Skwentna is a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...

(CDP) on Iditarod Trail in

Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska Matanuska-Susitna Borough (often referred to as the Mat-Su Borough) is a borough located in the U.S. state of Alaska. Its county seat is Palmer, and the largest community is the census-designated place of Knik-Fairview. The borough is part of ...

, United States. Located 61 miles northwest of

Wasilla Wasilla ( Dena'ina: ''Benteh'') is a city in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, United States and the fourth-largest city in Alaska. It is located on the northern point of Cook Inlet in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley of the southcentral part of the st ...

along the

Skwentna River The Skwentna RiverUnited States Geological Survey Hydrological Unit Code: ( Dena'ina: ''Shqitnu'') is a river in the southwestern part of Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska. History Tanaina Indian name reported in 1898 by Spurr (1900,p. 48) ...

, it is part of the

Anchorage, Alaska Anchorage () is the largest city in the U.S. state of Alaska by population. With a population of 291,247 in 2020, it contains nearly 40% of the state's population. The Anchorage metropolitan area, which includes Anchorage and the neighboring Ma ...

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...

. At the 2020 census the population was 62, up from 37 in 2010. The town is served by Skwentna Airport.

Geography and climate

Skwentna is located at (61.879482, −151.266455). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the CDP has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it (1.54%) is water. As with much of

South Central Alaska Southcentral Alaska (russian: Юго-Центральная Аляска) is the portion of the U.S. state of Alaska consisting of the shorelines and uplands of the central Gulf of Alaska. Most of the population of the state lives in this regio ...

, Skwentna has a dry-summer

subarctic climate The subarctic climate (also called subpolar climate, or boreal climate) is a climate with long, cold (often very cold) winters, and short, warm to cool summers. It is found on large landmasses, often away from the moderating effects of an ocean, ge ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

: Dsc), with long, cold, snowy winters and short, warm summers, although, as is more typical of the

Alaska Interior Interior Alaska is the central region of Alaska's territory, roughly bounded by the Alaska Range to the south and the Brooks Range to the north. It is largely wilderness. Mountains include Denali in the Alaska Range, the Wrangell Mountains, and ...

, August averages cooler than June; the town is also located in

USDA Plant Hardiness Zone A hardiness zone is a geographic area defined as having a certain average annual minimum temperature, a factor relevant to the survival of many plants. In some systems other statistics are included in the calculations. The original and most wide ...

3, indicating the coldest temperature of the year is typically in the −40 to −30 °F (−40 to −34 °C). In summer, temperatures reach on 39 days and on 4.6, with an average of 18 nights remaining above . August through October is the wettest period of the year, while snow typically falls from October to April (rarely May or September), accumulating .

Demographics

Skwentna first appeared on the 1950 U.S. Census as an unincorporated village. It did not appear again until 1990, when it was made a census-designated place (CDP). As of the census of 2000, there were 111 people, 50 households, and 29 families residing in the CDP. The population density was . There were 360 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the CDP was 92.79%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 6.31% Native American, and 0.90% from two or more races. There were 50 households, out of which 22% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48% were married couples living together, 6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42% were non-families. 36% of all households were made up of individuals, and none had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.90. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 22.5% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 23.4% from 25 to 44, 44.1% from 45 to 64, and 4.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 164.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 168.8 males. The median income for a household in the CDP was $16,250, and the median income for a family was $52,917. Males had a median income of $13,333 versus $18,750 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the CDP was $23,994. There were no families and 5.8% of the population living below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including no under eighteens and none of those over 64.

References

{{authority control Census-designated places in Alaska Census-designated places in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska Anchorage metropolitan area