Wasilla gained international attention when Sarah Palin, who served as Wasilla's mayor before her election as Governor of Alaska, was chosen by John McCain as his vice-presidential running mate in the 2008 United States presidential election.Wasilla Station was named for the nearby Wasilla Creek. Local miners used the name "Wassila Creek", referring to Wassila, a chief of the Dena'ina. There are two sources cited for the name, one being derived from a Dena'ina word meaning "breath of air" while another stating Dena'ina derived it from the Russian name "Vasili

Wasilla sits in the middle of the Mat-Su valley, surrounded by the Alaska Range, Chugach, and Talkeetna mountains. Wasilla has been the home of all sorts of people over the years. Indians, miners, trappers, traders, hunters, farmers, merchants, and fishermen have all played a role in shaping Wasilla. As the headquarters of the Iditarod, Wasilla has long been a stopping point for mail and goods traveling from the south central coast to the Interior, to the Northern, and to the Western parts of Alaska.