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Talkeetna is a census-designated place (CDP) in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska, United States. It is part of the Anchorage, Alaska Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the 2000 census the population was 772.

Geography

Talkeetna is located at 62Â°18.41.N, 150Â°5.13.W (62.311397, -150.087053) at the confluence of three rivers, the Susitna, Chulitna and Talkeetna. Flightseeing, rafting, mountain biking, hiking, camping, fishing and hunting make up a large portion of the local economy. Talkeetna is a 2.5 hour drive from Anchorage, the largest city in Alaska. The core downtown area is classified as a National Historic site, with many buildings dating from the early 1900's including Nagleys General Store, Fairview Inn and The Roadhouse.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 42.9 square miles (111.2 kmÂ²), of which, 41.6 square miles (107.7 kmÂ²) of it is land and 1.4 square miles (3.5 kmÂ²) of it (3.19%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 772 people, 358 households, and 181 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 18.6 people per square mile (7.2/kmÂ²). There were 528 housing units at an average density of 12.7/sq mi (4.9/kmÂ²). 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.

Notable residents

* Multiple "Best in Show" dog breeders, Lee and Maria Miller, moved to Talkeetna in 2008.

* Wildlife artist David Totten lives in Talkeetnaâ€”in 1995, 1997 and 1999 he was selected to paint the official prints of the Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race; in 2000, he was honored to attend the "Reflections of Nature" wildlife art show in Fallbrook, California; and was chosen as the 2001â€“2002 Alaska Ducks Unlimited Artist of the Year.
* Sarah Birdsallâ€”author of The Red Mitten
* Shannon Cartwright, artist and children's book illustrator.
* Kurt Wagner, McKinley and Landscape artist. Moved to Talkeetna and the Trapper Creek area in the 1940s. Is considered one of the last of a short list of artists who specialize in oils of McKinley and the Alaska Range. Resides in his small cabin and studio in E. Talkeetna. Although over 70 years old, still paints on a daily basis. His works hang in the Ted Stevens International Airport and other public buildings throughout Alaska.

* Stephen Mahay, river boat captain and owner of Mahay's Riverboat Service was the first man to traverse the Devil's and Talkeetna Canyons with a jet boat. Also, a loosely based biography was written about him, The Legend of River Mahay by Deborah Wood.

* Edward Wick, famous painter.

Other

Talkeetna is known for its close proximity to salmon fishing and to Denali (also known as Mt. McKinley). Many of the historic buildings, which were built in the 1920's, still survive and are still in operation. Nagleys Store, Talkeetna Roadhouse and Fairview Inn are still active local businesses. Thousands of tourists travel to Talkeetna each summer to embark on fishing, flight seeing, and rafting trips. Local artists, musicians and craftspeople have products available in local stores. The annual Moose Dropping Festival, where the Mountain Mother contest takes place, is a summer highlight. Local performers also perform with a local circus troupe.

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.[3]

Talkeetna is home to the independent webcast Whole Wheat Radio. Talkeetna has a community radio station, 88.9 KTNA,with locally hosted shows and national programming. There are two local newspapers. Talkeetna Times, is published every other week. An annual visitors guide, the Good Times, is published each spring. The Alaska Pioneer Press is a monthly newspaper based in Talkeetna serving the area between Houston and Healy, including the Talkeetna area.

In June 2007, Susitna Valley High School burned to the ground while repairs were being made to the roof. Around 250 students were left without a school, and are currently holding classes in portables on the grounds of the Upper Susitna Senior Center. Since the fire, the students have boycotted unhealthy school lunches, requesting higher quality food. With help from members of the community, they prepared homemade meals to share. There are plans for a new school to be built by the end of 2009.

The town of Talkeetna was the inspiration for the fictional town of Cicely, Alaska, in the CBS TV series Northern Exposure which ran from 1990 through 1995. Filming actually took place in Roslyn, Washington.