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Kenai, Alaska
Kenai is a city of 7,641 people in Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska, founded in May 10, 1960.
Why visit Kenai
Townapedia lists 2 museums and landmarks, 10 parks and trails, 10 places to eat, 10 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include The Kambe, Kenai Historical Society and Kenai Golf Course.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 63°F; January lows average 7°F.
Weather in Kenai
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Kenai
Kenai (, KEE-ny; Dena'ina: Shk'ituk't; Russian: Кенай, romanized: Kenay) is a city in the Kenai Peninsula Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. By road, it is 158 miles southwest of Anchorage. The population was 7,424 as of the 2020 census, up from 7,100 in 2010, the seventh-most populated city in the state.
From the Wikipedia article Kenai, Alaska (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks2
Parks, trails and playgrounds10
Restaurants and cafes10
History
The city of Kenai is named after the local Dena'ina word 'ken' or 'kena', which means 'flat, meadow, open area with few trees; base, low ridge', according to the Dena'ina Topical Dictionary by James Kari, Ph.D., published in 2007. This describes the area along the mouth and portion of the Kenai River near the City of Kenai. Archaeological evidence suggests that the area was first occupied by the Kachemak people from 1000 B.C., until they were displaced by the Dena'ina Athabaskan people around 1000 A.D. Before the arrival of the Russians, Kenai was a Dena'ina village called Shk'ituk't, meaning "where we slide down." When Russian fur traders first arrived in 1741, about 1,000 Dena'ina lived in the village. The traders called the people "Kenaitze", which is a Russian term for "people of the flats", or "Kenai people". This name was later adopted when they were incorporated as the Kenaitze Alaskan Natives in the early 1970s.
From the History section of Kenai, Alaska on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay10
Churches and places of worship3
Holy Assumption of the Virgin Mary Russian Orthodox Church
Church · Orthodox · 2.0 mi
1105 Mission Avenue, Kenai
Holy Assumption of the Virgin Mary Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 2.0 mi
Our Lady of the Angels Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 2.0 mi
225 South Spruce Street, Kenai
Shopping5
Gas and EV charging3
Schools, colleges and libraries10
Healthcare1
Peninsula Community Health Services
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.7 mi
805 Frontage Road
Map of Kenai
55 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 22°F | 7°F | 0.9 in |
| Feb | 28°F | 12°F | 0.8 in |
| Mar | 33°F | 14°F | 0.6 in |
| Apr | 44°F | 28°F | 0.6 in |
| May | 54°F | 36°F | 0.8 in |
| Jun | 60°F | 44°F | 1.2 in |
| Jul | 63°F | 49°F | 2.0 in |
| Aug | 63°F | 47°F | 2.7 in |
| Sep | 56°F | 40°F | 3.6 in |
| Oct | 43°F | 29°F | 2.6 in |
| Nov | 30°F | 16°F | 1.4 in |
| Dec | 25°F | 11°F | 1.1 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Kenai Muni Ap 70259 (2 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Kenai Peninsula Borough has had 17 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2022-07-26: Landslide (Mud/Landslide)
- 2022-01-15: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2020-04-09: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2019-01-31: Earthquake (Earthquake)
- 2018-11-30: Earthquake (Earthquake)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Kenai Municipal Airport (ENA) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 1 miles away.
- Salamatof 5 mi northwest, about 8 min by car
- Ridgeway 6 mi east, about 9 min by car
- Kalifornsky 7 mi south, about 12 min by car
- Soldotna 7 mi southeast, about 11 min by car
- Nikiski 11 mi north, about 18 min by car
- Sterling 14 mi east, about 22 min by car
- Funny River 15 mi east, about 25 min by car
- Kasilof 17 mi south, about 27 min by car
- Cohoe 23 mi south, about 38 min by car
- Ninilchik 35 mi south, about 57 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Kenai Airport - panoramio, palm_ak, CC BY 3.0
- Kenai city - panoramio - Stefan Aßmann, Stefan Aßmann, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Kenai city - panoramio, Stefan Aßmann, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Kenai city - panoramio (cropped), Stefan Aßmann, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Nave Iconostas Holy Assumption Russian Orthodox Church Kenai (Alaska), Jet Lowe, Public domain
- Eglise orthodoxe de kenai alaska, tifoultoute, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Holy Assumption Russian Orthodox Church in Kenai, Alaska, Jet Lowe, Public domain
- Saint Nicholas Memorial Chapel, Old Town Kenai, Alaska, Joseph from Cabin On The Road, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Cannery in Kenai (3768202556), Joseph from Cabin On The Road, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Cannery in Kenai (3767404105), Joseph from Cabin On The Road, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Kenai Dip Nets (3768200464), Joseph from Cabin On The Road, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Kenai Church, Burntorange72 at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Dallia pectoralis 49070599, Matt Bowser, CC BY 4.0
- Swan Lake Fire in Alaska 2019 (51761326917), Forest Service - Northern Region, Public domain
- Fuel Plane (3768201568), Joseph from Cabin On The Road, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- N491AK (44640809105), Jeroen Stroes Aviation Photography from Netherlands, CC BY 2.0
- Lypoglossa angularis, Pekka Malinen, CC BY 4.0
- Savannah Sparrow (42707055574), Becky Matsubara from El Sobrante, California, CC BY 2.0
- Holy Assumption of the Virgin Mary (6142778777), Brian from California Coast, United States, CC BY 2.0
- Interior Holy Assumption Russian Orthodox Church, Jet Lowe, Public domain
- Russian Orthodox Church, Alaska, Pinakin Shah, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Wildwood Correctional Facility, UnexpectedValues, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Salvelinus malma 145737043, Matt Muir, CC BY 4.0
- Combat Fishing (3767399641), Joseph from Cabin On The Road, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
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