The Talkeetna Airstrip is a historic runway in Talkeetna, Alaska. It is a rectangular area of land, covered by grass and gravel, extending southward along D Street from First Street toward the Susitna River. It is about 1,800 feet (550 m) long and 30 feet (9.1 m) wide, with its northern stretch now lined with private residences and its southern stretch surrounded by public woodlands. The airstrip was created in 1940 as the result of a presidential executive order issued by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1937, which set aside federal land near Talkeetna for aviation-related purposes. It played a major role in the economic development of the community, as air transport was the most reliable method of bringing supplies and travelers into the area.