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Homer ( Dena'ina: ''Tuggeght'') is a
city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...
in Kenai Peninsula Borough in the
U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...
of
Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...
. It is southwest of
Anchorage Anchorage, officially the Municipality of Anchorage, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Alaska. With a population of 291,247 at the 2020 census, it contains nearly 40 percent of the state's population. The Anchorage metropolita ...
. According to the 2020 census, the population is 5,522, up from 5,003 in 2010. Long known as the "
Halibut Halibut is the common name for three species of flatfish in the family of right-eye flounders. In some regions, and less commonly, other species of large flatfish are also referred to as halibut. The word is derived from ''haly'' (holy) and ...
Fishing Capital of the World", Homer is also nicknamed "the end of the road", and more recently, "the cosmic hamlet by the sea".


Geography

Homer is located at 59°38'35" North, 151°31'33" West (59.643059, −151.525900). The only road into Homer is the Sterling Highway. The town has a total area of , of which are land and are covered by water. Homer is on the shore of Kachemak Bay on the southwest side of the
Kenai Peninsula The Kenai Peninsula ( Dena'ina: ''Yaghenen'') is a large peninsula jutting from the coast of Southcentral Alaska. The name Kenai (, ) is derived from the word "Kenaitze" or "Kenaitze Indian Tribe", the name of the Native Athabascan Alaskan tribe ...
. Its distinguishing feature is the Homer Spit, a narrow long gravel bar that extends into the bay, on which is located the Homer Harbor. Much of the coastline, as well as the Homer Spit, sank dramatically during the Good Friday earthquake in March 1964. After the earthquake, very little vegetation was able to survive on the Homer Spit.


Climate

As with much of South-central Alaska, Homer has a moderate subarctic mediterranean climate (
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
''Dsc''), which causes its weather to be moderate compared to interior Alaska. Winters are snowy and long, but not particularly cold, considering the latitude, with the average January high only slightly below freezing. The annual snowfall averages per season, falling primarily from November through March, with some accumulation in October and April but rarely in May. Homer receives only about 25 inches of rainfall annually due to the influence of the Chugach Mountains to the southeast, which shelter it from the Gulf of Alaska. As of 2023, Homer falls within
USDA The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government that aims to meet the needs of commerc ...
Hardiness Zone A hardiness zone is a geographic area defined as having a certain average annual minimum temperature, a factor relevant to the survival of many plants. In some systems other statistics are included in the calculations. The original and most widely ...
6B. Seven days have a minimum or below annually. The coldest day of the year averaged in the 1991 to 2020 normals, while the warmest night average was at . The coldest daytime maximum on record is on January 28, 1989, while, conversely, the record warm daily minimum is on August 9, 1971, and August 23, 1963. Summers are cool due to the marine influence, with maxima or minima remaining at or above being extremely rare. Extreme temperatures have ranged from on January 28–29, 1989, up to on July 10, 1993. The coldest has been January 2012 with a mean temperature of , while the warmest month was July 2019 at ; the annual mean temperature has ranged from in 1956 to in 2014. ;Notes:


History

Tiller digs indicate that early
Alutiiq The Alutiiq (pronounced in English; from Promyshlenniki Russian Алеутъ, "Aleut"; plural often "Alutiit"), also called by their ancestral name ( or ; plural often "Sugpiat"), as well as Pacific Eskimo or Pacific Yupik, are a Yupik ...
people probably camped in the Homer area, although their villages were on the far side of Kachemak Bay.
Coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other Chemical element, elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal i ...
was discovered in the area in the 1890s. The Cook Inlet Coal Fields Company built a town, dock, coal mine, and railroad at Homer. Coal mining in the area continued until
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. It is estimated that 400 million tons of coal deposits are still present in the area. Homer was named for Homer Pennock, a goldmining company promoter, who arrived in 1896 on the Homer Spit and built living quarters for his crew of 50 men. However, goldmining was never profitable in the area. Another earlier settlement, Miller's Landing, was named after a Charles Miller, who homesteaded in the area around 1915. According to local historian Janet Klein, he was an employee of the
Alaska Railroad The Alaska Railroad is a Class II railroad that operates freight and passenger trains in the state of Alaska. The railroad's mainline runs between Seward, Alaska, Seward on the southern coast and Fairbanks, Alaska, Fairbanks, near the center of ...
and had wintered company horses on the beach grasses on the Homer Spit. He built a landing site in a small bight in Kachemak Bay, where supply barges from Seldovia could land and offload their cargos. Miller's landing was legally considered a
census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...
separate from Homer until it was annexed in 2002, but has always been locally considered part of Homer. Halibut and salmon sport fishing, along with tourism and commercial fishing are the dominant industries. Homer co-hosted the 2006 Arctic Winter Games. The Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge and the Kachemak Bay Research Reserve co-host a visitor center with interpretive displays known as the Alaska Islands and Ocean Visitor Center, and a cultural and historical museum there is called the
Pratt Museum The Pratt Museum is a regional natural history museum located in Homer, Alaska, with exhibits exploring life around Kachemak Bay in South Central Alaska. The museum's mission is to preserve "the stories of the Kachemak Bay region", through "coll ...
.


Demographics

Homer first appeared on the 1940 U.S. Census as an unincorporated village. It formally incorporated in 1964. As of the 2010 United States census, there were 5,003 people, 2,235 households, and 1,296 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 2,692 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 89.3%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 4.1% American Indian and
Alaska Native Alaska Natives (also known as Native Alaskans, Alaskan Indians, or Indigenous Alaskans) are the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous peoples of Alaska that encompass a diverse arena of cultural and linguistic groups, including the I ...
, 1.0% Asian, 0.4%
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.1%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 0.6% from other races, and 4.5% from two or more races. Hispanics and Latinos of any race were 2.1% of the population. There were 2,235 households, of which 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.3% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 42.0% were non-families. 33.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21, and the average family size was 2.83. The median age in the city was 44.0 years. 21.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.2% were from 25 to 44; 34.5% were from 45 to 64; and 14.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.5% male and 50.5% female. The median income for a household was $52,057, and the median income for a family was $68,455. Males had a median income of $41,581 versus $37,679 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the city was $32,035. About 3.8% of families and 7.9% of the population were below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 11.2% of those under age 18 and 1.4% of those age 65 or over.


Education


Schools and library

The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District provides primary and secondary education to the community of Homer. These schools are: * Homer High School (9-12) * Homer Flex High School (9-12) * Homer Middle School (7-8) * West Homer Elementary (3-6) * Paul Banks Elementary (K-2) * McNeil Canyon Elementary (K-6) * Fireweed Academy (K-6) * Connections Homeschool Program (K-12) The Kachemak Bay Campus of Kenai Peninsula College provides post-secondary education, as well as ESL and
GED Ged or GED may refer to: Places * Ged, Louisiana, an unincorporated community in the United States * Ged, a village in Bichiwara Tehsil, Dungarpur District, Rajasthan, India * Delaware Coastal Airport, in Delaware, US, callsign GED People * Ged B ...
training to the community of Homer. The Homer Public Library has enthusiastic support from the Friends of the Homer Library, established in 1948, which raised funds and support for a new library building, opened on September 16, 2006.


Science education

Because of the city of Homer's location on the Kenai Peninsula and its abundance of natural resources and marine habitats, there are many public education programs focused on the environment. Some of these educational endeavors include the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center (also known as the Alaska Island and Ocean Center) and the ''Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies''. Both organizations encourage science education and sponsor many events aimed to teach people of all ages about the ecosystem and conservation. Some of these events include the Kachemak Crane Watch and the ''Kachemak Bay Science Conference'', both sponsored by the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies.


Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival

Homer hosts the Kachemak Bay Shorebird festival, which was established in 1993 by a group of Homer residents who wished to educate the public about
shorebirds FIle:Vadare - Ystad-2021.jpg, 245px, A flock of Dunlins and Red knots Waders or shorebirds are birds of the order Charadriiformes commonly found wikt:wade#Etymology 1, wading along shorelines and mudflats in order to foraging, forage for food c ...
and the wetlands the birds inhabit. Today, the festival is sponsored by Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge and the Friends of Alaska National Wildlife Refuges. The festival is held annually in early May when more than 13,000 shorebirds from 25 different species visit the Kachemak Bay area during spring migration. Tourists and Alaskans alike attend the festival and are encouraged to watch the shorebird migration through a variety of land and boat tours in collaboration with the festival. Some birds seen during the spring migration and the festival include horned puffins,
sandhill crane The sandhill crane (''Antigone canadensis'') is a species of large Crane (bird), cranes of North America and extreme northeastern Siberia. The common name of this bird refers to its habitat, such as the Platte River, on the edge of Nebraska's S ...
s, and arctic terns. Arctic Terns are famous for flying the longest distance of any migrating bird. Many of the birds seen during the festival can be identified with the help of published guides that categorize distinguishable features such as, topography, silhouette, size, and color. The festival also includes the Shorebirds Sing: Bird Call Contest, where contestants compete to mimic the calls of various bird species. In 2020, the festival was held entirely virtually due to the
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
pandemic and all presentations, speeches, and events were conducted online. The 2021 festival was held both in person and virtually, with events taking place online and face-to-face.


Media

Homer has one newspaper, the '' Homer News'', a weekly founded in 1964 and bought in 2000 by
Morris Communications Morris Communications, headquartered in Augusta, Georgia, is a privately held media company with diversified holdings that include magazine publishing, outdoor advertising, book publishing and distribution, visitor publications, and online serv ...
. Homer has a number of radio stations including commercial stations KWVV-FM at 103.5 FM, KGTL at 620 AM, and
public radio Public broadcasting (or public service broadcasting) is radio, television, and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service with a commitment to avoiding political and commercial influence. Public broadcasters receive ...
KBBI at 890 AM. Homer receives 7
analog television Analog television is the original television technology that uses analog signals to transmit video and audio. In an analog television broadcast, the brightness, colors and sound are represented by amplitude, instantaneous phase and frequency, ...
stations: Because the stations are rebroadcast into Homer using
repeater In telecommunications, a repeater is an electronic device that receives a signal and retransmits it. Repeaters are used to extend transmissions so that the signal can cover longer distances or be received on the other side of an obstruction. Some ...
s, their channel numbers are not the same in Homer and they were not required to participate in the transition to digital television. * KTUU-TV Channel 2 -
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
* KTBY Channel 4 - Fox * KAKM Channel 7 -
PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...
* KAUU Channel 9 -
MyNetworkTV MyNetworkTV (stylized as mynetworkTV; unofficially abbreviated MNT or MNTV) is an American commercial broadcast television syndication service and former television network owned by Fox Corporation, operated by its Fox Television Stations ...
*
KTVA KTVA (channel 11) is a television station in Anchorage, Alaska, United States. It is a satellite of PBS member station KAKM (channel 7) which is owned by Alaska Public Media. KTVA's transmitter is located in Spenard—covering the Anchorage ...
Channel 11 - CBS *
KYUR KYUR (channel 13) is a television station in Anchorage, Alaska, United States, affiliated with American Broadcasting Company, ABC and The CW Plus. It is owned by Vision Alaska LLC, which maintains local marketing agreement, joint sales and share ...
Channel 13 - ABC


Transportation

Homer is the southernmost town on the contiguous Alaska highway system. It is also part of the
Alaska Marine Highway The Alaska Marine Highway (AMH) or the Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) is a ferry service operated by the U.S. state of Alaska. It has its headquarters in Ketchikan, Alaska. The Alaska Marine Highway System operates along the south-central ...
(the Alaskan
ferry A ferry is a boat or ship that transports passengers, and occasionally vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A small passenger ferry with multiple stops, like those in Venice, Italy, is sometimes referred to as a water taxi or water bus ...
system). The Homer Airport lies near the coast as well, with local air taxis and regular scheduled commercial flights to Anchorage. Homer erected its first
traffic light Traffic lights, traffic signals, or stoplights – also known as robots in South Africa, Zambia, and Namibia – are signaling devices positioned at intersection (road), road intersections, pedestrian crossings, and other locations in order t ...
in 2005. The
United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and Admiralty law, law enforcement military branch, service branch of the armed forces of the United States. It is one of the country's eight Uniformed services ...
stations one Island Class cutter in Homer. From 1992 to 2015, the cutter ''Roanoke Island'' was assigned to Homer, and was replaced by the cutter ''Sapelo''. ''Sapelo'' is scheduled to be replaced by a more modern Sentinel-class cutter.


Government

Homer uses a city council consisting of seven members. The current mayor is Rachel Lord.


Notable people

* Tom Bodett (born 1955), spokesperson, known for the Motel 6 "We'll leave the light on for you" advertisements; and writer, known for the whimsical book about Homer, '' As Far as You Can go Without a Passport'' * Lincoln Brewster (born 1971),
Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
worship musician * Kristen Faulkner (born 1992), professional cyclist, and two-time gold medalist in the 2024 Paris Olympics * Hazel P. Heath (1909–1998), businesswoman; mayor of Homer, 1968–1976 * Jewel (Jewel Kilcher) (born 1974), singer/songwriter * Jean Keene (1923–2009), the "Eagle Lady" of Homer, known for her decades-long history of feeding
bald eagle The bald eagle (''Haliaeetus leucocephalus'') is a bird of prey found in North America. A sea eagle, it has two known subspecies and forms a species pair with the white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla''), which occupies the same niche ...
s on Homer Spit * Andre Marrou (born 1938), was a resident of Homer when he was elected as a
Libertarian Libertarianism (from ; or from ) is a political philosophy that holds freedom, personal sovereignty, and liberty as primary values. Many libertarians believe that the concept of freedom is in accord with the Non-Aggression Principle, according ...
member to the
Alaska House of Representatives The Alaska House of Representatives is the lower house in the Alaska State Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Alaska. The House is composed of 40 members, each of whom represents a district of approximately 17,756 people pe ...
in 1984 * Shannyn Moore (born 1970), political writer based in Alaska * Tela O'Donnell (born 1982), Olympic wrestler * Ambrose Olsen (1985–2010), male fashion model * Dana Stabenow (born 1952 Anchorage Alaska), American author


Sister City

* Teshio, Japan since 1984


See also

* Mile 17 fire * Fritz Creek * Diamond Ridge * Kachemak City


References


External links

* * *
Homer Chamber of Commerce Webpage
{{Authority control Archaeological sites in Alaska Cities in Alaska Cities in Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska Mining communities in Alaska Populated coastal places in Alaska on the Pacific Ocean