Norton Sound, Fjord in western Alaska, United States

Norton Sound is an inlet of the Bering Sea on the western coast of Alaska, south of the Seward Peninsula, about 240 km long and 200 km wide. The Yukon River delta forms part of its south shore, and the river's water influences the sound. Its surface meets a wide, flat coastal plain, with sandy spits and grey rock breakwaters along the shore.

The fjord was named in 1778 by Captain James Cook, who gave it the name of Sir Fletcher Norton, a British parliamentary figure. This European naming marked an important moment in the external mapping of northwestern Alaskan waters, though Indigenous peoples had occupied and used these lands for far longer.

The waters form the center of life for Inupiat and Yup'ik communities, who have sustained themselves through fishing and hunting traditions here. You can see this deep connection to the sea reflected in how coastal villages are built and organized around access to the water.

The water is accessible to boats from May through October, offering maritime connections to Nome and other coastal settlements. Plan visits during these warmer months when the water is open and travel is most feasible for anyone reaching the area.

The USS Norton Sound, a seaplane tender, was named after the inlet. Each March, the Eliot Staples Bering Sea Ice Golf Classic is played on the frozen sound, and Nome National Forest stands just off the coast of Nome.