Welcome to Newhalen!
The 1890 census listed the Yup'ik village of "Noghelingamiut," meaning "people of Noghelin," at this location, with 16 residents. The present name is an Anglicized version of the original. The village was established in the late 1800s due to the bountiful fish and game in the immediate area. Newhalen incorporated as a city in 1971.
Newhalen includes Yup'ik, Alutiiqs, and Athabascans. Most practice a subsistence and fishing lifestyle. Newhalen and Iliamna share a post office and school.
«I have no desire to ever live anywhere else. I love Newhalen and the area. We have clean air, clean water and it is a great place to raise a family and to live. » -George Hornberger, Newhalen AK
Get In Touch
City of Newhalen
PO BOX 165
Newhalen, AK 99606
p: 907.571.1226
f: 907.571.1540
Newhalen Village
PO Box 207
Newhalen, AK 99606
p: 907.571.1410
f: 907.571.1537
Getting Here
Due to a lack of infrastructure in the Newhalen region, travel between communities is usually by small plane, and seasonally by boat, four-wheeler, or snowmobile. Individuals also use personal vehicles, ATVs, and skiffs. Barges deliver bulk goods to the Newhalen area via the Kvichak River, which are lightered to shore. A state-owned runway is located approximately three miles north of Newhalen, between Newhalen and Iliamna. A paved road connects these communities and the airport. During the winter, a road is passable between Newhalen and Nondalton, 22 miles to the north, although the road is only paved half way. An unimproved trail, the Iliamna-Pile Bay Trail, runs along the northern shore of Iliamna Lake, connecting Newhalen with the communities of Pedro Bay and Pile Bay Village to the east. Pile Bay Village is also connected to the Cook Inlet by road.