The Island has been inhabited for the past 8,000 years. The first non-Native contacts were in 1763, by the Russian Stephen Glotov, and in 1792 by Alexander Baranov, a Russian fur trapper. Sea otter pelts were the primary incentive for Russian exploration, and a settlement was established at Chiniak Bay, the site of present-day Kodiak. At that time, there were over 6,500 Sugpiaqs (Koniags) in the area and the Island was called "Kikhtak." It later was known as "Kadiak," the Inuit word for island. Kodiak became the first capital of Russian Alaska, and Russian colonization had a devastating effect on the local Native population. By the time Alaska became a U.S. Territory in 1867, the Koniag region Eskimos had almost disappeared as a viable culture. Alutiiq (Russian-Aleut) is the present-day Native language. Sea otter fur harvesting was the major commercial enterprise, and eventually led to the near extinction of the species. However, in 1882 a fish cannery opened at the Karluk spit. This sparked the development of commercial fishing in the area. The City of Kodiak was incorporated in 1940. During the Aleutian Campaign of World War II, the Navy and the Army built bases on the Island. Fort Abercrombie was constructed in 1939, and later became the first secret radar installation in Alaska. Development continued, and the 1960s brought growth in commercial fisheries and fish processing. The 1964 earthquake and subsequent tidal wave virtually leveled downtown Kodiak. The fishing fleet, processing plant, canneries, and 158 homes were destroyed - $30 million in damage. The infrastructure was rebuilt, and by 1968, Kodiak had become the largest fishing port in the U.S., in terms of dollar value. The Magnusson Act in 1976 extended the U.S. jurisdiction of marine resources to 200 miles offshore, which reduced competition from the foreign fleet, and over time, allowed Kodiak to develop a groundfish processing industry.

The Kodiak economy is based on fishing, seafood processing, retail services and government. Adaptability and diversification in a variety of fisheries has enabled the Kodiak economy to develop and stabilize. In 1998, Kodiak was the nation's third highest port in seafood volume and value, with 358 million pounds of seafood landed, at a value of $79.7 million. 649 area residents hold commercial fishing permits, and thirteen fish processing companies operate here year-round. The largest processors include International Seafoods, Trident, Ocean Beauty, North Pacific, and Cook Inlet Processors. The hospital and City also rank among the top employers. The largest U.S. Coast Guard station lies just south of the city. A 27-acre low-Earth orbit launch complex, Kodiak Launch Facility, is under construction 25 miles southwest of Kodiak at Cape Narrow. The $38-million facility will be completed in July 1999, but will launch its first payload in October 1998. A $60 NASA launch will occur in August 2000.

Kodiak is accessible by air and sea. The State-owned Kodiak Airport provides a 7,500' paved runway. Kodiak Municipal Airport offers a 2,475' asphalt airstrip. Three scheduled airlines serve Kodiak with several daily flights, and a number of air taxi services provide flights to other communities on the Island. City-owned seaplane base at Trident Basin and Lilly Lake serve floatplane traffic. The Alaska Marine Highway System operates a ferry service to and from Seward and Homer. Travel time to Homer by ferry is 12 hours. Two boat harbors provide moorage for 600 commercial and transient vessels. Boat launch ramps are also provided. A new $20 million breakwater on Near Island provides another 60 acres of mooring space at St. Herman Harbor; float expansion will begin in 1999. Funds have also been provided to replace the 32-year-old float system at the St. Paul Inner Harbor downtown. Approximately 140 miles of state roads connect island communities on the east side of the island.

Data in this section was provided by the
Alaska Department of Community and Economic Development