List of populated islands of the Great Lakes facts for kids

A map showing the Great Lakes

Populated islands are most commonly accessed by bridge or ferry boat, although some islands also have airports to facilitate air travel.

Tourism has helped the downtown sector of many island communities, such as the business district of La Pointe, Wisconsin, on Madeline Island.

Welcome to the amazing world of the Great Lakes! These huge lakes are like inland seas, and they're home to thousands of islands. Some of these islands are so special that people live on them all year round. This article will tell you about some of the most interesting islands in the Great Lakes that have more than 50 people living there.

Many of these islands are super popular for visitors, especially in the summer. Their populations can grow a lot when tourists come to enjoy the beautiful scenery and fun activities.

Did you know there's a group just for these islands? It's called the Great Lakes Island Coalition, started in 2017. This group helps make sure the islands' voices are heard. They talk about important things like keeping the water clean, dealing with unwanted plants or animals (called invasive species), and even big decisions about the region.

Islands in Canada

Ontario's Island Gems

Many cool islands are found in the Canadian province of Ontario. Let's explore some of them!

Algonquin Island: A Toronto Home

Algonquin Island is part of the Toronto Islands, a group of islands in Toronto Harbour. While most of these islands are parks or fun places, Algonquin Island is special because people live there. It's a quiet neighborhood right in the city!

Amherst Island: Rural Life on Lake Ontario

Amherst Island is the biggest island completely inside Lake Ontario. It's about 70 square kilometers (27 square miles) in size. Around 450 people live here all year, and a few more come in the summer. This island is mostly farmland and natural areas. You can get there by a ferry boat from a place called Millhaven.

Barrie Island: Connected to Manitoulin

Barrie Island is part of a township called Gordon/Barrie Island in Manitoulin District in Lake Huron. Lots of people visit in the summer for fun. It's connected to the much larger Manitoulin Island by a causeway, which is like a bridge over shallow water.

Bois Blanc Island (Ontario): A Former Amusement Park

This Bois Blanc Island is located in the Detroit River. It used to be home to the famous Boblo Island Amusement Park! Now, about 50 to 60 people live there in the winter. You can reach it by a private ferry from Amherstburg, Ontario.

Centre Island: Toronto's Big Playground

Centre Island is the largest of the Toronto Islands in Lake Ontario. Most of the homes and businesses here were removed starting in 1955 to make more room for parks and fun activities. But don't worry, about 260 homes still exist on the eastern side of the island chain, on Ward's Island and Algonquin Island.

Cockburn Island: Summer Fun Spot

Cockburn Island is another island in Ontario's Manitoulin District. Not many people live here permanently, but its population grows to about 200 residents in the summer. It's a popular spot for summer visitors!

Manitoulin Island: The World's Largest Freshwater Island

Get ready for a cool fact: Manitoulin Island in Lake Huron is the largest island in a freshwater lake anywhere in the world! It has two towns and eight smaller areas, with about 13,000 people living there. This makes it the most populated island in the Great Lakes.

Pelee Island: Canada's Southernmost Spot

Pelee Island is the biggest island in Lake Erie. It's also the southernmost place in all of Canada where people live! About 170 people live there all year, but many more visit in the summer.

St. Joseph Island: Connected by Bridge

St. Joseph Island is in Lake Huron and is the second-largest island in that lake. Around 2,000 people live here all year. It's connected to the mainland by a bridge called the Bernt Gilbertson Bridge, which is part of Highway 548.

Walpole Island: A Special Reserve

Walpole Island (also known as Bkejwanong) is on the Canadian side of the St. Clair River. It's a very important Indian reserve and has over 2,200 people living there. It's close to Harsens Island in the U.S. You can get to Walpole Island by bridge from Canada or by ferry from the U.S.

Wolfe Island: Near Kingston

Wolfe Island is located at the start of the Saint Lawrence River in Lake Ontario, close to Kingston, Ontario. About 1,400 people live here, but that number can double or even triple during the summer months when visitors arrive.

Islands in the United States

Michigan's Islands

Michigan has many islands in the Great Lakes. Let's check out some of the most interesting ones.

Beaver Island: Lake Michigan's Largest

Beaver Island is the largest island in Lake Michigan. It's part of a group of islands in Michigan. It's about 50 kilometers (32 miles) from the city of Charlevoix, Michigan. You can get there by plane or boat. The main town on the island is St. James, and about 551 people live there.

Bois Blanc Island (Michigan): Near Mackinac

This Bois Blanc Island is in Lake Huron, southeast of Mackinac Island. A company called Plaunt Transportation provides the only ferry service to this island.

Drummond Island: Close to Canada

Drummond Island is one of the biggest islands in Lake Huron. It's home to Drummond Township, Michigan. In 2000, about 992 people lived there. The island is right on the border between Canada and the U.S., and it's next to Manitoulin Island in Canada.

Grand Island (Michigan): A Federal Park

Grand Island in Lake Superior had 47 people living there in 2010. Most of this island is a federal park, meaning it's protected and managed by the U.S. government for everyone to enjoy.

Grosse Ile: Detroit River's Biggest Island

Grosse Ile is in the Detroit River, south of Detroit. It's the largest island in the Detroit River and one of the most populated islands in the entire Great Lakes system, with over 10,000 residents! You can reach it by two bridges or a small airport.

Harsens Island: A Summer Hotspot

Harsens Island is in the St. Clair River delta, right across from Canada's Walpole Island. Over 1,200 people live here all year, but that number can jump to about 5,000 in the summer! A ferry called Champion's Auto Ferry takes people to and from the island.

Mackinac Island: A Car-Free Resort

Mackinac Island is a famous island and resort area in Lake Huron. It's about 4.35 square miles (11.3 square kilometers) in size and is located between Michigan's Upper and Lower Peninsulas. It's known for not allowing cars, making it a unique place to visit!

Neebish Island: Quiet River Life

Neebish Island is in the St. Marys River, which flows between the U.S. and Canada. There's one store and one church on the island. A car ferry runs from April 1st to January 15th, helping people get around.

Sugar Island: A Township on an Island

Sugar Island is another island in the St. Marys River. The entire island is its own township, called Sugar Island Township, in Chippewa County, Michigan. In 2000, 683 people lived on this island.

New York's Islands

Cayuga Island: Part of Niagara Falls

Cayuga Island is actually part of the city of Niagara Falls, New York! It's located in the Niagara River, a few miles upstream from the famous falls. This island has a mix of parks and homes.

Grand Island (New York): A Buffalo Suburb

Also located in the Niagara River, Grand Island is a suburb of the city of Buffalo, New York. It's a very populated island, with 20,374 residents in 2010!

Ohio's Islands

Ohio has some great islands in Lake Erie.

Kelleys Island: A Lake Erie Village

Kelleys Island is both a village and the island it sits on in Lake Erie. About 367 people live here.

Middle Bass Island: Near Kelleys and South Bass

Middle Bass Island is an Ohio island in western Lake Erie. It has a year-round population of 95. It's close to Kelleys Island and South Bass Island. This island has an airport and is a stop for the ferry that travels between the islands.

South Bass Island: Home of Put-in-Bay

South Bass Island is in western Lake Erie. It's home to the village of Put-in-Bay, Ohio, which had 128 residents in 2000. You can take a ferry from here to several other places like Catawba Island, Kelleys Island, Port Clinton, and Sandusky.

Wisconsin's Islands

Madeline Island: Rich History in Lake Superior

Madeline Island is in Lake Superior and includes the town of La Pointe, Wisconsin. About 246 people live there. This island has a long and interesting history, as it was once a French fur trading post.

Washington Island: In Door County

Washington Island is about 7 miles (11 kilometers) northeast of the tip of the Door Peninsula in Door County, Wisconsin. In 2010, 708 people lived on this island all year. The community of Detroit Harbor, Wisconsin is located here.

See also

• Islands of the Great Lakes — all the islands.

• List of islands in lakes
• List of islands by population