K-1, K-2, K-5, and K-6 were built by Fore River Shipyard in Quincy, Massachusetts, K-3, K-7, and K-8 by Union Iron Works in San Francisco, and K-4 by The Moran Company in Seattle, Washington.

[2] The small conning tower was surrounded by a streamlined fairwater, there was no enclosed bridge for surface operations.

The K-class retained the rotating torpedo tube muzzle cap which was standard on previous classes.

[4] K-1, K-2, K-5, and K-6 began their careers on the US East Coast and were forward deployed to the Azores in World War I as convoy escorts, where their experience proved valuable in adapting future submarines for surfaced operations in rough weather.

Although considered to be successful submarines, The K-class coastal defence design was quickly overtaken by rapid advances in technology following World War I and were of little use to the USN of the 1920's with its new emphasis on global fleet operations.