Editing Cooper Landing, Alaska

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Cooper Landing, Alaska
|settlement_type          = [[Census-designated place]]
|image_skyline            = Cooper Landing.jpg
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = Cooper Landing below [[Cecil Rhode Mountain]]
|image_flag               = 
|image_seal               = 
| image_map             = Cooper_Landing_Municipal_Map.png
| map_caption           = Location in Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = [[United States]]
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Alaska]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of boroughs and census areas in Alaska|Borough]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Kenai Peninsula]]
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = Borough [[mayor]]
|leader_name              = [[Peter Micciche]]
|leader_title1            = [[Alaska Senate|State senator]]
|leader_name1             = [[Jesse Bjorkman]] ([[Republican Party (United States)|R]])
|leader_title2            = [[Alaska House of Representatives|State rep.]]
|leader_name2             = [[Ben Carpenter]] (R)
|established_date         = 
|area_total_km2           = 180.87
|area_total_sq_mi         = 69.84
|area_land_km2            = 170.29
|area_land_sq_mi          = 65.75
|area_water_km2           = 10.58
|area_water_sq_mi         = 4.09
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_total         = 344
|population_density_km2   = 2.02
|timezone                 = [[Alaska Standard Time Zone|AKST]]
|utc_offset               = -9
|timezone_DST             = [[Alaska Daylight Time|AKDT]]
|utc_offset_DST           = -8
|elevation_ft             = 410
|coordinates              = {{coord|60|29|26|N|149|47|40|W|region:US-AK|display=inline}}
|elevation_m              = 123
|website                  = 
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 99572
|area_code                = [[Area code 907|907]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 02-17190
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 1421192
|footnotes                = 
|pop_est_as_of = 
|pop_est_footnotes = 
|population_est = 
|population_footnotes = 
|unit_pref = Imperial
|area_footnotes = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_02.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 29, 2021}}</ref>
|population_density_sq_mi = 5.23
}}
'''Cooper Landing''' is a [[census-designated place]] (CDP) in [[Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska|Kenai Peninsula Borough]], [[Alaska]], [[United States]], about {{convert|100|mi|km}} south of [[Anchorage, Alaska|Anchorage]], at the outlet of [[Kenai Lake]] into the [[Kenai River]]. The town was first settled in the 19th century by gold and mineral prospectors, and has become a popular summer tourist destination thanks to its scenic location and proximity to the salmon fishery of the Kenai River and [[Russian River (Alaska)|Russian River]]. As of the [[2010 United States Census|2010 census]], the population in Cooper Landing was 289,<ref name="Census 2010">{{Cite web| url=http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US0217190| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Cooper Landing CDP, Alaska| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder| accessdate=January 11, 2019}}{{dead link|bot=medic|date=April 2020}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> down from 369 in 2000.

==History==
Cooper Landing was named for Joseph Cooper, a miner who discovered gold there in 1884. However, Peter Doroshin, a Russian engineer, had identified gold prospects as far back as 1848 when the territory was still part of [[Russian America]].

[[File:Panning for gold, Cooper Creek, Alaska, 1907 (COBB 279).jpeg|thumb|Panning for gold in Cooper Creek, 1907 photograph by [[John Nathan Cobb]]]]
Cooper Creek was first recorded in 1898 by the [[U.S. Geological Survey]]. In 1900, the Census found 21 miners and 1 wife living at Cooper Creek. The Riddiford [[U.S. Postal Service|Post Office]] began operations in 1924, and the Riddiford School opened in 1928.

In 1938, a road was constructed east to [[Seward, Alaska|Seward]]. In 1948, a road west to [[Kenai, Alaska|Kenai]] was opened, and by 1951, residents could drive north to [[Anchorage, Alaska|Anchorage]]. The Cooper Landing Community Club was first formed in 1949. The Cooper Lake Hydroelectric Facility was constructed in 1959-60.

In 1946, Pat and Helen Gwin arrived in Cooper Landing which had about 100 residents then. The Gwins eked out a living by operating a small packaged goods store out of a tent. That same year, construction began on the highway from Cooper Landing to [[Homer, Alaska|Homer]]. The [[Sterling Highway]], the road that is the artery of the [[Kenai Peninsula]], opened in 1950, and subsequently the [[Seward Highway]] opened in 1951. Gwin's Lodge was built from spruce logs harvested from the surrounding [[Chugach National Forest]]. Cutting, hauling and hand-peeling the logs, Pat and Helen Gwin completed and opened the lodge on January 1, 1952. Pat and Helen parted ways in 1959, but Helen stayed to run the lodge and retired in 1976. The historic Gwin's Lodge is one of the oldest log roadhouses in Alaska and is still in operation today.

The [[Cooper Landing Post Office]] is the oldest building in the area that is still used and is listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name=nom>{{cite web |url={{NRHP url|id=78003425}} |title=Nomination Form |publisher=National Park Service |accessdate=September 18, 2010}}</ref><ref name="nris">{{NRISref|2009a}}</ref>

==Geography==
Cooper Landing is located in the north-central part of the [[Kenai Peninsula]] at {{Coord|60|29|26|N|149|47|40|W|type:city}} (60.490529, -149.794519).<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=April 23, 2011|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref> The center of the community is at the west end of Kenai Lake, where the lake flows into the Kenai River. The CDP extends east up Kenai Lake beyond the mouth of Quartz Creek from the north. To the south the CDP reaches Cooper Lake, and Cooper Creek, the lake's outlet, forms a portion of the CDP's southern border. The CDP reaches west down the Kenai River as far as the mouth of the Russian River, and to the north the CDP extends up the valley of Juneau Creek as far as Trout Lake. Elevations in the CDP range from approximately {{convert|330|ft}} above sea level at the mouth of the Russian River, to {{convert|436|ft}} at Kenai Lake, to {{convert|4576|ft}} at the summit of [[Cecil Rhode Mountain]] between Kenai Lake and Cooper Creek.
[[File:Kenai River.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Kenai River at Cooper Landing]]

[[Alaska Route 1]], the Sterling Highway, passes through the community, leading north {{convert|102|mi}} to [[Anchorage, Alaska|Anchorage]] and southwest {{convert|120|mi}} to [[Homer, Alaska|Homer]]. [[Soldotna, Alaska|Soldotna]], the Kenai Peninsula Borough seat, is {{convert|45|mi}} to the west on AK-1, and [[Seward, Alaska|Seward]] is {{convert|47|mi}} to the southeast via routes 1 and [[Seward Highway|9]].

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the Cooper Landing CDP has a total area of {{convert|180.9|km2|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|170.3|km2|order=flip}}  are land, and {{convert|10.6|km2|order=flip}}, or 5.85%, are water.<ref name="Census 2010"/>

==Climate==
Cooper Landing has a [[subarctic climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''Dfc'').

{{Weather box
|location = Cooper Landing
|single line = Y
| Jan record high F = 58
| Feb record high F = 59
| Mar record high F = 51
| Apr record high F = 64
| May record high F = 73
| Jun record high F = 78
| Jul record high F = 80
| Aug record high F = 81
| Sep record high F = 71
| Oct record high F = 64
| Nov record high F = 55
| Dec record high F = 52
| year record high F = 81
| Jan high F = 35
| Feb high F = 36.9
| Mar high F = 38.9
| Apr high F = 45.6
| May high F = 52.5
| Jun high F = 58.3
| Jul high F = 61.2
| Aug high F = 61.3
| Sep high F = 55.3
| Oct high F = 46.7
| Nov high F = 39
| Dec high F = 36.5
| year high F = 47.3
| Jan low F = 25
| Feb low F = 26.8
| Mar low F = 27.8
| Apr low F = 33.6
| May low F = 39.8
| Jun low F = 46.2
| Jul low F = 50.2
| Aug low F = 49.8
| Sep low F = 44.3
| Oct low F = 36.5
| Nov low F = 30
| Dec low F = 26.8
| year low F = 36.4
| Jan record low F = -4
| Feb record low F = -2
| Mar record low F = -13
| Apr record low F = 3
| May record low F = 23
| Jun record low F = 34
| Jul record low F = 35
| Aug record low F = 35
| Sep record low F = 28
| Oct record low F = 16
| Nov record low F = 4
| Dec record low F = -23
| year record low F = -23 | precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation inch = 12.99
| Feb precipitation inch = 11.64
| Mar precipitation inch = 10.08
| Apr precipitation inch = 9.95
| May precipitation inch = 11.13
| Jun precipitation inch = 6.69
| Jul precipitation inch = 9.25
| Aug precipitation inch = 13.41
| Sep precipitation inch = 22.09
| Oct precipitation inch = 20.97
| Nov precipitation inch = 14.65
| Dec precipitation inch = 16.72
| year precipitation inch = 159.57
| Jan precipitation days = 16
| Feb precipitation days = 15
| Mar precipitation days = 15
| Apr precipitation days = 15
| May precipitation days = 17
| Jun precipitation days = 15
| Jul precipitation days = 17
| Aug precipitation days = 17
| Sep precipitation days = 21
| Oct precipitation days = 21
| Nov precipitation days = 18
| Dec precipitation days = 19
| Jan snow inch = 24.2
| Feb snow inch = 21.7
| Mar snow inch = 21.7
| Apr snow inch = 5.9
| May snow inch = 0.1
| Jun snow inch = 0
| Jul snow inch = 0
| Aug snow inch = 0.2
| Sep snow inch = 0
| Oct snow inch = 1.8
| Nov snow inch = 10.4
| Dec snow inch = 25.3
| year snow inch = 111.3

|source 1 = <ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?ak2149 |title=COOPER LANDING 5 W, AK (502149) |accessdate=November 19, 2015 |publisher=Western Regional Climate Center }}</ref>
|date=November 2015
}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1950= 60
|1960= 88
|1970= 31
|1980= 116
|1990= 243
|2000= 369
|2010= 289
|2020= 344
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=U.S. Decennial Census|publisher=Census.gov|accessdate=June 6, 2013}}</ref>
}}

Cooper Landing first appeared on the 1950 U.S. Census as an unincorporated village. It was made a census-designated place (CDP) in 1980.

As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |accessdate=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref> of 2000, there were 369 people, 162 households, and 96 families residing in the CDP.  The population density was {{convert|5.6|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  There were 379 housing units at an average density of {{convert|5.7|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  The racial makeup of the CDP was 91.60% [[Race (United States Census)|White]], 0.27% [[Race (United States Census)|Black]] or [[Race (United States Census)|African American]], 2.98% [[Race (United States Census)|Native American]], 1.63% [[Race (United States Census)|Asian]], 0.27% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 3.25% from two or more races.  1.08% of the population were [[Race (United States Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Race (United States Census)|Latino]] of any race.

[[Image:Norseman Cooper Landing.jpg|left|thumb|200px|The "Spirit of the Kenai" operates as a charter out of Cooper Landing.]]
There were 162 households, out of which 21.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.6% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 4.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.7% were non-families. 34.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.74.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 18.2% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 32.2% from 45 to 64, and 18.7% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 117.1 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 120.4 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $34,844, and the median income for a family was $51,250. Males had a median income of $46,319 versus $34,276 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the CDP was $24,795.  None of the families and 2.2% of the population were living below the [[poverty line]], including no under eighteens and none of those over 64.

==References==
<references />

==External links==
* [http://www.cooperlandingchamber.com Cooper Landing Chamber of Commerce]
* [http://www.cooperlandingmuseum.com Cooper Landing Historical Society & Museum]
* [https://www.cooperlandingfishingguide.com Cooper Landing Fishing Guide]

{{Coord|display=title|60.490529|-149.794519}}

{{Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska}}
{{Kenai River system}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Census-designated places in Alaska]]
[[Category:Census-designated places in Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska]]