Editing Point Lay, Alaska

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
 | official_name            = Point Lay, Alaska
 | native_name              = Kali
 | settlement_type          = [[Census-designated place|CDP]]
 | nickname                 =
 | motto                    = 
<!-- Images -->
 | image_skyline            = File:Alaska - Point Lay - NARA - 23942259.jpg
 | imagesize                = 300
 | image_caption            = 1940s
 | image_flag               = 
 | image_seal               = 
<!-- Maps -->
 | image_map                = AKMap-doton-PointLay.PNG
 | mapsize                  = 250px
 | map_caption              = Location of Point Lay, Alaska
 | image_map1               = 
 | mapsize1                 = 
 | map_caption1             = 
 | pushpin_map              = Alaska#North America
 | pushpin_label            = Point Lay
<!-- Location -->
 | subdivision_type         = Country
 | subdivision_name         = United States
 | subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
 | subdivision_name1        = [[Alaska]]
 | subdivision_type2        = [[List of boroughs and census areas in Alaska|Borough]]
 | subdivision_name2        = [[North Slope Borough, Alaska|North Slope]]
 | government_footnotes     = 
 | government_type          = 
 | leader_title             = Borough [[mayor]]
 | leader_name              = [[Josiah Patkotak]]
 | leader_title1            = [[Alaska Senate|State senator]]
 | leader_name1             = [[Donny Olson]] ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]])
 | leader_title2            = [[Alaska House of Representatives|State rep.]]
 | leader_name2             = [[Robyn Burke]] ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]])
 | established_title        = 
 | established_date         = 
<!-- Area -->
 | area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_02.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=October 29, 2021}}</ref>
 | area_magnitude           = 
 | area_total_km2           = 83.63
 | area_land_km2            = 73.85
 | area_water_km2           = 9.78
 | area_total_sq_mi         = 32.29
 | area_land_sq_mi          = 28.51
 | area_water_sq_mi         = 3.78
<!-- Population -->
 | population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
 | population_footnotes     = 
 | population_total         = 330
 | population_density_km2   = 4.47
 | population_density_sq_mi = 11.57
 | pop_est_footnotes        = 
 | population_est           = 
 | pop_est_as_of            = 
<!-- General information -->
 | timezone                 = [[Alaska Time Zone|Alaska (AKST)]]
 | utc_offset               = -9
 | timezone_DST             = AKDT
 | utc_offset_DST           = -8
 | elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
 | elevation_ft             = 30
 | coordinates              = {{coord|69|44|28|N|162|51|56|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
 | postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
 | postal_code              = 99759
 | area_code                = [[Area code 907|907]]
 | blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
 | blank_info               = 2419178<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2419178}}</ref>
 | blank1_name              = 
 | blank1_info              = 
 | website                  = 
 | footnotes                = 
 | unit_pref                = Imperial
}}

'''Point Lay''' (''Kali ''in [[Inupiaq language|Inupiaq]]- "Mound") is a [[census-designated place]] (CDP) in [[North Slope Borough, Alaska]], United States. At the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]] the population was 330, up from 189 in 2010.<ref>{{Cite web |publisher=United States Census Bureau |title=Search Results |url=https://www.census.gov/search-results.html |access-date=April 24, 2023 |website=The United States Census Bureau |language=EN-US}}</ref>

==Geography and climate==
Point Lay is located on the shores of the [[Chukchi Sea]].

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the CDP has a total area of {{convert|34.5|sqmi|km2}}, of which, {{convert|30.5|sqmi|km2}} of it is land and {{convert|4.0|sqmi|km2}} of it (11.66%) is water.

Point Lay once was on a barrier island of [[Kasegaluk Lagoon]], but moved to the mainland near the mouth of the [[Kokolik River]] during the 1970s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://appropriations.senate.gov/hearmarkups/record.cfm?id%3D223525 |title=U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations |access-date=October 24, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061025211612/http://appropriations.senate.gov/hearmarkups/record.cfm?id=223525 |archive-date=October 25, 2006 }}</ref>  A weather station was operated from October 1949 to March 1958.

Apart from its landmass that is in mainland Alaska, it also consists two peninsulas that are found on its most northwestern side.

Point Lay has a tundra climate (Koppen ET) with long, very cold winters and short, cool to mild summers.

{{Weather box
|collapsed = yes
|single line= yes
|location= Point Lay (1949-1958)
|Jan high F=-3.7
|Feb high F=-15.3
|Mar high F=-7.4
|Apr high F=11.7
|May high F=29.6
|Jun high F=44.3
|Jul high F=51.6
|Aug high F=50.8
|Sep high F=39.9
|Oct high F=25.4
|Nov high F=10.0
|Dec high F=-6.0
|Jan low F=-20.2
|Feb low F=-30.5
|Mar low F=-22.4
|Apr low F=-4.5
|May low F=17.7
|Jun low F=32.7
|Jul low F=38.5
|Aug low F=38.9
|Sep low F=31.3
|Oct low F=15.2
|Nov low F=-2.3
|Dec low F=-19.6
|Jan precipitation inch=0.17
|Feb precipitation inch=0.03
|Mar precipitation inch=0.10
|Apr precipitation inch=0.17
|May precipitation inch=0.05
|Jun precipitation inch=0.31
|Jul precipitation inch=1.67
|Aug precipitation inch=1.78
|Sep precipitation inch=0.72
|Oct precipitation inch=0.42
|Nov precipitation inch=0.15
|Dec precipitation inch=0.12
|source=http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?ak7442
}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|align=left
|1880= 30
|1890= 77
|1940= 117
|1950= 75
|1980= 68
|1990= 139
|2000= 247
|2010= 189
|2020= 330
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/prod/www/decennial.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2016}}</ref>
}}
[[Image:PtLay House.JPG|thumb|A typical residence in Point Lay]]
Point Lay first appeared on the 1880 U.S. Census as an unincorporated Inuit village. All 30 of its residents were Inuit.<ref>{{cite web |title=Statistics of the Population of Alaska |url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1880a_v1-17.pdf |website=United States Census Bureau |date=1880}}</ref> It returned again in 1890 with 77 residents, all native.<ref>{{cite web |title=Report on Population and Resources of Alaska at the Eleventh Census: 1890 |url=http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1890a_v8-01.pdf |website=United States Census Bureau |publisher=Government Printing Office}}</ref> It did not appear again until 1940 and again in 1950. The original settlement on the barrier island was relocated a mile to the east on the mainland in the 1970s. The new village of Point Lay returned on the 1980 U.S. Census and was made a census-designated place (CDP). It has continued to return on each successive census.

As of the [[2010 United States Census]], there were 189 people living in the CDP. The racial makeup of the CDP was 88.4% Native American, 10.1% White, 0.5% Pacific Islander and 0.5% from two or more races. 0.5% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

As of the census<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref> of 2000, there were 247 people, 61 households, and 45 families living in the CDP. The population density was {{#expr:(247/30.5) round 1}} people per square mile ({{#expr: ((1/2.59)*(247/30.5)) round 1 }}/km<sup>2</sup>). There were 67 housing units at an average density of {{#expr:(67/30.5) round 1}} per square mile  ({{#expr: ((1/2.59)*(67/30.5)) round 1 }}/km<sup>2</sup>). The racial makeup of the CDP was 11.34% [[Race (United States Census)|White]], 82.59% [[Race (United States Census)|Native American]], 0.40% [[Race (United States Census)|Asian]], and 5.67% from two or more races. 2.43% of the population were [[Race (United States Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Race (United States Census)|Latino]] of any race.

There were 61 households, out of which 50.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.9% were married couples living together, 18.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.6% were non-families. 23.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 1.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.93 and the average family size was 4.57.

In the CDP, the age distribution of the population shows 46.2% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 17.0% from 45 to 64, and 2.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 21 years. For every 100 females, there were 135.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 133.3 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $68,750, and the median income for a family was $75,883. Males had a median income of $46,071 versus $25,625 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the CDP was $18,003. About 11.4% of families and 7.4% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 8.1% of those under the age of eighteen and none of those 65 or over.

[[Image:PointLayFireTruckInsignia.jpg|right|thumb|160px|Point Lay fire truck insignia with Beluga Whale.]]

==Lifestyle and economy==
[[File:Alaska - Point Lay - NARA - 23942261.jpg|thumb|right]]
The village has an annual hunt of [[Beluga (whale)|beluga whales]] within the [[Kasegaluk Lagoon]]. On the Fourth of July, a parade runs through town led by the fire engines and ambulances of the town's modern fire department.

The Inupaiq name for the village is Kali, which means "mound", after a raised area on the barrier island where the old village stood. The school and fire department bear the name Kali.

The Kali school is a part of the [[North Slope Borough School District]].<ref>"[http://www.nsbsd.org/Page/1832 Point Lay]." [[North Slope Borough School District]]. Retrieved on February 14, 2017.</ref>

==Military radar==
[[Image:Point Lay Alaska DEW Line.jpg|left|thumb|DEW line station formerly at Point Lay, Alaska.]]
Until recently, a cluster of radar dishes existed near Point Lay. These were a part of the [[Distant Early Warning Line]], a system of defensive radar installations built during the [[Cold War]]. The station was decommissioned during the 1990s, and the radar dishes were dismantled sometime between 2004 and 2006.{{Citation needed|date=August 2014}}
{{Clear}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Portal|Alaska}}
* Information about Point Lay from [https://web.archive.org/web/20131127111358/http://north-slope.org/villages/ptlay/ the North Slope Borough]
* Information about Point Lay from [https://web.archive.org/web/20101120040821/http://www.nsbsd.org/schools/piz the North Slope Borough School District]
* [http://weather.noaa.gov/weather/current/PPIZ.html Current Weather Conditions] at the Point Lay Airport, by the National Weather Service
* [http://purl.access.gpo.gov/GPO/LPS101711 Geologic Map of the Point Lay Quadrangle, Alaska] [[United States Geological Survey]]

{{North Slope Borough, Alaska}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Census-designated places in Alaska]]
[[Category:Census-designated places in North Slope Borough, Alaska]]
[[Category:Chukchi Sea]]
[[Category:Populated coastal places in Alaska on the Arctic Ocean]]
[[Category:Populated places of the Arctic United States]]