Editing Anderson, Alaska

{{short description|City in Alaska, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Anderson
|settlement_type          = [[City (Alaska)|City]]
|nickname                 = 
|motto                    = "Home of the Anderson Grizzlies"

<!-- Images -->
|image_skyline            = Detailed_map_of_Anderson,_Alaska.png
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = Detailed map of Anderson
|image_flag               = 
|image_seal               = 
<!-- Maps -->
|image_map                = Denali Borough Alaska incorporated and unincorporated areas Anderson highlighted.svg
|mapsize                  = 260px
|map_caption              = Location in [[Denali Borough, Alaska|Denali Borough]] and the state of [[Alaska]].
|pushpin_map = Alaska#North America
<!-- Location -->
|subdivision_type         = Country
|subdivision_name         = [[United States]]
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Alaska]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of boroughs and census areas in Alaska|Borough]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Denali Borough, Alaska|Denali]]
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = [[Mayor]]
|leader_name              = Chantal Hammond<ref>{{cite web |title=City Council Members |url=https://anderson.govoffice.com/?SEC=182C4D87-4D55-4B30-8906-2F331317FE70 |website=anderson.govoffice.com |publisher=City of Anderson, Alaska |access-date=January 20, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240120185613/https://anderson.govoffice.com/?SEC=182C4D87-4D55-4B30-8906-2F331317FE70 |archive-date=January 20, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref>
|leader_title1            = [[Alaska Senate|State senator]]
|leader_name1             = [[Mike Shower]] ([[Republican Party (United States)|R]])
|leader_title2            = [[Alaska House of Representatives|State rep.]]
|leader_name2             = [[Kevin J. McCabe|Kevin McCabe]] (R)
|established_title        = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
|established_date         = June 2, 1962<ref>{{cite book|title=1996 Alaska Municipal Officials Directory|location=[[Juneau]]|publisher=Alaska Municipal League/[[Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development|Alaska Department of Community and Regional Affairs]]|date=January 1996|page=25}}</ref>

<!-- Area -->
|unit_pref                = Imperial
|area_magnitude           = 
|area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_02.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 29, 2021}}</ref>
|area_total_km2           = 116.51
|area_land_km2            = 109.30
|area_water_km2           = 7.22
|area_total_sq_mi         = 44.99
|area_land_sq_mi          = 42.20
|area_water_sq_mi         = 2.79
<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_total         = 177
|timezone                 = [[Alaska Time Zone|Alaska (AKST)]]
|utc_offset               = -9
|timezone_DST             = AKDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -8
|elevation_footnotes      = 
|elevation_m              = 157
|elevation_ft             = 515
|coordinates              = {{coord|64|20|43|N|149|11|43|W|region:US-AK|display=inline}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 99744
|area_code                = [[Area code 907|907]]
|area_code_type           = [[North American Numbering Plan|Area code]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 02-03220
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = {{GNIS 4|1398245}}
|website                  = {{URL|www.anderson.govoffice.com}}
|footnotes                = 
|pop_est_as_of            = 
|pop_est_footnotes        = 
|population_est           = 
|population_density_sq_mi = 4.19
|population_density_km2   = 1.62
}}

'''Anderson''' is a city in the [[Denali Borough, Alaska|Denali Borough]], [[Alaska]], United States, and the borough's only [[Municipal corporation|incorporated]] community. At the [[2010 United States Census|2010 census]] the population was 246,<ref name="Census 2010">{{cite web| url=http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US0203220| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Anderson city, Alaska| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder| accessdate=October 7, 2015}}{{dead link|bot=medic|date=April 2020}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> down from 367 at the 2000 census. At the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the population dropped to 177 residents. The city is named after one of the original homesteaders.<ref name="Anderson">{{cite web|url=http://www.anderson.govoffice.com|title=Anderson|publisher=City of Anderson|accessdate=June 29, 2012}}</ref>

==History==

===Early years===
Anderson is named after Arthur Anderson, one of several homesteaders who settled in the area in the late 1950s. In 1959, Anderson subdivided his homestead into house lots and sold most of the lots to civilian workers from [[Clear Air Force Station]], a [[Ballistic Missile Early Warning System]] station completed in 1961. An elementary school was built in the community in 1961, and Anderson incorporated as a city on June 2, 1962.

In the 1960s, a road was completed between Anderson and [[Nenana, Alaska|Nenana]]. A [[ferry]] across the [[Tanana River]] at Nenana provided access to the Fairbanks–Nenana Highway, and hence to [[Fairbanks, Alaska|Fairbanks]] and the contiguous North American highway system via the [[Richardson Highway|Richardson]] and [[Alaska Highway|Alaska]] Highways. The ferry was replaced with a bridge in 1968. In 1972, the [[George Parks Highway]] was completed, which provided direct road access to points south, including [[Anchorage, Alaska|Anchorage]].<ref name="Anderson"/>

===21st century===
In March 2007, the city announced a plan to attract more residents: the awarding of free land to interested applicants.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/03/16/alaska.land.ap/index.html |title=21st century homesteading: Free land in Alaska - CNN.com |website=[[CNN]] |accessdate=March 16, 2007 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070319102327/http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/03/16/alaska.land.ap/index.html |archivedate=March 19, 2007 }}</ref> This concept has been compared to that of the [[Homestead Act]].

The Anderson/Clear [[Lions Clubs International|Lions Club]], in conjunction with commercial sponsors and [[Two Rivers, Alaska|Two Rivers]]-based concert promoters Acoustic Adventures, hosted the annual Anderson Bluegrass Festival. Held on the last weekend of every July from Friday through Sunday at Riverside Park, the festival was the city's significant visitor attraction. The festival was discontinued in 2012. It was replaced with a similar, privately run family music festival held in the same location starting in 2015.

==Geography==
Anderson is located at {{Coord|64|20|43|N|149|11|43|W|type:city}} (64.345372, -149.195352),<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=April 23, 2011|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref> abutting the northern border of the [[Denali Borough]]. Anderson is north of [[Healy, Alaska|Healy]], south of [[Nenana, Alaska|Nenana]] and {{convert|75|mi}} southwest of [[Fairbanks]]. The Anderson townsite lies in between the [[Alaska Railroad]] mainline and the [[Nenana River]], along the northern edge of city limits. The [[George Parks Highway]] ({{convert|5.5|mi|km|1}} east of the townsite) and [[Clear Air Force Station]] ({{convert|5.5|mi|km|1}} south of the townsite) are also within city limits. Clear Air Force Station is home to the [[213th Space Warning Squadron]]. Anderson lies {{convert|289|mi}} north of Anchorage, the most populous city of Alaska, and {{convert|81|mi}} southwest of Fairbanks.

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|122.5|km2|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|113.3|km2|order=flip}} is land and {{convert|9.2|km2|order=flip}}, or 7.49%, is water.<ref name="Census 2010"/>

Anderson attracts mostly curious visitors, owing to its "out of the way" location at the end of a side road, plus those stopping to camp or access the Nenana River at Riverside Park.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|align=left
|1970= 362
|1980= 517
|1990= 628
|2000= 367
|2010= 246
|2020= 177
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|accessdate=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}
Anderson first appeared on the 1970 U.S. Census as a city,<ref>{{cite web |author1=Bureau of the Census |title=1970 Census of Population - Characteristics of the Population - Alaska |url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1970a_ak-01.pdf |date=January 1973}}</ref> having incorporated in 1962.

As of the census<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |accessdate=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref> of 2000, there were 367 people, 101 households, and 74 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|7.9|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people&nbsp;|people|}}. There were 148 housing units at an average density of {{convert|3.2|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}. The racial makeup of the city was 86.38% [[Race (United States Census)|White]], 4.36% [[Race (United States Census)|Black]] or [[Race (United States Census)|African American]], 1.36% [[Race (United States Census)|Native American]], 0.27% [[Race (United States Census)|Asian]], 0.82% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 6.81% from two or more races. 5.18% of the population were [[Race (United States Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Race (United States Census)|Latino]] of any race.

There were 101 households, out of which 40.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.4% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.7% were non-families. 20.8% 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 2.60 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 21.0% under the age of 18, 12.0% from 18 to 24, 42.0% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 2.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 175.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 187.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $58,750, and the median income for a family was $62,188. Males had a median income of $31,641 versus $23,750 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $23,837. About 15.6% of families and 17.6% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 25.8% of those under age 18 and 10.0% of those age 65 or over.

==Education==
K-12 students attend Anderson School, operated by the [[Denali Borough School District]].

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Portal|Alaska}}
* {{Official website|http://www.anderson.govoffice.com}} of the City of Anderson
* [https://www.commerce.alaska.gov/dcra/DCRAExternal/community/Details/4a01f31c-e492-4d93-be8d-86d020b1d8b0 Anderson] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180330012413/https://www.commerce.alaska.gov/dcra/DCRAExternal/community/Details/4a01f31c-e492-4d93-be8d-86d020b1d8b0 |date=March 30, 2018 }} at the Community Database Online from the [[Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development|Alaska Division of Community and Regional Affairs]]
* Maps from the [[Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development]]: [https://web.archive.org/web/20160304192546/http://labor.alaska.gov/research/alari/images/maps/3_6_17map.pdf 2000], [https://web.archive.org/web/20151222115638/http://labor.alaska.gov/research/census/placemaps/03220.pdf 2010]

{{Denali Borough, Alaska}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Alaska]]
[[Category:Cities in Denali Borough, Alaska]]