The Mat-Su Valley is actually two Valleys - the Matanuska Valley and the Susitna Valley, thus, Mat-Su. Thousands of years ago, glaciers carved the region into two Valleys. It is nestled between the Chugach Mountains, the Talkeetna Mountains and the Alaska Range. The Mat-Su Valley begins just 35 miles north of Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city and encompasses 23,000 square miles, stretching to Lake Louise along the Glenn Highway and Denali State Park along the Parks Highway.  ​ The Games will mostly take place in the two largest cities, Palmer and Wasilla. Just an hour north of Anchorage, the two cities are separated by 10 miles and serve as a major hub of commerce, tourism and recreation.