The station is the largest community in Antarctica, capable of supporting up to 1,500 residents,[1][3] though the population fluctuates seasonally; during the antarctic night, there are as few as a few hundred people.

McMurdo, Amundsen-Scott, and Palmer are the three non-seasonal United States stations on the continent, though by the Antarctic Treaty System the bases are not a legal claim (though the right is not forfeited); they are dedicated to scientific research.

As it warms the sea ice melts and the port is opened, but by about February much of the activity drops with plunging temperatures and increasing darkness and there is usually no flights in or out until July or August.

The British explorer Robert Falcon Scott established a base camp close to this spot in 1902 and built a cabin there that was named Discovery Hut.

The United States officially opened its first station at McMurdo on February 16, 1956, as part of Operation Deep Freeze.

McMurdo was one of seven bases that the United States built for the IGY, which also included Hallett, Wilkes, Admundsen-Scott, Ellsworth, Byrd, and Little America.

As a result of continuing safety issues (hairline cracks in the reactor and water leaks),[11][12] the U.S. Army Nuclear Power Program decommissioned the plant in 1972.

[14] The generators power the desalination plant, which makes freshwater for the base by taking sea water and putting it through a reverse osmosis filter.

[17] Three Enercon E-33 (330 kW each) wind turbines were deployed in 2009 to power McMurdo and New Zealand's Scott Base, reducing diesel consumption by 11% or 463,000 liters per year.

[25] As mentioned previously, in 2010 Wind power came online in 2020, shared by McMurdo and Scott; this supplemented the diesel generators cutting down on fuel demand.

Werner Herzog's 2007 documentary Encounters at the End of the World reports on the life and culture of McMurdo Station from the point-of-view of residents.

In 2016, scientist Dr Gordon Hamilton died, when his snowmobile plunged into a crevasse about 25 miles (40 km) south of McMurdo in the shear zone (SZ).

[35] In 2024, the United States thanked the New Zealand Air Force for conducting a difficult evacuation of a sick person from McMurdo during winter.

[36] For Operation Deep Freeze 2025, the ship Ocean Giant brought supplies to McMurdo Station for the 24'-25' season, arriving in late January 2025.

Broadcasts started on November 9, 1973, with a mix of US programs and interviews with visitors and scientists, as well as a daily news and weather service.

Voice communications are tied into the United States Antarctic Program headquarters in Centennial, Colorado, providing inbound and outbound calls to McMurdo from the US.

Testing of the Starlink service began in September 2022,[54] with a second terminal providing connectivity for the Allan Hills field camp brought in November 2022.

[56] The greatly expanded internet access has allowed those stationed at McMurdo to stay in touch with the rest of the world more easily and indulge in high-bandwidth leisure activities like watch sporting events.

It is an extreme-duty tri-axle bus with very large tires, and Ivan is powered by a 300 hp Cat engine, and it can normally transport 56 people at 25 mph.

[59] Ford E-Series Vans, modified for the conditions including a 20-speed transmission and snow tired, powered by a 7.3 Liter Turbodiesel V-8 is also used in both 4x4 and 6x6 versions.

[60] Also Ford E-250 and 350 superduty trucks are used, and, again have to be modified and change is to put heaters on most components, and snow tired or track wheels.

It has reduced the number of flights to the South Pole, by enabling the bulk transport and fuel and cargo across the surface, and has also been used for adventuring records.

Aircraft are important part of the supply chain to McMurdo, for example, in 2021-2 Operation Deep Freeze brought in 100 personnel and nearly 50 thousand pounds of food by air.

[82] One result from research is that the amount of sea ice and icebergs, if there is more, can make it harder for Emperor and Adelie penguins to raise chicks.

[86] In the late 2010s there was the MOO project, which placed a undersea webcam in the McMurdo sound to observe these and other marine life such as Weddel seals.

[86] McMurdo is also a place of study of Mount Erebus, an active volcano with an exposed lava lake, and formations created by it such as ice caves made by volcanic gases.

Christchurch International Airport in New Zealand, 3,920 kilometres (2,440 mi) to the north helps provide logistical support for flying in supplies for the bases.

[106] Staff and resources flow through McMurdo to research projects in Antarctica, including the ice road to the South Pole is opened and ski cargo planes bring supplies to that base.

In the 2010s there was some success increasing focus on doing staff changes and resupply in June and July, though this means landing in darkness in very cold temperatures.

There is an interfaith church called the Chapel of the Snows that hosts Protestant and Catholic services, as well as secular community organizations such as sobriety groups.