It is located on the northern point of Cook Inlet in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley of the southcentral part of the state.

[5] Wasilla is the largest city in the borough and a part of the Anchorage metropolitan area, which had an estimated population of 398,328 in 2020.

[5] Established at the intersection of the Alaska Railroad and Old Carle Wagon Road, the city prospered at the expense of the nearby mining town of Knik.

Historically entrepreneurial, the economic base shifted in the 1970s from small-scale agriculture and recreation to support for workers employed in Anchorage or on Alaska's North Slope oilfields and related infrastructure.

[6] The headquarters of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, a popular and significant sporting event in Alaska, is located in Wasilla.

[7] Wasilla gained international attention when Sarah Palin, who served as Mayor of Wasilla before her election as Governor of Alaska, was chosen by John McCain as his running mate for Vice President of the United States in the 2008 United States presidential election.

[11] The Matanuska-Susitna valley was eventually settled by the Dena'ina Alaska natives who utilized the fertile lands and fishing opportunities of Cook Inlet.

The Dena'ina are one of the eleven sub-groups comprising the indigenous Athabaskan groups extending down Canada's western coast.

[16] The area was a supply base for gold mines near Hatcher Pass through World War II.

Until construction of the George Parks Highway around 1970, nearby Palmer was the leading city in the Matanuska Valley.

In 2008, suburban growth and dwindling snow forced organizers of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race to bypass Wasilla permanently, due to a warming climate.

[22] The race had its start in Wasilla from 1973 to 2002, the year when reduced snow cover forced a "temporary" change to Willow.

[22] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 12.4 square miles (32.2 km2 (12.4 sq mi).

[30] Wasilla began as a transportation logistics and trade center serving natural resource extraction (mining, trapping & timber) followed by small-scale agricultural activity circa 1935; around 1975, construction of the Parks Highway substantially reduced travel time to Anchorage (approximately 43 miles away), encouraging the transition to a satellite bedroom community where many workers commute to Anchorage for employment.

[23] The local economy is diverse, and residents are employed in a variety of city, borough, state, federal, retail and professional service positions.

"[34] In 2010, the Menard Center lost a tenant when the Arctic Predators did not play as a member of the Indoor Football League.

It enacts laws and policy statements, sets the property tax rate, and approves the budget and funds for city services.

An anti-moose mat was installed around the runway in 2005, giving a light shock to animals which might otherwise wander into the path of moving aircraft.

[43] Private-use air facilities registered with the FAA include 43 land-based airstrips, eight additional seaplane bases, two heliports and one STOLport.

[44] Alaska State Parks operates the Finger Lake State Recreation Area, and the Little Susitna River Public Use Area, which features a large campground, river access, and is the gateway to a 300,800 acres (121,700 ha) public game reserve.