False Pass lies on the eastern shore of Unimak Island on a strait connecting the Gulf of Alaska with the Bering Sea. The name is derived from the fact that the Bering Sea side of the strait is very shallow and cannot accommodate large vessels.
False Pass was originally settled by a homesteader in the early 1900s, and grew with the establishment of a cannery in 1917.
The community of False Pass is primarily Aleut. Subsistence activities are a mainstay of the lifestyle. False Pass is an important stop for Bristol Bay and Bering Sea fishing fleets.