Palmer, Alaska
Palmer is a city of 6,268 people in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska, founded in April 30, 1951.
Why visit Palmer
Townapedia lists 16 museums and landmarks, 25 parks and trails, 31 places to eat, 5 places to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Bailey Colony Farm, Berry House, Matanuska River Park and MTA Events Center.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 68°F; January lows average 8°F.
Weather in Palmer
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Palmer
Palmer is a city in and the borough seat of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska, United States, located 42 miles (68 km) northeast of Anchorage on the Glenn Highway in the Matanuska Valley. It is the ninth-largest city in Alaska, and forms part of the Anchorage metropolitan statistical area. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city is 5,888, down from 5,937 in 2010.
From the Wikipedia article Palmer, Alaska (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Museums and landmarks16
Bailey Colony Farm
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
Human settlement in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska, United States of America
Berry House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.5 mi
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in Alaska
Campbell House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.9 mi
Historic house in Alaska, United States
Herried House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.3 mi
Historic house in Alaska, United States
Hyland Hotel
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Hotel building in Palmer, Alaska
Matanuska Colony Community Center
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic district in Palmer, United States of America
Palmer Depot
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Railway station in Palmer, the United States of America
Patten Colony Farm
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.6 mi
Human settlement in Palmer, Alaska, United States of America
Puhl House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.2 mi
Historic house in Alaska, United States
Raymond Rebarchek Colony Farm
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.4 mi
4 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds25
Historic Colonial Palmer Park
Park
Nice leisurely walk through historical colonial Palmer
13 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes31
Elwood's Drive Thru
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 0.5 mi
847, Palmer
Mo-Fr 06:00-19:00; Sa 06:00-18:00; Su 07:00-18:00
Nudee Pho Thai Restaurant
Restaurant · Vietnamese, Thai · 0.5 mi
775 West Evergreen Avenue, Palmer
Mo-Fr 11:00-20:00; Sa 12:00-20:30; Su 14:00-20:00
Sunrise Grill
Diner · American
918 South Colony Way, Palmer
Su-Th 07:00-16:00, Fr-Sa 07:00-21:00
Palmer Alehouse
Restaurant · Pizza
320 East Dahlia Avenue, Palmer
Mo-Su 11:00-22:00
19 more on the map.
History
In the late 19th century, the U.S. government began to take interest in the Matanuska coal fields located north of Palmer. This interest sparked financiers to consider constructing the Alaska Central Railroad in 1904. The advent of World War I created a need for high-quality coal to fuel U.S. battleships, and by 1917 the US Navy had constructed rail from the port of Seward to the Chickaloon coal deposits. At the end of World War I, the U.S. Navy distributed land in the coal fields to war veterans and additional land was opened to homesteading. Farmers, miners and homesteaders began to populate the area. The Palmer Post Office was opened July 6, 1917, under the name of Warton. With railroad accessibility, new markets for agriculture began to open up for farmers in the Matanuska Valley.
From the History section of Palmer, Alaska on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay5
Churches and places of worship14
United Protestant Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Palmer Seventh-day Adventist Church
Church · Seventh Day Adventist · 2.0 mi
2238 South Inner Springer Loop Road, Palmer
First Baptist Church of Palmer
Church · Baptist · 1.1 mi
1150 East Helen Drive, Palmer
Shopping4
Gas and EV charging6
Schools, colleges and libraries18
Healthcare5
Palmer Family Medicine
Clinic and pharmacy · 0.5 mi
258 South Alaska Street, City Of Palmer
Map of Palmer
126 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 22°F | 8°F | 0.7 in |
| Feb | 28°F | 13°F | 0.7 in |
| Mar | 34°F | 17°F | 0.5 in |
| Apr | 48°F | 30°F | 0.3 in |
| May | 59°F | 39°F | 0.6 in |
| Jun | 66°F | 47°F | 1.0 in |
| Jul | 68°F | 51°F | 1.6 in |
| Aug | 65°F | 48°F | 2.3 in |
| Sep | 56°F | 41°F | 2.1 in |
| Oct | 42°F | 29°F | 1.2 in |
| Nov | 29°F | 16°F | 0.7 in |
| Dec | 25°F | 11°F | 1.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Palmer Muni Ap 70274 (1 mi away), 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
Warren "Bud" Woods Palmer Municipal Airport (PAQ) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 1 miles away.
- Farm Loop 3 mi northwest, about 5 min by car
- Gateway 4 mi southwest, about 7 min by car
- Butte 6 mi southeast, about 10 min by car
- North Lakes 7 mi west, about 11 min by car
- South Lakes 7 mi west, about 11 min by car
- Lazy Mountain 8 mi northeast, about 12 min by car
- Tanaina 11 mi west, about 18 min by car
- Wasilla 12 mi west, about 19 min by car
- Meadow Lakes 16 mi west, about 27 min by car
- Knik-Fairview 18 mi west, about 29 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
- Palmer ENBLA01, Enrico Blasutto, CC BY-SA 4.0
- PalmerAK Depot, Land Design North, Public domain
- United Protestant Church, Palmer, Jet Lowe, Public domain
- The Campbell House, Snowinseptember, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bailey Colony Farm, Jet Lowe, Public domain
- Hyland Hotel, Trwhite98, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Raymond Rebarchek Colony Farm, Jet Lowe, Public domain
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.