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The Kodiak Island Borough, includes the City of Kodiak, seven villages and several remote
camps and lodges. Kodiak Island is famous for huge Kodiak brown bears and world-class sport
fishing. Kodiak is known as Alaska's Emerald Isle, due to the magnificent lush
vegetation that turns green during the summer months.
The native Alutiiq have inhabited the region for hundreds of years. They lived in sod houses
lit by stone oil lamps and hunted with sophisticated harpoons from skin covered kayaks. They
wore waterproof clothing stitched from seal intestines, beach grass, and sinew. Located in
downtown Kodiak, the Alutiig Museum offers one of the largest collections of Eskimo artifacts
in Alaska.
Russian colonization of Kodiak began in the mid-1700s. Traders and merchants came
to the region seeking the highly regarded pelt of the sea otter. Kodiak became the first capital of Russian America and
was a major fur trading center for many years. The most lasting legacy of the Russian era is
the Russian Orthodox religion. To this day, Holy Resurrection Russian Orthodox Church, with its
blue onion shaped domes, is a prominent fixture on the downtown skyline.
During World War II, Kodiak became a major staging area for Allied North Pacific operations.
A submarine base, air station and the Army's Fort Abercrombie were constructed in preperation
for battle with the Japanese.
On March 27, 1964, the massive earthquake which devastated Anchorage and rocked the rest of
Southcentral Alaska, did little damage to Kodiak. However, the quake triggered a series
of tsunamis. The fourth and largest wave crested at 35 feet (10.5 meters) above the average low tide mark.
Coastal residents scurried up nearby Pillar Mountain. Kodiak's waterfront and central
business district were largely destroyed and many coastal villages suffered extensive damage.
Fishing has always been Kodiak's primary industry. The first cannery was built
in 1882. By 1889, 4 more canneries were fully operational. Local records indicate that the
sockeye harvest grew from 1,004,500 fish in 1887 to 4,826,200 in 1901. Ninety-two years later,
in 1993, a record harvest of 39 million salmon were pulled from the 800+ highly productive
salmon streams and rivers in the Kodiak region. The shrimp industry started in the late 1950s.
The shrimp harvest peaked in 1971 at 82.2 million pounds! By the late 1970s, shrimp catches declined significantly. Today, a thriving year-round commercial fishing industry is still the primary economic engine that drives Kodiak. Consistently ranked as one of the top three fishing ports in the US, Kodiak is homeport to more than 1,500 vessels. Naturally, sportfishing is a big draw. Visiting anglers can choose from a menu of fishing experiences; charter boats, fish camps, float trip guides and fly-out wilderness lodges.
Approximately 3,100 of the world famous Kodiak brown bear reside in the region, with many more
inhabiting the Katmai Coast. Exciting half-day, full-day and multi-day bear viewing
excursions are offered by several local float plane operators. Few places in the world
offer as many locales to observe these 800 pound carnivorous mammals.
Population: 6,000
Location: Kodiak is on the north eastern tip of Kodiak Island
Access: Scheduled jet service to Anchorage (55 minutes), state ferry system and local air taxi service is also available.
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