The islands of Massachusetts range from barren, almost completely submerged rocks in Massachusetts Bay (e.g. Abbott Rock, first on the list below) to the large, famous and heavily visited Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket.
The recent history of Massachusetts' islands includes creation by flooding, connection to the mainland and subsumption into new land. Several islands existed as hills in western Worcester County and eastern Hampshire County until the 1930s, when the Swift River was dammed amid controversy to create the Quabbin Reservoir to meet demand for water in the Boston metropolitan area. Castle Island, Deer Island and Nut Island, all in Boston Harbor, have been attached to the mainland and remain islands in name only. Castle and Nut Islands now form the ends of peninsulas due to land reclamation, while Deer Island was attached to Winthrop Peninsula by the New England Hurricane of 1938. Governors Island and Apple Island now constitute the land underneath the runways and tarmacs of Logan International Airport and are included in this list despite their disappearance. Many lying in under flight paths are part of the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area.
Although most of the islands are in or near the Atlantic Ocean, several islands in western Massachusetts are found in the Connecticut River and a few others are surrounded by natural or man made lakes, ponds and wetlands.
| Name | Municipality | Populated? | Terrain | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abbot Rock | Salem | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Abiels Ledge | Onset (CDP) | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Abnecotants Island | Nantucket | uninhabited | barren | minor island / wetland |
| Alden Island | Duxbury | inhabited? | residence | minor island / wetland |
| Aldridge Ledge | Boston | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Alleghany Rock | Vineyard Haven | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Allen Rock | Edgartown | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Allen Rock | Salisbury | uninhabited | barren | minor rock / wetland |
| Amrita Island | Cataumet (CDP) | inhabited | residential area | |
| Angelica Rock | Fairhaven | uninhabited | barren | minor island, privately owned |
| Anuxanon Island | Lakeville | uninhabited | heavily forested | |
| Apple Island | Boston | uninhabited | commercial use | part of the Logan Int'l Airport complex |
| Archer Rock | Marblehead | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Averills Island | Topsfield | uninhabited | forested | wetland |
| Babson Ledge | Gloucester | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Bachelor Island | Gosnold | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Badgers Rock | Salisbury | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Bagwell Island | Ipswich | uninhabited | barren | minor island / wetland |
| Bailey Flat | Westport | uninhabited | barren | minor island |
| Bakers Island | Salem | inhabited | residential area | isolated community |
| Bar Rock | Westport | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Bar Rock | Scituate | uninhabited | barren | minor island |
| Baret Island | Gosnold | uninhabited | barren | minor island |
| Barrel Rock | Cohasset | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Barstow Rock | Mattapoisett | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Bartlett Rock | Rockport | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Bartlett Rock | Marshfield | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Bartletts Island | Marshfield | inhabited | residential area | wetland |
| Barton Island | Turners Falls (CDP) | uninhabited | forested | minor island |
| Bass Ledge | Nantucket | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Bass Rock | Ipswich | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Bass Rock | Nahant | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Bass Rock | Quincy/Weymouth | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Bassetts Island | Bourne | inhabited | residential area | isolated community |
| Bates Island | Webster | uninhabited | forested | minor island |
| Bates Rock | Scituate | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Bear Island | Foxborough | inhabited? | residence? | isolated (residence?) |
| Bear Island | Scituate | uninhabited | heavily forested | minor island |
| Bearse Rock | Hyannis | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Beaver Island | Rowe | uninhabited | heavily forested | |
| Bemo Ledge | Gloucester | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Bench Rock | Barnstable | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Bents Ledge | Dartmouth | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Big Pine Island | Westport | uninhabited | forested? | |
| Big Quamino Rock | Cohasset | uninhabited | barren | mid-size rock |
| Big Ram Island | Westport | uninhabited | barren | wetland |
| Big Rock | Tisbury | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Billingsgate Island | Wellfleet | uninhabited | barren | abandoned settlement |
| Bird Island | Marion | uninhabited | barren | minor island / has tower structure |
| Black Rock | Fairhaven | uninhabited | barren | minor island / has beacon structure |
| Black Rock | Nahant | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Black Rock | Beverly | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Black Rock | Gloucester | uninhabited | barren | minor rock / wetland |
| Black Rock | Gloucester | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Black Rock | Boston | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Blind Rock | Barnstable | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Blue Fish Rock | Marshfield | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Blueberry Island | Winchendon | inhabited | residential area | |
| Boohoo Ledge | Manchester-by-the-Sea | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area | (Boston Harbor) | inhabited | National Recreation Area | U.S. Coast Guard station / compilation of islands |
| Boutwell Island | Groton | uninhabited | state forest | J Harry Rich State Forest |
| Boynton Island | Gloucester | inhabited? | residence? | wetland |
| Brace Rock | Gloucester | uninhabited | barren | large rock |
| Brant Island | Mattapoisett | inhabited | residential area | |
| Brant Rock | Ocean Bluff-Brant Rock (CDP) | uninhabited | barren | large rock |
| Brewster Islands | Boston | inhabited | state park | U.S. Coast Guard station / compilation of islands / Boston Harbor Islands State Park |
| Briggs Rock | Westport | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Brimbles | Salem | uninhabited | barren | minor rocks |
| Brooklyn Rock | Fairhaven | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Brown Island | Marblehead | abandoned | private conservation land (Trustees of Reservations) | |
| Browns Island | Newbury | uninhabited | barren | minor island / wetland |
| Brush Island | Oak Bluffs | uninhabited | barren | minor island |
| Brush Island | Cohasset | uninhabited | barren | minor island |
| *Buck Rock | Manchester-by-the-Sea | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Buckthorn Rock | Cohasset | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Bull Island | Gosnold | inhabited? | residence? | |
| Bull Island | Essex | uninhabited | barren | minor island / wetland |
| Bumpkin Island | Hingham | inhabited? | state park | ruins / Boston Harbor Islands State Park |
| Burnham Rocks | Gloucester? | uninhabited | barren | minor rocks |
| Button Island | Hingham | uninhabited | forested | minor island |
| Calf Island | Boston | uninhabited | state park | ruins / Boston Harbor Islands State Park |
| Calf Islands | Boston | uninhabited | state park | ruins / compilation of islands / Boston Harbor Islands State Park |
| Canary Island | Hatfield | uninhabited | heavily forested | |
| Canoe Rock | Westport | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Carr Island | Salisbury | uninhabited | state wildlife management area | wetland |
| Carrick Island | Petersham | uninhabited | forested | |
| Castle Rock | Nahant | uninhabited | barren | mid-size rock |
| Caswell Rock | Marblehead | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Cataumet Rock | Falmouth | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Cedar Island | Dartmouth | uninhabited | heavily forested | minor island / wetland |
| Cedar Island | Gosnold | uninhabited | barren | minor island |
| Cedar Island | Wareham | uninhabited | barren | minor island |
| Cemetery Island | Clinton | uninhabited | heavily forested | |
| Chaces Island | Newbury/Newburyport | uninhabited | barren | |
| Channel Rock | Barnstable | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Channel Rock | (Nantucket Sound) | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Chapman Island | Petersham | uninhabited | barren | |
| Chappaquiddick Island | Edgartown | inhabited | residential area | large island |
| Checkerberry Island | Webster | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Children's Island | Salem? | inhabited | Summer Camp, property of YMCA | |
| Childs Island | Medfield | uninhabited | heavily forested | minor island / wetland |
| Chittenden Rock | Cohasset | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Choate Island | ||||
| Chubb Island | Beverly? | uninhabited | barren | mid-size rock |
| Church Rock | Barnstable | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Church Rock | New Bedford | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Clapps Island | Marion | uninhabited | barren | minor island |
| Clark Island | Otis/Tolland | uninhabited | state forest | Tolland State Forest |
| Clark's Island | Plymouth | inhabited | residential area | |
| Cleveland East Ledge | Falmouth | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Cleveland Island | Mashpee | uninhabited | heavily forested | minor island |
| Cleveland Ledge | Mattapoisett | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Cobble Island | Webster | inhabited | residence | isolated residence |
| Coffin Rock | Woods Hole (CDP) | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Commissioners Ledge | Boston | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Common Island | Duxbury | uninhabited | barren | minor island / wetland |
| Cone Rock | Barnstable | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Coney Island | Salem | abandoned | light growth, small salt marsh | minor island |
| Coney Island Rock | Salem | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Conspiracy Island | Berkley | uninhabited | light growth | minor island |
| Cooks Island | Kingston | uninhabited | barren | minor island |
| Cormorant Rock | Marblehead? | uninhabited | barren | mid-size rock |
| Cormorant Rock | Mattapoisett | uninhabited | barren | has beacon / minor island |
| Corn Island | Essex | uninhabited | forested | minor island / wetland |
| Corys Island | Westport | uninhabited | barren | |
| Cove Ledge | Manchester-by-the-Sea | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Crescent Island | Foxborough | uninhabited | heavily forested | minor island |
| Cross Farm Hill | Ipswich | uninhabited | barren | minor island / wetland |
| Cross Island | Essex | inhabited | residential area | wetland / privately owned |
| Crow Island | Fairhaven | inhabited | residence | minor island |
| Crow Island Rock | Manchester-by-the-Sea | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Crowninshield Islandsee Brown's Island above | Marblehead | abandoned | small pine forest | Trustees of Reservations property |
| Cunningham Ledge | Boylston | uninhabited | minor island | |
| Cuttyhunk Island | Gosnold | inhabited | residential area | large island |
| Dartmouth Rock | Dartmouth | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| David Rock | Gloucester | uninhabited | barren | |
| Davids Island | Weymouth | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Davis Neck | ||||
| Dead Neck | Barnstable | uninhabited | barren | |
| Dean Island | Essex | uninhabited | forested | minor island / wetland |
| Decatur Rock | New Bedford | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Deer Island | Amesbury | inhabited? | commercial use? | minor island |
| Deer Island | Boston Harbor | uninhabited | National Park | |
| Den Hill Island | ||||
| Devils Foot Island | Woods Hole (CDP) | uninhabited | barren | minor island |
| Devilsfoot Island | Medfield | uninhabited | forested | minor island / wetland |
| Dighton Rock | Berkley | uninhabited | state park | minor rock / Dighton Rock State Park / Massachusetts' (official) state explorer rock |
| Dilly Island | Essex | uninhabited | barren | minor island / wetland |
| Dodge Rock | Rockport | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Dogfish Ledge | Westport | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Dole Island | Newbury | uninhabited | nat. wildlife refuge | minor island / wetland / Parker River National Wildlife Refuge |
| Dolphin Rock | Swampscott | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Dread Ledge | Swampscott | uninhabited | barren | minor rock |
| Dry Salvages | Rockport | uninhabited | barren | compilation of islands |
| Duck Island | Barnstable | uninhabited | barren | minor island / wetland |
| Eagle Island | Salem | uninhabited | light growth | minor island |
| Egg Rock | Nahant | uninhabited | very light growth | major rock |
| Fish Island | ||||
| Gallops Island | ||||
| Gerry Island | ||||
| Georges Island | ||||
| Gooseberry Island | Salem | uninhabited | light growth | minor island |
| Governors Island | ||||
| Grape Island | ||||
| Graves Island | ||||
| Great Bank | ||||
| Great Brewster Island | ||||
| Great Egg Island | ||||
| Great Flat | ||||
| Great Island | ||||
| Great Misery Island | Salem | uninhabited/abandoned | nature preserve (Trustees of Reservations) | minor island |
| Green Island | ||||
| Gull Island | ||||
| Gunning Island | ||||
| Hales Island | ||||
| Halfmoon Flat | ||||
| Halfway Pond Island | Plymouth | uninhabited? | research natural area (The Nature Conservancy in Massachusetts) | minor island |
| Hangman Island | ||||
| Hog Island | Essex | uninhabited? | spruce forest, wetlands | location site for The Crucible (1996 film) |
| Holy Island | ||||
| House Island | ||||
| Kettle Island | ||||
| Langlee Island | ||||
| Leaveau Island | ||||
| Little Brewster Island | ||||
| Little Calf Island | ||||
| Little Island | ||||
| Little Misery Island | ||||
| Little Quabbin Island | ||||
| Little Ram Island | ||||
| Little Salvages | ||||
| Long Beach Rock | ||||
| Long Island | ||||
| Lovell's Island | ||||
| Marblehead Rock | uninhabited | large rock | ||
| Martha's Vineyard | Aquinnah, Chilmark, Edgartown, Oak Bluffs, Tisbury, West Tisbury | inhabited year round | residential/commercial | Well-developed summer attraction |
| Middle Brewster Island | ||||
| Middle Ground | ||||
| Milk Island | ||||
| Monomoy Island | ||||
| Monohamsett Island | ||||
| Moon Island | Quincy | uninhabited | training facilities | National Park |
| Morris Island | ||||
| Mount Zion Island | Petersham | uninhabited | forested | in Quabbin Reservoir; access not permitted |
| Muskeget Island | Nantucket | uninhabited | dunes, marsh | 2 buildings; inaccessible by most boats |
| Nantucket | Nantucket | inhabited year round | residential, commercial | Well-developed tourist attraction |
| Nashawena Island | Gosnold | inhabited year round | Privately owned | |
| Naushon Island | Gosnold | inhabited year round | Privately owned | |
| Newton Island | ||||
| Nixes Mate | Boston Harbor | uninhabited | granite rock | navigation aid |
| Nomans Land | ||||
| Nonamesset Island | ||||
| North Monomoy Island | ||||
| Nut Island | ||||
| Onset Island | ||||
| Osterville Grand Island | ||||
| Outer Brewster Island | ||||
| Palmers Island | ||||
| Park Island | ||||
| Parker Hill Island | ||||
| Pasque Island | ||||
| Peddocks Island | Boston Harbor | uninhabited | ruins | National Park |
| Penikese Island | Gosnold | |||
| Pierce Island | ||||
| Pine Island | ||||
| Plum Island | Newburyport, Newbury, Ipswich, and Rowley | inhabited | residential, commercial and wildlife sanctuary | Plum Island State Park at southern tip |
| Popes Island | ||||
| Popponesset Island | ||||
| Prince Head | ||||
| Raccoon Island | Boston Harbor | uninhabited | gravel/rock | National Park |
| Ragged Island | Hingham | uninhabited | plants/trees | National Park |
| Rainsford Island | ||||
| Ram Island | ||||
| Roger Island | ||||
| Round Island | ||||
| Sampson's Island | Barnstable, Massachusetts | uninhabited | scrub pine, oak, sand, marsh | Mass. Audubon wildlife sanctuary |
| Sanford Flat | ||||
| Sarah Island | ||||
| Sea Ledge | ||||
| Seal Island | ||||
| Seymour Island | Plymouth (in Billington Sea) | uninhabited? | forested | minor island |
| Shag Rocks | ||||
| Sheep Island | ||||
| Sipson Island | ||||
| Sipson Meadow | ||||
| Slate Island | ||||
| Snake Island | ||||
| South Monomoy Island | ||||
| Southworth Island | ||||
| Spectacle Island | ||||
| Spinnaker Island | ||||
| Stall Hill Island | ||||
| Stevens Island | ||||
| Straitsmouth Island | ||||
| Strong Island | ||||
| Tenpound Island | ||||
| Tern Island | ||||
| Thacher Island | ||||
| The Graves | ||||
| Thompson Island | ||||
| Tilden Island | ||||
| Tinker's Island | Salem | inhabited | sparse growth | |
| Tobys Island | ||||
| Tuckernuck Island | Nantucket | yes, summer | scrub oak/heath | ~35 houses, no roads or electricity |
| Uncatena Island | ||||
| Veckatimest Island | ||||
| Walker Hill Island | ||||
| Washburn Island | ||||
| Weepecket Islands | ||||
| West Island | ||||
| Whites Flat | ||||
| Wickets Island | ||||
| Woodbridge Island |
Famous quotes containing the words list of, list and/or islands:
“Modern tourist guides have helped raised tourist expectations. And they have provided the natives—from Kaiser Wilhelm down to the villagers of Chichacestenango—with a detailed and itemized list of what is expected of them and when. These are the up-to- date scripts for actors on the tourists’ stage.”
—Daniel J. Boorstin (b. 1914)
“Shea—they call him Scholar Jack—
Went down the list of the dead.
Officers, seamen, gunners, marines,
The crews of the gig and yawl,
The bearded man and the lad in his teens,
Carpenters, coal-passers—all.”
—Joseph I. C. Clarke (1846–1925)
“What are the islands to me
if you are lost
what is Naxos, Tinos, Andros,
and Delos, the clasp
of the white necklace?”
—Hilda Doolittle (1886–1961)