 The city is also served by a gravel airstrip built by the military.According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land.As is typical of the Alaska Interior, Bettles experiences a subarctic climate (Köppen "Dfc") with very long, frigid winters and short, warm summers, and is located in USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 1, indicating the coldest temperature of the year is typically at or below .