The History of Healy, Alaska

A Guide to Healy

    Healy lies at the mouth of Healy Creek on the Nenana River, 78 miles southwest of Fairbanks. It is located on a spur road, just north of the entrance to the Denali National Park and Preserve on the George Parks Highway. It lies at approximately 63° 51' N Latitude, 148° 58' W Longitude (Sec. 20, T012S, R007W, Fairbanks Meridian). The community is located in the Nenana Recording District. The area encompasses 45 sq. miles of land and 0 sq. miles of water.

    Healy was developed by the Usibelli Coal Mine in 1918, and has grown to become Alaska's largest coal mining operation. The mine supplies 800,000 tons of coal a year, to Golden Valley Electric, the University of Alaska Fairbanks, the military, and South Korea. The Usibelli Coal Mine began a successful environmental reclamation program in 1971. Dall sheep now graze where there was once a strip mine.

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History and map graphic used with permission from the Alaska Department of Community and Economic Development