Skwentna is a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), 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 counte ...

(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 borough seat is Palmer, and the largest community is the census-designated place of Knik-Fairview. As of the 2020 censu ...

, United States. Located 61 miles northwest of

Wasilla Wasilla ( Dena'ina: ''Benteh'') is a city in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska, 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 ...

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. 4 ...

, it is part of the

Anchorage, Alaska Anchorage, officially the Municipality of Anchorage, is the List of cities in Alaska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Alaska. With a population of 291,247 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it contains nearly 40 percent of ...

Metropolitan Statistical Area. 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, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

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

Climate

As with much of

South Central Alaska Southcentral Alaska (), also known as the Gulf Coast Region,Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development, Northern Opportunity Alaska's Economic Development Strategy, 2016, at 84 (Alaska 2016). Accessed June 1, 2023. https: ...

, Skwentna has a dry-summer

subarctic climate The subarctic climate (also called subpolar climate, or boreal climate) is a continental 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 ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

: 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 3, indicating the coldest temperature of the year is typically in the . 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 . Hayes River is a weather station near Skwentna to the northeast, at an elevation of . Hayes River also has a

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

''Dfc'') but has a lower seasonal temperature variation and receives substantially more snow.

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 chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 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 average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

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 ...

, 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