Block Island

New Shoreham, Rhode Island
Block Island
Town
Block Island looking north over Block Island Sound. The coast of Rhode Island is seen in the distance.
Block Island looking north over Block Island Sound. The coast of Rhode Island is seen in the distance.
Official seal of New Shoreham, Rhode Island
Nickname(s): 
Manisses, meaning Manitou's Little Island (used by Narragansett people)
Map
Interactive Map of New Shoreham and Block Island
Coordinates: 41°10′11″N 71°34′48″W / 41.16972°N 71.58000°W / 41.16972; -71.58000
CountryUnited States
StateRhode Island
CountyWashington
Government
 • TypeCouncil-manager
Area
 • Land9.73 sq mi (25.2 km2)
Elevation
13 ft (4 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total1,410
Time zoneUTC−5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Code
02807
Area code401
Websitenew-shoreham.com
Historical population
CensusPop.Note
1970489
198062026.8%
199083634.8%
20001,01020.8%
20101,0514.1%
20201,41034.2%

Block Island is an island of the Outer Lands coastal archipelago, located approximately 9 miles (14 km) south of mainland Rhode Island and 14 miles (23 km) east of Long Island's Montauk Point. The island is coterminous with the town of New Shoreham, Rhode Island and is part of Washington County. The island is named after Dutch explorer Adriaen Block, and the town was named for Shoreham, Kent, in England.

Block Island is a popular summer tourist destination known for its bicycling, hiking, sailing, fishing, and beaches. It is home to the historic lighthouses Block Island North Light, on the northern tip of the island, and Block Island Southeast Light, on the southeastern coast. About 40 percent of the island is set aside for conservation, and much of the northwestern tip of the island is an undeveloped natural area and resting stop for birds along the Atlantic flyway.[1] The Nature Conservancy includes Block Island on its list of "The Last Great Places", which consists of 12 sites in the Western Hemisphere.[2]

Popular events include the annual Fourth of July Parade, celebration, and fireworks. The island's population can triple over the normal summer vacation crowd. As of the 2020 Census, the island's population is 1,410 living on a land area of 9.734 square miles (25.211 km2).[3]

  1. ^ "Block Island National Wildlife Refuge". United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Retrieved 2014-10-02.
  2. ^ "One of the last great places". The Providence Journal. June 9, 2005. Retrieved 2007-10-01.
  3. ^ "Census - Geography Profile: New Shoreham town, Washington County, Rhode Island". United States Census Bureau.