4 | Fairbanks Economic Development Corporation
Beyond its distinction as the second most
densely populated region of Alaska, Fair-
banks is the northernmostMetropolitan Sta-
tistical Area of the United States and is only
some 120 miles south of the Arctic Circle
(that’s a little more than a day’s travel by dog
sled). Located in the central Tanana Valley,
Fairbanks emerged from the site of a trading
post Elbridge Barnette established along the
Chena River, a waterway that winds below a
chain of hills that ultimately give rise to the
White Mountains, which have been more
historically-hyped for their golden hue. Be-
yond its fostering of gold fever, Fairbanks is
famed as the land of the midnight sun and
being home to luminary phenomenon born
of the aurora borealis. Though the gold rush
has long gone and winter degrees are just as
daunting as they’ve ever been, Fairbanks and
its affiliate North Star Borough still beckons
as a beacon of opportunity for business lead-
ers, and that’s a point eloquently articulated
by Jim Dodson, a lifelong resident of Fair-
banks who also serves as the president and
chief executive officer of the Fairbanks Eco-
nomic Development Corporation.
