Soldotna, Alaska | |
|---|---|
 From top left: Joyce K. Carver Memorial Library,Kenai Peninsula Borough Building, aerial view of the City of Soldotna, Central Peninsula Hospital, Soldotna Creek Park, and theKenai Peninsula College. | |
 Seal | |
 Location in Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska | |
| Coordinates:60°29′12″N151°4′31″W / 60.48667°N 151.07528°W /60.48667; -151.07528 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Alaska |
| Borough | Kenai Peninsula |
| Incorporated | July 1967[1] |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Pete Sprague[2] |
| • State senator | Jesse Bjorkman (R) |
| • State rep. | Justin Ruffridge (R) |
| Area | |
• Total | 7.41 sq mi (19.19 km2) |
| • Land | 6.95 sq mi (18.01 km2) |
| • Water | 0.46 sq mi (1.18 km2) |
| Elevation | 105 ft (32 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 4,342 |
| • Density | 624.3/sq mi (241.05/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-9 (Alaska (AKST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-8 (AKDT) |
| ZIP code | 99669 |
| Area code | 907(local exchange prefix: 260, 262) |
| FIPS code | 02-71640 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1414025 |
| Website | www |
Soldotna is a city in theKenai Peninsula Borough in theU.S. state ofAlaska. At the2020 census, the population was 4,342, up from 4,163 in 2010. It is the seat of theKenai Peninsula Borough.
Soldotna is located in theSouthcentral portion of Alaska on the central-western portion of theKenai Peninsula. The city limits span 7 square miles along theKenai River, which empties into theCook Inlet in the nearby city ofKenai. Soldotna is located on the western edge of the vastKenai National Wildlife Refuge, a protected area spanning nearly 2 million acres and home to bears, moose, caribou, sheep, and many fish and bird species.
The city is located at the junction of theSterling Highway and theKenai Spur Highway, which has enabled Soldotna to develop as a service and retail hub for the Central Peninsula as well as for travelers betweenAnchorage andHomer. The Central Peninsula Hospital serves the medical needs of the region's residents and tourists. TheKenai Peninsula College, a branch of theUniversity of Alaska Anchorage, operates the Kenai River Campus in Soldotna. Additionally, the headquarters of the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, the Kenai Peninsula Borough, and theKenai Peninsula Borough School District are located in the city.
In 1947, after World War II, the United States government withdrew a number of townships alongCook Inlet and the lowerKenai River from theKenai National Moose Range, opening up the area to settlement under theHomestead Act. Veterans of the United States armed services were given a 90-day preference over non-veterans in selecting land and filing for property. Also in that year, theSterling Highway right-of-way was cleared of trees fromCooper Landing toKenai. The location of present-day Soldotna was selected as the site for the highway's bridge crossing the Kenai River.
The construction of the Sterling Highway provided a link from the Soldotna area to the outside world. More homesteads were taken and visitors came to fish in the area. TheSoldotna Post Office opened in 1949 and other businesses opened in the next few years.
Oil was discovered in theSwanson River region in 1957, bringing new economic development to the area. In 1960, Soldotna was incorporated as a fourth class city with a population of 332 and an area of 7.4 square miles (4,700 acres). Then seven years later, in 1967, Soldotna was recognized as a first class city.[4]
In 1964, theKenai Peninsula College, theKenai Peninsula Borough government, and the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District were formed.
The city experienced rapid population growth in the 1960s through the 1990s as a result of its location at the intersection of two major highways and due to development of the oil industry on the Kenai Peninsula. As the city and the oil industry have matured, population growth has somewhat slowed, although the city experienced more growth from 2000 to 2010 than during the previous decade. In 2016, it was granted home rule.[5]
Soldotna is located at60°29′12″N151°4′31″W / 60.48667°N 151.07528°W /60.48667; -151.07528 (60.486617, −151.075373),[6] on the banks of theKenai River on theKenai Peninsula of Alaska. It is named after nearby Soldotna Creek. There are multiple theories explaining the origin of the word "Soldotna"; these include the variant "Soldatna", which was the prevalent spelling of the community's name during the 1950s and 1960s.[7]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.4 square miles (19 km2), of which 6.9 square miles (18 km2) of it is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km2) of it (6.34%) is water.
As with much ofSouthcentral Alaska, Soldotna has a moderate dry-summersubarctic climate (Köppen climate classification:Dsc) due to the cool summers, though thediurnal temperature variation is larger than most locations in the region. Winters are snowy, long but not particularly cold, especially considering the latitude, with January featuring a daily average temperature of 13.4 °F (−10.3 °C). There are 46 nights of sub-0 °F (−18 °C) lows annually, and the area lies inUSDA Plant Hardiness Zone 4,[8] indicating an average annual minimum in the −20 to −30 °F (−29 to −34 °C) range. Summers are cool due to the marine influence, with 12 days of 70 °F (21 °C)+ highs annually.
| Climate data for Soldotna 5SSW, Alaska, 1991-2020 normals, 2004-2023 extremes: 180 ft (55 m) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 50 (10) | 46 (8) | 62 (17) | 71 (22) | 77 (25) | 86 (30) | 87 (31) | 84 (29) | 69 (21) | 60 (16) | 49 (9) | 44 (7) | 87 (31) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 39.2 (4.0) | 40.7 (4.8) | 45.5 (7.5) | 57.3 (14.1) | 70.3 (21.3) | 73.3 (22.9) | 76.1 (24.5) | 72.6 (22.6) | 64.2 (17.9) | 54.3 (12.4) | 40.6 (4.8) | 38.7 (3.7) | 78.1 (25.6) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 21.2 (−6.0) | 28.3 (−2.1) | 34.6 (1.4) | 45.9 (7.7) | 56.1 (13.4) | 62.3 (16.8) | 65.5 (18.6) | 63.7 (17.6) | 55.2 (12.9) | 42.4 (5.8) | 28.1 (−2.2) | 23.3 (−4.8) | 43.9 (6.6) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 13.0 (−10.6) | 18.8 (−7.3) | 23.1 (−4.9) | 35.2 (1.8) | 44.2 (6.8) | 51.3 (10.7) | 55.3 (12.9) | 53.2 (11.8) | 45.9 (7.7) | 34.0 (1.1) | 20.1 (−6.6) | 15.7 (−9.1) | 34.2 (1.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 4.8 (−15.1) | 9.4 (−12.6) | 11.5 (−11.4) | 24.4 (−4.2) | 32.3 (0.2) | 40.3 (4.6) | 45.0 (7.2) | 42.6 (5.9) | 36.6 (2.6) | 25.5 (−3.6) | 12.0 (−11.1) | 8.1 (−13.3) | 24.4 (−4.2) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −20.7 (−29.3) | −16.2 (−26.8) | −13.9 (−25.5) | 7.8 (−13.4) | 23.0 (−5.0) | 29.3 (−1.5) | 34.0 (1.1) | 30.3 (−0.9) | 21.7 (−5.7) | 7.7 (−13.5) | −12.7 (−24.8) | −16.9 (−27.2) | −25.5 (−31.9) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −34 (−37) | −31 (−35) | −28 (−33) | −7 (−22) | 19 (−7) | 26 (−3) | 29 (−2) | 27 (−3) | 14 (−10) | −4 (−20) | −22 (−30) | −38 (−39) | −38 (−39) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 1.42 (36) | 1.30 (33) | 0.74 (19) | 0.83 (21) | 0.85 (22) | 1.32 (34) | 2.03 (52) | 2.99 (76) | 3.95 (100) | 2.74 (70) | 1.76 (45) | 1.65 (42) | 21.58 (550) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 11.2 (28) | 14.1 (36) | 6.5 (17) | 1.2 (3.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 2.2 (5.6) | 10.6 (27) | 15.5 (39) | 61.3 (155.6) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 9.7 | 9.1 | 8.1 | 8.9 | 11.4 | 12.2 | 14.4 | 17.2 | 20.8 | 17.0 | 11.5 | 12.3 | 152.6 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) | 8 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 9 | 38 |
| Source 1: NOAA[9] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: XMACIS2 (records, monthly max/mins & 2004-2023 snowfall/days)[10] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 332 | — | |
| 1970 | 1,202 | 262.0% | |
| 1980 | 2,320 | 93.0% | |
| 1990 | 3,482 | 50.1% | |
| 2000 | 3,759 | 8.0% | |
| 2010 | 4,163 | 10.7% | |
| 2020 | 4,342 | 4.3% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[11] | |||
Soldotna first appeared on the 1960 U.S. Census as an unincorporated village. It formally incorporated in 1967.
As of the 2010 US Census,[12] there were 4,163 people residing in 1,720 households in the city. The population density was 563 people per square mile.
The racial makeup of the city was 86 percentWhite, 0.3 percentBlack orAfrican American, 4.3 percentNative American, 1.6 percentAsian, 0.3 percentPacific Islander, 0.8 percent fromother races, and 6.8 percent from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino residents of all races comprised 3.9 percent of the population.
There were 1,720 households, out of which 30.1 percent had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44 percent were married (husband-wife) couples living together, 11.9 percent had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.7 percent were non-families. Of all households, 32 percent were made up of individuals living alone, 9.2 percent of whom were 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 3.02.
The age distribution of the population shows 26 percent under the age of 18 and 13 percent age 65 or older. The median age was 34.6 years.
The 2012[12] estimated median income for a household in the city was $44,805, and the median income for a family was $56,208. Theper capita income for the city was $30,553. About 3 percent of families and 6.1 percent of the population were below thepoverty line, including 2.9 percent of those under age 18 and 8.3 percent of those age 65 or over.
Soldotna is home to theKenai Peninsula College’s (KPC) Kenai River Campus, a division of theUniversity of Alaska Anchorage. The campus sits among 300 wooded acres on Soldotna's west side and includes a library, laboratories, computer labs, a residence hall, and an art gallery. The Kenai River Campus enrolls approximately 2,500 students a semester and offers associate's and bachelor's degrees, certificate programs, and occupational endorsement certificates.[13]
The Amundsen Educational Center is a non-profit educational and vocational training school located on the eastern edge of the city. The AEC offers courses in building construction, office occupations, and medical coding.
Alaska Christian College offers an associate degree in Behavioral Health, Christian Ministry, General Studies, and Paraprofessional Education.[14]
Soldotna schools are administered under the Kenai Peninsula Borough District (KPBSD) school board. Public elementary schools include Soldotna Elementary, Redoubt Elementary, and Kalifornsky Beach Elementary.
Skyview Middle School serves all students in grades 7–8, as well as students from Sterling Elementary and Tustumena Elementary outside the city's boundaries. Students attendSoldotna High School for grades 9–12.
There are also a number of private schools.
The Soldotna Visitor Center, located at the Kenai River Bridge, includes wildlife displays of brown and black bear, dall sheep, bison, wolverines, bald eagles, mountain goats, king crabs, various birds and the world record king salmon. Located near the Soldotna Visitor Center is the Homestead Museum, a collection of early structures including the original Slikok Valley School and examples of homestead cabins. The museum also houses Alaska Native artifacts.
The Joyce K. Carver Memorial Library on Binkley Street was remodeled in 2013, providing media resources to the greater Soldotna community. The library offers six desktop computers and two laptops for public access and free Wi-Fi for anyone with wireless enabled devices.
The Kenai Watershed Forum (KWF) is a non-profit organization located in the historic Ralph Soberg House inside Soldotna Creek Park. The KWF works to maintain the health of the watersheds on the Kenai Peninsula. Its programs include Stream Watch, which trains volunteers to protect the Russian and Kenai Rivers; a summer camp for 6-12 year olds; and environmental restoration projects ranging from invasive plant remediation to riverbed reconstruction to culvert reconfiguration/replacement.
TheKenai National Wildlife Refuge consists of 1.92 million acres in a variety of ecosystems including ice fields and glaciers, mountain tundra, northern boreal forests, and lakes, wetlands and rivers. The Chickaloon River Flats remains the last pristine major saltwater estuary on the Kenai Peninsula and attracts thousands of migratory waterfowl and shorebirds annually.[15] The Refuge is also home to brown and black bears, dall sheep, moose, and caribou. The Kenai National Wildlife Refuge Visitor's Center is located on Ski Hill Road close to the intersection of Funny River Road and the Sterling Highway.
TheSterling Highway runs through and connects the eastern and central portions of the city. Its intersection with the start of theKenai Spur Highway, widely known as the "Soldotna Y" due to its previous Y-shaped configuration, is a local landmark. The Kenai Spur Highway connects neighborhoods in the north-central portion of the city to other parts of Soldotna, adjoiningRidgeway and beyond toKenai,Salamatof andNikiski, ending alongCook Inlet at the Captain Cook State Recreation Area.
The western portions of Soldotna are connected by local roads (east of theKenai River) and Kalifornsky Beach Road (west of the river). "K-Beach" Road, as it is often known, is a loop to the west of the Sterling Highway. At its northern end, it straddles the southernmost portions of city limits (including Kenai Peninsula College and theSoldotna Sports Center) and adjoiningKalifornsky. Continuing past city limits, K-Beach provides an alternate access to Kenai along the south side of the Kenai River via the Warren Ames Memorial Bridge, the last road crossing downriver, then continues west and south, returning to the Sterling Highway atKasilof. Funny River Road continues eastbound from the northern terminus of K-Beach Road, connecting the Sterling Highway with Soldotna Airport (see below),Kenai National Wildlife Refuge headquarters andFunny River.
Almost all of the city's commercial districts are arrayed along these roads. Interior arterial and collector streets, such as Binkley and Kobuk streets and Marydale and Redoubt avenues, primarily provide access either to residential areas or to community facilities such as the borough building, the post office, Central Peninsula Hospital andSoldotna High School
Soldotna Airport (FAALID andIATA: SXQ,ICAO: PASX) is a city-owned, public useairport located in the southeastern corner of city limits, across the Kenai River from the city center.[16] Primary access to the airport is from Funny River Road, a short distance east of its intersection with the Sterling Highway.
Two plane crashes associated with operations at the airport, one on February 4, 1985, involving a commuter flight from Anchorage andone on July 7, 2013, involving an air taxi flight, resulted in the deaths of all on-board (nine and ten fatalities, respectively).
Public transit is offered through CARTS (Central Area Rural Transit System),[17] an on-demand shuttle system serving the communities of Kenai, Soldotna, Funny River, Kasilof, Nikiski, and Sterling. CARTS does not operate like a conventional "city bus". there are no fixed routes, bus stops, or flagstops. Riders must arrange pickup by phone the day before.
The City of Soldotna operates eleven recreational parks and a memorial park:
Additionally, the city owns Arc Lake, located on the Sterling Highway just south of the city limits.
Tsalteshi Trails are located just south of Soldotna with two trailheads; behind Skyview Middle School and across from the Soldotna Sports Center on Kalifornsky Beach Road. The trail system contains over 25 kilometers (16 miles) of trails groomed for cross country skiing in the winter and open for hikers, runners, mountain bikers and leashed dogs when there is no snow.
TheSoldotna Regional Sports Complex is home to theKenai River Brown Bears, aTier II junior hockey team that plays in theNorth American Hockey League.
Les Anderson, at the time the owner of Soldotna'sFord dealership, holds the record for the largestking salmon, caught here on May 17, 1985, and weighing in at 97 lb 4 oz.[18][19] The record-setting fish is on display at the Soldotna Visitor Center.[20][21]
Fish counts are determined by sonar fish counters.[22] They are rough estimates based on averages over a prolonged period. For 2012, king salmon were estimated at 5,173, whilered salmon were estimated at 1,581,555.
In addition to the city government offices, Soldotna is home to theKenai Peninsula Borough administration and the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District administration. TheDonald E. Gilman River Center is a multi-agency permitting, information and education center on Funny River Road near the Soldotna municipal airport. The Center houses staff from the Alaska State Parks agency, the Kenai Peninsula Borough (including the habitat protection, floodplain management, and coastal district programs), theAlaska Department of Fish and Game, and the Kenai Watershed Forum.
Electricity is supplied by theconsumer-ownedSoldotna Generation Plant, operating a 40MW General Electric LM6000natural gas turbine. The local grid isislanded after the 2019Swan Lake Fire.[23] A 46 MW two-hourgrid battery startedgrid stability andpeak power[24][25] in January 2022.[23]
The Central Peninsula Hospital is the largest medical facility on the peninsula[26] with 49 beds, an emergency care facility, and specialties including family medicine, ear-nose-throat, birthing center, general surgery, neurology, OB/GYN, oncology, ophthalmology, orthopedics, pathology, pediatrics, podiatry, psychiatry and radiology.
Many smaller healthcare providers and healthcare-related businesses have located in Soldotna to take advantage of proximity to the Central Peninsula hospital.
Tourism on the Kenai Peninsula revolves heavily around outdoor activities, including fishing, hunting, hiking, camping, and canoeing/rafting. Soldotna provides several city-owned, public access parks along the Kenai River. The river contains all five Pacific salmon species, as well as other salmonids such as Dolly Varden and rainbow trout. Soldotna is also in close proximity to theKenai National Wildlife Refuge, Tsalteshi Trails, and various waterways (theKenai andKasilof Rivers, Soldotna and Slikok Creeks, andSkilak andTustumena Lakes). The Kenai River was selected by CNN Travel as one of the "World's 15 Best Rivers for Travelers," due to its fishing and hunting opportunities.[27]
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