It sounds extreme because it is! Utqiagvik, the town formerly named Barrow, is the northernmost inhabited place in the U.S. This city has a stark beauty all its own. The Arctic is a place of extremes and two days in a row never have the same amount of sun. This can throw many people off who visit but, for those who live here, it makes the day length everywhere else feel just a little boring.

See the U.S. Naval Observatory Sunrise table for Utqiagvik here.

Utqiagvik is only a one mile square city of around 4000 people. Those who live here enjoy the extremes of the arctic.
NASA ICE | Flickr
The temperature never really rises above 40 degrees Fahrenheit, even in the middle of the summer!
Terry Feuerborn | Flickr
The sun beams endlessly on this town on the Arctic Ocean all summer without a drop of darkness. From May 11 until August 2, there is one continuous day where the sun never sets.
Brian | Flickr

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Then the pendulum swings and the night takes over. On November 18 after a brief glimpse of the sun for 1 hour and 4 minutes, the darkness descended to continue through the rest of the year.
Johannes Zielcke | Flickr
The movie "30 Days of Night" was set in Utqiagvik, and that is no exaggeration.
Todd Radenbaugh | Flickr
When the sun comes back on Jan. 22, it will be for a tiny day of only 25 minutes, but the sun will be welcomed back with excitement and joy.
Alica | Flickr

Learn more about Utqiagvik in Take A Journey To The Top Of The World For The Best Chinese Food in Alaska and What Life Is Like In The Coldest Town In America.

Have you been to Utqiagvik? Tell us about it in the comments below!

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