King Cove was founded in 1911 when Pacific American Fisheries built a salmon cannery here. Early settlers were European, Scandinavian, and Aleut fishermen. The town is on the south side of the Alaska Peninsula on a sand spit fronting Deer Island and Deer Passage.
King Cove's economy depends almost entirely on the year-round commercial fishing and fish processing industries. There is a deep water dock that provides moorage for 90 boats. King Cove is accessible only by sea or air.