The Prudhoe Bay, Alaska area was developed to house personnel, provide support for drilling operations, and transport oil to the Alaskan pipeline. Prior to 1977, oil seeps on the Arctic coastal plain had caught the attention of the U.S. petroleum interests. The U.S. Navy drilled for oil between 1944 and 1953 with little success. However, in 1967, after several attempts at drilling for oil, oil company mergers, and competitive bidding for state lease sales, the Prudhoe Bay oil field was discovered. Sources conflict on the origin of the area's name. The most cited theory appears to be that the area takes its name from a local business prominent in the late 1960s and 1970s, the "Dead Horse Haulers" trucking company. How the trucking company got its name remains in dispute.
Demographics
Deadhorse first appeared on the 1970 U.S. Census as an unincorporated village. It was made a census-designated place in 1980. It appeared last on the 1990 census. After 2000, it was merged into the Prudhoe Bay CDP.
Tourism and wildlife
Tourists traveling to Deadhorse and Prudhoe Bay typically take tour buses from Fairbanks via the James Dalton Highway, a two-day journey with an overnight stop in Coldfoot. During the summer months, visitors can arrange for tours to the Arctic Ocean via a guided tour only. There is no longer any public Arctic Ocean access from Deadhorse. All tours must be booked 24 hours in advance to allow time for background checks on all passengers going through the oilfield check point. Tourists can also experience the midnight sun due to Deadhorse's location above the Arctic Circle. In winter, the opposite phenomenon, polar night, occurs. The area often features large herds of caribou and over 200 bird and waterfowl species, including geese, swans, gulls and eagles. Other indigenous wildlife include Arctic foxes, Arctic ground squirrels, grizzly bears, polar bears, musk oxen, and Arctic hares. Because alcoholic beverages are not sold in Deadhorse, a humorous slogan for the town is "All that far and still no bar." This is the beginning or end of an Iron Butt Association motorcycle rider challenge called "The Ultimate Coast to Coast". This ride starts from Key West, Florida, and gives riders 30 days to reach Deadhorse, Alaska. It is also the midpoint of the "Haul Road 1000" and the beginning or end of the "Alaska Insanity Gold" challenge.
Climate
Deadhorse features a borderline semi-arid-tundra climate, as even the warmest month, July, has a daily average temperature of only . The mean annual temperature is, with daytime temperatures reliably remaining below freezing from early/mid October to late April. As the area is located in USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 2, temperatures below −40 °F/°C can be expected during the height of winter.
Official lowest wind chill: on 28 January 1989 and wind speed of
Health care
Deadhorse is classified as an isolated town/Sub-Regional Center. It is found in EMS Region 6A in the North Slope Region. Emergency Services have limited highway, coastal, and airport access. Emergency service is provided by paid EMS service and Fairweather Deadhorse Medical Clinic. Auxiliary health care is provided by oil company medical staff and the Greater Prudhoe Bay Fire Dept. Individuals requiring hospital care are usually transported to the nearest hospital/medical center, Sammuel Simmonds Memorial Hospital, in Utqiagvik, Alaska. Because no roads connect Deadhorse to Utqiagvik, individuals are transported by plane or helicopter.
A highly fictionalized version of Deadhorse, AK appears in the Deadhorsecomic book series, by Eric Grissom, Phil Sloan, Marissa Louise, and David Halvorson.
Television
Deadhorse is the subject of the second episode of America's Toughest Jobs
Deadhorse is featured on the third through sixth seasons of Ice Road Truckers, a reality television series airing on the History Channel; it dramatizes trucking on the Dalton Highway and often features truckers transporting equipment to the oil companies located in or around the Prudhoe Bay area.
It is briefly featured in the first, second, and third seasons of the BBC's Life Below Zero.
It is featured in the first episode of the BBC's World's Most Dangerous Roads
It is featured in the X-Files, season 2, episode 17: "End Game".
