Without the sun, temperatures drop substantially. Utqiagvik remains at below freezing for 160 days out of the year.  Home to just over 4,000 people, Utqiagvik goes by many names, including "the rooftop of the world" and "ground zero for climate change."

The majority of North Slope residents are Iñupiat Alaska Natives, who have inhabited the polar region for thousands of years. The Iñupiat have historically survived the harsh climate through subsistence hunting of whale, caribou, walrus, seal, and bird.

With grocery prices so high, hunting is still an important part of living in Utqiagvik. Most of Utqiagvik is immune to the lower 48's commercialization — except for the local Subway. There are only five other restaurants there.