Talkeetna, Alaska

Talkeetna is a census-designated place (CDP) in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 772.

Geography

Location of Talkeetna, Alaska

Talkeetna is located at 62°18′41″N 150°5′13″W (62.311397, -150.087053)Template:GR.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 111.2 km² (42.9 mi²). 107.7 km² (41.6 mi²) of it is land and 3.5 km² (1.4 mi²) of it (3.19%) is water.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 772 people, 358 households, and 181 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 7.2/km² (18.6/mi²). There were 528 housing units at an average density of 4.9/km² (12.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 87.95% White, 3.76% Native American, 0.13% Asian, 1.30% from other races, and 6.87% from two or more races. 1.04% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 358 households out of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.0% were married couples living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 49.4% were non-families. 38.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.92.

In the CDP the population was spread out with 23.3% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 35.4% from 25 to 44, 29.4% from 45 to 64, and 6.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 113.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 114.5 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $38,289, and the median income for a family was $46,818. Males had a median income of $34,732 versus $26,250 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $23,695. About 7.2% of families and 10.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.8% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

Other

Talkeetna is a well known destination for many visitors to Alaska; it has the luxury of being connected to the road and rail systems, while still being considered a real small time Alaskan town. It is most famous for its close proximity to salmon fishing and to Denali (also known as Mt. McKinley). Thousands of tourists travel to Talkeetna each summer to embark on fishing, flight seeing, and rafting trips, and also to indulge in the local arts and crafts boutiques. The height of tourist season revolves around the annual Moose Dropping Festival where artists from all over the state descend onto the town with their wares and sell them at booths set up around the town. Local performers also show their talents via plays and through the local circus. The Mountain Mother contest also takes place during the Moose Dropping Festival.

Talkeetna has a well developed airport and is home to several Air Taxi companies that offer flight seeing trips and support for mountain climbers. Many of the air taxi companies were started to ferry climbers from Talkeetna to Denali, as Talkeetna has the easiest access to the south side of the mountain where the main base camp is located. Talkeetna is home to several well known mountain climbers, including two of the youngest people to ever summit the mountain.