Where is Kodiak Island? Location, Map & How It Fits in Alaska

Updated July 2026 · Kodiak Island, Alaska

Kodiak Island is a large island in the Gulf of Alaska, off the state's southern coast. It's separated from the Alaska mainland by the Shelikof Strait, a body of water roughly 30 miles wide at its narrowest. The island sits at approximately 57.79° N, 152.41° W — the coordinates that anchor the town of Kodiak itself.

How Kodiak fits in Alaska

Alaska is enormous, and Kodiak sits in the southern maritime part of it — south of Anchorage, east of the Alaska Peninsula, and north of the Aleutian chain. It is not part of the Aleutians (a common mix-up), and it is not on the Alaska Peninsula. Kodiak has its own distinct climate, wildlife, and character shaped by the ocean around it.

How big is Kodiak Island?

Kodiak Island covers about 3,595 square miles, making it the second-largest island in the United States (after the Big Island of Hawaii) and the 80th-largest island in the world. The Kodiak Archipelago — Kodiak plus surrounding islands like Afognak, Shuyak, Sitkalidak, and Sitkinak — covers roughly 5,000 square miles.

Distance from Anchorage

Kodiak sits about 250 air miles south of Anchorage. The commercial flight takes roughly an hour. Driving isn't an option — there is no road connection to the mainland. The only ways to get to Kodiak are by air or by the Alaska Marine Highway ferry.

The town of Kodiak vs the island

Most people who say "Kodiak" mean the town, which sits on the northeastern coast of the island. Everything outside the small road-connected area around town — the rest of the 3,500-plus square miles — is roadless wilderness reached by boat or float plane. That contrast is what makes the island what it is.

What surrounds Kodiak Island

• North: Afognak Island, then the Kenai Peninsula across the Shelikof Strait.
• West: The Alaska Peninsula and Katmai National Park across the Shelikof Strait.
• South and east: Open Gulf of Alaska.

For the practical side of getting there, read our guide on how to get to Kodiak Island.