Soldotna, Alaska
|
|
Soldotna is a city located in Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city is 3,759. It is the seat of the Kenai Peninsula Borough.
| Contents |
Geography
AKMap-doton-Soldotna.PNG
Location of Soldotna, Alaska
Soldotna is located at 60°29'12" North, 151°4'31" West (60.486617, -151.075373)Template:GR.
Soldotna is located on the banks of the Kenai River on the Kenai Peninsula of Alaska. It is named after nearby Soldotna Creek. There are three explanations of the origin of the word Soldotna: one, that it is derived from soldat, the Russian word for soldier; two, that it is derived from a Athabaskan word for "stream fork" and three, that it is derived from Tseldatna, the Athabaskan name of an herb.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 19.2 km² (7.4 mi²). 18.0 km² (6.9 mi²) of it is land and 1.2 km² (0.5 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 6.34% water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 3,759 people, 1,465 households, and 969 families residing in the city. The population density is 209.1/km² (541.9/mi²). There are 1,670 housing units at an average density of 92.9/km² (240.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 88.06% White, 0.29% Black or African American, 4.97% Native American, 1.73% Asian, 0.37% Pacific Islander, 1.28% from other races, and 3.30% from two or more races. 3.22% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 1,465 households out of which 39.4% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.5% are married couples living together, 13.7% have a female householder with no husband present, and 33.8% are non-families. 29.4% of all households are made up of individuals and 8.7% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.53 and the average family size is 3.13.
In the city the population is spread out with 31.5% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 9.8% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 35 years. For every 100 females there are 90.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 82.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $48,420, and the median income for a family is $52,372. Males have a median income of $43,162 versus $24,598 for females. The per capita income for the city is $21,740. 6.6% of the population and 5.8% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 8.5% of those under the age of 18 and 2.6% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
History
In 1947, after World War II, United States government allowed settling of land on parts of the Kenai Peninsula under the Homestead 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, the Sterling Highway right-of-way was cleared of trees from Cooper Landing to Kenai. 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. The Soldotna post office opened in 1949 and other businesses opened in the next few years.
Oil was discovered in the Swanson River region in 1957, bringing some new economic development to the area. In 1960, Soldotna was incorporated as a city with a population of 332.
Sport fishing and tourism are currently the mainstays of the economy in Soldotna. It also receives some economic advantage from being the seat of the Kenai Peninsula Borough. Tourist visit to see glaciers, fish for king salmon, red salmon, silver salmon, and many others.
Fishing
Kenai River King Salmon Record
Les Anderson holds the record for the largest king salmon, he caught it on May 17, 1985 weighing in at 97 lbs. 4 oz. Most local taxidermy businesses will taxidermy a salmon for free if it is over 70 LB for the business exposure.
2004 Kenai River Salmon Count
Fish counts are determaned by fish counters which are wheels that rotate with the current of the river and bring the fish in, it is not exact but only averages.
King Salmon 68,649
Red Salmon 1,384,587
| Regions of Alaska | Missing image Alaska_state_flag.png Flag of Alaska |
|---|---|
| Alaskan Bush | Interior | North Slope | Panhandle | South Central | Tanana Valley | |
| Largest cities | |
| Anchorage | Barrow | Bethel | Fairbanks | Homer | Juneau | Kenai | Ketchikan | Kodiak | Kotzebue | Nome | Palmer | Petersburg | Seward | Sitka | Unalaska | Valdez | Wasilla | |
| Boroughs and census areas | |
| Aleutians East | Aleutians West | Anchorage | Bethel | Bristol Bay | Denali | Dillingham | Fairbanks North Star | Haines | Juneau | Kenai Peninsula | Ketchikan Gateway | Kodiak Island | Lake and Peninsula | Matanuska-Susitna | Nome | North Slope | Northwest Arctic | Prince of Wales - Outer Ketchikan | Sitka | Skagway-Hoonah-Angoon | Southeast Fairbanks | Valdez-Cordova | Wade Hampton | Wrangell-Petersburg | Yakutat | Yukon-Koyukuk |
External links
- Soldotna Directory (http://ak.allpages.com/)
- Soldotna Chamber Of Commerce (http://www.soldotnachamber.com/)