Wasilla
| Wasilla | |||
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 Mountains near Wasilla |
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| Location in Alaska | |||
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| Basic data | |||
| Foundation : | 1917 | ||
| State : | United States | ||
| State : | Alaska | ||
| Borough : | Matanuska-Susitna Borough | ||
| Coordinates : | 61 ° 35 ′ N , 149 ° 27 ′ W | ||
| Time zone : | Alaska ( UTC − 9 / −8 ) | ||
| Residents : | 7,831 (as of 2010) | ||
| Population density : | 258.4 inhabitants per km 2 | ||
| Area : | 32.2 km 2 (approx. 12 mi 2 ) of which 30.3 km 2 (approx. 12 mi 2 ) is land |
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| Height : | 104 m | ||
| Postcodes : | 99600-99699 | ||
| Area code : | +1 907 | ||
| FIPS : | 02-83080 | ||
| GNIS ID : | 1411788 | ||
| Website : | www.cityofwasilla.com | ||
| Mayor : | Bert Cottle ( R ) | ||
Wasilla is a city in Matanuska-Susitna Borough in the US state of Alaska . The city is located 70 km north of Anchorage in the Matanuska - Susitna Valley between the Knik Arm , a bay of the Cook Inlet , in the south and the Talkeetna Mountains in the north. A few kilometers east of the George Parks Highway branches off from the Glenn Highway and runs through Wasilla.
history
Wasilla was founded in 1917 with the construction of the Alaska Railroad . The name comes from Chief Wasilla , a chief of the Dena'ina tribe - Athabascans . During the Second World War Wasilla was a supply station for the coal and gold mining of the area. With the construction of the George Parks Highway in the early 1970s, a direct connection to Anchorage was created. The place is known for the historic starting point of the Iditarod on the Knik Road leading out of the city. However, for commercial and logistical reasons, it was relocated to Anchorage for the sporting dog sled race that is taking place today . Wasilla has had town charter since 1974.
Demographics
At the time of the census in 2000 ( US Census 2000 ) Wassila CDP had 5469 inhabitants on a land area of 30.3 km². The median age was 29.7 years (US national mean: 35.3 years). The per capita income (engl. The per capita income ) amounted to US $ 21,127 (national average of USA: US $ 21,587). 9.6% of the population had their income below the poverty line (national average in the USA: 12.4%). 20.0% of the population are of German descent , 14.0% are Irish and 10.2% are of English descent. Approximately 30% of the city's working population work in Anchorage .
Personalities
Sarah Palin was Mayor of Wasilla from 1996 to 2002 . From December 2006 to July 2009, she was the governor of the state of Alaska . In the 2008 presidential election , she ran for vice presidency under Republican presidential candidate John McCain . The band Portugal. The Man is from Wasilla.
