Fairbanks, AK

Fairbanks is Alaska's interior hub and the borough seat of the Fairbanks North Star Borough. It sits on the Chena River and grew from a trading post founded by E.T. Barnette into the state's second-largest metro area after Anchorage. Fairbanks is home to the University of Alaska Fairbanks, the founding campus of the university system, and it serves as a practical base for Interior Alaska. Long winters, northern lights, river trails, dog mushing, and events such as the Yukon Quest give it a distinctly northern rhythm.