Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Matanuska-Susitna Borough
Borough
Ruth Glacier
Flag Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Alaska
Alaska's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Alaska
Incorporated	January 1, 1964
Named for	Matanuska River and Susitna River
Seat	Palmer
Largest CDP	Knik-Fairview
Area
• Total	25,258 sq mi (65,420 km2)
• Land	24,608 sq mi (63,730 km2)
• Water	650 sq mi (1,700 km2)  2.6%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	107,801
• Estimate  (2022)	113,325
• Density	4.26799/sq mi (1.64788/km2)
Time zone	UTC−9 (Alaska)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−8 (ADT)
Congressional district	At-large

The Matanuska-Susitna Borough (often called the Mat-Su Borough) is a special kind of county in Alaska. Its main town, or "borough seat," is Palmer. The biggest community there is Knik-Fairview. In 2020, about 107,801 people lived in the Mat-Su Borough.

This area is part of the larger Anchorage region. It sits just north of the city of Anchorage. The borough gets its name from the Matanuska and Susitna Rivers. These rivers flow into Cook Inlet, which forms the southern edge of the borough. The Mat-Su Borough is one of the few places in Alaska where farming is common.

Geography and Nature

Mount Bradley in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska, 2014

The Mat-Su Borough is very large. It covers about 25,258 square miles. Most of this area is land, with about 650 square miles of water. This water makes up about 2.6% of the total area.

Neighboring Areas

The Mat-Su Borough shares borders with several other areas in Alaska:

• Denali Borough, Alaska to the north
• Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Alaska to the northeast
• Copper River Census Area, Alaska to the east
• Chugach Census Area, Alaska to the east
• Municipality of Anchorage, Alaska to the south
• Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska to the south
• Bethel Census Area, Alaska to the west
• Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska to the west

Amazing Protected Lands

A big part of the Mat-Su Borough is home to beautiful national parks and forests. These areas are protected to keep their natural beauty safe.

• Chugach National Forest (a part of it is here)
• Denali National Park and Preserve (a part of it is here)
  • Denali Wilderness (part of Denali Park)
• Lake Clark National Park and Preserve (a part of it is here)
  • Lake Clark Wilderness (part of Lake Clark Park)

People and Population Growth

The Mat-Su Borough is one of the fastest-growing areas in Alaska. In 2010, about 88,995 people lived there. By 2020, the population had grown to 107,081. This shows that many people are choosing to move to this part of Alaska.

In 2000, there were 20,556 households in the borough. Many of these households, about 42.30%, had children under 18 living with them. The average household had about 2.84 people.

Communities in Mat-Su

The Mat-Su Borough has several towns and many smaller communities.

Cities

• Houston
• Palmer (This is the main town)
• Wasilla

Census-designated places

Unincorporated community

• Alexander Creek

Computer System Attack

In July 2018, the borough's computer systems faced a cyber attack. This meant that employees had to use old electric typewriters because their computers were not working. The attack caused problems for services like the library and animal shelter. The borough spent over $2 million to fix the issues.

Education

Schools in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough are managed by the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District. This district helps make sure students in the area get a good education.

Images for kids

A freshwater pond on Trimble Glacier, in the Tordrillo Mountains, in the far south-west of Mat-Su Borough

See also

In Spanish: Borough de Matanuska–Susitna para niños