Northwest Arctic Borough is a borough located in the U.S. state of Alaska. As of the 2020 census, the population was 7,793, up from 7,523 in 2010. The borough seat is Kotzebue. The borough was formed on June 2, 1986.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of , of which is land and (12.7%) is water. By land area, it is slightly larger than the state of Maine.
Its coastline is limited by the Chukchi Sea. The Kotzebue Sound, a significant wildlife area, is a prominent water body within the Northwest Arctic Borough. The largest polar bear sighted in history, a male weighing , was sighted at Kotzebue Sound.
Adjacent boroughs and census areas
- North Slope Borough, Alaska - north
- Yukon–Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska - east
- Nome Census Area, Alaska - south
National protected areas
- Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge (part of the Chukchi Sea unit)
- Chamisso Wilderness
- Bering Land Bridge National Preserve (part)
- Cape Krusenstern National Monument
- Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve (part)
- Gates of the Arctic Wilderness (part)
- Kobuk Valley National Park
- Kobuk Valley Wilderness
- Koyukuk National Wildlife Refuge (part)
- Noatak National Preserve (part)
- Noatak Wilderness (part)
- Selawik National Wildlife Refuge (part)
- Selawik Wilderness
Politics
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Northwest Arctic Borough has backed the national winner all but five times since statehood.