Homer, Alaska
| Homer | ||
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| City | ||
Downtown Homer seen from Beluga Slough
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| Motto: Where the land ends and the sea begins | ||
 Location of Homer, Alaska |
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| Coordinates: 59°38′35″N 151°31′33″W / 59.64306°N 151.52583°WCoordinates: 59°38′35″N 151°31′33″W / 59.64306°N 151.52583°W | ||
| Country | United States | |
| State | Alaska | |
| Borough | Kenai Peninsula | |
| Incorporated | March 31, 1964 | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor | Mary E. Wythe | |
| • State senator | Gary Stevens (R) | |
| • State rep. | Paul Seaton (R) | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 26.81 sq mi (69.4 km2) | |
| • Land | 13.83 sq mi (35.8 km2) | |
| • Water | 12.98 sq mi (33.6 km2) | |
| Elevation | 95 ft (29 m) | |
| Population (2010) | ||
| • Total | 5,003 | |
| • Density | 190/sq mi (72/km2) | |
| Time zone | Alaska (AKST) (UTC-9) | |
| • Summer (DST) | AKDT (UTC-8) | |
| ZIP code | 99603 | |
| Area code(s) | 907 | |
| FIPS code | 02-33140 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 1413141 | |
| Website | www.ci.homer.ak.us | |
Homer is a city located in Kenai Peninsula Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is two hundred and eighteen miles southwest of Anchorage. According to the 2010 Census, the population is 5,003. Long known as The "Halibut Fishing Capital of the World." Homer is also nicknamed "the end of the road," and more recently, "the cosmic hamlet by the sea."
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.
Homer is on the shore of Kachemak Bay on the southwest side of the Kenai Peninsula. Its distinguishing feature is the Homer Spit, a narrow 4.5 mi (7.2 km)) 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.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 22.4 square miles (58 km2), of which 10.6 square miles (27 km2) is land and 11.9 square miles (31 km2) is water. The total area is 52.83% water.
As with much of South Central Alaska, Homer has a moderate subarctic coastal climate (Köppen 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. Snow averages 50 inches (127 cm) per season, falling primarily from November through March, with some accumulation in October and April, and 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. There are 7 nights of sub-0 °F (−18 °C) lows annually, and the area straddles the border between USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 5B and 6A, indicating an average annual minimum of around −10 °F (−23 °C). Summers are cool due to the marine influence, with 75 °F (24 °C) highs or 55 °F (13 °C) lows being extremely rare. Extreme temperatures have ranged from −24 °F (−31 °C) on January 28–29, 1989 up to 84 °F (29 °C) on July 22, 2011.
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