Find North Lakes Genealogy Records
Searching genealogy records for North Lakes, Alaska puts you in the lakes area of Matanuska-Susitna Borough, a region that grew quickly during the second half of the twentieth century as families moved into the Mat-Su Valley. Vital records, probate files, naturalization documents, and land records for North Lakes residents are held through state and federal repositories. The nearby historical societies in Wasilla and Palmer also serve this area and can help with local research questions that go beyond what you can find in online databases.
North Lakes Overview
FamilySearch and Mat-Su Borough Collections
The FamilySearch Matanuska-Susitna Borough genealogy guide is the best starting point for North Lakes research. North Lakes is a census-designated place in the lakes area of Mat-Su Borough, and its records fall under the broader borough and territorial precinct collections. FamilySearch has digitized a large share of Mat-Su records as part of its partnership with the Alaska State Archives, producing 1.1 million scanned documents covering statewide records from 1816 to 1998.
For the North Lakes area, key record sets include vital records through the Alaska Bureau of Vital Statistics, property records through the Matanuska-Susitna Borough Assessor, cemetery records indexed at Find a Grave and BillionGraves, and school records through the Mat-Su Borough School District. Federal census records track population in the lakes area across multiple census years and list all household members by name and age, which helps you build family connections across generations.
The borough's population grew from 5,188 in 1960 to 88,995 in 2010. Much of that growth happened in areas like the North Lakes community. That rapid development means many families arrived in the 1970s and 1980s, so genealogy research here often spans both Alaska and the lower 48 states. You may need to trace a family's out-of-state origins to fully understand their Alaska story.
North Lakes Area Historical Resources
The lakes area of Mat-Su Borough is served by the historical societies in Wasilla and Palmer, both of which are close by. The Wasilla-Knik Historical Society at 300 N Boundary Street, Wasilla, AK 99654 (phone 907-376-7755; email knikmuseum@gmail.com) holds photographs, documents, and artifacts that cover the broader Wasilla and Knik area. Research assistance is available by appointment. Their collections focus on Alaska Railroad history and agricultural development, which shaped the communities surrounding North Lakes.
The Wasilla area provides context for North Lakes history in the Mat-Su Valley lakes region. See alaska.org/destination/wasilla for background on the Wasilla lakes area community.
The Palmer Historical Society in Palmer, the Mat-Su Borough seat, is another resource for this area. Palmer is about 30 minutes from North Lakes and has been the center of borough record-keeping since Mat-Su Borough was created in 1964. If you need to visit in person for older records, Palmer is the place to go. The Matanuska-Susitna Borough offices, superior court, and local historical resources are all there.
Matanuska-Susitna Borough administers records for the entire Mat-Su Valley region. See matsugov.us for assessor, planning, and public records access.
Vital Records: Births, Deaths, Marriages, Divorces
Certified copies of vital records for North Lakes residents are ordered through the Alaska Bureau of Vital Statistics. Orders can be placed in person at the Anchorage office at 3601 C Street, Suite 128, or online through VitalChek at health.alaska.gov. Alaska handles all vital records centrally at the state level. There is no local North Lakes office that issues certified copies.
Alaska Statute 18.50.290 closes birth records for 100 years from the date of birth. Alaska Statute 18.50.300 restricts death, marriage, and divorce records for 50 years from the event date. Birth records from before 1926 and other vital records from before 1976 are now fully open to the public. The Alaska State Archives holds Vital Statistics records from 1816 to 1998 as part of the FamilySearch partnership digitization project. A first certified copy costs $30, and each additional copy costs $25.
Alaska State Archives Records
The Alaska State Archives in Juneau holds records that cover the North Lakes area as part of the broader Matanuska-Susitna collection. Naturalization records from 1888 to 1972 are available as a downloadable name index. The statewide Probate Index from 1883 to 1960 holds about 17,000 cases and includes Mat-Su area estates. Vital Statistics from 1816 to 1998 contain birth, marriage, and death records for the area. Military Service Discharge Records from 1898 to 1934 include veterans who lived in this part of the valley.
Other collections at the archives include Teacher Records from 1917 to 1959, a Pioneer Home Residents index from 1913 to 1980, and a World War I Veterans index covering Alaska territory residents who served between April 1917 and November 1918. A Research Inquiry Form is available for specific record requests. Archives staff will search their holdings and respond by mail or email, which is useful if you cannot travel to Juneau. Plan to allow several weeks for a response during busy periods.
Alaska's Digital Archives at vilda.alaska.edu provides free online access to historical photographs, maps, and documents from archives and museums statewide. Searching by community name or geographic feature can surface early images and documents that help place ancestors in the North Lakes area during different time periods.
Probate and Court Records
For probate cases involving North Lakes residents, the starting point is the statewide Probate Index at the Alaska State Archives, which covers 1883 to 1960. That index is downloadable as a spreadsheet. For cases filed after 1960, the Matanuska-Susitna Superior Court in Palmer handles probate for the borough. Probate files are especially useful in genealogy research because they name heirs, creditors, and family members. Even when vital records are incomplete, a probate file can confirm relationships and key dates.
Federal records for the North Lakes area are held at the National Archives at Seattle. This includes federal court records, census records, and naturalization documents. Naturalization records from 1888 to 1972 are also available at FamilySearch, and a downloadable name index is available from the Alaska State Archives. Military discharge records from 1898 to 1934 are indexed at the archives as well.
Note: Because North Lakes is a relatively newer community, most probate and court records for residents here will date from the 1960s onward and require contacting the Mat-Su Superior Court in Palmer directly.
Land and Property Records
Property records for North Lakes are maintained through the Matanuska-Susitna Borough Assessor. Current and recent records are searchable online through the borough's website. For older land records and historical deed searches, the Alaska Department of Natural Resources ALRIS system provides free online access to deeds, mortgages, and other recorded property documents going back several decades.
Federal land patents and deed records from 1906 to 1975 are available through Ancestry. Bureau of Land Management records hold homestead claims for the Mat-Su Valley area, and the National Archives at Seattle holds additional federal land records. For families who settled in North Lakes through homestead claims or early land purchases in the mid-twentieth century, these federal records can help document when and how they acquired land in the area.
Cemetery and Census Records
Cemetery records for North Lakes and surrounding Mat-Su communities are available through Find a Grave and BillionGraves, which have indexed a significant number of Alaska cemeteries. These databases are free to search and can confirm burial locations, death dates, and family relationships. For burials in smaller community cemeteries that have not been transcribed online, contact the Wasilla-Knik Historical Society or the Mat-Su Borough for local cemetery information.
Federal census records are available from 1900 onward and cover the Mat-Su Valley area. The North Lakes community as a distinct place appears in later census records, so you may need to search under broader geographic descriptions for early residents. The 1940 census, now fully released, is a good starting point for families who were in the valley during that decade. Records through the 1990 census are available for research with appropriate restrictions.
Matanuska-Susitna Borough Records
North Lakes is located within Matanuska-Susitna Borough. All borough-level genealogy records, including courthouse details, FamilySearch collections, and state archive resources for the broader Mat-Su Valley, are covered on the borough page.
Cities in Matanuska-Susitna Borough
These qualifying cities in Mat-Su Borough have dedicated genealogy pages on this site: