Kodiak (Alutiiq: ; ) is the main city and one of seven communities on Kodiak Island in Kodiak Island Borough, Alaska. All commercial transportation between the island's communities and the outside world goes through this city via ferryboat or airline. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 5,581, down from 6,130 in 2010. It is the tenth-largest city in Alaska.
Inhabited by Alutiiq Natives for more than 7,000 years, Kodiak was settled in 1792 by subjects of the Russian crown. Originally named Paul's Harbor, it was the capital of Russian Alaska. Russian harvesting of the area's sea otter pelts led to the near extinction of the animal in the following century and led to wars with and enslavement of the natives for over 150 years. The city has experienced two natural disasters in the 20th century: a volcanic ashfall from the 1912 eruption of Novarupta and a tsunami from the 1964 Alaska earthquake. Since the earthquake, Kodiak has been the headquarters of the Native Village of Afognak, an Alutiiq federally recognized Alaska Native tribe.
After the Alaska Purchase by the United States in 1867, Kodiak became a commercial fishing center which continues to be the mainstay of its economy. A lesser economic influence includes tourism, mainly by those seeking outdoor adventure trips. Salmon, halibut, the unique Kodiak bear, elk, Sitka deer (black tail), and mountain goats attract hunting tourists as well as fishermen to the Kodiak Archipelago. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game maintains an office in the city and a website to help hunters and fishermen obtain the proper permits and learn about the laws specific to the Kodiak area.
The city has four public elementary schools, a middle and high school, as well as a branch of the University of Alaska. An antenna farm at the summit of Pillar Mountain above the city historically provided communication with the outside world before fiber optic cable was run. Transportation to and from the island is provided by ferry service on the Alaska Marine Highway as well as local commercial airlines.
History Indigenous people Archaeological evidence suggests that the Kodiak Archipelago has been home to the Alutiiq for at least 7,000 years.The Alutiiq Ethnography Bibliography – Rachel Mason In their language, qikertaq means "island".
Russian control: 1700s–1867
The first Europeans to sight Kodiak Island were the explorers Vitus Bering and Aleksei Chirikov, during the 1741 Second Kamchatka Expedition. In the early 1750s the Russian fur trading merchant and explorer Stepan Glotov met a Kodiak Islander in the Aleutian Islands, who told him about the island. On his next voyage Glotov sailed to Kodiak Island, arriving in 1763. The Russians called the island Kad’yak (), after the Alutiiq word qikertaq. Several other Russians made fur hunting voyages to Kodiak Island in the 1770s. In 1778 the British captain James Cook explored the area and wrote of "Kodiak" in his journals. In 1779 the Spanish explorers Arteaga y Bazán and Bodega y Quadra reached Afognak in the Kodiak Archipelago.
In 1792, the Russian Shelikhov-Golikov Company chief manager Alexander Baranov moved the post at Three Saints Bay (established in 1784) to a new site in St. Paul's Harbor (, Svyato-Pavlovskoy Gavani). This developed as the nucleus of modern Kodiak.Khlebnikov, K.T., 1973, Baranov, Chief Manager of the Russian Colonies in America, Kingston: The Limestone Press, Baranov considered Three Saints Bay a poor location because it was too indefensible. The relocated settlement was first named Pavlovskaya Gavan ( – Paul's Harbor).
A warehouse was built in what became one of the key posts of the Shelikhov-Golikov Company, a precursor of the Russian-American Company and a center for harvesting the area's vast population of sea otters for their prized pelts. The warehouse still stands as the Baranov Museum. Because the First Native cultures revered this animal and would never harm it, the Russians had wars with and enslaved the Aleuts during this era.
Eastern Orthodox missionaries settled on the island by the end of the 18th century, continuing European settlement of the island. They held the liturgy in native Tlingit from 1800.
The capital of Russian America was moved to Novoarkhangelsk (modern-day Sitka) in 1804. The Russian-American Company was established in 1799 as a joint-stock company by decree of Emperor Paul to continue the harvest of sea otter and other fur-bearing animals and establish permanent settlements. By the mid-19th century, the sea otter was almost extinct and 85% of the First Native population had disappeared from exposure to European diseases.
American control: 1867–present When Russia sold Alaska to the United States in 1867, Kodiak developed as a center for commercial fishing, and canneries dotted the island in the early 20th century until global farm-raised salmon eliminated these businesses. New processing centers emerged and the industry continues to evolve.
Kodiak was severely impacted by the 1912 eruption of Novarupta. Though situated southeast of the eruption center, the town was covered with of ash over a short period of time. Townspeople sheltered in the U.S. Revenue Cutter Manning which was docked nearby.
As Kodiak was incorporated in 1941, the U.S. feared attack from Japanese during World War II, and turned the town into a fortress. Roads, the airport, Fort Abercrombie, and gun fortifications improved the island's infrastructure. When Alaska became a state in 1959, government assistance in housing, transportation, and education added additional benefits.
In March 1964, a tectonic tsunami struck the city during the 1964 Alaska earthquake with waves that killed 15 people and caused $11 million in damage. Some areas near Kodiak were permanently raised by . It wiped out the neighboring Native villages of Old Harbor and Kaguyak. The Standard Oil Company, the Alaskan King Crab Company, and much of the fishing fleet were also destroyed. l
Geography Kodiak is located on the eastern shore of Kodiak Island. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , divided into of land and (28.66%) of water.
Climate Kodiak has a humid continental climate (Dfb) with cold winters and mild summers. Precipitation is heavy year-round, though markedly less in the summer months, when the Aleutian Low is at its weakest. There is a low degree of diurnal temperature variation throughout the year.
Notes
Demographics
Kodiak first appeared on the 1880 U.S. Census as the village of Saint Paul (not to be confused with the city of St. Paul located in the Pribilof Islands). It reported a population of 288, of which 253 were Alaskan Creoles (a mixture of Russian and Native Alaskans), 20 Whites and 15 Aleuts. In 1890, it would report as "Kadiak" (the then-spelling). In 1900, it returned as "Kadiak Settlement." From 1910 onwards, it reported as Kodiak, and would formally incorporate in 1940.
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Kodiak had a population of 5,581. The median age was 38.8 years. 21.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 14.1% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 108.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 106.6 males age 18 and over.
95.2% of residents lived in urban areas, while 4.8% lived in rural areas.
There were 1,951 households in Kodiak, of which 34.4% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 39.9% were married-couple households, 24.2% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 28.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 2,272 housing units, of which 14.1% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 14.3%.
+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percent White 1,875 33.6% Black or African American 33 0.6% American Indian and Alaska Native 608 10.9% Asian 2,302 41.2% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 62 1.1% Some other race 195 3.5% Two or more races 506 9.1% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 491 8.8%
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 6,334 people, 1,996 households, and 1,361 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 2,255 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 46.4% White, 0.7% African American, 10.5% Native American, 31.7% Asian, 0.9% Pacific Islander, 4.4% from other races, and 5.4% from two or more races. 8.5% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 1,996 households, out of which 40.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.1% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 31.8% were non-families. 24.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.10 and the average family size was 3.64.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 29.1% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 32.2% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 6.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 114.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 120.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $55,142, and the median income for a family was $60,484. Males had a median income of $37,074 versus $30,049 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,522. 7.4% of the population and 3.7% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 8.4% were under the age of 18 and 0.0% were 65 or older.
Kodiak is also home for a sizable community of Russian Orthodox Old Believers.
Government
Kodiak is the headquarters of four federally recognized Alaska Native tribes: the Native Village of Afognak, Native Village of Akhiok, Sun'aq Tribe of Kodiak, and the Tangirnaq Native Village.
Economy Among the companies based in Kodiak is Koniag, Incorporated.
Alaska Department of Fish and Game Kodiak is an important environmental asset, which affects the fishing industry, particularly salmon fishing. Its wild game is coveted by hunters worldwide for the Kodiak bear and other game animals; there are strict laws governing fishing and hunting activities as well as hiking near spawning streams. Both the department and the city maintain websites and publish brochures in order to help communicate these strictly enforced laws. All of the city's hotels and businesses have these materials in prominent areas for guests, and licenses can be purchased in the city's main sporting goods store and online.
Military installations The United States Navy operates a small training base near the city called Naval Special Warfare Cold Weather Detachment Kodiak which trains United States Navy SEALs in cold weather survival and advanced tactics.
The United States Coast Guard has a major presence in Kodiak, Alaska. USCG SUPRTCN Kodiak - U.S. Coast Guard Support Center Kodiak USCG Air Station Kodiak
USCGC Cypress USCGC Earl Cunningham (Formerly) (Formerly) Aids to Navigation Team Kodiak Communication Detachment Kodiak North Pacific Regional Fisheries Training Center (NPRFTC) Marine Safety Detachment Kodiak Naval Engineering Support Unit (NESU) Detachment Kodiak Electronic Systems Support Detachment Kodiak (ESD)
Community events