View source for Cold Bay, Alaska

{{short description|City in Alaska, United States}}
{{Use American English|date=June 2025}}
{{Lead too short|date=November 2015}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name      = Cold Bay
| native_name        = Udaamagax, Pualu
| settlement_type    = [[City (Alaska)|City]]
| nickname           = 
| motto              = 
| image_skyline      = Aerial of runway at Cold Bay, Izembek National Wildlife Refuge.jpg
| image_caption      = Aerial view of Cold Bay taken during the early 21st century. <br />[[Cold Bay Airport]]{{'}}s runways are visible.
| imagesize          = 240px
| image_flag         = 
| image_seal         = 
| pushpin_map        = Alaska
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Alaska
| image_map          = 
| mapsize            = 
| map_caption        = 
| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = United States
| subdivision_type1  = State
| subdivision_name1  = [[Alaska]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of boroughs and census areas in Alaska|Borough]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Aleutians East Borough, Alaska|Aleutians East]]
| government_footnotes = 
| government_type    = [[Mayor–council government|Mayor–council]]
| leader_title       = [[Mayor]]
| leader_name        = Candace Schaack Nielsen<ref>{{Cite book|title=2023 Alaska Municipal Officials Directory|date=January 2023|publisher=Alaska Municipal League|location=[[Juneau, Alaska|Juneau]]|page=59|url=https://www.akml.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Cold-Bay.pdf|access-date=November 12, 2023}}</ref>
| leader_title1      = [[Alaska Senate|State senator]]
| leader_name1       = [[Lyman Hoffman]] ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]])<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.alaskasenate.org/2020/member/lyman-hoffman/ |title=Senator Lyman Hoffman |publisher=Alaskasenate.org |website=Alaska Senate Majority |access-date=November 16, 2019 |archive-date=April 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200408143501/https://www.alaskasenate.org/2020/member/lyman-hoffman/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| leader_title2      = [[Alaska House of Representatives|State rep.]]
| leader_name2       = [[Bryce Edgmon]] ([[Independent politician|I]])
| established_title  = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
| established_date   = January 1982
| area_magnitude     = 
| 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|accessdate=October 29, 2021}}</ref>
| area_total_km2     = 176.26
| area_land_km2      = 138.34
| area_water_km2     = 37.92
| area_total_sq_mi   = 68.06
| area_land_sq_mi    = 53.41
| area_water_sq_mi   = 14.64
| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_est     = 
| pop_est_as_of      = 
| population_footnotes = 
| population_total   = 50
| timezone           = [[Alaska Time Zone|Alaska (AKST)]]
| utc_offset         = &minus;9
| timezone_DST       = AKDT
| utc_offset_DST     = &minus;8
| elevation_footnotes = 
| elevation_m        = 42
| elevation_ft       = 138
| coordinates        = {{coord|55|12|33|N|162|42|51|W|region:US-AK|display=inline}}
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code        = 99571
| area_code_type     = [[North American Numbering Plan|Area code]]
| area_code          = [[Area code 907|907]] ([[Telephone exchange|local prefix]]: 532)
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 02-16530
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = {{GNIS4|1418448}}
| website            = https://www.coldbayak.org
| footnotes          = <ref name="GNIS">{{Cite GNIS|1418448|City of Cold Bay|September 11, 2018}}</ref>
| pop_est_footnotes  = 
| population_density_sq_mi = 0.94
| unit_pref          = Imperial
| population_density_km2 = 0.36
| name               = 
}}

'''Cold Bay''' ({{langx|ale|Udaamagax}},;<ref name="Bergsland">{{cite book | first=K. | last=Bergsland | author-link=Knut Bergsland | year=1994 | title=Aleut Dictionary |publisher=Alaska Native Language Center |location=Fairbanks }}</ref> [[Sugpiaq language|Sugpiaq]]: ''Pualu''<ref>{{cite web |title=AP-PER - Perryville Area |url=https://uafanlc.alaska.edu/Online/SUK972L1982d/SUK972L1982d-smaller.pdf |website=Alaska Native Language Archive |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210826005617/https://uafanlc.alaska.edu/Online/SUK972L1982d/SUK972L1982d-smaller.pdf |archive-date=August 26, 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref>) is a city in [[Aleutians East Borough, Alaska]], United States. As of the [[2010 United States Census|2010 census]], the population was 108, but at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]] this had reduced to 50.

Cold Bay is one of the main commercial centers of the [[Alaska Peninsula]], which extends west towards the Aleutian Islands, and is home to [[Cold Bay Airport]].

==History==
{{More citations needed section|date=January 2010}}
There is evidence of prehistoric occupation by Aleuts and later Russian encampments. Cold Bay's significance to American history began with the Japanese [[invasion of the Aleutians]] in World War II. General [[Simon Bolivar Buckner, Jr.]] ordered the creation of [[Fort Randall (Alaska)|Fort Randall]], an airbase on the shores of Cold Bay, in 1942 as a part of a general expansion of American assets in the Aleutians. It (along with Otter Point) served as a base for the [[11th Air Force]] to provide protection to the only deep water port in the Aleutians at the time, Dutch Harbor.

This protection was necessary when during [[Isoroku Yamamoto|Yamamoto]]'s [[Battle of Midway|Midway Campaign]], a diversionary attack was launched against [[Dutch Harbor]]. The initial attack was repulsed by the surprise presence of [[P-40]]s stationed here. A second larger attack with its own fighter escort the next day caused minor damage. Later, with the victory in the Pacific, the forces grew to 20,000 troops. The [[quonset hut]]s used to house this massive encampment still stand around the community. It also was a base of operations for the US Navy with the [[seaplane tender]] {{USS|Casco|AVP-12}} among the ships based in Cold Bay.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships |url=http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/c4/casco-iii.htm |publisher=U.S. Department of the Navy |url-status=dead |archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20130502082707/http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/c4/casco-iii.htm |archive-date=May 2, 2013 }}</ref>

In the spring and summer of 1945, Cold Bay was the site of the largest and most ambitious transfer program of World War II, [[Project Hula]], in which the United States transferred dozens of ships and craft to the [[Soviet Union]] and trained Soviet personnel in their operation in anticipation of the Soviet Union entering the [[Pacific War|war against Japan]].

In later decades, control of the airfield passed to civil authorities, who maintained it as a useful refueling and emergency landing location for [[great circle]] flights from the [[west coast of the United States]] to [[East Asia]]. A [[Distant Early Warning Line]] station established nearby was eventually decommissioned.

During the 1980s, deregulation of the airline industry under President [[Ronald Reagan]] caused many of the compelling interests{{who|date=December 2014}} supporting the need for the community to evaporate. Today, Cold Bay is still occasionally used for emergency or precautionary landings of commercial flights, and is also a hub for traffic from [[Anchorage]] and [[Seattle]] to the small communities around it.

==Geography==
Cold Bay is located at {{Coord|55|12|33|N|162|42|51|W|type:city}} (55.209038, -162.714298).<ref name="GR12">{{cite web|url = https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher = [[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date = April 23, 2011|date = February 12, 2011|title = US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref> It is west of [[Hawaii]].

According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|70.9|sqmi|km2}}, of which, {{convert|54.4|sqmi|km2}} of it is land and {{convert|16.6|sqmi|km2}} of it (23.34%) is water.

Cold Bay holds the record for most overcast community in America.<ref name="currentresults.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.currentresults.com/Weather-Extremes/US/cloudiest.php|title=Cloudiest Places in United States - Current Results|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240118225920/https://www.currentresults.com/Weather-Extremes/US/cloudiest.php|archive-date=January 18, 2024}}</ref>

===Climate===
[[File:Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020) - Cold Bay Area, AK(ThreadEx).svg|thumb|right|Climate chart for Cold Bay]]
Cold Bay has an either an ocean-moderated [[subarctic climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]]: ''Dfc'') if the 0&nbsp;°C isotherm is used, or a [[subpolar oceanic climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]]: ''Cfc'') if the {{convert|−3|°C|1}} isotherm is used, both of those climate being typical of southwest Alaska, though the summers are almost cool enough to qualify as a [[tundra climate|tundra]] ([[Köppen climate classification]]: ''ET''). Cold Bay is considered the cloudiest place in the United States, with an average of 304 days of heavy overcast (covering over 3/4 of the sky).<ref name="currentresults.com"/>

Cold Bay's recorded temperature range is between {{convert|78|F|C}} and {{convert|-13|F|C}}.<ref name = NOWData/> The coldest daytime maximum on record is {{convert|0|F|C}}, while the annual coldest maximum between 1991 and 2020 was at {{convert|16|F|C}}.<ref name = NOWData/> With warm summer days being rare, nights remain chilly also during the warmer season. The warmest recorded overnight low is at a very modest {{convert|57|F|C}} and the annual average warmest night tends to fall to {{convert|53|F|C}}.<ref name = NOWData/> Many years fail to break {{convert|68|F|C}} during the warmest afternoon.<ref name = NOWData/>

{{Weather box
|location = [[Cold Bay Airport]], Alaska (1991&ndash;2020 normals,{{efn|Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the highest and lowest temperature readings during an entire month or year) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.}} extremes 1942&ndash;present{{efn|Records for Cold Bay have been kept at the [[Cold Bay Airport]] since March 1950 and at [[Thornbrough Air Force Base]] from June 1942 to February 1950. For more information, see [http://threadex.rcc-acis.org/ ThreadEx]}})
|single line = Yes
|Jan record high F = 59
|Feb record high F = 54
|Mar record high F = 56
|Apr record high F = 60
|May record high F = 68
|Jun record high F = 72
|Jul record high F = 77
|Aug record high F = 78
|Sep record high F = 70
|Oct record high F = 69
|Nov record high F = 59
|Dec record high F = 62
|Jan avg record high F = 43.5
|Feb avg record high F = 43.9
|Mar avg record high F = 44.6
|Apr avg record high F = 49.7
|May avg record high F = 56.2
|Jun avg record high F = 61.2
|Jul avg record high F = 64.7
|Aug avg record high F = 65.8
|Sep avg record high F = 60.1
|Oct avg record high F = 54.7
|Nov avg record high F = 49.2
|Dec avg record high F = 45.2
|year avg record high F = 67.7
|Jan high F = 33.2
|Feb high F = 35.0
|Mar high F = 35.4
|Apr high F = 40.2
|May high F = 46.5
|Jun high F = 52.1
|Jul high F = 56.2
|Aug high F = 57.2
|Sep high F = 53.4
|Oct high F = 46.5
|Nov high F = 39.9
|Dec high F = 35.6
|year high F = 44.3
|Jan mean F = 28.4
|Feb mean F = 30.2
|Mar mean F = 29.9
|Apr mean F = 35.0
|May mean F = 41.0
|Jun mean F = 47.1
|Jul mean F = 51.5
|Aug mean F = 52.6
|Sep mean F = 48.4
|Oct mean F = 41.3
|Nov mean F = 35.3
|Dec mean F = 30.8
|year mean F = 39.3
|Jan low F = 23.7
|Feb low F = 25.5
|Mar low F = 24.4
|Apr low F = 29.8
|May low F = 35.5
|Jun low F = 42.0
|Jul low F = 46.9
|Aug low F = 48.1
|Sep low F = 43.4
|Oct low F = 36.1
|Nov low F = 30.6
|Dec low F = 25.9
|year low F = 34.3
|Jan avg record low F = 6.7
|Feb avg record low F = 8.2
|Mar avg record low F = 9.7
|Apr avg record low F = 18.0
|May avg record low F = 25.7
|Jun avg record low F = 33.7
|Jul avg record low F = 40.8
|Aug avg record low F = 39.2
|Sep avg record low F = 33.2
|Oct avg record low F = 25.2
|Nov avg record low F = 18.0
|Dec avg record low F = 10.8
|year avg record low F = 2.1
|Jan record low F = -13
|Feb record low F = -9
|Mar record low F = -13
|Apr record low F = 4
|May record low F = 18
|Jun record low F = 27
|Jul record low F = 33
|Aug record low F = 32
|Sep record low F = 26
|Oct record low F = 6
|Nov record low F = 1
|Dec record low F = -9
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 3.38
|Feb precipitation inch = 3.17
|Mar precipitation inch = 2.98
|Apr precipitation inch = 2.70
|May precipitation inch = 2.64
|Jun precipitation inch = 2.74
|Jul precipitation inch = 2.51
|Aug precipitation inch = 3.71
|Sep precipitation inch = 4.50
|Oct precipitation inch = 4.93
|Nov precipitation inch = 4.99
|Dec precipitation inch = 4.42
|year precipitation inch = 42.67
|Jan snow inch = 12.6
|Feb snow inch = 10.0
|Mar snow inch = 12.8
|Apr snow inch = 6.4
|May snow inch = 1.2
|Jun snow inch = 0.0
|Jul snow inch = 0.0
|Aug snow inch = 0.0
|Sep snow inch = 0.0
|Oct snow inch = 2.0
|Nov snow inch = 8.2
|Dec snow inch = 14.1
|year snow inch = 67.3
|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
|Jan precipitation days = 20.5
|Feb precipitation days = 20.1
|Mar precipitation days = 19.4
|Apr precipitation days = 18.9
|May precipitation days = 17.8
|Jun precipitation days = 17.4
|Jul precipitation days = 19.8
|Aug precipitation days = 21.3
|Sep precipitation days = 22.6
|Oct precipitation days = 24.8
|Nov precipitation days = 24.4
|Dec precipitation days = 23.4
|year precipitation days = 250.4
|unit snow days = 0.1 in
|Jan snow days = 13.0
|Feb snow days = 12.7
|Mar snow days = 13.3
|Apr snow days = 9.1
|May snow days = 2.4
|Jun snow days = 0.0
|Jul snow days = 0.0
|Aug snow days = 0.0
|Sep snow days = 0.1
|Oct snow days = 3.1
|Nov snow days = 9.7
|Dec snow days = 14.2
|year snow days = 77.6
|humidity colour = green
|Jan humidity = 84.3
|Feb humidity = 83.5
|Mar humidity = 82.8
|Apr humidity = 82.5
|May humidity = 83.5
|Jun humidity = 86.3
|Jul humidity = 88.3
|Aug humidity = 89.5
|Sep humidity = 86.4
|Oct humidity = 82.8
|Nov humidity = 83.5
|Dec humidity = 86.3
|year humidity = 85.0
|Jan dew point C = -3.4
|Feb dew point C = -4.4
|Mar dew point C = -3.5
|Apr dew point C = -2.6
|May dew point C = 1.1
|Jun dew point C = 4.9
|Jul dew point C = 8.1
|Aug dew point C = 9.1
|Sep dew point C = 6.8
|Oct dew point C = 2.2
|Nov dew point C = -0.9
|Dec dew point C = -0.8
|source 1 = NOAA (relative humidity and dew point 1961-1990)<ref name=NOAA>
{{cite web
|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USW00025624&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL
|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
|title = U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access
|access-date = August 11, 2022
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230903151628/https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USW00025624&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL
|archive-date = September 3, 2023
}}
</ref>
|source 2 = National Weather Service<ref name = NOWData>
{{cite web
|url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/Climate?wfo=afg
|publisher = National Weather Service
|title = NOAA Online Weather Data
|access-date = August 11, 2022
}}
</ref><ref name= WMO>{{cite web 
|url = ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG_IV/US/GROUP1/70316.TXT
|title = WMO Climate Normals for COLD BAY, AK 1961–1990 
|access-date = September 3, 2020 
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230903145000/ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG_IV/US/GROUP1/70316.TXT
|archive-date = 2023-09-03
|url-status = dead
|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
}}</ref>
}}
{{Graph:Weather monthly history
| table=Ncei.noaa.gov/weather/Cold Bay, Alaska.tab
| title=Cold Bay monthly weather statistics
}}
;Notes: 
{{notelist}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1890= 231
|1960= 86
|1970= 256
|1980= 228
|1990= 148
|2000= 88
|2010= 108
|2020= 50
|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|accessdate=June 4, 2016}}</ref>
}}
Cold Bay first appeared on the 1890 U.S. Census as the unincorporated area of "Thin Point", which included Thin Point & Cold Bay (including two canneries and Cold Bay Salting Station). It reported 231 residents, of which 110 were White, 106 were Asian, ten were Creole (Mixed Russian & Native), three were Native and two were Other.<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 would not appear again until 1960, when it reported as the unincorporated village of Cold Bay. It was made a census-designated place (CDP) in 1980 and incorporated in 1982.

Cold Bay is a highly transient community, lacking the generational attachment characteristic of the surrounding native villages. Residents, drawn to the area largely by the Wildlife Refuge, Weather Service, or air traffic jobs, rarely stay more than a year in Cold Bay.

===2000 census===
At the 2000 census, there were 88 people, 36 households and 18 families residing in the city. The population density was 1.6 per square mile (0.6/km{{sup|2}}). There were 98 housing units at an average density of 1.8 per square&nbsp;mile (0.7/km{{sup|2}}). The racial makeup of the city was 72% [[Race (United States Census)|White]], 3% [[Race (United States Census)|Black]] or [[Race (United States Census)|African American]], 17% [[Race (United States Census)|Native American]], 5% [[Race (United States Census)|Asian]], 2% [[Race (United States Census)|Pacific Islander]], and 1% from two or more races. 2% of the population were [[Race (United States Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Race (United States Census)|Latino]] of any race.

There were 36 households, of which 33% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44% were married couples living together, 3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 50% were non-families. 36% of all households were made up of individuals, and none had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was two and the average family size was three.

Age distribution was 24% under the age of 18, 9% from 18 to 24, 40% from 25 to 44, 27% from 45 to 64. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 184 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 205 males.

The [[median household income]] was $55,750, and the median family income was $64,375. Males had a median income of $36,250 versus $38,333 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $20,037. There were no families and 27% of the population living below the [[poverty line]], including no one under eighteen or over 64.

===Religion===
Cold Bay has a significant [[Baptists|Baptist]] population. The city's only church is Cold Bay Community Chapel, a member of the [[Southern Baptist Convention]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Cold Bay Community Chapel|url=http://www.faithstreet.com/church/cold-bay-community-chapel-cold-bay-ak|website=FaithStreet|access-date=October 23, 2015}}</ref>

==Economy==
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Bearfoot Inn, Cold Bay, Alaska.jpg|thumb|The Bearfoot Inn]] -->
Cold Bay has one store, the Bearfoot Inn Alaska, formerly known as the World-famous Weathered Inn. It supplies groceries, clothing and small trinkets to the residents of Cold Bay and other communities within the Aleutians East Borough, although many residents order groceries and supplies from suppliers in Anchorage and Seattle. The Bearfoot Inn also offers lodging with its 8-room hotel and 6-room bunk house. Within the main building there is the Bearfoot Inn Bar which is open 3 to 6 days a week depending on the season. Bearfoot Inn is within walking distance of the airport.

The Cold Bay Lodge is the only restaurant in town. The lodge can accommodate up to about 40 people (38 beds), offers wireless Internet access, holds a liquor license, is less than a mile from the airport and offers trinkets and snacks.

==Culture==

===Traditions===
A major community event is the Silver Salmon Derby, a fishing contest that takes place every fall. Participants vie in both adult and child categories for cash prizes for the largest fish. A raft race and "Polar Bear Jump" are also held. The Derby concludes with a banquet and door prize giveaway at the town community hall.

==Parks and recreation==

===Izembek National Wildlife Refuge===
{{Main|Izembek National Wildlife Refuge}}
The {{convert|498000|acre|km2|adj=on}} Izembek refuge was established in 1960. It encompasses several large lagoons, including the {{convert|30|mi|km|adj=on}} long Izembek Lagoon, which serve as a food source and shelter for a large migratory bird population.

Approximately 150,000 Pacific [[black brant]], 62,000 [[emperor geese]], 50,000 [[Taverner's Canada geese]], 300,000 [[duck]]s, and 80,000 shore birds stop over in the Izembek area during migration and as many as 50,000 [[Steller's eider]]s find winter grounds there.<ref>[http://izembek.fws.gov/wildlife.htm Izembek National Wildlife Refuge website] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060925235744/http://izembek.fws.gov/wildlife.htm |date=September 25, 2006 }}</ref>

==Government==
Cold Bay was [[Municipal corporation|incorporated]] as a city in January 1982.<ref>{{Cite book|title=1996 Alaska Municipal Officials Directory|location=[[Juneau]]|publisher=[[Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development|Alaska Department of Community and Regional Affairs]] / Alaska Municipal League|date=January 1996|page=42}}</ref> Cold Bay is classified by the state government as a second-class city.<ref name="SWAMC">{{Cite web|title=Cold Bay|url=http://www.swamc.org/html/southwest-alaska/aleutians-east-borough-raquo/cold-bay.php|publisher=[[Southwest Alaska Municipal Conference]]|access-date=October 23, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151014054046/http://www.swamc.org/html/southwest-alaska/aleutians-east-borough-raquo/cold-bay.php|archive-date=October 14, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> As such, it is governed by a seven-member city council, which elects the city's [[mayor]] from among its membership. The current mayor is Harold Kremer. The city [[Clerk (municipal official)|clerk]] is Lorie Pierce.

===Mayors===
The following individuals have served as the mayor of Cold Bay since its incorporation:

{| class="wikitable"
! Tenure
! Name
|-
| 1982–1984
| Monte M. Larsh <ref>{{Cite book|title=Alaska Municipal Officials Directory 1983|location=Juneau|publisher=Alaska Department of Community and Regional Affairs / Alaska Municipal League|year=1983|page=24}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=Alaska Municipal Officials Directory 1984|location=Juneau|publisher=Alaska Department of Community and Regional Affairs / Alaska Municipal League|year=1984|page=25}}</ref>
|-
| 1984–1985
| Donald Dennis <ref>{{Cite book|title=Alaska Municipal Officials Directory 1985|location=Juneau|publisher=Alaska Department of Community and Regional Affairs / Alaska Municipal League|year=1985|page=35}}</ref>
|-
| 1985 - 1988
| {{data missing|date=February 2020}}Clayton Brown <ref>Personal knowledge
</ref>
|- 
| 1988-1997
| Gerry Dias <ref>Gerry Dias</ref>
|-
| 1997–1998
| Alan Ellis <ref>{{Cite book|title=1998 Alaska Municipal Officials Directory|location=Juneau|publisher=Alaska Department of Community and Regional Affairs / Alaska Municipal League|date=January 1998|page=42}}</ref>
|-
| 1998–1999
| Jim Blowers <ref>{{Cite book|title=1999 Alaska Municipal Officials Directory|location=Juneau|publisher=Alaska Department of Community and Regional Affairs / Alaska Municipal League|date=January 1999|page=42}}</ref>
|-
| 1999–2004
| Harold (Happy) Kremer
|-
| 2004–2010
| John Maxwell <ref>{{Cite web|title = PUBLIC LANDS: 'The scariest plane ride of your life'|url = http://www.eenews.net/stories/1059976982/print|website = www.eenews.net|access-date = October 24, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=2005 Alaska Municipal Officials Directory|location=Juneau|publisher=Alaska Department of Community and Regional Affairs / Alaska Municipal League|date=January 2005|page=43}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=2007 Alaska Municipal Officials Directory|location=Juneau|publisher=[[Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development]] / Alaska Municipal League|date=March 2007|page=44}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=2008 Alaska Community Directory|location=Anchorage|publisher=Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development, Division of Community & Regional Affairs|date=January 2008|page=69}}</ref>
|-
| 2010–2015
| Jorge Lopez
|-
| 2015–2017
| Candace Schaack 
|-
| 2017–2019
| Dailey Schaack
|-
| 2020–2021
| David Lyons 
|-
| 2021–2021
| Harold (Happy) Kremer
|-
|2021-2022
|Robert Nielsen
|-
|2022-2023
|Candace (Schaack) Nielsen
|}

==Education==

===Cold Bay School===
The Cold Bay School was the community's public grade school, operated by the [[Aleutians East Borough School District]] (AEBSD), until its closure in May 2015. AEBSD's [[school board]] voted to close Cold Bay School following the conclusion of the 2014–2015 school year due to a decline in enrollment, which led to the loss of state funding.<ref name="LastKid">{{Cite news|last=Boots|first=Michelle Theriault|date=August 8, 2015|title=The last kid in Cold Bay|url=https://www.adn.com/article/20150808/last-kid-cold-bay|newspaper=[[Alaska Dispatch News]]|location=Anchorage|access-date=October 23, 2015}}</ref> The school employed one teacher and served between four and nine students in its last years.{{citation needed|date=February 2017}} The loss of the school caused an exodus of the remaining school-aged children until, by 2015, only one was left.<ref name="LastKid"/>

Circa 1978 the school, then a part of the [[Aleutian Region School District]], had two teachers,<ref name=Aleutp58>''Aleutian Islands, Aleutian Peninsula Debris Removal: Environmental Impact Statement''. [[United States Army Corps of Engineers]], 1980. p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=UvoyAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA58 58].</ref> and 37 students.<ref name=Aleutp59>''Aleutian Islands, Aleutian Peninsula Debris Removal: Environmental Impact Statement''. [[United States Army Corps of Engineers]], 1980. p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=UvoyAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA59 59].</ref> In the 1980s, the school typically enrolled around 30 students.<ref name="EIS">{{Cite book|title = Proposed North Aleutian Basin lease sale (sale 92): draft environmental impact statement|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=4T_xAAAAMAAJ|publisher = U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Minerals Management Service, Alaska Outer Continental Shelf Region|date = January 1, 1985|first = United States Minerals Management Service Alaska OCS|last = Region}}</ref> In 1985 it reached peak enrollment, with 50 students and four teachers.<ref name="EIS" /> Despite its remote location, the school was involved in state and national activities, such as hosting the military's "Operation Arctic Care" outreach health program in 2002, and by briefly becoming involved with reporting for [[HLN (TV channel)|CNN Student Bureau]] that same year.{{citation needed|date=February 2017}}

The school building was used to house passengers of flights which made emergency landings in Cold Bay.<ref>{{cite news|author=Knight, JoAnne|url=https://www.adn.com/education/article/cold-bay-braces-closure-its-school/2015/05/02/|title=Cold Bay braces for the closure of its school |newspaper=[[Anchorage Daily News]]|date=May 31, 2016|access-date=February 20, 2017}}</ref>

==Infrastructure==

===Transportation===

====Road====
Cold Bay has approximately {{Convert|40|mi|km|abbr=|sp=us}} of gravel roads, and a state-owned paved highway.<ref name="SWAMC"/>

====Water====
The [[Alaska Marine Highway]] travels between Cold Bay and Kodiak twice a month between May and October, and cargo ships visit the city monthly from Seattle, Washington.<ref name="SWAMC"/> Currently, the city only has a dock and a seaplane base, but the city hopes to develop a breakwater, boat harbor and boat launch.<ref name="SWAMC"/>

====Air====
Cold Bay is serviced by [[Cold Bay Airport]], holding the fifth-largest runway in Alaska,{{Citation needed|date=January 2010}} and a second, smaller one. Regional flights occur six times a week.

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{Portal|Alaska}}
{{commons category-inline}}
* http://www.commerce.state.ak.us/dca/commdb/CIS.cfm?Comm_Boro_name=Cold%20Bay
* [https://archive.today/20121213090518/http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/cpquery/?&dbname=cp105&sid=cp105D27x6&refer=&r_n=sr113.105&item=&sel=TOC_0&]
* http://www.ilovealaska.com/alaska/cities.cfm?cityid=63
* https://web.archive.org/web/20060926235118/http://alaska.fws.gov/internettv/nwrtv/izembektv/history.htm
* http://www.commerce.state.ak.us/dca/photos/comm_photos.cfm?comm=Cold%20Bay

{{Coord|display=title|55.209038|-162.714298}}
{{Aleutians East Borough, Alaska}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Alaska]]
[[Category:Cities in Aleutians East Borough, Alaska]]
[[Category:Populated coastal places in Alaska on the Pacific Ocean]]
[[Category:Alaska Peninsula]]