Kasilof, Alaska, sits along the eastern shore of Cook Inlet on the Kenai Peninsula. Kasilof is a geographic location, rather than an organized community for the area's 500 residents.
Kasilof lies on the Sterling Highway, a few miles south of Soldotna.
Winter temperatures range from 14 to 27; summer temperatures vary from 45 to 65. Average annual precipitation is 24 inches.
Six percent of the population is Alaska Native or part Native. Most residents are non-Native.
Most of the homes use individual water wells and septic tanks and are fully plumbed. There is one school, attended by 229 students.
Health care is provided by Central Emergency Services and Central Peninsula Hospital in Soldotna.
The economy of the Kenai area is diverse: oil and gas processing, timber, commercial and sport fishing, government, retail businesses and tourism-related services provide employment. More than 150 Kasilof residents hold commercial fishing permits.
The Sterling Highway provides a route to Anchorage, Soldotna, Kenai and Homer. The state owns and operates the 2,165-foot gravel airstrip. There is a boat launch at the Kasilof River.
History
Kasilof was an agricultural settlement of Kenaitze Indians, which grew around a stockade built by the Russian Kolomin of the Lebedef-Lastochkin Company. A partial excavation of the area in 1937 found 31 well-preserved houses.
Source: Alaska Department of Community and Economic Development
