Location and Accessibility
Galena (pop. 500+) is a village located in central Alaska along the Yukon River, 270 air miles west of Fairbanks, 350 miles north of Anchorage, and 1,000 miles northwest of Juneau, Alaska’s capital. As Galena has no connecting road systems outside the village, travel to and from Galena is by air or by water. The Yukon River, after summer thaw, provides travel by boats and barges between neighboring communities within the 150-mile long Yukon-Koyukuk Region. During winter, the Yukon River also provides for less conventional travel of all-terrain-vehicles, snow-machines, and dog sleds. Galena also hosts a former United States AirForce airfield, now a public state owned and operated airport that accommodates heavy air traffic servicing 6+ daily flights from Fairbanks and Anchorage. Galena is the hub for smaller central Alaskan communities who depend upon Galena’s capacity to deliver health, education, cultural, social, and other services and conveniences.
Facilities and Amenities
Galena has general merchandise stores, churches, a heated indoor Olympic-sized swimming pool, a modern health and dental center, a bar, bed & breakfast lodgings, schools, coffee shop, City Municipal Offices, Tribal government offices (Louden), regional Native organizations, youth organizations, a radio station (KIYU), State Troopers and other governmental offices.