Biohazard Cleanup Near West False Pass False Pass, AK

False Pass, also known historically as Isanotski and in Aleut as Isanax̂, is an incorporated city on Unimak Island in Aleutians East Borough, nicknamed "The Pass."

False Pass was incorporated as a city on October 19, 1990, after being designated a census-designated place in 1980.

The 2020 census counted 397 people in False Pass, living in 13 households across 27 housing units, but only about 35 residents live there year-round, with the rest being seasonal fish processing workers.

False Pass takes its name from Isanotski Strait, which early English speakers called "False Pass" because it was thought to be impassable for deep-draft vessels at its northern end.

A salmon cannery built on the Unimak Island side of the strait in 1919 provided the nucleus for the modern settlement, and a U.S. post office named False Pass was established in 1921.

Commercial fishing for salmon, cod, halibut, and crab continues to be the core of False Pass's lifestyle and economy.

Part of the city lies on the westernmost tip of the Alaska Peninsula mainland, across Isanotski Strait, which is only about 600 meters wide at its closest point, and the city boundaries include the abandoned villages of Morzhovoi and Ikatan.

More than 60 percent of False Pass's area is water.

Boats and aircraft are the only transportation to and from False Pass, with aircraft using False Pass Airport.

False Pass's 2020 median age was 37.3 years, and its heavily male population reflects the seasonal processing workforce.