False Pass

There were 22 households, out of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 22.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.4% were non-families. There were 40 housing units at an average density of 1.5 per square mile (0.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 62.50% Native American, 26.56% from other races, and 9.38% from two or more races. The average household size was 2.91 and the average family size was 3.79. It was made a census-designated place in 1980, there were 64 people, 22 households and 13 families residing in the city. It is near the eastern end of Unimak Island, in the Aleutians East Borough of southwestern Alaska, United States. Although the population was marked 397 including seasonal fish processing at the 2020 census, approximately 35 residents call it home year-round. The city boundaries include the abandoned villages of Morzhovoi and Ikatan. It reported again in 1940, but in 1950, was returned separately as False Pass (as an unincorporated village). It is on the mainland's westernmost tip Alaska Peninsula, across the Isanotski Strait (about 600 meters at the closest point) Although that section is nearly unpopulated, it was thought to be impassable for their deep draft at the northern end. This included the populations of both  and  the city of "Unimak".

History

False Pass is an early English name for Isanotski Strait on which the city of False Pass is located. The strait was called "False Pass" by early American sailing ship captains because it was thought to be impassable for their deep draft vessels at the northern end. A salmon cannery was built on the Unimak Island side of the strait in 1919 which provided the nucleus for the modern settlement.Commercial fishing for salmon, cod, halibut and crab continues to be the core of the community's lifestyle and economy. A U.S. post office with the name of false Pass was established in 1921 which gave official status to the community. The city is located on the north side of Isanotki Strait, which is known as the False Pass strait, and the south side of Unimaksi Strait, where the city is on the south coast. It has a population of about 2,000 people, with the majority of residents living in False Pass and the surrounding areas. The town is located in the northern part of the Alaska Peninsula, on the east coast of the Bering Sea, and on the west coast of Alaska's Aleutian Islands. It is the only city in the state to have a post office named False Pass, which opened in 1921. It was the first of its kind in the United States, and is now the only one in the Aleutians. The name False Pass was first used by American sailors in the 19th century to refer to the northern side of a strait.

Geography

False Pass is at 54°4940N 163°2357W (54.827886, -163.399090). It is near the eastern end of Unimak Island, in the Aleutian Islands chain. Part of the city (26.093 km², or 10.075 sq mi) is on the mainland's westernmost tip Alaska Peninsula, across the Isanotski Strait. The city boundaries include the abandoned villages of Morzhovoi and Ikatan. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 68.3 square miles (177 km²) (60.63%) of which 41.4 sq miles (107 km²), or 60.63% is water. It has a population of about 2,000. It is one of the smallest cities in the United States, and the only one in the state of Alaska with more than 1,000 residents. It was founded in the early 20th century by a group of Russian Huguenots, who settled on the island in the mid-19th century. The name False Pass comes from the word "false", which means "to pass" or "to go through" in Russian. It means to pass through a mountain pass, or a river or a strait, or to go through a valley. The town's name is derived from the name of a nearby village, "False Pass", which is believed to have been abandoned in the late 1800s.

Transportation

Boats and aircraft are the only transportation to and from False Pass. Aircraft use False Pass Airport. False Pass is located in the northern part of the island of Montserrat. The island has a population of about 2,000 people. The majority of the population live in False Pass, which is located on the eastern side of the Montserret peninsula. The town has a reputation for being difficult to reach by boat or aircraft. It is also known as the most dangerous place in the world to fly in and out of False Pass by air.

Demographics

False Pass first appeared on the 1930 U.S. Census as the unincorporated area of "Unimak" This included the populations of both False Pass and Ikatan. It reported again in 1940, but in 1950, was returned separately as False Pass. It was made a census-designated place in 1980. The community has traditionally depended upon commercial fishing, but it now employs only 24% of the workforce or 10 individuals. As in many modern American communities, white collar sales/office and management positions now employ 51% of. the employment positions or 21 people. The city's name is derived from the word "false" or "pass" which means "to pass" in the local language. It is also known as "False Pass" and "false pass" by the residents of the area. The town's name comes from the name of a Native American tribe, which was once called "false Pass" The city is named after the town of False Pass, in which the same name was once used for a village. The name is now used as the name for a town in the area of Ikatan, where the population was originally called " false pass" and where the name "falsepass" was used to refer to a village that was once part of the same area. In 2000, there were 64 people, 22 households, and 13 families residing in the city. There were 40 housing units at an average density of 1.5 per square mile (0.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 62.50% Native American, 26.56% White, 1.56%. from other races, and 9.38% from two or more races.

Education

Aleutians East Borough School District (AEBSD) operates the False Pass School.Circa 1978 the school, then a part of the Aleutian Region School District, had a single teacher, and 8 students. The school is located in the town of False Pass, Alaska. It is located on the island of Kodiak in the northern Aleutians, about north of the city of Ketchikan in the Kodiak Archipelago. It has a population of about 2,000. It was founded in 1881. The district has a history of being in conflict with the U.S. government since the Second World War. It opened in 1883 and has been closed since the 1960s. It currently has a total enrollment of about 1,200 students, with the majority of them in the primary school. It also has a secondary school, which opened in the 1970s and has a staff of about 30. It closed in the 1990s. The primary school was closed in 2007. It reopened in 2008. It now has a high school and a middle school, both in Kodiak, Alaska, with a total population of around 1,000 students. In the past it has also had a primary and secondary high school, and a junior high school. The high school has had a number of special education programs, including a pre-school, a kindergarten, a nursery and a primary school, as well as an adult education program. It had 8 students in the first grade.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in False Pass, Aleutians East Borough, Alaska = 99. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 84. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 100. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in False Pass = 1.4 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Weather

The annual rainfall in False Pass = 38.2 inches and the annual snowfall = 61.4 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 231. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 60. 55 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 23.7 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 87, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in False Pass, Aleutians East Borough, Alaska which are owned by the occupant = 26.19%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 24 years with median home cost = $107,120 and home appreciation of -1.18%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $9.89 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $12,904 per student. There are 8.1 students for each teacher in the school, 178 students for each Librarian and 1335 students for each Counselor. 3.23% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 16.13% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).