Map of Akutan city

Akutan (/ˈækuːtæn/ AK-oo-tan, Aleut: Achan-ingiiga) is a city on Akutan Island in the Aleutians East Borough of the Aleutian Islands in Alaska, United States. The population was 1,589 at the 2020 census, up from 1,027 in 2010, making it the 4th fastest-growing city of the decade in Alaska. Akutan Harbor is adjacent.

Akutan city overview:
Name:	Akutan city
LSAD Code:	25
LSAD Description:	city (suffix)
State:	Alaska
County:	Aleutians East Borough
Incorporated:	1979
Elevation:	98 ft (30 m)
Total Area:	147.90 sq mi (383.07 km²)
Land Area:	65.98 sq mi (170.88 km²)
Water Area:	81.93 sq mi (212.19 km²)
Total Population:	1,589
Population Density:	24.08/sq mi (9.30/km²)
ZIP code:	99553
Area code:	907
FIPS code:	0201090
GNISfeature ID:	1418123

Online Interactive Map

Akutan online map. Source: Basemap layers from Google Map, Open Street Map (OSM), Arcgisonline, Wmflabs. Boundary Data from Database of Global Administrative Areas.

Akutan location map. Where is Akutan city?

Akutan location on the Alaska map. Where is Akutan city. — Location of Akutan in Alaska.

History

Akutan began in 1878 as a fur storage and trading port for the Western Fur & Trading Company. The company’s agent established a commercial cod fishing and processing business that quickly attracted nearby Unangan to the community. A Russian Orthodox church and a school were built in 1878, but was replaced by the St. Alexander Nevsky Chapel, built in 1918.

The Pacific Whaling Company built a whale processing station across the bay from Akutan in 1912. It was the only whaling station in the Aleutians, and operated until 1939.

After the Japanese attacked Unalaska in June 1942, the U.S. government evacuated Akutan residents to the Ketchikan area. In June 1942, a Japanese A6M Zero fighter piloted by Tadayoshi Koga crashed on Akutan Island. It was recovered in July by the United States Army Air Force. This plane, dubbed the Akutan Zero, significantly aided American tacticians in devising dog fighting techniques to defeat the Zero, and helped change the course of the war.

The village was re-established in 1944, although many villagers chose not to return. This exposure to the outside world brought many changes to the traditional lifestyle and attitudes of the community. The city was incorporated in 1979.

A federally recognized tribe is located in the community—the Native Village of Akutan. The population of the community consists of 16.4% Alaska Native or part Native. Akutan is a fishing community, and is the site of a traditional Unangan village. Approximately 75 persons are year-round residents; the majority of the population are transient fish processing workers that live in group quarters.

Whaling station along the harbor at Akutan ca. 1915
Whaler Unimak in Akutan Harbor, 1914. An American Pacific Sea Products Co. vessel
Men standing by dead whale at Akutan Harbor whaling station, 1914
Flensing whales at Akutan, ca. 1915

Akutan Road Map

Akutan city Satellite Map

Geography

Akutan is located at 54°7′57″N 165°46′30″W / 54.13250°N 165.77500°W / 54.13250; -165.77500. Akutan is located in the Aleutian Islands Recording District.

Akutan is located on Akutan Island in the eastern Aleutians, one of the Krenitzin Islands in the Fox Islands group. It is 35 miles (56 km) east of Unalaska, and 766 miles (1,233 km) southwest of Anchorage. Akutan lies in the maritime climate zone, resulting in mild winters and cool summers. Mean temperatures range from 22 to 55 °F (−6 to 13 °C), and precipitation averages 28 inches (710 mm) per year. High winds and storms are frequent in the winter, and fog is common in the summer.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 18.9 square miles (49 km), of which, 14.0 square miles (36 km) of it is land and 4.9 square miles (13 km) of it (25.69%) is water.