Copied from the Houston, Alaksa website: (
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"Located 18 miles north-west of Wasilla, 57 road miles north of Anchorage and lies on the George Parks Highway, along the Little Susitna River. The area encompasses 22.4 sq. miles of land and 1.2 sq. miles of water.
The City of Houston (Houston) was incorporated in 1966 as a third-class and was re-classified as a second-class city in 1973. Houston's estimated population in 2008 was 2,018 and has more than doubled from the 697 residents in 1990.
Herning Trail (now Willow Creek Sled Trail) was used for freighting supplies to the Willow Creek Mining District. "Houston Siding" was first listed on a blueprint map of the Alaska Railroad in 1917; it was named after Congressman Houston of Tennessee. Several coal mines were developed in the area during 1917-18. A railroad spur was constructed to the Janios & Athens coal mine, which supplied coal to Anchorage and the LaTouche Mining Co. in Prince William Sound. The quality of the coal found in Houston was used extensively by the U.S. Navy up through World War II when the mines shutdown. In the mid-1920s, the Heaven brothers operated a mink farm at mile 59.6. In 1953-54, gravel roads and power lines were extended west of Wasilla, and Houston was quickly settled. In 1998 tests were conducted into the availability quantity and quality of natural gas and found huge deposits of shallow (less than 5000 feet) of coal-bed methane. The wells were capped due to local restrictions and a lack of marketing after discussions of utilizing the gas to sell through Enstar or sell it to MEA for a gas-fired electrical generation plant. MEA had already entered into an agreement to buy all of its power from Chugach Electric Association.
Popular recreation sites include the Little Su Campground, Twin/Long Lake, Cheri Lake, Prator Lake, Loon Lake, Woody Lake, Zero Lake, Bear Paw Lake, and Birch Lake. Thie Pike Derby, sponsored by the houston Chamber of Commerce is held during the winter months and Founder's Day, a community celebration, boasts live entertainment, vendors for food and various wares, activities for kids and a fireworks display. Trails for hiking and ATVs crisscross most of Houston and either lead toward the hatcher's Pass Recreation area or to the trail systems along the Big Su River from Big Lake to Willow most popular in the winter months for dog sledders and snowmachiners. During the Summer months, a water trail is popular in the Nancy Lakes region. There are several community organizations, such as Mid-Valley Seniors, the Homesteaders Community Center, Susitna Rotary, Houston Lions, and the Houston Chamber of Commerce. Elementary students attend Big Lake and Willow schools. The Houston High School and Middle School serves students from the surrounding area.
Residents are employed in the nearby Wasilla/Palmer area; with some commuting to Anchorage and the North Slope. Houston is a popular fishing and recreation center for the Little Susitna River and area lakes and have businesses catering toward hospitality services. Two residents hold commercial fishing permits.
Houston lies on the Parks Highway and the railroad. Air services are available at Anchorage International Airport, for large commercial flights, and Black Spruce Airport (Runways: 1), Gus Landing Airport (Runways: 1), Reids Landing Airport (Runways: 1), Satterbergs Airport (Runways: 1), and Morvro Lake Seaplane Base. The average daily traffic count along the Parks Highway at Houston is 19,000 vehicles as measured by AKDOT&PF.
January temperatures range from -33 to 33; July temperatures range from 42 to 83. The average annual rainfall is 15 inches of precipitation, mostly gained from mid-July through the first-half of September, and 45 inches of snow. Winds are frequently lower than the Palmer/Wasilla area with daily averages ranging from less than 1mph to 6 mph.
60% of residents have individual wells, septic tanks, and complete plumbing. The school uses its own well water system. The remainder haul water and use outhouses. The Borough landfill in Palmer is used.
Houston is a rural-residential community noticing consistent patterns of growth and has experienced recent growing pains as Houston courts businesses to set-up locally. The founders of the city foresaw the growth when they first approved the City of Houston's Comprehensive Plan in 1982 and further amended in 1987, 1999, and 2003 anticipating a day when business districts and neighborhood shopping and convenience stores would be needed and made provisions for it in the Comprehensive Plan. Houston is rapidly approaching that day. With the projected growth in Houston and in the adjacent outlying unincorporated areas, Houston is actively pursuing alternative sources of revenue to ensure Houston is able to provide those services its residents need without raising property taxes. Some of the younger families are fully supportive of the city's efforts of preparing for growth while others wish to continue living their rural-residential lifestyle. While there is plenty of room to spare for people to build their homes and businesses, the infrastructure has not been able to keep up with the pace. So watch for increased efforts from city staff to meet the needs of the residents of Houston."