 Aerial view of Petit Bois Island (viewed towards the west; north is to the right) | |
 Historical map of the changing geomorphology of Petit Bois Island | |
  Petit Bois Island | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Gulf of Mexico |
| Coordinates | 30°12′N 88°27′W / 30.200°N 88.450°W |
| Archipelago | Mississippi–Alabama barrier islands |
| Administration | |
| State | Mississippi |
| County | Jackson County |
 | |
Petit Bois Island is a barrier island off the Mississippi Gulf Coast, south of Pascagoula, and one of the Mississippi–Alabama barrier islands. It is part of Jackson County, Mississippi. Since 1971 it has been a part of Gulf Islands National Seashore, administered by the U.S. National Park Service.
According to the United States Geological Survey, variant names are l'Isle de Petit Bois (French, modern spelling would be l'île) and Petitbois Island. Petit bois in French means "little woods". The island was so named by the early French explorers due to a small wooded section located on the eastern end of this mostly sand and scrub-covered island. Following the island's inundation during Hurricane Katrina, most of the trees comprising the little woods section have died.