Kelleys Island

Kelleys Island is a village on a limestone and dolomite island in Lake Erie with beaches, parks, and campgrounds spread across the natural terrain. The island offers diverse landscapes with wooded and waterfront areas to explore.

Brothers Datus and Irad Kelley named the island in 1840 and began extracting limestone and timber. This resource extraction shaped the island for over a century.

The island has long been shaped by those who made their living from the water and stone, from fishermen to quarry workers. This heritage of resource-based living remains visible in how the community uses and values the landscape.

The island is reachable by regular ferry services or small airport. Once there, bicycles and golf carts are the best ways to get around.

The island contains glacial grooves, deep ridges carved into the limestone by ancient ice movements thousands of years ago. These grooves remain visible today and tell the story of the area's ice age past.

Location: Erie County

Elevation above the sea: 182 m

GPS coordinates: 41.59472,-82.70972

Latest update: December 17, 2025 07:49