The town consists mainly of facilities for the workers and companies that operate at the nearby Prudhoe Bay Oil Field.

The Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, area was developed to house personnel, provide support for drilling operations, and transport oil to the Alaskan pipeline.

The most cited theory appears to be that the area takes its name from a local business prominent in the late 1960s and 1970s, the "Dead Horse Haulers" trucking company.

[4] In February 2023, a "high altitude object" about the size of a small car was shot down near the area after a decision by President Joe Biden.

Tourists traveling to Deadhorse and Prudhoe Bay typically take tour buses from Fairbanks via the James Dalton Highway, a two-day journey with an overnight stop in Coldfoot.

The area often features large herds of caribou and over 200 bird and waterfowl species, including geese, swans, gulls and eagles.

[10] Precipitation is very light, averaging only 5.70 in (144.8 mm), including only 23.73 in (60.3 cm) of snow – less snowfall than even the warmest places in the Alaska Panhandle like Ketchikan.

Auxiliary health care is provided by oil company medical staff and the Greater Prudhoe Bay Fire Dept.

Because no roads connect Deadhorse to Utqiagvik, individuals are transported by plane or helicopter (an approximately 45 minute flight).