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Palmer
(PALL-mur)
For Photos of Palmer click here
| Current Population: |
5,559
(2008 DCCED Certified Population)
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| Incorporation Type: |
Home Rule City |
| Borough Located In: |
Matanuska-Susitna Borough |
| Taxes: |
Sales: 3% (City),
Property: 13.78 mills (City and Borough), Special: 5% Bed Tax (Borough); 5.29% Tobacco Excise Tax (Borough)
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| National Flood Insurance Program Participant: |
Yes |
| Coastal Management District: |
Matanuska-Susitna Borough |
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| Location
and Climate |
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Palmer is located in the center of the lush farmlands of the Matanuska Valley, 42 miles northeast of Anchorage on the Glenn Highway. The community
lies at approximately 61.599720° North Latitude
and -149.112780° West Longitude.
(Sec. 04, T017N, R002E, Seward Meridian.)
Palmer is located in the
Palmer Recording District.
The area encompasses 3.8
sq. miles of land and 0.0 sq. miles
of water.
The temperatures in January range from -36 to 51 °F and from 37 to 85 °F in July. Annual precipitation is 16.5 inches, with 50 inches of snowfall. |
Topographic
map of
Palmer
area
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| History, Culture
and Demographics |
| Two groups of Athabascans -- the Ahtna and Dena'ina -- have lived in this region for centuries. George Palmer is said to have arrived in 1875. He was a trader in Knik and around 1890 established a trading post on the Matanuska River. A railway siding was constructed in Palmer in 1916. In 1935, Palmer became the site of one of the most unusual experiments in American history: the Matanuska Valley Colony. The Federal Emergency Relief Administration, one of the many New Deal relief agencies created by President Roosevelt, planned an agricultural colony in Alaska. 203 families, mostly from Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, were invited to join the colony. They arrived in Palmer in the early summer of 1935. Although the failure rate was high, many of their descendants still live in the Mat-Su Valley today. The City of Palmer was formed in 1951. Construction of the statewide road system and the rapid development of Anchorage have fueled growth in the Mat-Su Valley.
The population of the community consists of 12.5%
Alaska Native or part Native.
The valley is renowned for the annual Alaska State Fair, where local farmers produce award-winning vegetables. Popular recreation sites include Hatcher Pass, Crevasse-Moraine Trails, Kepler Lake, Bonnie Lake, Finger Lake, and Long Lake.
During the 2000 U.S. Census,
total housing units numbered 1,555, and vacant housing units numbered 83.
Vacant housing units used
only seasonally numbered 5.
U.S. Census data for Year
2000 showed 1,869 residents
as employed. The unemployment rate at that time was
10.84 percent,
although
42.46 percent of
all adults were not in the work force. The median household
income was $45,571, per capita income was $17,203, and
12.66 percent of residents
were living below the poverty level.
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| Facilities,
Utilities, Schools and Health Care |
| Water is provided by three deep wells and is treated and stored in a million-gallon reservoir. Sewage is collected by pipe and treated in an aerated lagoon facility. All homes are completely plumbed. Matanuska Electric Association Inc. (MEA) provides electric utility service to the entire City of Palmer. MEA purchases virtually all of the electricity it distributes from Chugach Electric Association Inc. pursuant to a contract expiring January 1, 2015. Piped natural gas, provided by Enstar, is used to heat homes. The Mat-Su Borough operates the landfill outside the city limits of Palmer. A sludge disposal site is also available.
Electricity is provided by Matanuska Electric Association, Inc..
There are 7 schools located in the community,
attended by 2,803
students.
Local hospitals or health clinics include Mat-Su Regional Medical Center (907-861-6000).
The Mat-Su Regional Medical Center is a qualified Acute Care facility located between Palmer and Wasilla and is privately owned. Long Term Care: Palmer Pioneers' and Veterans' Home. Palmer is classified as a small city, it is found in EMS Region 2C in the Mat-Su Region. Emergency Services have highway,air, floatplane and helicopter access. Emergency service is provided by 911 Telephone Service and volunteers
Auxiliary health care is provided by Palmer Ambulance Service (907-745-4430).
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| Economy
and Transportation |
Many residents commute to Anchorage for employment. Palmer's economy is based on a diversity of retail and other services and city, borough, state, and federal government. Some light manufacturing occurs. 69 area residents hold commercial fishing permits. Palmer is home to 200 musk ox whose underwool (qiviut) 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.
Palmer lies on the Glenn Highway. Commercial airlines serve the Anchorage International Airport, but the Palmer Municipal Airport supports private and chartered services with two paved airstrips, one at 6,009' long by 60' wide and the other at 3,617' long by 75' wide. There are seven additional privately-owned airstrips in the vicinity. Float planes may land at nearby Finger Lake or Wolf Lake. The Alaska Railroad connects Palmer to Whittier, Seward, or Anchorage for ocean freight delivery. |
Organizations
with Local Offices
Chamber of Commerce -
Greater Palmer Chamber of Commerce
723 S. Valley Way
Palmer, AK 99645
Phone 907-745-2880
Fax 907-746-4164
E-mail info@palmerchamber.org
Web http://www.palmerchamber.org
City -
City of Palmer
231 W. Evergreen Ave.
Palmer, AK 99645
Phone 907-745-3271
Fax 907-745-0930
E-mail jbower@palmerak.org
Web http://www.cityofpalmer.org
Electric Utility -
Matanuska Electric Association
P.O. Box 2929
Palmer, AK 99645
Phone 907-745-3231
Fax 907-761-9352
E-mail webmaster@matanuska.com
Web http://mea.coop
Village Corporation -
Montana Creek Native Assoc.
630 Price Street
Anchorage, AK 99688
Phone 907-733-2337
Regional
Organizations
Borough - Matanuska-Susitna Borough
350 East Dahlia Avenue
Palmer, AK 99645
Phone 907-745-4801
Fax 907-745-9845
E-mail john.duffy@matsugov.us; lonnie.mckechnie@matsugov.us
Web http://www.matsugov.us/
Regional Native Health Corporation - Southcentral Foundation
4501 Diplomacy
Anchorage, AK 99508
Phone 907-729-4955
Fax 907-729-4972
E-mail katherineg@scf.cc
Web http://www.southcentralfoundation.com
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