MATANUSKA-SUSITNA BOROUGH
Borough Offices
907-745-4801
www.matsugov.us
Chamber of Commerce
907-746-5000
www.alaskavisit.com
Known simply as Mat-Su Borough, the Matanuska-Susitna Borough features growing cities, small towns, and some of Alaska’s finest recreational land. Convenient to Alaska’s largest metropolis, Anchorage, as well as Denali National Park, this breathtakingly beautiful valley sprawls across 24,000 square miles of pristine Alaskan wilderness. Unlike the communities called “boroughs” in other states, Mat-Su Borough equates to an extremely large county—one the size of the state of West Virginia! The communities of Palmer and Sutton are in the Mat-Su “Glacier Country. “Lake Country” features the largest city of Wasilla as well as Knik, Big Lake, and Houston.
Services
Civic leaders in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley recently realized a long-term community goal in the construction of a new, highly advanced hospital in Palmer, the Mat-Su Regional Medical Center. Opening its doors in January of 2006, the hospital adds space and upgrades from state-of-the-art imaging modalities and the digitalization of many processes to a cardiac catheterization lab. At the same time, the new medical center embodies the patient-centered philosophy and caring spirit of the traditions rooted in the former Valley Hospital. The new facility is attracting more highly qualified physicians and professionals to the area, allowing the hospital staff to include a wider range of specialists such as cardiologists, oncologists, neurologists, and a vascular/thoracic surgeon. This full-service medical center anchors a network of healthcare facilities and services, from private practice clinics to urgent care centers.
Quality public and private schools are available throughout the valley, ensuring a solid foundation for a career or higher education. The valley’s rapid growth has required a new grade school nearly every year, needs that are recognized and supported by voters at the polls. One of the recent additions is a new trade school that allows high school students to pursue career goals such as nursing, architecture, the culinary arts, and mechanics. An affordable start on a higher education is just around the corner from home. Already planning its evolution into a four-year university, Matanuska-Susitna College offers an extension of the University of Alaska Anchorage. From its roots as a community college, MSC now serves a growing student population on its main campus, midway between Palmer and Wasilla. Two major universities are also available within a 40-minute drive from most Mat-Su communities.
Lifestyle
Providing an outstanding quality of life, the Mat-Su lifestyle blends contemporary and pioneer elements for a unique and appealing living environment. Towering mountains, sweeping glacier valleys, rivers and lakes teeming with fish, abundant wildlife, glorious hiking country, panoramic camping areas, and world-class recreation draw many outdoor enthusiasts to valley communities. Imagine the sight of a musher driving a dog team beside a stretch of highway. The Mat-Su is home to the official start of the
Iditarod, a 1,100-mile wilderness journey by dog sled. This area also hosts the Iron Dog event, the world’s toughest snowmobile race from Wasilla to Nome to Fairbanks. Newcomers will find more than 2,000 miles of winter and summer trails, hikes that include the 6,400-foot Pioneer Peak, miles of cross country ski trails, and bridle trails near shimmering lakes. Some adventurers may want to four-wheel to the face of a glacier, while others will want to explore the historic Independence Gold Mine. Many pilots live in the Mat-Su, which boats the highest concentration of public and private airports in the nation. Several subdivisions are even designed to allow pilots to taxi through the neighborhood. Indoor arenas for hockey and skating programs, world-class fishing, premier sports complexes, great golf courses, and amateur baseball are a few of the many other attractions.
The arts in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley enjoy strong support and participation, including the mix of locals from attorneys to heavy equipment operators who bring their thespian talent to the community theater. The productions at the Machetanz Theatre in Wasilla have been pleasing audiences for more than 30 seasons. Palmer is home to a new alternative theater company, while the Alaska Children’s Choir never fails to draw enthusiastic crowds. Festivals and celebrations dot the calendar with red-letter days, including the Moose Dropping Festival in Talkeetna, the Sailboat Regatta in Big Lake, the Winter Carnival in Willow, and the biggest attraction of them all: the Alaska State Fair in Palmer. Newcomers are always pleased to find a growing array of housing options at prices that ensure more house and property for the dollar. Many commuters find the idyllic home in the Mat-Su, which is just 40 miles from the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. Commuters will soon have the option of a fast ferry, the world’s first ice-breaking catamaran that reconfigures into a landing craft to double as a rescue vehicle. Take some time to discover the small-town charm and tremendous appeal of the Matanuska-Susitna Valley, and the remarkable growth statistics will come as no surprise.
COMMUNITY PROFILES
Big Lake
Borough Offices
907-745-4801
www.matsugov.us
Chamber of Commerce
907-892-6109
www.biglakechamber.org
“Big Lake” refers to a panoramic lake with 50 miles of spectacular wooded shoreline as well as a residential and recreational resort community. Big Lake is situated at the western end of the Mat-Su Valley, 15 miles north of the borough’s largest city of Wasilla. Winter and summer sports opportunities are abundant and first class in the Big Lake area, known for outstanding fishing, boating, snow machining, cross country skiing, wildlife viewing, and sled dog racing. Events like the Big Lake Ice Classic, Iron Dog Days, and the Tanner Triathlon draw throngs of visitors. Although Big Lake provides a small-town environment for approximately 2,000 permanent residents, more than half of the homes in this area are recreational. Many are drawn to Big Lake as a place where they can enjoy the beauty of the Matanuska-Susitna Valley at a distance from urban bustle and crowds. When the need for expanded amenities arises, residents enjoy a quick commute to Wasilla, Palmer, and Anchorage via two of Alaska’s largest highways. Anchorage is 60 road miles or 15 minutes by plane to the south.
Butte
Borough Offices
907-745-4801
www.matsugov.us
Chamber of Commerce
907-746-5000
www.alaskavisit.com
The panoramic community of Butte is located south of the city of Palmer between mile 9 and mile 16 of the Old Glenn Highway. This small, scenic town nestles at the foot of Bodenberg Butte, east of a Matanuska River approximately 42 miles north of Anchorage. Like other Mat-Su communities, four-season outdoor recreation is one of the major magnets that draws new residents and visitors to the area. Butte Elementary School serves nearly 300 students, and hospitals in Palmer and Anchorage are available within a reasonable commute for state-of-the-art healthcare services. The main local industries are farming and wholesale distribution of farm products, and a few small businesses supply basic needs for added convenience. Still, most residents consider Butte to be a bedroom community and commute to jobs in the Palmer/Wasilla area or in Anchorage. The community features a public airstrip, owned and operated by the Butte Airman’s Association. Additional transportation options are accessible in Palmer and Anchorage.
Houston
City Offices
907-892-6869
www.houstonak.com
Chamber of Commerce
907-746-5000
www.alaskavisit.com
The city of Houston incorporated in 1966, the same year a devastating wildfire destroyed vast acreage and hundreds of homes and buildings in the Houston and Big Lake areas. Both communities have show remarkable resilience in rebuilding their hometowns and restoring the vital attractions that attract recreational tourism. Houston is ideally located on the panoramic banks of the Little Susitna River, where water sports and fishing are premier attractions. This colorful town provides a gentler river for floating as well as outstanding fishing in usually calmer waters. Residents and visitors enjoy ice fishing on area lakes, snow machining, and sled dog tours. Other amenities include restaurants and campgrounds. The Little Susitna Campground features a day-use area and many amenities, including a playground and trails that lead campers and day-use hikers to the fishing “hot spots.” Across the Parks Highway is a public use facility maintained by the state that provides another place to fish the Little Susitna. Several area lakes are well-stocked with rainbow trout and other fish, among them Prator Lake, Loon Lake, and Bear Paw Lake.
Knik-Fairview
Borough Offices
907-745-4801
www.matsugov.us
Chamber of Commerce
907-746-5000
www.alaskavisit.com
Knick-Fairview is an unincorporated community on the northwest bank of the Knik Arm of Cook Inlet. Less than 40 miles from Anchorage, the town is south of Wasilla, Big Lake, and Meadow Lakes. Recreational opportunities are outstanding in this scenic, open region. The community offers local schools but looks to the Mat-Su Regional Medical Center in Palmer or Anchorage hospitals for advanced healthcare. Agriculture and gravel extraction are thriving local industries, although most residents are commuters to regional employment centers. Many hold retail, service, or government positions in Palmer, Wasilla, and Anchorage. The George Parks Highway, Glenn Highway, and other local roads connect the area to Anchorage, other statewide destinations, and Canada. Wasilla and Palmer airports provide scheduled commuter and air taxi services. Float planes land at Wasilla Lake, Jacobsen Lake, and Lake Lucille, with 10 additional private airstrips in the vicinity.
Lake Louise
Borough Offices
907-745-4801
www.matsugov.us
Chamber of Commerce
907-746-5000
www.alaskavisit.com
The pristine, clear waters of Lake Louise and the adjoining Susitna Lake cover 37 square miles, distinguished as the largest lake system in Alaska with road access. Located at the end of a 19-mile road that branches off the Glenn Highway, Lake Louise is the eastern-most community in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. This “Glacier Country” community relies heavily in tourism and serves as a “jumping off point” to the more remote areas in Alaska or a convenient overnight stay for travelers between Anchorage and Valdez. Year-round adventures include trophy fishing, views of the Tazlina Glacier, scenic hiking trails, and seasonal berry picking. During the winter months, Lake Louise bustles with cross-country skiers, snowmobilers, and dog sled enthusiasts—many of whom arrive to participate in events that occur nearly every weekend. Home to wonderful lodges and accommodations, Lake Louise is a favorite playground for Alaska residents and a popular getaway for corporate retreats. The area’s abundant wildlife includes views of the annual migration of the Nelchina caribou herd.
Lazy Mountain
Borough Offices
907-745-4801
www.matsugov.us
Chamber of Commerce
907-746-5000
www.alaskavisit.com
The community of Lazy Mountain takes its name from the towering 3,720-foot mountain that towers above it. Lazy Mountain is just three miles east of the growing city of Palmer, providing an open, small community close to urban services, shopping, entertainment, and attractions. Lazy Mountain is located east of the Matanuska River off the Old Glenn Highway approximately 45 miles from Anchorage. Students in this large, developed area attend schools in either Butte or Palmer. Agricultural activity is evident in the “U-Pick” farms and fields of vegetables, grain, hay, and potatoes. However, most residents are commuters to employers in Palmer or Wasilla. The nearby Recreation Area with picnic tables and bridle or hiking trails also commands views of the Knik and Matanuska River watersheds, Cook Inlet, Pioneer Peak, and various buttes to offer a breathtakingly beautiful natural environment.
Meadow Lakes
Borough Offices
907-745-4801
www.matsugov.us
Chamber of Commerce
907-746-5000
www.alaskavisit.com
Located between the Little Susitna River and the Alaska Railroad, Meadow Lakes is an unincorporated town north of Wasilla. The George Parks Highway serves as the primary transportation route for this residential community, ensuring quick trips to hub cities and regional destinations. Students are served by local schools but also bus to schools in Wasilla, Big Lake, and Houston. State-of-the-art healthcare services are available in Palmer and Anchorage hospitals. Basically a community of homes, Meadow Lakes provides a quick connection to the highway system with air service available in nearby Palmer and Wasilla. Both cities are also convenient for expanded shopping, services, and entertainment centers. Many residents are commuters to the Wasilla/Palmer area and are employed in a variety of federal, state, borough, and private-sector jobs.
Palmer
City Offices
907-745-3271
www.cityofpalmer.org
Chamber of Commerce
907-745-2880
www.palmerchamber.org
Located 45 miles northeast of Anchorage, Palmer nestles in the heart of Alaska and the Matanuska Valley between the Talkeetna and Chugach mountain ranges. The city is the seat of government for the Mat-Su Borough in an area that benefits from the natural bounty of rich soil and breathtaking mountain views. The city’s heritage is unique to Alaska, dating back to one of President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal projects and the establishment of the Matanuska Colony in 1935. Since the late 1980s, Palmer has experienced steady growth. The city has responded by making continual improvements in services and infrastructure, supporting the quality of life that makes Palmer so appealing. The city is the proud home of the new, state-of-the-art Mat-Su Regional Medical Center, the valley’s premier healthcare facility. Slower growing than neighboring Wasilla, Palmer has managed to preserve a small-town feeling and charm that sets in a class of its own as a relocation choice or year-after-year vacation destination. In less than two decades, Palmer has evolved from a rural bedroom community into a self-sustaining city with commercial and employment centers.
Sutton
Borough Offices
907-745-4801
www.matsugov.us
Chamber of Commerce
907-746-5000
www.alaskavisit.com
Proud of its rich coal-mining heritage, the town of Sutton now caters to tourist traffic by providing roadside services and activities for visitors. Traveling along the Glenn Highway, vacationers are able to discover the Matanuska and Knik Glaciers as well as the communities in “glacier country” like Sutton, Palmer, Chickaloon, Eureka, and Lake Louise. Other attractions in this area are world-class fishing, fossil hunting, rafting, horseback riding, mountain biking, and hiking. Coyote Lake Recreation Area and Seventeen Mile Lake are both popular destinations for residents and visitors. Sutton’s history is showcased at Alpine Historical Park, an outdoor museum that preserves the concrete ruins of a coal washery from the 1920s. In the summer months, residents enjoy locally grown produce sold at the farmer’s market.
Talkeetna
Borough Offices
907-745-4801
www.matsugov.us
Chamber of Commerce
907-733-2300
www.talkeetnachamber.org
The historic village of Talkeetna nestles at the base of Mount McKinley, North America’s highest peak. The community boasts remarkably panoramic views of the Alaska Range that can be enjoyed and photographed from many places throughout the town. Around the four seasons, residents enjoy outdoor adventure and recreational activities. “Flightseeing,” fishing, riverboat touring, hiking, Nordic skiing, mushing, mountain climbing, and horseback riding are all common pastimes. This area attracts mountain climbers from around the world who share the desire to challenge Mount McKinley, infusing an international flavor into this already charming community. Talkeetna is characterized as a unique, small, rural community similar to the one portrayed in the Northern Exposure television series. Many artisans and musicians have made this inspiriting place their home. Diverse and educational museums, wonderful accommodations, campsites and RV parks, and motels and lodges cater to the brisk tourist trade.
Wasilla
City Offices
907-373-9055
www.cityofwasilla.com
Chamber of Commerce
907-376-1299
www.wasillachamber.org
Dynamic and fast-growing, Wasilla is the largest of the cities in the Mat-Su Borough. A progressive community in a breathtaking natural setting, Wasilla embodies the “best of Alaska” to many newcomers. Set in a thriving crossroads with a booming economy, the city serves as the commercial and retail center for the entire borough. The surrounding area is known as “Alaska’s Breadbasket” for its distinction as the state’s major agricultural region. Wasilla nestles between lakes Wasilla and Lucille and between two panoramic river valleys carved by prehistoric glaciers. Sheltered from extreme weather by the Talkeetna Mountains, the city draws many families, professionals, and retirees to a comfortable hometown environment. While Palmer is home to the region’s premier healthcare center, Wasilla features entertainment centers, wonderful museums, performing arts groups, stadiums and arenas, and cultural venues. Newcomers appreciate the pristine natural environment, the premier recreational opportunities, and the friendliness of Wasilla residents. This year-round recreational paradise is home to the renowned Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race and the Tesoro Iron-Dog 2000, the world’s longest snowmobile race. During the summer, fishing, swimming, boating, hiking, and biking are popular activities. Mountains, lakes, streams, wetlands, tundra, and boreal forests are all within easy reach. At the same time, access to Anchorage and the magnificent coastal areas of the south-central region provides residents with additional economic, educational, cultural, and recreational amenities.
Willow
Borough Offices
907-745-4801
www.matsugov.us
Chamber of Commerce
907-495-6800
www.willowchamber.org
“Alaska’s recreation capital” welcomes newcomers to the Willow community west of Wasilla and 90 minutes north of Anchorage along the George Parks Highway. This small but growing community offers a health clinic, a local physician, public education, convenient services and retail stores, a community center, and several bed-and-breakfast inns. Spectacular views of Mt. McKinley can be seen from Willow, where summers tend to be warm and enjoyable and winters are less windy and cold than many of the Mat-Su towns. Willow features spectacular vantage points that offer residents and visitors breathtaking views of Alaska’s world-famous Aurora Borealis (northern lights). Willow is loved by many for being “off the beaten path” and yet conveniently close to larger residential centers that offer entertainment attractions, hospitals, and expanded shopping in major department stores.
