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Nikiski

AlaskaCDP

Photograph of Nikiski
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Nikiski

Total population

4,773

Median home value

$312,600

14%

Bachelor's+

Median income

$65,863

Nikiski$66k
National$74k

Air quality index

32Good
Elevation39 m
Land area196.65 km²
Weather48°F · Chance Rain Showers
Coordinates60.73°, -151.23°

Demographic figures from US Census Bureau · ACS 5-year estimates. Overview below cites Wikipedia and may reference a different year.

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City facts

Elevation
39 m
Area
196.65 km²

Facts from Wikidata (CC0).

Overview

Nikiski is a census-designated place (CDP) in Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska, United States. The population was 4,456 at the 2020 census, down from 4,493 in 2010.

Read more on Wikipedia

History & geography

History

Nikiski was once home to an Agrium fertilizer plant, which was once the Kenai Peninsula Borough's largest employer. The facility closed in 2008 due to natural gas shortages, but the company continues to explore reopening it.

Geography

Nikiski is located at (60.707891, -151.262646) on the west side of the Kenai Peninsula. It lies along the shore of Cook Inlet between Salamatof to the south and the Swanson River to the northeast. It is bordered across the Swanson River by the Point Possession CDP. According to the United States Census Bureau, the Nikiski CDP has a total area of , of which are land and , or 8.57%, are water. The CDP is in a low-lying region covered by several lakes, including Stormy Lake, Suneva Lake, Daniels Lake, Timberlost Lake, Island Lake, Foreland Lake, Bernice Lake, and Cabin Lake. The main road access is via the Kenai Spur Highway, which leads south to the city of Kenai and north to Captain Cook State Recreation Area. A second road, the Nikiski Emergency Escape Route, also leads south to the City of Kenai.

Read full article on Wikipedia

Excerpted from the corresponding Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA).

Demographics & economy

Median age
36.5
Median home value
$312,600
Housing units
1,897
Poverty rate
15.9%
Unemployment
6.1%

Race & ethnicity

White
71.7%
Black
1%
Asian
3.6%
Hispanic
6%

Source: US Census Bureau — American Community Survey, 5-year estimates.

Geography

Latitude
60.7250
Longitude
-151.2253
Water area
6.45 mi²
View on OpenStreetMap

Coordinates & boundaries from the US Census TIGER/Line shapefiles.

Climate

Current forecast

This Afternoon
48°F
Chance Rain Showers
Tonight
40°F
Chance Rain Showers
Tuesday
48°F
Chance Rain Showers
Tuesday Night
40°F
Scattered Rain Showers
Wednesday
46°F
Scattered Rain Showers
Wednesday Night
34°F
Scattered Rain Showers then Scattered Rain And Snow Showers

Forecast for Nikiski, AK from NOAA NWS API.

Air quality

US AQI — Good
32
PM2.5 (µg/m³)
0.9
PM10 (µg/m³)
1.1
Ozone (µg/m³)
70
NO₂ (µg/m³)
1.9

Current readings from Open-Meteo Air Quality API (Copernicus CAMS European reanalysis).

Industrial & pollution facilities

Natural hazard risk

Health (adults)

High blood pressure
31.7%
Diabetes
8.5%
Adult obesity
33.5%
Binge drinking
18.9%
Adult smoking
19.1%
No leisure activity
22.7%

Age-adjusted prevalence estimates from CDC PLACES (latest release).

Walkability

Amenities nearby

Wildlife & biodiversity

Observations (last 5 yrs, 10 mi)
3,343
Distinct species (top 10)
10

Most-observed species

  • Dark-eyed Junco
    Junco hyemalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
    81
  • Common Raven
    Corvus corax Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
    78
  • Bald Eagle
    Haliaeetus leucocephalus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
    73
  • Black-capped Chickadee
    Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
    70
  • American Robin
    Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
    65
  • Yellow-rumped Warbler
    Setophaga coronata (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
    61
  • Orange Hawkweed
    Pilosella aurantiaca (L.) F.W.Schultz & Sch.Bip. · Magnoliopsida
    56
  • Common Toadflax
    Linaria vulgaris Mill. · Magnoliopsida
    52

Citizen-science & research observations from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF).

Schools

Total
2
Elementary
1
Middle
0
High
1
Other
0

Largest nearby schools

  • Nikiski Middle/Senior High School
    High · Nikiski · 326 students · 14.8:1 ratio
  • Nikiski North Star Elementary
    Elementary · Kenai · 242 students · 13.4:1 ratio

Public K–12 schools within ~10 mi from Urban Institute Education Data Portal (NCES Common Core of Data, 2022).

Earthquake history

Quakes ≥ 2.5 (25 yrs, 62 mi)
3,806
Largest magnitude
7.1
Largest event
2018-11-30

Most recent

Events from the USGS Earthquake Catalog (global) (FDSN Event Web Service).

Photos

Sights & places nearby

Notable people from here

Nearby places in Alaska

Browse all places in Alaska →

Geography & sun

Elevation
108 ft (33 m)
Avg solar (kWh/m²/day)
2.58
Annual solar (kWh/m²)
940

Elevation, sunrise/sunset and daylight from Open-Meteo. Solar climatology from NASA POWER.

Nearby airports

Public attention

Wikipedia views (last 30 days)
674
Avg daily Wikipedia views
23
Attention level
Obscure

Pageview totals from the Wikimedia Pageviews API.

Books about Nikiski

Sudoku Genius Mind Exercises Volume 1
Nikiski Alask State of Mind Collection · 2019
Hydrology and the effects of industrial pumping in the Nikiski area, Alaska
Gordon L. Nelson · 1981
The ports of Anchorage, Nikiski, Seward, Whittier, Valdez, and Ketchikan, Alaska
United States. Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors · 1977
State Pipeline Coordinator's Office fiscal year 2007 lease compliance monitoring report
Alaska. State Pipeline Coordinator's Office. · 2007
Levels of lakes in the north Kenai area, Alaska 1970 to 1992
Bonnie J. Bailey · 1993
Kenai Pathways
David Allen · 1995

Search results from Open Library.

Recent natural events nearby

Ground air-quality sensors

Recently spotted species

Nearest stream gauge

Site
KENAI R AT SOLDOTNA AK
Distance
17.8 mi
Streamflow
5,820 cfs
Gage height
7.39 ft
Water temp
8 °C

Live readings from USGS NWIS · measured 2026-10-05 16:00 UTC.

Events

Gallery

Sources

  • • Wikipedia
  • • US Census Bureau (ACS 5-year estimates)
  • • NOAA National Weather Service
  • • Wikidata
  • • Open-Meteo Air Quality (CAMS)
  • • USGS Earthquake Catalog (global feed)
  • • USGS NWIS (water data)
  • • NCES via Urban Institute Education Data Portal
  • • GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility)
  • • CDC PLACES
  • • Open-Elevation
  • • Open-Meteo / sunrise-sunset.org
  • • Wikipedia Pageviews API
  • • Open Library