Chickaloon, Alaska Explained

Official Name:Chickaloon, Alaska
Native Name:Nay’dini’aa Na’
Settlement Type:CDP
Mapsize:260px
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:United States
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Name1:Alaska
Subdivision Type2:Borough
Subdivision Name2:Matanuska-Susitna
Leader Title:Borough mayor
Leader Name:Edna DeVries
Leader Title1:State senator
Leader Name1:Mike Shower (R)
Leader Title2:State rep.
Leader Name2:George Rauscher (R)
Area Footnotes:[1]
Area Total Km2:175.78
Area Land Km2:173.77
Area Water Km2:2.01
Area Total Sq Mi:67.87
Area Land Sq Mi:67.09
Area Water Sq Mi:0.78
Population As Of:2020
Population Total:254
Timezone:Alaska (AKST)
Utc Offset:-9
Timezone Dst:AKDT
Utc Offset Dst:-8
Elevation M:306
Elevation Ft:1004
Coordinates:61.7939°N -148.4828°W
Postal Code Type:ZIP code
Postal Code:99674
Area Code:907
Blank Name:FIPS code
Blank Info:02-13340
Blank1 Name:GNIS feature ID
Blank1 Info:1400239
Unit Pref:Imperial
Population Density Sq Mi:3.79
Population Density Km2:1.46

Chickaloon (Nay’dini’aa Na’[2] in Ahtna Athabascan; Nuk'din'itnu in Dena'ina) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska, United States. It is part of the Anchorage, Alaska Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 254 at the 2020 census, down from 272 in 2010.[3]

The Alaska Native people of Chickaloon are a mixture of Ahtna and Dena'ina Athabaskan.[4]

On May 31, 2021, a M6.1 Earthquake struck Chickaloon.

Geography

Chickaloon is located at 61.7939°N -148.4828°W (61.793994, -148.482733).[5]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 80.2sqmi, of which 79.4sqmi is land and 0.8sqmi (1.05%) is water.

Demographics

Chickaloon first appeared on the 1930 U.S. Census as an unincorporated village. It appeared again on the 1940 & 1960 censuses, but was not returned separately in 1950, 1970 & 1980. It returned again beginning in 1990, when it was made a census-designated place.

As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 213 people, 87 households, and 58 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 2.7sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 208 housing units at an average density of 2.6sp=usNaNsp=us. The racial makeup of the CDP was 77.93% White, 1.41% Black or African American, 15.49% Native American, 0.94% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 1.88% from other races, and 2.35% from two or more races. 1.41% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 87 households, out of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.6% were married couples living together, 3.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.3% were non-families. 25.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 25.4% under the age of 18, 3.3% from 18 to 24, 23.0% from 25 to 44, 41.8% from 45 to 64, and 6.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 129.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 120.8 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $49,792, and the median income for a family was $49,792. Males had a median income of $41,827 versus $36,607 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $14,755. None of the families and 2.8% of the population were living below the poverty line.

Education

The Ya Ne Dah Ah School teaches the Ahtna Athabaskan language as a part of its curriculum.[7]

In popular culture

In 2020, the town's school students were featured in an educational segment about Chickaloon and map keys during Molly of Denali episode "By Sled or By Snowshoe."[8]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files. United States Census Bureau. October 29, 2021.
  2. http://www.uaf.edu/anla/collections/map/names/ UAF: Alaska Native Place Names
  3. Web site: 2020 Census Data - Cities and Census Designated Places. Web. State of Alaska, Department of Labor and Workforce Development. October 31, 2021.
  4. Web site: Cook Inlet Villages and Lands. March 20, 2014. November 12, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131112003706/http://www.ciri.com/content/history/villages.aspx. dead.
  5. Web site: US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990. United States Census Bureau. April 23, 2011. February 12, 2011.
  6. Web site: U.S. Census website . . January 31, 2008 .
  7. Web site: Case Studies, The Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development. September 9, 2012. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120624045423/http://hpaied.org/honoring-nations/case-studies. June 24, 2012.
  8. Molly of Denali, "By Sled or By Snowshoe", 2020.