Map of Ambler city, Alaska

Ambler (Inupiaq: Ivisaappaat, IPA: [ivisaːpːaːt]) is a city in Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska, United States. At the 2010 census the population was 258, down from 309 in 2000. The city is located in the large Iñupiaq language speaking region of Alaska, and the local dialect is known as the Ambler dialect (related to the Shugnak dialect). As of 1999, over 91% of the community speaks and understands the language (Kraus, 1999), with many young children actively learning the language in school. It has important relationships with the “hub” city of Kotzebue, Alaska and has important relationships with Maniilaq Health Association.

Ambler city overview:
Name:	Ambler city
LSAD Code:	25
LSAD Description:	city (suffix)
State:	Alaska
County:	Northwest Arctic Borough
Incorporated:	March 26, 1971
Elevation:	79 ft (24 m)
Total Area:	11.85 sq mi (30.68 km²)
Land Area:	10.28 sq mi (26.62 km²)
Water Area:	1.57 sq mi (4.06 km²)
Total Population:	274
Population Density:	26.66/sq mi (10.29/km²)
ZIP code:	99786
Area code:	907
FIPS code:	0201970
GNISfeature ID:	1412509

Online Interactive Map

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

Ambler location map. Where is Ambler city?

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

History

The community was named for a tributary of the Kobuk River, which was named for Dr. James M. Ambler, who died of starvation after his ship was trapped in the Arctic ice in 1881. Ambler was permanently settled in 1958 when people from Shungnak and Kobuk moved downstream because of the variety of fish, wild game and spruce trees in the area. An archaeological site is located nearby at Onion Portage. A post office was established in 1963. The city was incorporated in 1971. The story of the prophet Maniilaq states that he predicted in the future a great whale would swim upriver and arrive at Ambler.

Ambler Road Map

Ambler city Satellite Map

Geography

Ambler is located at 67°05′06″N 157°51′37″W / 67.085000°N 157.860331°W / 67.085000; -157.860331, on the north bank of the Kobuk River, near the confluence of the Ambler and the Kobuk Rivers. It lies 45 miles north of the Arctic Circle. It is 138 miles northeast of Kotzebue, 30 miles northwest of Kobuk and 30 miles downriver from Shungnak. Ambler is located in the Kotzebue Recording District.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.8 square miles (28 km). 9.5 square miles (25 km) of it is land and 1.3 square miles (3.4 km) of it (11.91%) is water.