Skidaway Island, Georgia | |
|---|---|
 Location in Chatham County and the state of Georgia | |
| Coordinates: 31°55′39″N 81°2′33″W / 31.92750°N 81.04250°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Georgia |
| County | Chatham |
| Area | |
• Total | 17.86 sq mi (46.26 km2) |
| • Land | 16.49 sq mi (42.71 km2) |
| • Water | 1.37 sq mi (3.55 km2) |
| Elevation | 10 ft (3 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 9,310 |
| • Density | 564.55/sq mi (217.97/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| FIPS code | 13-71184[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1867245[2] |
Skidaway Island is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Chatham County, Georgia, and lies on a barrier island of the same name. Located south of Savannah, Skidaway Island is known for its waterfront properties and golf courses within The Landings, one of the largest gated communities in the country. The population was 9,310 at the 2020 census.[1] For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined Skidaway Island as a census-designated place (CDP). A separate area of the island hosts the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, a research institution operated by the University of Georgia. It receives scholars and researchers from several other Georgia universities as well, including Georgia Tech, Savannah State University, and the College of Coastal Georgia. Skidaway Island is part of the Savannah Metropolitan Statistical Area.
It is uncertain why the name "Skidaway" was applied to this island; the name may be derived from a word in Yamacraw or another Native American Creek language. In his 1967 publication How Georgia Got Her Names, Hal E. Brinkley stated that the name might be an Anglicized form of Scenawki, the wife of the Yamacraw chief Tomochichi, for whom Georgia's founder James Oglethorpe named the island.[4]
In a March 2019 referendum, Skidaway Island voters overwhelmingly rejected a bill that would have incorporated their community as the City of Skidaway Island. The island remains unincorporated.[5]
- ^ a b "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
- ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Skidaway Island, Georgia
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ Krakow, Kenneth K. (1975). Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins (PDF). Macon, GA: Winship Press. pp. 206–207. ISBN 0-915430-00-2.
- ^ "Skidaway Island incorporation vote". WTOC-TV, Savannah GA. March 19, 2019. Retrieved April 26, 2019.