’s Organized Boroughs

The following 15 boroughs in Alaska are not unified with a city and have varying levels of services for their residents. Most of these organized boroughs contain cities within their borough boundaries, however a couple do not. Bristol Bay, Haines, the Municipality of Skagway, Yakutat all lack an incorporated city.

Aleutians East
Bristol Bay
Denali
Fairbanks North Star
Haines
Kenai Peninsula
Ketchikan Gateway
Kodiak Island
Lake and Peninsula
Matanuska-Susitna
North Slope
Northwest Arctic
Petersburg
Skagway
Yakutat

Alaska’s Unorganized Boroughs

Encompassing 56% of Alaska’s land mass, the unorganized boroughs are a testament to the state’s vast wilderness. This region, overseen by the state government, presents unique challenges and opportunities. Here’s a list of Alaska’s 11 unorganized boroughs or census areas.

Aleutians West
Bethel
Chugach
Copper River
Dillingham
Hoonah-Angoon
Kusilvak
Nome
Prince of Wales-Hyder
Southeast Fairbanks
Yukon-Koyukuk

Boroughs of Alaska Map

Here’s a map of Alaska’s different boroughs. Green represents Alaska’s organized boroughs, while blue represents the states four city boroughs, and yellow representing Alaska’s unorganized or census areas.

Full List of Alaska Counties/Boroughs

To recap, here’s a list of Alaska’s counties or boroughs and their population.

Aleutians East: 3,461
Aleutians West: 5,160
Municipality of Anchorage: 287,145
Bethel Borough: 13,240
Bristol Bay: 844
Chugach: 6,769
Copper River: 2,674
Denali: 1,584
Dillingham:4,607
Hoonah-Angoon: 2,262
Kusilvak: 8,001
Bristol Bay Borough: 2,289
Denali Borough: 1,892
Haines Borough: 2,508
Fairbanks North Star Borough: 95,356
City and Borough of Juneau: 31,685
Kenai Peninsula: 60,690
Ketchikan Gateway: 13,933
Kodiak Island: 13,897
Lake and Peninsula: 1,102
Matanuska-Susitna: 115,239
Nome: 9,563
North Slope: 10,435
Northwest Arctic: 964
Prince of Wales-Hyder: 5,696
Southeast Fairbanks: 7,102
Skagway: 1,095
Valdez-Cordova Borough: 1,200
Wrangell City and Borough: 2,388
Yukon-Koyukuk Borough: 8,557