Kenai, AK: Population, ZIP Codes & Nearby Cities

Looking for facts about Kenai? It is an incorporated town-sized municipality in Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska, with an estimated 7,807 people according to our dataset. It lies at 60.562°N, 151.198°W in Alaska time. The sections below cover its size, ZIP codes, neighbors and distances.

What are the key facts about Kenai, AK?

What is the population of Kenai, AK?

Kenai has an estimated population of 7,807. That makes it the 14th largest of the 326 places we list in Alaska, and the 2nd largest of 36 places in Kenai Peninsula Borough. The typical place in Alaska has about 314 residents, so Kenai is roughly 24.8 times the size of a typical neighbor in the state.

Estimates for places of this size carry wider margins of error than those for big cities, so treat the figure as a guide to scale. Our guide to understanding city population numbers explains why sources disagree.

Places in Alaska with a similar population include Sitka (8,493), Meadow Lakes (8,149), Steele Creek (7,704), Palmer (7,456), Soldotna (7,398). Comparing these pages is a quick way to see how Kenai differs from communities of the same scale.

How dense is Kenai?

Kenai has about 267 people per square mile (103 per square kilometer), which we classify as small-town or exurban. Within Alaska, it is denser than about 90% of the listed places. Homes at this level are spread out with larger lots, and most daily trips involve a car, though a small central area may still be walkable. Read how to interpret population density to see how we draw these lines.

What ZIP codes does Kenai use?

The postal data lists a single ZIP code for Kenai: 99611. A single code usually means a compact delivery area, but the same code may also serve addresses just outside the town line. Codes beginning with 9 are assigned to the Pacific states (Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington). Learn more in our guide to how ZIP codes work or check any code with the ZIP code lookup.

What time zone is Kenai in?

Kenai is in the Alaska time zone, which is UTC−9 from Coordinated Universal Time in standard time (IANA zone America/Anchorage). The area observes daylight saving time, so clocks move forward in March and back in November. The nearest listed place in a different time zone is Blaine, WA, about 1,370 miles away, which gives a sense of how far the nearest zone boundary may be. Current local time: see the Alaska time hub. For the rules behind these zones, read US time zones explained.

Where is Kenai located in Alaska?

Kenai lies in the western part of Alaska, at 60.562° north latitude and 151.198° west longitude. The state capital, Juneau, is about 612 miles to the east. The closest listed place in another state is Blaine, WA, roughly 1,370 miles to the southeast, which shows how near Kenai is to a state line. For big-city services, the nearest place with more than 100,000 people is Anchorage, AK, 81 miles to the northeast.

Which cities are near Kenai, AK?

The closest listed place to Kenai is Soldotna, AK, 6.9 miles to the southeast. Of the eight nearest places below, 4 are in the same county. Distances are straight-line (great-circle) miles measured between place centers; see how distance is calculated.

Which county is Kenai in?

Kenai is in Kenai Peninsula Borough, which has the Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) code 02122. The county contains 36 places in our data, 5 of which have their own page here and 31 smaller communities that appear only in county and state lists. Other places in the county include Kalifornsky (8,581), Soldotna (7,398), Homer (5,922), Sterling (5,169), Nikiski (4,316). Codes like this one help separate places that share a name; see the guide to counties and FIPS codes.

How far is Kenai from major US cities?

Among six major hubs, Kenai is closest to Los Angeles, CA at about 2,339 miles and farthest from Atlanta, GA at about 3,443 miles in a straight line. Road distances are usually 10 to 30 percent longer. Try the distance calculator for any other pair.

Are there other places called Kenai?

No. In our data, Kenai in Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska is the only place with this name, so the name alone is enough to identify it, though adding the state is still good practice in addresses and forms.

Planning a move to Kenai?

If you are weighing Kenai, start with the practical numbers: how far it is from where you live, whether it changes your time zone, and how its size and density compare with your current city. Use the distance calculator to measure the trip from where you live. The radius search tool lists every place within any distance of it. Our checklist for comparing cities explains what to check next.

Where to go next

Population and density come from a compiled dataset and are estimates. They may differ from official Census Bureau counts. Verify important figures at census.gov.