About Kenai
About Kenai Links |
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Kenai, home to 7,500 people today boasts a rich history founded upon a wealth of natural resources. Settled in 1791 by Russian fur traders, the city overlooks the mouth of the Kenai River, commanding a spectacular view of Cook Inlet. With 28.5 square miles of incorporated city land, located between the scenic Kenai Mountains, and the towering Alaska Range across the Inlet, Kenai is the largest city in the Kenai Peninsula Borough. The city offers its services to an additional 25,000 permanent residents of the Central Peninsula area.
Commercial fishing, tourism, and oil-related industries all combine to make Kenai an economically diverse and stable environment for new business and industry.
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Photo by Eric Massey |
Only a few years after the United States purchased Alaska in 1876 the first canneries were built. The Americans began to capitalize upon the large salmon runs that fed the Kenaitze Indians for centuries. The descendants of those early salmon continue to return each summer, providing the community with a vital source of local revenue. Thousands of people are employed to support the operation of a large drift gillnet fleet and the many setnet sites harvesting the salmon.
Tourism and outdoor recreation bring an influx of temporary residents to the city during the months of May through September. The number of visitors grows each year as more people discover the Alaskan wonderland of outdoor recreation. Ninety-three feet about sea level, Kenai’s terrain is forested and level, and is laced with streams and lakes. Easily available are opportunities for fishing, camping, hiking, kayaking, canoeing, skiing, hunting and more. Kenai provides many comfortable amenities and caters to its visitors with the true Alaskan spirit of warmth and welcome.
The large quantities of oil and natural gas located near Kenai provide a stable economic base for the community throughout the year. The city encourages the development of oil and gas recovery and supports the related industries serving these venues.
By virtue of its incomparable surroundings and plentiful natural resources, Kenai offers the conveniences of the city in a uniquely Alaskan climate. Its atmosphere embraces new interests and growth, while maintaining the virtues of an intimate Alaskan community still in touch with its past.
