Smith Island, Maryland

Smith Island, Maryland
Harbor at Ewell
Harbor at Ewell
Flag of Smith Island, Maryland
Nickname: 
"The Rock"
Coordinates: 37°59′N 76°02′W / 37.983°N 76.033°W / 37.983; -76.033
Country United States
State Maryland
County Somerset
Area
 • Total
9.18 sq mi (23.77 km2)
 • Land4.35 sq mi (11.27 km2)
 • Water4.83 sq mi (12.50 km2)
Elevation
0 ft (0 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
202
 • Density46.44/sq mi (17.93/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
FIPS code24-72887
GNIS feature ID1852600
Websitewww.visitsmithisland.com

Smith Island is a collection of three distinct island communities – Tylerton, Rhodes Point, and Ewell, Maryland – on the Chesapeake Bay, on the border of Maryland and Virginia territorial waters in the United States. The island is the last inhabited island in Maryland that is not accessible by vehicle. (The Virginia portion of the island is not currently inhabited.) Most of the islands are eroding due to tidal currents and sea level rise; a study conducted in 2008 by the DNR reported that Smith Island is expected to completely erode by 2100 if no action is taken.[2]

The island's population is approximately 220,[2] down from a peak of about 800.[3] On its Maryland side, Smith Island is a census-designated place (CDP) in Somerset County. It is included in the Salisbury, Maryland-Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area.

  1. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
  2. ^ a b Andrew Zaleski On 11/01/15 at 3:56 PM EST (November 1, 2015). "Smith Island Is Sinking Into the Chesapeake Bay Thanks to Climate Change". Newsweek. Retrieved January 3, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ Dance, Scott. "At Smith Island, a chance to shore up the future". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved January 3, 2021.