The City and Borough of Sitka is a city-borough located on the west side of Baranof Island in the Alexander Archipelago of the Pacific Ocean (part of the Alaska Panhandle), in the U.S. state of Alaska. The borough seat is Sitka, the only incorporated section. Sitka is the state’s fourth-largest city in terms of population and the nation’s largest city in terms of area.

Its small downtown area is easily explored on foot. If you can walk a half dozen blocks from the cruise ship dock, you won’t need a shore excursion to see most of the sights in town. The name Sitka (derived from Sheetka, a contraction of the Tlingit name Shee At’ika) means “People on the Outside of Shee,” Sheet’-ka X’aat’ (often expressed simply as Shee) being the Tlingit name for Baranof Island. The town is sometimes referred to as “Sitka-by-the-Sea.”

The latitude of Sitka is 57.053N. The longitude is -135.33W. It is in the Alaska Standard time zone. Elevation is 26 feet. The estimated population, in 2003, was 8,876. Sitka Alaska fishing is some of the best in North America. There is an abundance of salmon and halibut in the area, in addition to various other types of fish. Because of this, there are a multitude of Sitka charters that will help you make the most of your Sitka Alaska fishing trip. Let’s visit a few of them.

Sitka Alaska Fishing with Big Blue Charters Big Blue Charters offers a variety of packages, which include your Sitka charter, room and meals. They have an arrangement with some of the downtown Sitka hotels, which allows you to get the best lodging rates for your Sitka Alaska fishing trip. Sights include cone-shaped Mt. Edgecombe, an onion dome cathedral, the gorgeous campus of Sheldon Jackson College, and a bishop’s residence dating from the Russian colonization of Alaska. (more…)

The unemployment rate in Palmer, AK, is 6.30%, with job growth of 4.32%. Future job growth over the next ten years is predicted to be 47.10%. Palmer, AK, sales tax rate is 3.00%. Income tax is 0.00%. The income per capita is $18,609, which includes all adults and children. The median household income is $48,817.

Many residents commute to Anchorage for employment. Palmer’s economy is based on a diversity of retail and other services, City, Borough, State and federal government. Some light manufacturing occurs. 73 area residents hold commercial fishing permits.

Palmer is home to 200 musk ox whose under wool is knitted into garments by Alaska Native women from several rural villages. Between 2,500 and 3,500 garments are created each year by these women, and sold by an Anchorage cooperative.

The 75-acre musk ox farm is also a tourist attraction. The University has an Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station Office and a district Cooperative Extension Service office here. The University’s Matanuska Research Farm is also located in Palmer.

As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 4,533 people, 1,472 households, and 1,058 families residing in the city. The population density was 465.5/km² (1,206.3/mi²). There were 1,555 housing units at an average density of 159.7/km² (413.8/mi²).

The racial makeup of the city was 80.94% White, 2.05% Black or African American, 8.18% Native American, 1.06% Asian, 0.33% Pacific Islander, 1.15% from other races, and 6.29% from two or more races. 3.51% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 1,472 households out of which 47.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.3% were married couples living together, 16.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.1% were non-families. 23.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.29.

In the city the population was spread out with 33.6% under the age of 18, 11.8% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 16.8% from 45 to 64, and 9.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 98.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.6 males. (more…)

Palmer began in 1916 as a railway station on the Matanuska branch of the Alaska Railroad. In 1935, during the Great Depression, the Federal Emergency Relief Administration, one of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal projects, established the Matanuska Colony.

From Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota, 203 families traveled by train and ship to reach the fledgling colony, arriving in the summer of 1935. Upon their arrival they were housed in a tent city during their first Alaskan summer. Each family drew lots for 40 acre tracts and their farming adventure began in earnest.

The failure rate was high, but many of their descendants still live in the area. While the colonists had varying degrees of success with farming, Palmer is the only Alaskan Community that developed from an agricultural lifestyle.
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Palmer is a city in and the borough seat of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city was 4,533. 2005 Census Bureau estimates give the city a population of 6,920.

From the drought starved Midwest, 203 families traveled by train and ship to reach the fledgling colony. Upon their arrival they were housed in a tent city during their first Alaskan summer. Each family drew lots for 40 acre tracts and their farming adventure began in earnest.

While the colonists had varying digress of success with farming, Palmer is the only Alaskan Community that developed from an agricultural lifestyle. In addition to an agrarian heritage, the colony families brought with them small town values, institutional structures, and a well planned city center. Many of the structures built are now in a nationally recognized historic district.

Palmer is the home of several public and private schools, an active Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Merchants group, the Alaska State Fair the Alaska Job Corps Center, and State Superior and District courts. City facilities include an airport, library, ice arena, numerous parks and ball fields. In the past year a Museum Association, the Palmer Arts Council and a downtown business improvement district have been established by local citizens. (more…)

As of the census of 2000, there were 5,470 people, 1,980 households, and 1,360 families residing in the city. The population density was 180/km² (470/mi²). There were 2,120 housing units at an average density of 70/km² (181/mi²).

The racial makeup of the city was 85% White, 0.6% black or African American, 5% Native American, 1% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1% from other races, and 6% from two or more races. 4% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 1,980 households out of which 44% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50% were married couples living together, 14% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31% were non-families. 24% of all households were made up of individuals and 7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.8 and the average family size was 3.3 people. (more…)

The average one-way commute in Wasilla, AK, takes 32 minutes. 71% of commuters drive their own car alone. 15% carpool with others. 0% take mass transit and 6% work from home.

The George Parks Highway, Glenn Highway, and other local roads connect the city to Anchorage, the remainder of the state and Canada.

The Alaska Railroad serves Wasilla on the Fairbanks to Seward route. A City airport, with a paved 3,700′ long by 75′ wide airstrip, provides scheduled commuter and air taxi services.

Float planes land at Wasilla Lake, Jacobsen Lake and Lake Lucille. There are ten additional private airstrips in the vicinity. Commercial jet flights are operated out of Anchorage International Airport.

The history of Wasilla begins with the history of Knik, the first boom town in the Mat-Su Valley, which by 1915 boasted a population of 500. The town served the early fur trappers and miners working the gold fields at Cache Creek and Willow Creek.

Wasilla was established in 1917 with the construction of the Alaska Railroad. Wasilla’s proximity to the gold fields and railroad service lured Knik residents to relocate in the new town-”some of them even dragging their homes and businesses with them. In a few short years, Knik became a ghost town. The current town site was established in 1917 at the intersection of the Knik-Willow mining trail and the newly constructed Alaska Railroad. It was a supply base for gold, notably at Hatcher Pass, and coal mining in the region through World War II.

Wasilla was named after the respected local Dena’ina Indian, Chief Wasilla (also known as Chief Vasili). In the Dena’ina Athabascan Indian dialect, “Wasilla” is said to mean “breath of air.” Other sources claim the Chief derived his name from the Russian language, and that “Vasili” is a variation of the Russian name “William.” At the intersection of the Carle Wagon Road (now Wasilla-Fishhook Road) and the newly-constructed Alaska Railroad. It was a supply base for gold and coal mining in the region through World War II. The Matanuska-Susitna valley was settled by many Colony homesteaders in the 1930s. Construction of the George Parks Highway through Wasilla in the early 1970s provided direct access to Anchorage.
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Wasilla is a town in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city was 5,470. The 2005 estimate gives the city a population of 8,471, making it the largest city in the borough. The median home cost in Wasilla is $250,200. Home appreciation the last year has been 13.80 percent. Find more data on Wasilla Real Estate.

Compared to the rest of the country, Wasilla’s cost of living is 21.20% Higher than the U.S. average. See our full report on Wasilla Cost of Living. Wasilla public schools spend $7,548 per student. The average school expenditure in the U.S. is $6,058.

There are about 21.4 students per teacher in Wasilla. The unemployment rate in Wasilla is 6.20 percent (U.S. avg. is 4.60%). Recent job growth is Positive. Wasilla jobs have increased by 4.62 percent.
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Juneau does not offer much variety in the way of public transport, but if you arrive in the city by air and need transportation there are still several options available:

By Air
Air travel is the primary link between Southeast’s towns and the rest of the world. Several towns without road access have jet service, provided by Alaska Airlines (tel. 800/252-7522; www.alaskaair.com), the region’s only major airline. Juneau is Southeast Alaska’s travel hub. Ketchikan and Sitka each have a few flights a day, while Wrangell, Petersburg, and Yakutat each have one flight going each direction daily.

Gustavus is served from Juneau once daily during the summer. Some of these “milk runs” never get very far off the ground on hops between small towns: On the 31-mile Wrangell-to-Petersburg flight, the cabin attendants never have time to unbuckle. Haines and Skagway, which have highway connections, don’t receive visits from jets, but all the towns and even the tiny villages have scheduled prop service.

Like the ferries, the planes can be quite late. Each of the airports in Southeast has its own challenges caused by the steep, mountainous terrain and the water. In bad weather, even jet flights are delayed or they “overhead” — they can’t land at the intended destination and leave their passengers somewhere else. Your only protection against these contingencies is travel insurance, a schedule that allows plenty of slack in case you’re significantly delayed and low blood pressure. (more…)