FAIRBANKS

city, east central Alaska, U.S., on the Chena River (tributary of the Tanana). Founded in 1902 during a gold strike, it was named for Sen. (later Vice Pres.) Charles Warren Fairbanks. It lies on the 800-mi (1,300-km) northsouth trans-Alaskan oil pipeline midway from the Prudhoe Bay fields to the Valdez terminal. As the northern terminus of the Alaska and Richardson highways and Alaska Railroad and the southern terminus of the Steese and Elliott highways, Fairbanks is the main supply centre for the booming oil business; it was construction headquarters for the pipeline. Mining, lumbering, and fur trading are important, as are tourism and servicing nearby Ft. Wainwright (previously Ladd Army Air Corps Field, 1938) and Eielson Air Force Base (1943). The University of Alaska (1917) is at College, 3 mi northwest. The Golden Days Celebration (July), the 800-mi Yukon Marathon (a small-boat race; June), and the North American Championship Sled Dog Races (March) are annual events. Inc. 1903. Pop. (1990) 30,843.