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Kobuk
 Kobuk
is located on the right bank of the Kobuk River, about 7 miles northeast
of Shungnak and 128 air miles northeast of Kotzebue. It is the smallest
village in the Northwest Arctic Borough. It lies at approximately 66°
55' N Latitude, 156° 52' W Longitude (Sec. 03, T017N, R009E, Kateel
River Meridian). The community is located in the Kotzebue Recording
District. The area encompasses 16 sq. miles of land and 1 sq. miles of
water.
Kobuk was founded in 1899 as a supply
point for mining activities in the Cosmos Hills to the north, and was
then called Shungnak. A trading post, school, and Friends Mission drew
area residents to the settlement. Due to river erosion and flooding, the
village was relocated in the 1920s to a new site 10 miles downstream,
which was called "Kochuk," now Shungnak. The few who remained at the
village renamed it Kobuk. Ice jams on the River cause high water each
year. In May 1973, a flood covered the entire village.
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