Kodiak Island was first explored by Russian fur trader Stepan Glotov in 1763. The Russian fur trader Grigori Shelekhov founded a settlement on Three Saints Bay in 1784. It was the first permanent Russian settlement in Alaska. In 1792, the settlement was moved to Kodiak village and soon became the center of Russian fur trading. Nowadays, Kodiak is the largest town on the island.

Kodiak is the largest island in Alaska. It is about 160 km (100 miles) long, between 16 and 96 km (10-60 miles) wide and it covers some 13,890 km² (5,363 sq miles). The island is mountainous and heavily forested in the north and east, while the native grasses in the south offer good pasturage for cattle and sheep. There are numerous ice-free, deeply penetrating bays that provide sheltered anchorages and good transportation routes. Most of Kodiak is a national wildlife refuge. The Kodiak bear and the Kodiak king crab are native to the island. In 1912, the eruption of Mount Katmai on the mainland blanketed the island with volcanic ash, causing widespread destruction and loss of life.

The major occupation on Kodiak is salmon fishing. The Karluk River is famous for its salmon run. Livestock farms, numerous canneries and some copper mining are also prevalent. Kodiak Island is separated from the Alaska Peninsula by Shelikof Strait. The island is about 1100 km southwest from Juneau and 5490 km northwest from Washington D.C.