List of islands of Massachusetts
The islands of Massachusetts range from barren, almost completely submerged rocks in Massachusetts Bay (e.g. Abbott Rock, first on the list below) to the large, famous and heavily visited Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket.
The recent history of Massachusetts' islands includes creation by flooding, connection to the mainland and subsumption into new land. Several islands existed as hills in western Worcester County and eastern Hampshire County until the 1930s, when the Swift River was dammed amid controversy to create the Quabbin Reservoir to meet demand for water in the Boston metropolitan area. Castle Island, Deer Island and Nut Island, all in Boston Harbor, have been attached to the mainland and remain islands in name only. Castle and Nut Islands now form the ends of peninsulas due to land reclamation, while Deer Island was attached to Winthrop Peninsula by the New England Hurricane of 1938. Governors Island and Apple Island now constitute the land underneath the runways and tarmacs of Logan International Airport and are included in this list despite their disappearance. Many of the Boston Harbor islands that are located under Logan's flight paths are part of the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area.
Although most of the islands are in or near the Atlantic Ocean, several islands in western Massachusetts are found in the Connecticut River and a few others are surrounded by natural or man made lakes, ponds and wetlands.
Name | Municipality | Populated? | Terrain | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Abbot Rock | Salem | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
Abiels Ledge | Wareham | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
Abnecotants Island | Nantucket | uninhabited | barren | minor island / wetland |
Alden Island | Duxbury | inhabited? | residence | minor island / wetland |
Aldridge Ledge | Boston | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
Alleghany Rock | Vineyard Haven | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
Allen Rock | Edgartown | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
Allen Rock | Salisbury | uninhabited | barren | minor rock / wetland |
Amrita Island | Bourne | inhabited | residential area | |
Angelica Rock | Fairhaven | uninhabited | barren | minor island, privately owned |
Anuxanon Island | Lakeville | uninhabited | heavily forested | |
Apple Island | Boston | uninhabited | commercial use | part of the Logan Int'l Airport complex |
Archer Rock | Marblehead | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
Averills Island | Topsfield | uninhabited | forested | wetland |
Babson Ledge | Gloucester | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
Bachelor Island | Gosnold | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
Badgers Rock | Salisbury | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
Bagwell Island | Ipswich | uninhabited | barren | minor island / wetland |
Bailey Flat | Westport | uninhabited | barren | minor island |
Bakers Island | Salem | inhabited | residential area | isolated community |
Bar Rock | Westport | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
Bar Rock | Scituate | uninhabited | barren | minor island |
Baret Island | Gosnold | uninhabited | barren | minor island |
Barrel Rock | Cohasset | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
Barstow Rock | Mattapoisett | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
Bartlett Rock | Rockport | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
Bartlett Rock | Marshfield | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
Marshfield | inhabited | residential area | wetland | |
Barton Island | Gill | uninhabited | forested | minor island |
Bass Ledge | Nantucket | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
Bass Rock | Ipswich | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
Bass Rock | Nahant | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
Bass Rock[1] | Quincy/Weymouth | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
Bassetts Island | Bourne | inhabited | residential area | isolated community |
Bates Island | Webster | uninhabited | forested | minor island |
Scituate | uninhabited | barren | minor rock | |
Bear Island | Foxborough | inhabited? | residence? | isolated (residence?) |
Bear Island | Scituate | uninhabited | heavily forested | minor island |
Hyannis | uninhabited | barren | minor rock | |
Beaver Island | Rowe | uninhabited | heavily forested | |
Gloucester | uninhabited | barren | minor rock | |
Barnstable | uninhabited | barren | minor rock | |
Dartmouth | uninhabited | barren | minor rock | |
Big Pine Island | Westport | uninhabited | forested? | |
Big Quamino Rock | Cohasset | uninhabited | barren | mid-size rock |
Westport | uninhabited | barren | wetland | |
Tisbury | uninhabited | barren | minor rock | |
Billingsgate Island | Wellfleet | uninhabited | barren | abandoned settlement |
Bird Island | Marion | uninhabited | barren | minor island / has tower structure |
Black Rock | Fairhaven | uninhabited | barren | minor island / has beacon structure |
Black Rock | Nahant | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
Black Rock | Beverly | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
Gloucester | uninhabited | barren | minor rock / wetland | |
Gloucester | uninhabited | barren | minor rock | |
Black Rock | Boston | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
Barnstable | uninhabited | barren | minor rock | |
Marshfield | uninhabited | barren | minor rock | |
Blueberry Island | Winchendon | inhabited | residential area | |
Manchester-by-the-Sea | uninhabited | barren | minor rock | |
Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area | (Boston Harbor) | inhabited | National Recreation Area | U.S. Coast Guard station / compilation of islands |
Groton | uninhabited | state forest | J Harry Rich State Forest | |
Gloucester | inhabited? | residence? | wetland | |
Gloucester | uninhabited | barren | large rock | |
Brant Island | Mattapoisett | inhabited | residential area | |
Brant Rock | Marshfield | uninhabited | barren | large rock |
Westport | uninhabited | barren | minor rock | |
Salem | uninhabited | barren | minor rocks | |
Fairhaven | uninhabited | barren | minor rock | |
Brown Island | Marblehead | abandoned | private conservation land (Trustees of Reservations) | |
Newbury | uninhabited | barren | minor island / wetland | |
Oak Bluffs | uninhabited | barren | minor island | |
Cohasset | uninhabited | barren | minor island | |
* | Manchester-by-the-Sea | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
Cohasset | uninhabited | barren | minor rock | |
Bull Island | Gosnold | inhabited? | residence? | |
Essex | uninhabited | barren | minor island / wetland | |
Bumpkin Island | Hingham | inhabited? | state park | ruins / Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area |
Gloucester? | uninhabited | barren | minor rocks | |
Button Island | Hingham | uninhabited | forested | minor island / Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area |
Calf Island | Boston | uninhabited | state park | ruins / Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area |
Boston | uninhabited | state park | ruins / compilation of islands / Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area | |
Hatfield | uninhabited | heavily forested | ||
Westport | uninhabited | barren | minor rock | |
Salisbury | uninhabited | wetland | State Wildlife Management Area | |
Carrick Island | Petersham | uninhabited | forested | |
Castle Rock | Nahant | uninhabited | barren | mid-size rock |
Marblehead | uninhabited | barren | minor rock | |
Falmouth | uninhabited | barren | minor rock | |
Dartmouth | uninhabited | heavily forested | minor island / wetland | |
Cedar Island | Gosnold | uninhabited | barren | minor island |
Wareham | uninhabited | barren | minor island | |
Cemetery Island | Clinton | uninhabited | heavily forested | |
Newbury/Newburyport | uninhabited | barren | ||
Channel Rock | Barnstable | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
Channel Rock | (Nantucket Sound) | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
Petersham | uninhabited | barren | ||
Chappaquiddick Island | Edgartown | inhabited | residential area | large island |
Webster | uninhabited | barren | minor rock | |
Children's Island | Salem | inhabited | Summer Camp, property of YMCA | |
Childs Island | Medfield | uninhabited | heavily forested | minor island / wetland |
Cohasset | uninhabited | barren | minor rock | |
Choate Island | ||||
Chubb Island | Beverly | uninhabited | barren | mid-size rock |
Barnstable | uninhabited | barren | minor rock | |
New Bedford | uninhabited | barren | minor rock | |
Marion | uninhabited | barren | minor island | |
Clark Island | Otis/Tolland | uninhabited | state forest | Tolland State Forest |
Clark's Island | Plymouth | inhabited | residential area | |
Falmouth | location of Cleveland East Ledge Light | barren | minor rock | |
Cleveland Island | Mashpee | uninhabited | heavily forested | minor island |
Mattapoisett | uninhabited | barren | minor rock | |
Cobble Island | Webster | inhabited | residence | isolated residence |
Falmouth | uninhabited | barren | minor rock | |
Commissioners Ledge | Boston | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
Duxbury | uninhabited | barren | minor island / wetland | |
Barnstable | uninhabited | barren | minor rock | |
Coney Island | Salem | abandoned | light growth, small salt marsh | minor island |
Salem | uninhabited | barren | minor rock | |
Conspiracy Island | Berkley | uninhabited | light growth | minor island |
Kingston | uninhabited | barren | minor island | |
Cormorant Rock | Salem | uninhabited | barren | mid-size rock |
Cormorant Rock | Mattapoisett | uninhabited | barren | has beacon / minor island |
Corn Island | Essex | uninhabited | forested | minor island / wetland |
Westport | uninhabited | barren | ||
Cove Ledge | Manchester-by-the-Sea | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
Foxborough | uninhabited | heavily forested | minor island | |
Ipswich | uninhabited | barren | minor island / wetland | |
Cross Island | Essex | inhabited | residential area | wetland / privately owned |
Crow Island | Fairhaven | inhabited | residence | minor island |
Manchester-by-the-Sea | uninhabited | barren | minor rock | |
Crowninshield Island | Marblehead | abandoned | small pine forest | Trustees of Reservations property |
Boylston | uninhabited | minor island | ||
Cuttyhunk Island | Gosnold | inhabited | residential area | large island |
Dartmouth | uninhabited | barren | minor rock | |
Gloucester | uninhabited | barren | ||
Weymouth | uninhabited | barren | minor rock | |
Barnstable | uninhabited | barren | ||
Essex | uninhabited | forested | minor island / wetland | |
Decatur Rock | New Bedford | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
Deer Island | Amesbury | inhabited? | commercial use? | minor island |
Deer Island | Boston Harbor | uninhabited | Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area | |
Falmouth | uninhabited | barren | minor island | |
Medfield | uninhabited | forested | minor island / wetland | |
Dighton Rock | Berkley | uninhabited | state park | minor rock / Dighton Rock State Park / Massachusetts' (official) state explorer rock |
Essex | uninhabited | barren | minor island / wetland | |
Rockport | uninhabited | barren | minor rock | |
Westport | uninhabited | barren | minor rock | |
Dole Island | Newbury | uninhabited | nat. wildlife refuge | minor island / wetland / Parker River National Wildlife Refuge |
Swampscott | uninhabited | barren | minor rock | |
Swampscott | uninhabited | barren | minor rock | |
Rockport | uninhabited | barren | compilation of islands | |
Barnstable | uninhabited | barren | minor island / wetland | |
Auburndale | uninhabited | forested | minor island / wetland | |
Salem | uninhabited | light growth | minor island | |
Egg Rock | Nahant | uninhabited | very light growth | major rock |
Elizabeth Island | Arlington | uninhabited | forested | minor island |
Fish Island | New Bedford | |||
Fox Island | Waltham | uninhabited | forested | minor island |
Gallops Island | Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area | |||
Georges Island | Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area | |||
Salem | uninhabited | light growth | minor island | |
Governors Island | ||||
Grape Island | Weymouth | Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area | ||
Great Brewster Island | Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area | |||
Great Misery Island | Salem | uninhabited/abandoned | nature preserve (Trustees of Reservations) | minor island |
Green Island | Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area | |||
Gull Island | Gosnold | |||
Hales Island | Haverhill | |||
Halfway Pond Island | Plymouth | uninhabited? | research natural area (The Nature Conservancy in Massachusetts) | minor island |
Hangman Island | Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area | |||
Hog Island | Essex | uninhabited? | spruce forest, wetlands | location site for The Crucible (1996 film) |
Holy Island | Ipswich | |||
House Island | Manchester-by-the-Sea | |||
Langlee Island | Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area | |||
Little Brewster Island | Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area | |||
Little Calf Island | Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area | |||
Little Misery Island | Salem, Massachusetts | |||
Long Island | Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area | |||
Lovell's Island | Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area | |||
uninhabited | large rock | |||
Martha's Vineyard | Aquinnah, Chilmark, Edgartown, Oak Bluffs, Tisbury, West Tisbury | inhabited year round | residential/commercial | Well-developed summer attraction |
Middle Brewster Island | Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area | |||
Rockport, Massachusetts | ||||
Monomoy Island | Chatham | |||
Moon Island | Quincy | uninhabited | training facilities | Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area |
Petersham | uninhabited | forested | in Quabbin Reservoir; access not permitted[2] | |
Muskeget Island | Nantucket | uninhabited | dunes, marsh | 2 buildings; inaccessible by most boats |
Nantucket | Nantucket | inhabited year round | residential, commercial | Well-developed tourist attraction |
Nashawena Island | Gosnold | inhabited year round | Privately owned | |
Naushon Island | Gosnold | inhabited year round | Privately owned | |
Nixes Mate | Boston Harbor | uninhabited | granite rock | navigation aid / Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area |
Nomans Land | Chilmark | |||
Nonamesset Island | Gosnold | |||
Nut Island | Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area | |||
Onset Island | Wareham | |||
Outer Brewster Island | Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area | |||
Pasque Island | Gosnold | |||
Peddocks Island | Boston Harbor | inhabited | ruins | Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area |
Penikese Island | Gosnold | |||
Plum Island | Newburyport, Newbury, Ipswich, and Rowley | inhabited | residential, commercial and wildlife sanctuary | Plum Island State Park at southern tip |
Popponesset Island | Mashpee | |||
Raccoon Island | Boston Harbor | uninhabited | gravel/rock | Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area |
Ragged Island | Hingham | uninhabited | plants/trees | Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area |
Rainsford Island | Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area | |||
Salisbury | uninhabited | wetlands and trees | State Wildlife Management Area | |
Round Island | ||||
Sampsons Island | Barnstable, Massachusetts | uninhabited | scrub pine, oak, sand, marsh | Mass. Audubon wildlife sanctuary[3] |
Sarah Island | Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area | |||
Plymouth (in Billington Sea) | uninhabited? | forested | minor island | |
Shag Rocks | Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area | |||
[4] | Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area | |||
Orleans | inhabited | Pleasant Bay, Cape Cod, private | ||
[5] | Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area | |||
Snake Island | Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area | |||
Spectacle Island | Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area | |||
Spinnaker Island | ||||
Stall Hill Island | Taunton | |||
location of Straitsmouth Island Light | ||||
Thacher Island | Rockport | |||
The Graves | unincorporated area | inhabited | barren | major rock / privately owned / aid to navigation / Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area |
Boston | uninhabited | barren | Rock outcrop in the Dorchester Bay is the middle shaft of the old sewer tunnel under Dorchester Bay between Moon Island and Columbia Point[6] | |
Thompson Island | Boston | uninhabited, used by Outward Bound | forested, marshland | Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area |
Tinker's Island | Salem | inhabited | sparse growth | |
Tuckernuck Island | Nantucket | yes, summer | scrub oak/heath | ~35 houses, no roads or electricity |
Uncatena Island | Gosnold | |||
Veckatimest Island | Gosnold | |||
Washburn Island | Falmouth | |||
Weepecket Islands | Gosnold | |||
West Island | Fairhaven | |||
Wickets Island | Wareham | |||
See also[]
- Islands of the Northeast United States
References[]
- ^ Bass Rock is federally recognized and is designated as an island in the U.S. state of Massachusetts, referenced in the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), which is developed by the USGS in cooperation with the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN), according to the USGS website. Bass Rock 's designated number on the GNIS is either #617550 Archived 2005-12-10 at the Wayback Machine, #613293 , or #614043 .
- ^ "Quabbin Reservoir Watershed System" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-10-05. Retrieved 2020-05-20.
- ^ http://www.massaudubon.org/Nature_Connection/Sanctuaries/Sampsons/index.php
- ^ Island Facts: Sheep Island - Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area (U.S. National Park Service)
- ^ Island Facts: Slate Island - Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area (U.S. National Park Service)
- ^ "Moon Island and the Old Boston Drainage System". Boston Harbor Beacon. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
- Islands of Massachusetts
- Lists of islands of the United States by state
- Massachusetts geography-related lists