South Bass Island
Encyclopedia
Lake Erie
Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...
, and a part of Ottawa County
Ottawa County, Ohio
Ottawa County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 41,428. Its county seat is Port Clinton and is named either for the Ottawa Indians who lived there, or for an Indian word meaning "trader"....
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is the southernmost of the three Bass Islands
Bass Islands
The Bass Islands are three American islands in the western half of Lake Erie. They are north of Sandusky, Ohio and south of Pelee Island, Ontario. South Bass Island is the largest of the islands, followed closely by North Bass Island and Middle Bass Island . They are located in Ottawa County in...
and located 12 miles (19.3 km) from the south shore of Lake Erie. It is the third largest island in the Lake Erie Islands
Lake Erie Islands
The Lake Erie Islands are a chain of archipelagic islands in Lake Erie. They include Kelleys Island, Pelee Island, the Bass Islands, and several others. The majority of these islands are under the sovereignty of Ohio in the United States. Pelee Island is the only major island administered by...
. The island is a popular recreation spot.
South Bass Island is approximately 3.7 miles (6 km) long and 1.5 miles (2.4 km) wide and comprises 1588.3 acres (642.8 ha). The island is 3 miles (4.8 km) north of the nearest point on the mainland (Scott Point on Catawba Island) and approximately 10 miles (16.1 km) NNE of Port Clinton, Ohio, and 14 miles (22.5 km) NNW of Sandusky, Ohio
Sandusky, Ohio
Sandusky is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Erie County. It is located in northern Ohio and is situated on the shores of Lake Erie, almost exactly half-way between Toledo to the west and Cleveland to the east....
. As of the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
there were 631 residents on the island. The only incorporated community is the village of Put-in-Bay
Put-in-Bay, Ohio
Put-in-Bay is a village located on South Bass Island in Put-in-Bay Township, Ottawa County, Ohio, United States. Many believe that the name originates from some early maps of South Bass Island that showed the harbor being named Pudding Bay, probably because it was shaped like a pudding sack. The...
.
The village of Put-in-Bay is a popular tourist stop during the summer. The island is often referred to as the "Key West
Key West
Key West is an island in the Straits of Florida on the North American continent at the southernmost tip of the Florida Keys. Key West is home to the southernmost point in the Continental United States; the island is about from Cuba....
of Lake Erie". Put-in-Bay is served by ferry from nearby Port Clinton
Port Clinton, Ohio
Port Clinton is a city in and the county seat of Ottawa County, Ohio, United States. The population was 6,056 at the 2010 census. The city has been nicknamed the "Walleye Capital of the World."...
and Sandusky. Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial
Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial
Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial commemorates the Battle of Lake Erie, near Ohio's South Bass Island, in which Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry led a fleet to victory in one of the most significant naval battles to occur in the War of 1812...
, including Perry's Monument, commemorating the Battle of Lake Erie
Battle of Lake Erie
The Battle of Lake Erie, sometimes called the Battle of Put-in-Bay, was fought on 10 September 1813, in Lake Erie off the coast of Ohio during the War of 1812. Nine vessels of the United States Navy defeated and captured six vessels of Great Britain's Royal Navy...
is located on South Bass Island, near Put-In-Bay. The island is also the annual host of the Inter-Lake Yachting Association regatta, known as Bay Week.
In the bay of South Bass, is Gibraltar Island
Gibraltar Island
Gibraltar Island is an island in Ohio, located within Lake Erie. This small island is just offshore of South Bass Island.-History:...
, home to the Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
's Stone Laboratory.
Transportation via car, bike, or walking to the island is provided by ferries from the Miller Boat Line (departing from the northern point of Catawba Island), and Jet Express (departing from Port Clinton, Ohio, Sandusky, Ohio, and Lorain, Ohio), and many more including various charter boat companies in the area. The island also has a small airport. Golf carts are a popular method of transportation on the island.