Community Interest

Welcome to our city!

The City of Dillingham beckons with a rich and time-honored legacy, offering both residents and visitors the modern luxuries they desire, all while immersed in the breathtaking splendor of the Alaskan wilderness. This community, predominantly comprised of Indigenous Yupik people, stands as the bustling heart of the encompassing Bristol Bay region. In this capacity, Dillingham serves as a crucial hub for freight, transportation, health services, and welcoming visitors.

Within Dillingham, the local populace is treated to a year-round haven of natural beauty, providing opportunities for boating, canoeing, rafting, tubing, hiking, biking, fishing, snowmaching, skiing, mushing, and hunting. A plethora of lakes, rivers, and mountains invite exploration and adventure.

At the core of the local economy, a foundation is formed by positions within the state, local, tribal governments and tribal health organizations, alongside the globally acclaimed Bristol Bay commercial salmon and sport fisheries. An unwavering focus on seeking alternative fuels and innovative electricity generation methods underscores the community's priorities. This commitment is evident in the emergence of windmills, solar panels, and new wood-fired boilers throughout town.

Dillingham spares no convenience, offering an abundance of necessities. With two grocery stores, two hardware stores, and a diverse array of small businesses, the needs of both fishermen and visitors are meticulously catered to. A source of immense pride for the community lies in its warm, small-town hospitality. Anyone who has experienced Dillingham will attest that leaving as a stranger is an impossibility.

Where is Dillingham Located? Nestled in southwest Alaska, Dillingham finds its home at the head of Nushagak Bay, where the Wood and Nushagak Rivers converge within the embrace of Bristol Bay. This city borders the last great haven for wild salmon fishing on a global scale.

Access to Dillingham is exclusively by sea or air, as the Alaska Highway System extends no roads to this destination. A paved road spanning twenty-five miles links Dillingham to the neighboring community of Aleknagik, which rests adjacent to the largest state park in the United States: Wood Tikchik State Park. Dillingham also holds the distinction of serving as the headquarters for the nearby Togiak National Wildlife Refuge, a sanctuary for walruses, seals, migratory birds, and an extensive wild herring fishery, counted among the world's largest.

Surrounding Communities

In 1971, the federal government divided the state into indigenous regions through the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA). The Bristol Bay Region, one of 12 created under ANCSA, is comprised of 31 federally regognized Tribes.