Alaska State Motto: North to the Future
North to the Future
North to the Future
The motto appears on the state seal of Alaska
- Motto
- North to the Future
- Language
- English
- Adopted
- 1967
- Author
- Richard Peter, Juneau journalist
Alaska State Motto
Alaska's state motto is North to the Future. It was coined by Richard Peter, a journalist from Juneau, and adopted in 1967 during the Alaska Purchase Centennial.
The phrase ties Alaska's geographic identity to its potential. For a state that became the 49th state only in 1959, it was a statement about what Alaska was still becoming.
Alaska State Motto Meaning
The phrase points north in space and forward in time. It treats Alaska's remote location not as an endpoint but as a starting point.
The motto was chosen to represent Alaska as a land of opportunity rather than a finished place. In 1967, Alaska had been a state for only eight years. The centennial was a moment to look forward as much as to look back.
History of Alaska's State Motto
On March 30, 1867, the United States purchased Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million, roughly two cents per acre. The deal, arranged by Secretary of State William H. Seward, was widely mocked at the time as "Seward's Folly." One hundred years later, Alaska celebrated the centennial of that purchase with a year of events.
Richard Peter, a journalist from Juneau, coined the phrase "North to the Future" for the Alaska Purchase Centennial in 1967. The Alaska Legislature adopted it as the official state motto that same year.
Alaska had become the 49th state on January 3, 1959, just eight years before the motto was adopted. The phrase captured the mood of a young state still building its identity.
Alaska State Motto Facts
- Alaska's state motto is "North to the Future" — adopted in 1967.
- The motto was coined by Richard Peter, a journalist from Juneau.
- It was adopted during the Alaska Purchase Centennial, marking 100 years since the 1867 purchase from Russia.
- Alaska became the 49th state on January 3, 1959 — only eight years before the motto was adopted.
- The United States paid $7.2 million for Alaska in 1867, roughly two cents per acre.
Can You Match All 50 State Mottos?
Some questions show the original motto — Latin, Italian, Chinook — and ask which state it belongs to. Others give you the English translation and ask you to work backward. Both directions are harder than they look.
Take the State Mottos QuizQuick Answers
What is Alaska's state motto?
What does "North to the Future" mean?
When did Alaska adopt its state motto?
Who coined Alaska's state motto?
Alaska State Symbols
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