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Coffman Cove
(COUGH-man)
For Photos of Coffman Cove click here
| Current Population: |
141
(2008 DCCED Certified Population)
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| Incorporation Type: |
2nd Class City |
| Borough Located In: |
Unorganized |
| Taxes: |
Sales: None,
Property: None, Special: None
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| Location
and Climate |
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Coffman Cove is on the northeast coast of Prince of Wales Island in Southeast Alaska. It lies 73 miles northeast of Ketchikan and 42 miles southeast of Wrangell. The community
lies at approximately 56.013890° North Latitude
and -132.827780° West Longitude.
(Sec. 28, T068S, R082E, Copper River Meridian.)
Coffman Cove is located in the
Ketchikan Recording District.
The area encompasses 10.4
sq. miles of land and 4.5 sq. miles
of water.
The area is dominated by a cool maritime climate. Summer temperatures range from 46 to 70 °F. Winter temperatures range from 32 to 42 °F. |
Topographic
map of
Coffman Cove
area
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| History, Culture
and Demographics |
| The site was named in 1886 by Lt. Comdr. A.S. Snow, USN, for Lt. Dewitt Coffman, a member of his party. Coffman Cove was first settled as a logging camp in the 1950s and was owned and operated by Mike and Leta Valentine. Land was made available for private ownership through selection under the Alaska Statehood Act. Coffman Cove's pioneer lifestyle and clean, safe environment were featured on ABC's "20/20" program in 1984, prompting a deluge of mail from persons around the country wanting to relocate. The city government was incorporated in 1989.
The population of the community consists of 6%
Alaska Native or part Native.
Although most residents previously lived in mobile homes, these have mostly been replaced with houses residents built themselves. There is a general store, liquor store, gift shop, gas station, post office substation, RV park, and two churches.
During the 2000 U.S. Census,
total housing units numbered 99, and vacant housing units numbered 36.
Vacant housing units used
only seasonally numbered 11.
U.S. Census data for Year
2000 showed 111 residents
as employed. The unemployment rate at that time was
10.48 percent,
although
33.53 percent of
all adults were not in the work force. The median household
income was $43,750, per capita income was $23,249, and
4.85 percent of residents
were living below the poverty level.
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| Facilities,
Utilities, Schools and Health Care |
| Coffman Cove uses a piped sewage system; surface water source, a water treatment system, and a storage tank supply the piped water system. 107 homes now have complete plumbing. The city has refused pickup service and hauls the garbage to Thorne Bay.
Electricity is provided by Alaska Power Company.
There is one school located in the community,
attended by 12
students.
Local hospitals or health clinics include Seaview Medical Center (907-826-3257) in Craig.
Coffman Cove is classified as an isolated village, it is found in EMS Region 3A in the Southeast Region. Emergency Services have coastal, floatplane and helicopter access. Emergency service is provided by volunteers
Auxiliary health care is provided by Coffman Cove Fire/EMS (329-2209/2213/2302) or Prince of Wales Island Area EMS (826-2367/3330); clinic in Craig.
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| Economy
and Transportation |
Historically, logging support services provided the majority of employment. Coffman Cove was one of the major log transfer sites on Prince of Wales Island. Because of the decline in the timber industry, this is no longer the case. Although there are still a few logging support services in the area, most of the employment is now tourism-based. A large number of the people in the community operate bed and breakfasts or rent cabins to people who want to hunt or fish. There are a number of charter and commercial fishermen operating out of the cove, as well. Oyster farming also occurs in Coffman Cove. Recreation includes hunting bear and deer, fishing, hiking, and boating.
The state ferry landing at Hollis provides access to the Prince of Wales Island road system. The Inter-Island Ferry Port Authority built a ferry terminal in Coffman Cove, but the boat no longer runs out of the community. A state-owned seaplane base is available, and there is scheduled air service from Ketchikan three times a week. The nearest landing strip is in Klawock. A boat launch and dock are available. Freight arrives by cargo plane, barge, and ship and by road from Craig. |
Organizations
with Local Offices
City -
City of Coffman Cove
P.O. Box 18135
Coffman Cove, AK 99918
Phone 907-329-2233
Fax 907-329-2212
E-mail cindy@ccalaska.com; coffmancove@ccalaska.com
Web http://www.ccalaska.com
Regional
Organizations
Regional Development - Southeast Conference
P.O. Box 21989
Juneau, 99802
Phone 907-523-2327
Fax 907-463-5670
E-mail shellyw@seconference.org
Web http://www.seconference.org
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