The Eielson AFB guide

• Fly into Fairbanks International (FAI); Alaska Airlines runs the Seattle and Anchorage connections, and Delta adds Seattle service in summer. Rent a car at the airport — there is no shuttle or transit to the base — and in winter ask specifically for a winterized vehicle with a block heater cord and winter tires. From FAI take Airport Way to the Richardson Highway (AK-2) southeast through North Pole; the main gate is at about Mile 26, roughly 40 minutes in good conditions.
• Eielson has a single entry point, the Hursey Gate (main gate) off the Richardson Highway, and it is open 24/7. There is no back gate to try when it backs up, so during exercise start days and shift change expect a short line. Confirm any changes on the base's Base Access page or with the Visitor Center.
• The Visitor Center is at the Hursey Gate, 2070 Central Avenue (907-377-3807). Passes are issued around the clock at the gate, but the full Visitor Center staff runs weekday business hours — roughly 6 a.m. to late afternoon Monday through Friday, closed federal holidays — so out-of-hours sponsored visitors should plan on gate-issued passes. Bring a REAL ID-compliant license or passport; a CAC gets you straight through.
• The Richardson Highway is a two-lane rural road for most of the run from North Pole to the gate. Ice fog when it is below -30°F can cut visibility to a few car lengths, and moose on the road are a year-round hazard, especially at dawn and dusk. Budget extra time in winter and keep a cold-weather kit in the car.

• One school remains on base: Crawford Elementary (692 Raven's Way), a Fairbanks North Star Borough School District school serving pre-K through fifth grade after Anderson Elementary closed in 2022. Ben Eielson Jr/Sr High closed at the end of the 2023–24 school year for budget reasons, so base families' grades 6–12 students now bus to North Pole Middle School and North Pole High School.
• The Fairbanks North Star Borough School District covers the base, North Pole and Fairbanks; families in Fairbanks proper have access to additional magnet and charter options in town. Check current bus routes and boundaries with the district before choosing a rental.
• The Eielson School Liaison Office is at 777 Kodiak St. on base; sources disagree on its direct line, so reach it through the Military & Family Readiness Center at 907-377-2178 or the base's Newcomers page.
• The Eielson Child Development Center and School Age Program run weekday hours from about 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., with extended hours during exercises; register early on MilitaryChildCare.com because the waitlist grows every PCS summer.

• The 354th Medical Group Clinic at 2630 Central Avenue is an outpatient clinic only — no emergency room, no inpatient beds. The clinic's main line is 907-377-1847; confirm the current appointment line on eielson.tricare.mil.
• Emergencies go to Fairbanks Memorial Hospital (Foundation Health Partners) in Fairbanks, about 25 miles northwest on the Richardson Highway. In a true emergency call 911; on base, Security Forces and the fire department respond first.
• Alaska is in the TRICARE West Region, administered by TriWest Healthcare Alliance.

Commissary

Full commissary on base — the only military grocery in interior Alaska, and worth a stop before heading off base where prices run about 20 percent above the Lower 48.

Exchange

Base Exchange with mall and food court, open roughly 10–7 Monday through Saturday and 11–6 Sunday; Fred Meyer in North Pole and Fairbanks covers everything else.

Fitness

Baker Field House fitness center with an indoor pool, plus a base ski hill, skating rink and groomed winter trails.

Dining

Two Seasons Dining Facility for meal-card and TDY travelers, Strike Zone Café at Arctic Nite Lanes, and the Yukon Club for evening food and events.

MWR

Outdoor Recreation rents everything from ice-fishing gear to canoes and runs Birch Lake and Bear Lake FamCamp recreation areas; ITT sells Chena Hot Springs, Riverboat Discovery and Denali trips.

Newcomers

Every newcomer attends the 'Pioneer Start' orientation with arctic survival tips and a base overview; the Military & Family Readiness Center (907-377-2178) runs it.

1. 01Plug in your car. Below about 0°F an unplugged engine may not start; every base lot and most rentals have head-bolt heater outlets, so make sure your rental has the cord and your crashpad has an outlet.
2. 02Ice fog is the real winter hazard, not snow. When it drops below -30°F, exhaust and steam hang over the Richardson Highway and North Pole, and visibility can go to almost nothing. Slow down and leave early.
3. 03RED FLAG-Alaska blocks fill the Goldrush Inn and every hotel in Fairbanks. Book base lodging the day your orders drop, and if you are told no, get the non-availability number in writing before booking commercially.
4. 04Summer means near-24-hour daylight. Pack a sleep mask or make sure your lodging has blackout curtains; the mosquitoes in June are also no joke, so bring repellent.
5. 05PCS families: the Corvias waitlist and the school-age care waitlist both spike May through August. Get on both from your losing base, and remember base secondary students now bus to North Pole.
6. 06Moose on the road kill people every year in Alaska. Watch the shoulders on the Richardson, especially at dawn, dusk and when the snow is deep and they use the plowed road.
7. 07Expect a winter survival gear issue if you fly or drive the ranges — Arctic Survival School graduates will tell you the base takes -40°F seriously, and so should you. Layers, a real parka, insulated boots and a kit in the car.
8. 08No state income tax, and a three-year tour makes you eligible for the Permanent Fund Dividend after your first full calendar year of residency — one of the few PCS assignments that pays you to stay.

More Alaska guides

The JB Elmendorf-Richardson guideAnchorage, Alaska