Teller (Alaska)

Teller is a city near Nome in Arctic Alaska. It had a population of 237 in 2019, and is on the edge of a large bay, close to the Bering Strait.

Understand

Location

Teller is very close to the Bering Strait, specifically on a sandbank which borders Imuruk Basin. The town is connected to Nome via the Nome-Teller Highway. To the north of Teller is the town of Brevig Mission (population 400), although there is no road connecting the towns.

Teller is surrounded by hills and mountains, adding to the remoteness of its location. However, there is an airport in Teller.

History

Being in Arctic Alaska, the area was sparsely settled by Native Americans until the 20th century. Around 1900, the town, along with Nome and other towns in that region of Alaska, became large cities and trading posts. Teller reached a population of 5,000 for a few years.

Numerous tents were scattered along the beach near Teller in 1900

By the time the census was taken in 1910, however, the population of Teller had dramatically decreased to about 100. The drop in population continued, decreasing to just 76 in 1930. The population has grown to 237 at the 2019 census.

Climate

Teller is in a continental subarctic climate. Therefore, daily highs in summer are in the 50s (Fahrenheit), and winter temperatures are around zero degrees. However, summer temperatures can pass 80 °F (27 °C) in summer, and approach -40 °F/C in winter.

For tourists who are used to warmer weather, the best months to visit Teller are in June, July, and August.

Get in

By car

The Nome-Teller Highway connects Nome and Teller. Although this road is open only in summer, cars can be rented from Nome to make the journey, which is a more than 70-mile (110-km) route along a dirt road.

As of 2017, no road connects Nome and Teller to the rest of Alaska.

By air

Bering Air has twice daily flights to Teller through Nome (Alaska). it also operates to nearby communities.

By foot or dogsled

The Iditarod Trail runs from nearby Nome to the town of Seward, in southern Alaska.

Get around

Teller is not a large city. Although there are dirt roads in the city, the city should be easy to get around by foot.

See

• 1 Norge Storage Site, Front Avenue. A historic building. (updated Dec 2017)

Do

Take the Nome-Teller Highway: the 70-mile Nome-Teller Highway goes from Teller to Nome. Although it is a dirt road, it is a beautiful road which goes through mountain ranges, grasslands, and other natural features. From Nome, there is also the Nome-Council Highway which goes for scores of miles farther to the east.

Sleep

There are no hotels in Teller.