
			Home	About Us	News	Contact

			Alaska Juneau Ketchikan Kodiak San Francisco Seattle Seward Skagway Vancouver Victoria Whittier		Bahamas Cococay Great Stirrup Cay Half Moon Cay Nassau		Caribbean Belize Cartagena Cayman Islands Cozumel Grand Cayman Key West Ocho Rios Roatan
			Mexican Riviera Acapulco Avalon Catalina Island Cabo San Lucas Ensenada Huatulco Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo La Paz Loreto Los Angeles/Long Beach Manzanillo Mazatlán Puerto Chiapas Puerto Vallarta San Diego San Francisco Topolobampo Zihuatanejo		Pacific Coastal Astoria Avalon Catalina Los Angeles San Francisco San Diego Seattle Vancouver Victoria		Panama Canal Acapulco Cartagena Cabo San Lucas Fuerte Amador Half Moon Cay Huatulco Los Angeles/Long Beach Ocho Rios Panama City Puerto Chiapas Puerto Vallarta San Diego San Francisco San Juan del Sur

Juneau Basics

Juneau, the capital of Alaska and the second largest city in the state, is located on the Gastineau Channel, less than 100 miles from the US-Canadian border. The borough and city of Juneau is the second-largest in the United States by area--larger even than the state of Delaware. Juneau has a population of only 31,000 inhabitants.

The mainstay of Juneau's economy is government: 50% of the workforce serve in the Federal, state or local governments. Tourism is the largest private sector endeavor, followed by commercial fishing and mining. In 2011, a projected 1.1 million tourists will make a visit to Juneau--three quarters of them on cruise ships that visit the city between May and September.

Juneau enjoys a humid continental climate, where there is a zone of conflict between polar and tropical air masses. The city's temperature extremes are moderated by the local topography and the Pacific Ocean. It's wet in Juneau, with the city experiencing an average of 220 days of rain each year. Summer is the nicest time of the year to visit the city, as the daily high temperatures hover in the mid-60s F, and there's plenty of daylight to be enjoyed.

First Impressions

Juneau has an interesting vibe. The downtown part of the city has the feel of a frontier western town: pleasantly low-rise, with many of the buildings sporting frontier architecture, and with four-faced clocks adorning many of the street corners. The legislature of Alaska meets for only two sessions during the year, and no session can last over 90 days, so the pols don't hang out in smoke-filled rooms all year round. Frankly, they'd rather be home doing something productive. When the cruise ships arrive in the summer months, the population of the town swells appreciably, particularly on those days when five or six ships stop in the capital city, sending more than 10,000 passengers and crew into the downtown streets and tourist spots throughout the area.

But downtown Juneau does not Juneau make. West Juneau is a bedroom community across the bridge from downtown Juneau on Douglas Island, while the Mendenhall Valley, located northwest of downtown Juneau, is home to a large residential community, the businesses that serve them, the airport and the University of Alaska Southeast. This is also where the Alaska Ferry docks.

Most of the people you'll meet during the summer months are not permanent residents of Juneau; they're imported to help manage the businesses that are dependent on tourism.

Your ship will make port at the Juneau cruise ship docks, which are located at the southern end of the downtown area. The cruise ship docks are directly across from the Mt. Roberts tramway. It's a short walk to the city's shopping, dining and historic areas. For those of you taking cruise shore excursions, you'll meet your transportation on the docks.

Time Zone

Juneau is on Alaska Time, nine hours earlier than Greenwich Mean Time during standard time, or eight hours during daylight savings time. Daylight savings time begins on the second Sunday of March, and ends on the first Sunday of November.

Language

English is universally spoken in Juneau.

Currency

The U.S. dollar is the official currency in Alaska. Canadian dollars are accepted in Alaska as well. You'll also find Canadian coins circulating freely in the state, and are accepted at par to their U.S. counterparts.

Banks and ATMs

ATM machines in Juneau can be found at bank branches, select hotels and at the Mount Roberts Tram lobby and in the Centennial Hall convention center near the Cruise Ship docks. Bank branches with ATM machines can be found at the following locations:

Wells Fargo: Wells Fargo has several offices in Juneau; the branch closest to the Cruise Terminal is located at 123 Seward Street.

First National Bank of Alaska: this Alaska-based bank has an office and ATM at 238 Front Street.

Key Bank: Key Bank has a branch with an ATM located at 234 Seward Street.

First Bank: This Alaska-based bank has an office and ATM located at One Sealaska Plaza, which is located a few blocks from the Cruise Ship docks.

Alaska Pacific Bank: This Alaska-based bank has an office and ATM located in the shopping center at 2 Marine Way, which is located a few blocks from the Cruise Ship docks.

To see the locations of Juneau's ATMs, see our Juneau ATM map.

Weather

Despite its location on the coast, Juneau enjoys a humid continental climate, where there is a zone of conflict between polar and tropical air masses. The city's temperature extremes are moderated by the local topography and the Pacific Ocean.

Juneau is no place for sun worshipers, as it rains on average 221 days per year. Depending on the location in the city and borough, average annual rainfall ranges from 55 inches to over 90 inches, and the average annual snowfall at Juneau International Airport is 93 inches. June and July are the driest months, with an average of 16 days of rain.

It never really gets hot in Juneau, except on those few days each year when the temperature exceeds 80° F (27° C). During the summer season, expect average highs in the mid-60s F (high-teens C), and evening lows in the high 40s F (about 9° C).

Juneau Average Temperatures
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Avg High - F	31	34	39	48	56	62	64	63	56	47	38	33
Avg High - C	-1	1	4	9	13	17	18	17	13	8	3	1
Avg Low - F	21	24	28	33	40	46	49	48	44	38	29	24
Avg Low - C	-6	-4	-2	1	4	8	9	9	7	3	-2	-4

Juneau Average Precipitation
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Avg, Inches	4.8	4.0	3.5	3.0	3.5	3.4	4.1	5.4	7.5	8.3	5.4	5.4
Avg, mm	122	102	89	75	88	85	105	136	192	211	138	137

Juneau Average Daylight Hours
	Jan		Feb		Mar		Apr		May		Jun		Jul		Aug		Sep		Oct		Nov		Dec
Avg Daylight Hrs	7.2		9.4		11.8		14.4		16.8		18.3		17.6		15.4		12.9		10.3		7.9		6.4

Juneau Weather Forecast, AK

Keeping In Touch

Internet Cafes

You can find internet access in Juneau at the following locales:

Universe Cyber Lounge, located at 109 South Franklin Street, offers both Wi-Fi and internet stations. It also has an espresso bar, and sells smoothies and snacks. Tel: (907) 463-4330

The Juneau Public Library, located at 292 Marine Way adjacent to the Cruise Ship Docks, offers free internet access. The library is open from 11:00 am to 8:00 pm Monday through Thursday, and from noon to 5:00 pm on Friday through Sunday.

The Heritage Coffee Company, voted Juneau's Best Coffee and Espresso for ten years in a row, offers wi-fi connectivity at their two downtown Juneau locations: at their Heritage Cafe Downtown Juneau, 174 South Franklin Street; and at their Heritage 2nd Street Cafe, located at 216 2nd Street.

The Alaskan Hotel & Bar, established in 1913 and on the National Register of Historic Places, offers Juneau's largest selection of Belgian and Craft Beers in addition to wireless internet connectivity in their bar. Located at 167 South Franklin Street. Tel: (907) 586-1000

To see the locations of Juneau's Internet Cafes/Wi-Fi locations, see our Map of Juneau Internet Cafe/Wi-Fi locations.

Finding US Newspapers

The Juneau Daily News, Anchorage Daily News, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and the New York Times can be found in select locations in Juneau.

Kindle Connectivity

In Juneau, you can download your Kindle newspaper and magazine subscriptions, as well as books and selected blogs, through AT&T's 3-G coverage in the city.

Local Holidays & Festivals

Look for the following local festivals, holidays and events taking place in Juneau in 2012:

New Year's Day, January 1.

Wearable Art Extravaganza, February 11 to 12. Celebrates the creativity of the people of Juneau as they don wearable works of art.

Seward's Day, March 30. Commemorates the signing of the treaty by which the United States bought Alaska from Russia.

Good Friday, April 6.

Easter Sunday, April 8.

Alaska Folk Festival, April 9 to 15. In its 38th year, this free event is Alaska's biggest celebration of folk music performed by Alaskan musicians, as well as those from the rest of the country and Canada. Expect to see performances, workshops and dances.

16th Annual Spring King Salmon Derby, May 1 to 31. A month-long celebration of salmon fishing held to benefit the Tlingit and Haida Alumni Scholarship Program. Cash prizes are awarded.

26th Annual Juneau Jazz and Classics, May 4 to 19. May is springtime in Alaska, and what better way to celebrate than with music. Over the nine day schedule, expect to see noted blues, jazz and classical musicians from around the country perform in a variety of venues in the town and on the water.

2nd Annual Taste of Juneau Food and Music Festival, June 9 and 10. The Taste of Juneau celebrates Alaskan culinary arts, and features great food, live music, contests and more. Begins at 11:00 am.

Gold Rush Days, June 30 to July 1. In celebration of Juneau's heritage and founding, the Gold Rush Days festival features logging events, mining competitions, delicious food and other activities that are great for the whole family.

Independence Day, July 3 and 4. They have fun in Juneau on the nation's independence day. With over 18 hours of sunlight, the festivities begin at midnight of the 3rd, with a fireworks display taking place over the Gastineau Channel. On the 4th, expect parades, field events, a dog frisbee competition, a fireman's race and other fun events.

66th Golden North Salmon Derby, August 10 to 12. This event is the oldest salmon derby in Alaska. Sponsored by the Territorial Sportsmen, the winners are awarded large cash and merchandise prizes. Proceeds benefit derby fund scholarships.

Alaska Day, October 18. Anniversary of the formal transfer of the Territory and the raising of the U.S. flag at Sitka in 1867.

Thanksgiving Day, November 22. A day to give thanks for the things one has at the close of the harvest season.

Juneau Public Market, November 23 to 25. What better way to begin the shopping season than visiting Juneau's holiday bazaar. Expect to find arts and crafts, photographs, wearable art and other interesting items.

30th Annual Gallery Walk, December 7 to 9. Enjoy a visit to many of Juneau's art galleries, beginning on the evening of Friday December 3. Meet the local artists and talk about their works.

Christmas Day, December 25. The most important Christian holiday.

Cruise Lines Making Port

Juneau is the most popular Alaskan destination for the seasonal Alaskan cruise ship trade, which extends from May through September. It's not unusual to have up to six ships visiting Juneau at any one time. In 2012, Juneau will host 880,000 cruise ship passengers sailing on 448 ships. If you'd like to see which cruise ships are scheduled to make port in Juneau, check out our Juneau Cruise Ship Schedule - 2012.

The following cruise lines make port in Juneau: