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Bethel Alaska (Mamterilleq in Central Alaskan Yup'ik) is a city located in the Bethel Census Area of Alaska, 340 miles (540 km) west of Anchorage. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 6,262.

Bethel is the largest community in western Alaska and the 9th largest municipality in the state, as well as the largest that is not located within an organized borough. It lies inside the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge, the largest wildlife refuge in the United States. It is an administrative and transportation hub for the 56 villages in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta.

Bethel is home to a well regarded mid-distance dogsled race, the Kuskokwim 300. The "K300" is considered by many of the world's elite mushers to be one of the greatest sled-dog race in the world. The K300 is so highly acclaimed because of the warmth and energy of the community volunteers, the dedication of the race's sponsors, and the high prize purse. In the spring, traditional dancers from all over Alaska and the world gather for Cam-ai (pronounced Cha-Mai) Dance Festival.

Though the region is flat and generally treeless, local residents enjoy snowmachineing, skiing, bicycling, kayaking, caribou hunting, salmon fishing, and access to the surrounding 56 villages in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta.

Climate
Precipitation averages 16 inches a year in this area, with snowfall of 50 inches. The average low in July is 49 °F and the average high is 63 °F, although temperatures as low as 32 °F or as high as 87 °F have been recorded in July. In January, the average low is 1 and the average high is 12 °F, while extremes of -49 to 49 °F have been recorded.

History
Bethel, at its original location, was a Yup'ik village called Mamterillermiut, meaning "Smokehouse People," after the nearby fish smokehouse. It was an Alaska Commercial Company trading post during the late 1800s. It had a population of 41 people in the 1880 U.S. Census. The Moravian Church established a mission in the area in 1885, under the leadership of Rev. John Henry Kilbuck, Jr. Kilbuck learned Yup'ik, which greatly enhanced his effectiveness as a missionary. Missionaries moved Bethel from Mamterillermiut to its present location on the west side of the Kuskokwim River. A United States Post Office was opened in 1905.

Alaska Natives in this area also have a long Christian history, in part from Russian Orthodox, Catholic and Moravian influence. As in many Alaskan villages, Christian tradition has become interwoven with its cultural history.

Transportation and Economy
The state-owned Bethel Airport is the regional transportation center, and is served by six passenger carriers: Alaska Airlines, Arctic Circle Air Service, Grant Aviation, Hageland Aviation Service, Yute Air and Frontier Flying Service. It also receives service from five cargo operators: Everts Air Cargo, Northern Air Cargo, Alaska Central Express, Arctic Transportation Services, and Lynden Air Cargo, and numerous small air taxi services. The airport ranks third in the state for total number of flights. It offers a 6,400' asphalt runway and 1,850' gravel crosswind runway, and is currently undergoing a $7 million renovation and expansion. Three float plane bases are nearby, Hangar Lake and H Marker Lake and the Kuskokwim River.

The Port of Bethel is the northernmost medium-draft port in the United States. River travel is the primary means of local transportation in the summer. A Bethel-based barge service provides goods to Kuskokwim villages.

Within Bethel there are approximately 16 miles of roads, which are not connected to any contiguous highway system. Winter ice roads lead to several local villages, but their condition varies depending on temperature and snow fall.

An extensive network of snow machine trails connects Bethel to villages all over the Delta, from the Bering Sea to the Yukon.

Bethel is also the site of a proposed major, relative to Alaska, coal powered generating station, and a unique 8.5 mile prototype single wire ground return electrical intertie to Napakiak, Alaska, constructed in 1981.