Big Lake, Alaska
Big Lake is a community of 3,585 people in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska.
Why visit Big Lake
Townapedia lists 4 museums and landmarks, 2 parks and trails, 1 place to eat, 2 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Common Ground Alaska and Knik Site.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 71°F; January lows average -2°F, and about 70 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Big Lake
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Big Lake
Big Lake (Dena'ina: K'enaka Bena)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 3,833 at the 2020 census, up from 3,350 in 2010.
From the Wikipedia article Big Lake, Alaska (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks4
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Knik Site
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 9.0 mi
Parks, trails and playgrounds2
Restaurants and cafes1
Where to stay2
Churches and places of worship1
Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 5.0 mi
4275 South Oscar Anderson Road, Big Lake
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries2
Map of Big Lake
14 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 16°F | -2°F | 1.0 in | 12.5 in |
| Feb | 26°F | 2°F | 1.1 in | 11.7 in |
| Mar | 34°F | 7°F | 0.8 in | 8.9 in |
| Apr | 48°F | 23°F | 0.6 in | 4.5 in |
| May | 61°F | 34°F | 0.9 in | 0.4 in |
| Jun | 69°F | 44°F | 1.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 71°F | 49°F | 2.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 67°F | 46°F | 2.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 57°F | 37°F | 2.7 in | 0.4 in |
| Oct | 40°F | 24°F | 1.7 in | 3.5 in |
| Nov | 23°F | 6°F | 1.6 in | 12.3 in |
| Dec | 18°F | 0°F | 1.2 in | 16.3 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Whites Crossing (13 mi away), rain and snow from Eagle Rvr Gakona Circle, NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Matanuska-Susitna Borough has had 17 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2026-04-07: Severe Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2022-03-14: Severe Winter Storm And Straight-Line Winds (Severe Storm)
- 2020-04-09: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2019-08-22: Deshka Landing Fire (Fire)
- 2019-08-20: Mckinley Fire (Fire)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Big Lake Airport (BGQ) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 6 miles away.
- Houston 9 mi northeast, about 14 min by car
- Point MacKenzie 11 mi south, about 17 min by car
- Knik-Fairview 12 mi east, about 19 min by car
- Meadow Lakes 15 mi northeast, about 23 min by car
- Wasilla 17 mi east, about 27 min by car
- Tanaina 20 mi northeast, about 33 min by car
- South Lakes 22 mi east, about 36 min by car
- North Lakes 23 mi east, about 37 min by car
- Gateway 25 mi east, about 40 min by car
- Anchorage 33 mi southeast, about 53 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Knik town site cabin, Cherime MacFarlane, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Trichiosoma triangulum 23615874, Alexandria 'Alex' Wenninger, CC BY 4.0
- Snow Line (6916886645), Joseph from Cabin On The Road, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Nordic skating on Meadow Creek, in the Mat-Su Valley of Alaska, Mudflattop, CC BY 4.0
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