Allen Field was constructed 5 miles (8.0 km) south of Delta Junction for use in sending supplies to Russia.

This farming required new techniques to accommodate the short growing season and the cold and dark winters of interior Alaska.

Delta Junction experienced a temporary boom, similar to the gold rush, that resulted in a wave of new residents and businesses in the community.

Though farms were established and a storage facility constructed in Valdez, the railroad never came, essentially resulting in the failure of the project.

Today, these original farms are primarily used as pasture or for hay production though barley, potatoes, carrots, and even wheat are still grown with limited commercial success.

Once BRAC was complete in 2002, Fort Greely remained open but was staffed with fewer than 100 military and civilian personnel.

Base housing and numerous surplus buildings remained vacant, though the Army continued heating and maintaining them.

Eventually, the city of Delta Junction entered into a contract with Allvest Corporation to operate this prison.

Shortly after BRAC was complete, the United States government announced plans to build a missile defense installation at Fort Greely.

The main post retained the name Fort Greely and is operated by the Space and Missile Defense Command.

From 2002 to 2005, Delta Junction experienced an economic boom similar to the pipeline days as Fort Greely became fully operational again and the missile test bed was constructed.

Construction of the Pogo Gold Mine just north of Delta Junction, near the Goodpaster River, also contributed significantly to the economic fortune of the city.

Mineral deposits near Tangle Lakes, south of Delta Junction, will likely result in additional development of mining in the area.

Once overlain by glaciers, the geology is marked by glacial moraines as well as alluvial deposits from the Delta and Tanana Rivers.

Numerous mineral deposits are found in the vicinity of Delta Junction ranging from gold to molybdenum to coal.

The average high temperature is below freezing from mid-October thru late March, and during the height of winter cold, as the town is located in USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 2a, the coldest conditions of the year typically bottom out in the −45 to −50 °F (−43 to −46 °C) range,[3] with sub-0 °F (−18 °C) highs a common occurrence.

Snow, which typically falls from October to April and sometimes May and September, is generally not heavy due to the dry climate, and averages 54 inches (140 cm) per season.

[4] Delta Junction has an unofficial record low of −72 °F (−58 °C) set on January 6, 1975 (as seen on the big thermometer in the town center) but the Delta Junction weather station and NOAA refuse to acknowledge this record as legitimate, as such temperatures are atypical for the region and atypical temperature readings are usually inaccurate.

Construction and maintenance of the military facilities, mining, agriculture, tourism and their support industries form the backbone of the area economy.

An Alaska Railroad spur from Fairbanks to Delta Junction has been proposed to transport material to the missile defense site.

Many people in Delta Junction supplement their food supply by hunting the moose, caribou, Dall sheep and bison in the area, as well as fishing.

A few operate small gold mines or hunt or trap fur-bearing animals for extra income.

Delta Junction, like most Alaskan communities, has a small airstrip where charter flights are available for sightseeing, hunting and fishing.

Due to limited shopping availability, many residents travel to Fairbanks via the Richardson Highway to purchase goods and services.

[14] The Donnelly Creek State Recreation Site is an isolated 46 acres (19 ha) park in an alpine environment.

The park has a campground and is considered a prime spot for wildlife viewing and is adjacent to the calving grounds for the bison herd.

[15] In the early 1980s, the 90,000-acre (360 km2) Delta Junction Bison Range, south of the Alaska Highway and between Ft. Greely and the Little Gerstle River was established.