North Pole Area
Community Baptist Church serves the North Pole area including two military bases: Eielson Air Force Base and Ft. Wainwright. North Pole, Alaska is a small community just south of Fairbanks, Alaska's second largest city. Twenty-three thousand people live within commuting distance of the church. Eielson Air Force Base is located about ten miles south of North Pole and Ft. Wainwright is nine miles north. There are about nine thousand service members with their families stationed at these two installations. The church itself is located about three miles from North Pole and eleven miles from Fairbanks. Fairbanks/North Pole has a population of about seventy thousand that experiences a higher rate of turnover than most communities.
North Pole was incorporated as a city in 1953. The City Fathers hoped to attract the toy industry to manufacture articles from "The North Pole". This endeavor failed, but North Pole continued to grow.
In 1975, the establishment of a refinery gave North Pole its first major industry. Since then, a second refinery has been constructed. The refineries gave North Pole a large tax base and the area underwent a period of rapid growth, unprecedented even in Alaska. The city has one of the highest assessed evaluations per capita in Alaska.
There are 1494 students in the area's three elementary school's. There is also a middle school with 579 students, a high school of 933, and two Christian schools with a combined student body of 140. Nearby Fairbanks is the home of the University of Alaska, a school well known for its Arctic studies in the fields of biology, forestry, engineering and geophysics.
Medical facilities in North Pole are good. There is a doctor 's office with two doctors, a chiropractic clinic, an optometrist, and three dental offices. Many more facilities are available in Fairbanks, including Fairbanks Memorial Hospital.
Churches serving the area include Baptist, Nazarene, Assembly of God, Lutheran, Grace Brethren, Methodist/Presbyterian, Christian Missionary Alliance, Catholic, Latter Day Saints, and Jehovah Witness
. Some shopping can be done in North Pole's several mini-malls. More shopping is available in Fairbanks with several large grocery stores (Safeway, Fred Meyer, and Sam's club) and some department stores (Sears, Fred Meyer, and Gottschalks).
The weather in Alaska's interior (where North Pole is located) changes dramatically. Winter temperatures average -10 F. with records of -60 F. Extreme by cold temperatures (-30 F. and colder) are usually accompanied by a smog condition known as ice fog which greatly diminishes visibility. Winter also brings an average snowfall of 68.8 inches and shortened days with only 4-5 hours of daylight in December and January. Summer temperatures average in the low 70's with records as high as 90 F. Long summer days and warm temperatures produce beautiful gardens and richly colored flowers.
If you would like to know more about the Fairbanks and North Pole area check out the Fairbanks Alaska Internet Resources Network for Education and training.
Community Baptist Church
PO Box 55845
North Pole , Alaska 99705
ph----907-488-4511
fax---907-488-4367
Physical location : 2535 Marigold , ( At 8.5 Mi. Badger Rd.)
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Last updated 3/14/2003, Maintained by kesterke@ptialaska.net