Sterling, Alaska
Sterling is a community of 6,323 people in Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska.
Why visit Sterling
Townapedia lists 1 museum or landmark, 1 park or trail, 6 places to eat and 9 places to stay in and around town.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 66°F; January lows average 8°F.
Weather in Sterling
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Sterling
Sterling is a census-designated place (CDP) in Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska, United States. At the 2020 census the population was 5,918, up from 5,617 in 2010. Sterling is the tenth-most populated CDP in Alaska.
From the Wikipedia article Sterling, Alaska (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks1
Parks, trails and playgrounds1
Restaurants and cafes6
Bluebird Cafe
Cafe · American · 1.1 mi
38515 Barbara Street
Th-Sa 08:00-20:30; Su-Mo 08:00-16:00
Where to stay9
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History
The town now known as Sterling was originally called "Naptowne" when it was first opened for settlement in 1947. However, the area—which had a few homesteaders by then—acquired a post office in 1954 which was given the designation of "Sterling" after the Sterling Highway that served the area.
An archaeological site, containing prehistoric Dena'ina house pits, has been discovered near Sterling, showing that the area was inhabited in prehistoric times.
The main industries around Sterling today are support for tourism and sport fishing and hunting.
From the History section of Sterling, Alaska on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship2
Shopping3
Gas and EV charging3
Schools, colleges and libraries2
Healthcare1
Map of Sterling
28 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 22°F | 8°F | 1.3 in |
| Feb | 28°F | 12°F | 1.8 in |
| Mar | 33°F | 15°F | 0.9 in |
| Apr | 46°F | 28°F | 0.9 in |
| May | 56°F | 35°F | 1.0 in |
| Jun | 63°F | 44°F | 1.7 in |
| Jul | 66°F | 49°F | 2.4 in |
| Aug | 64°F | 47°F | 3.2 in |
| Sep | 54°F | 40°F | 3.5 in |
| Oct | 42°F | 28°F | 2.8 in |
| Nov | 28°F | 15°F | 1.8 in |
| Dec | 23°F | 10°F | 1.8 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Sterling 6Sw (5 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
Soldotna Airport (SXQ) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 9 miles away.
- Funny River 4 mi south, about 6 min by car
- Ridgeway 8 mi west, about 13 min by car
- Soldotna 9 mi southwest, about 15 min by car
- Kenai 14 mi west, about 22 min by car
- Kalifornsky 15 mi west, about 24 min by car
- Salamatof 18 mi west, about 29 min by car
- Nikiski 19 mi northwest, about 31 min by car
- Kasilof 21 mi southwest, about 34 min by car
- Cohoe 27 mi southwest, about 44 min by car
- Ninilchik 39 mi southwest, about 1 h 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
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- UAM100246325 Reesa vespulae dorsal, University of Alaska Museum, CC BY 3.0
- Salix myrtillifolia, mbowser, CC BY 4.0
- Firefighters conducting burn out opertion in masticated fuelbreak (14379627669), USFWSAlaska, Public domain
- Funny River Fire Recovery 2015 (17871548362), USFWSAlaska, Public domain
- Funny River Fire Recovery 2015 (17875015721), USFWSAlaska, Public domain
- Funny River Fire Recovery 2015 (17686957560), USFWSAlaska, Public domain
- Funny River Fire Recovery 2015 (17686685318), USFWSAlaska, Public domain
- Funny River Fire Recovery 2015 (17686959920), USFWSAlaska, Public domain
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