Washington Island (Wisconsin)
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Door County, Wisconsin |
| Coordinates | 45°22′37″N 86°53′47″W / 45.376991°N 86.896362°WCoordinates: 45°22′37″N 86°53′47″W / 45.376991°N 86.896362°W |
| Area | 23.51 sq mi (60.9 km2) |
| Length | 6 mi (10 km) |
| Width | 5 mi (8 km) |
| Administration | |
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United States
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| Demographics | |
| Population | 708 (2010) |
Washington Island is located about 7 miles (11 km) northeast of the tip of Door Peninsula in Door County, Wisconsin. The island has a year-round population of 708 people (2010 census). It has a land area of 60.89 km² (23.51 sq mi) and comprises over 92 percent of the land area of the town of Washington, as well as all of its population. The unincorporated community of Detroit Harbor is located on the island. It is the largest in a group of islands that includes Plum, Detroit, Hog, Pilot, and Rock Islands. These islands form the Town of Washington. A large part of Washington Island's economy is based on tourism.
Washington Island is approximately 5 miles (8 km) wide by 6 miles (10 km) long. Together with the Door Peninsula, Washington Island forms a treacherous strait that connects Green Bay to the rest of Lake Michigan. Early French explorers named this water way, now littered with shipwrecks, Porte des Morts, which literally means "Door of the Dead" or, more colloquially, "Death's Door", giving both Door County and Door Peninsula their names.
Washington Island is one of a string of islands (which are an outcropping of the Niagara Escarpment) stretching across the entrance of Green Bay from the Door Peninsula in Wisconsin to the Garden Peninsula in Michigan. Its earliest known name is "Wassekiganeso", an Ojibwa name that translates to "his breast is shining" and apparently refers to the glint of the sun that at times reflects off the limestone cliffs.
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Wikipedia