Whitehorse Travel Guide

Whitehorse is the capital of the Yukon and by far its largest community. Close to 70 percent of the total Yukon population lives in the community of Whitehorse; this includes the City of Whitehorse, Mount Lorne, Ibex Valley, Marsh Lake and surrounding areas. The city is set in the wide valley of the Yukon River and lies within the shared traditional territory of the Ta'an Kwach'an Council (TKC) and the Kwanlin Dun First Nation (KDFN).

First Nations used the area around Whitehorse for food gathering and as a meeting place. During the Klondike Gold Rush, the settlement of Whitehorse developed as a transportation hub; Whitehorse was the head of navigable waters on the Yukon River and an important stop on the journey to the gold fields.

Whitehorse became the centre of transportation into and out of the Territory, once the White Pass & Yukon Route Railway linked Whitehorse with the Alaskan port of Skagway. Since the Klondike Gold Rush era, Whitehorse has experienced a series of population booms and busts, mainly linked to mining and highway construction. In 1953 the Yukon government moved the capital to Whitehorse from Dawson City.

Whitehorse is now a contemporary city and the government and business centre for the Yukon with the Yukon government headquarters and several federal government offices located there. Also, the Council of Yukon First Nations has its headquarters in Whitehorse. Most major Yukon businesses, utility companies and services operate out of the city.