Nome is a coastal city on the southern Seward Peninsula in western Alaska, facing Norton Sound and the Bering Sea. Its remote location places it far from Alaska's major road network, with access primarily by air and seasonal sea travel. The surrounding landscape consists of tundra, low mountains, wetlands, beaches, and broad coastal plains. Nome is best known for its connection to gold mining and its role as a regional center for communities across western Alaska. The city also provides access to the nearby Bering Land Bridge National Preserve, where a largely roadless landscape preserves an important part of the region's natural and human history.

Nome lies within the traditional homeland of the Inupiat people, whose culture is closely connected to hunting, fishing, trapping, and careful use of Arctic resources. Gold discovery brought a rapid influx of outsiders and transformed Nome into a major mining center, while the city later became an important transportation and supply hub for the Seward Peninsula. The Nome Gold Rush is remembered through historic buildings, mining sites, and local museums. The city is also strongly associated with the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, whose ceremonial finish in Nome reflects the enduring importance of sled dogs and winter travel in the region.

Nome's surroundings offer a broad view of western Alaska's tundra and coastal ecosystems. Cape Nome, Council, and the Nome-Council Road provide access to beaches, rivers, historic mining areas, and wildlife habitat outside the city. Bering Land Bridge National Preserve lies farther east and protects tundra, volcanic formations, lagoons, and coastal wetlands. The region supports muskoxen, reindeer, caribou, moose, and many migratory birds, while marine waters are home to seals, walruses, and whales. In town, the Carrie M. McLain Memorial Museum presents exhibits on local history, Native culture, mining, and the natural environment.

Nome's food traditions are shaped by both its Inupiat heritage and its remote Arctic setting. Salmon, whitefish, crab, seal, and other locally harvested foods remain important to many residents, while stores and restaurants supply a wider range of foods brought in from outside Alaska. Berry picking, fishing, hunting, and gathering continue to connect residents with the surrounding land and waters. A distinctive detail is the city's connection to the Iditarod, which ends in Nome after crossing thousands of miles of Alaska's interior and western landscape. Gold mining also remains visible around the city, where recreational prospectors continue to search the beaches and nearby streams.