The Counties That Are Entirely Islands

Within the United States, there are around 3,143 counties and county-equivalents. Counties are smaller pieces of land that exist within a state and are overseen, at least to some degree, by local governments. These local governments are broadly responsible for basic administrative jobs such as law enforcement, running local elections, and maintaining some public services such as waste collection. Of all the counties that exist within the United States, there are only a handful that are entirely made up of islands. While some of these counties are quite obscure, others are surprisingly well known.

San Juan County - Washington

San Juan County is located in the northwestern corner of Washington State. Just a short ferry ride across from the Washington mainland, San Juan County also sits close to the maritime border with Canada's westernmost province, British Columbia. The county is more commonly called the San Juan Islands, all of which fall under its jurisdiction. There are 172 named islands within San Juan County, but only a handful are actually inhabited by its 17,788 residents, as counted in the 2020 census. The three largest islands in the county are San Juan, Orcas, and Lopez Islands.

Throughout the 19th century, the San Juan Islands were disputed territory between British and American control. Tensions rose at times and even culminated in the comically named "Pig War" when a British settler's pig was shot after it rampaged through American farmers' crops. The conflict was thankfully bloodless and eventually resolved when the whole of the territory was handed over to the United States in 1872.

Island County - Washington

Just south of San Juan County is Island County. As the name might suggest, Island County is made up entirely of a collection of islands. The two largest islands within the county are Whidbey and Camano Island. Island County has a sizeable population of around 86,000 inhabitants. It holds only three incorporated municipalities, which are Oak Harbor, the county seat of Coupeville, and Langley. The county is separated from the mainland by the waters of Puget Sound, with Saratoga Passage running along the eastern shore of Whidbey and Skagit Bay to the northeast. Travel is still relatively easy. Deception Pass Bridge crosses the water at the northern tip of Whidbey Island onto Fidalgo Island, and numerous ferry services lead to other parts of the state.

The islands that make up Island County are quite a popular tourist destination for Washington residents during the warmer months for activities like camping and fishing. Many visitors even come just to take a short drive over the Deception Pass Bridge, which sits roughly 180 feet above the tidal current running through the gap below.

Grand Isle County - Vermont

Grand Isle County is another collection of smaller islands that is located in the north of Vermont that hug the Canadian border with Quebec. The northernmost portion of the county is a large peninsula that extends southward into Lake Champlain, where it is then broken into smaller islands. The three largest islands are Isle La Motte, North Hero Island, and South Hero Island.

Several bridges link the county to the Vermont and New York mainland, along with a long walkway in the south known as the Colchester Causeway, which carries the Island Line Trail out across the lake. A 200-foot gap near its northern end is bridged only by a seasonal ferry for cyclists and walkers. Grand Isle County has a modest population of just over 7,000 people, most of whom live on the northern peninsula. The county has an interesting history of being fought over by New York and New Hampshire, whose rival colonial claims to the Champlain islands were only settled when Vermont was admitted to the Union in 1791.

Sitka Borough - Alaska

Although not titled officially as a county, boroughs in Alaska functionally behave in the same way as counties in the United States mainland. Sitka sits on Baranof Island in southeastern Alaska, and its borough covers that island along with part of neighboring Chichagof Island. Tlingit people had lived in the area for thousands of years before Russian traders arrived, and the Russian-American Company built the first non-Native settlement there in 1799.

That outpost, Redoubt St. Michael, was burned to the ground by Tlingit forces in June 1802. The Russians returned in 1804 and established a new settlement named New Archangel, which was finally renamed Sitka in 1867. Sitka comes from the Tlingit name meaning roughly "people on the outside of Shee." Today, around 8,000 people live on the island, with much of its economy driven by commercial fishing and tourism, which often stems from cruise ships stopping there as they tour the coastlines of Alaska and British Columbia.

Richmond County - New York

Better known as Staten Island, Richmond County encompasses the entirety of this famous New York City borough. Being part of such a large and developed city, Richmond County is connected to Manhattan via a regular ferry service and to New Jersey and Brooklyn through numerous bridges. Staten Island has a population of just over 500,000, which makes it one of the most densely populated counties in the country, even though it is the least crowded of the five boroughs.

Staten Island is mostly residential, but is home to sizeable industry and several notable colleges and universities such as the College of Staten Island and Wagner College. For much of its history, Richmond County was largely underdeveloped in comparison to other parts of New York City. In the 1960s, however, the area experienced a large increase in investment and development, which has helped it grow into what it is today.

New York County - New York

Often referred to as Manhattan, New York County needs little in the way of an introduction. The island is defined by water on every side, with the Hudson River to the west, the East River to the east, and the Harlem River separating it from the Bronx. Since European colonists first settled here in the 17th century, Manhattan, and by extension New York County, has been a center of trade and culture. The county is home to just over 1.6 million people, many of whom work in the countless businesses and enterprises that thrive within the county.

Millions of tourists visit each year to witness internationally famous institutions such as Broadway and Wall Street. Other attractions include the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, Central Park, and the United Nations HQ.

Catgorically Unique

Very few counties within the United States are made up of islands, and each county or borough has its own character and history. The windswept islands of remote Alaska and the bright lights of New York City belong to the same small category. What ties them together is administration, because every one of these counties has to deliver ordinary services like policing, elections, road maintenance, and waste collection across open water rather than roads.