Top 12 Fun Facts About Juneau, Alaska

1880年、ゴールドラッシュで一攫千金を狙うジョー・ジュノーとリチャード・ハリスがこの土地にやってきて、ゴールドクリーク（現在のジュノー）沿いに「豆ほどの大きさ」の金塊を見つけました。And that’s how Alaska’s capital got its start: it began as a gold mining camp during Alaska’s gold rush era. Within a year of the mining camp being formed, it had transformed into a small town called Harrisburg. しかし間もなくその名前は、そこに駐留していたチャールズ・ロックウェル海軍少佐の名誉を称えて変更されました。Then,Iin 1881, the miners changed the town's name again, this time to honor Joe Juneau.

With a total area of 3,255 square miles, Juneau, Alaska, is one of the largest municipalities in the United States and the largest capital in the US by area. この町はロードアイランド州より広く、氷原の一部を含んでいます。

On 6月 21, the longest day of the year, Juneau experiences 18 hours and 18 minutes of full daylight. This is thanks to the ‘midnight sun’ phenomenon, where regions near the poles remain tilted toward the sun for longer periods during summer. This allows daylight to linger well into the night. The sun dips below the horizon for a few hours, from approximately 23:30 to 2:30, but the sky barely even darkens. Of course, the reverse is true as well, and if you happen to be in Juneau during the winter, you can expect some very long nights indeed.

When you look at a map, it may seem strange that Juneau was named the state capital in 1906, since residents who wish to talk to their local representatives need to either fly or take a ferry to reach them. In fact, Juneau is the only state capital that cannot be reached by road (most visitors arrive via cruise ship). Interestingly enough, Juneau is in close proximity to one of the only glaciers that can be reached by road; the massive Mendenhall Glacier is just 13 miles from the city.

州政府は、アラスカ全土の州民が自宅にいながらにしてつながることができるように、最新技術を駆使したツールに投資してきました。ジュノーが州の他の地域からあまりにも遠く、アラスカでは道路で行き来できる人々の割合が20%ほどでしかないため、州民はコールインすることで委員会会議を生で聴くことができるようになっています。

ジュノーには280種類の鳥類、ヒグマやアメリカグマ、5種類のサケ、クジラ（主にザトウクジラとシャチ）が生息しています。Although you may not see them all on your next Alaskan cruise, Juneau is well known for its incredible wildlife — both on land and by sea.

次回のアラスカ・バケーションでこの州都を訪れたら、地元企業Reliable Sheet Metalが製作した「オズの魔法使い像」をご覧ください。

州の大企業であるシアターカンパニー、クラブ、バー、多数のレストラン（カジュアルから高級ダイニングまで）を擁するジュノーは、どなたにも喜んでいただける町です。

地元の山頂は氷原となっていて、そこから30ほどの氷河が流れ出ています。The most famous of these glaciers is the Mendenhall Glacier, which can be seen from the local road system.

If you enjoy wildlife spotting, keep your eyes to the sky (and on the treetop). The Juneau area is home to thousands of bald eagles, with Alaska hosting the largest concentration of these birds in the U.S. It’s common to see these white-headed raptors perched in spruce trees along the waterfront or circling above nearby channels in search of salmon.

Juneau may feel tucked into Alaska’s wild coastline, but the city actually shares a border with British Columbia, Canada. The mountains that rise behind town form part of the international boundary, connecting Juneau to the vast wilderness that stretches across southeastern Alaska and western Canada.

Juneau sits inside the Tongass National Forest, part of one of the largest temperate rainforests on Earth. That means Alaska’s capital is one of the few places where glaciers, ocean channels, and dense rainforest all exist side by side, creating a rare environment where salmon streams, towering conifers, and coastal wildlife can thrive together.