JekyllCitizens.Org

Home Page

Documents Archive

Tide chart

Organizations

JI Citizens Association

JI Ladies League

Garden Club Jekyll Island

Recreation

JI Men's Golf Assoc.

JI Ladies Golf Assoc.

Great Dunes Ladies Golf

Tennis

Croquet

Biking

Fishing

Mah Jongg, Bridge

Tidelands Nature Center

Birding, Nature Trails

Summer Waves

Churches

JI Baptist Chapel

JI Presbyterian Church

JI Methodist Church

St. Richard's Episcopal

Catholic Church

Other houses of worship

JICANet

JICANet Editorial Policy

Contact Us

Temp Page Prison

Constitution and Bylaws

Jekyll Island Dining

Jekyll Island Hotels

Weather

JI Authority

Police, fire

Rules, Regs

Trash Collection

Jekyll Facts

Times facilities open

Nearby Attractions

Red Hats in the Sunset

Calendar

JICA New & Events

Friends of Historic JI

Rotary Club

Lions Club

Costal Wildscapes

Glynn Visual Arts

Recent Updates

Jekyll Island Citizens Association


Jekyll
Island Fact Sheet

Area: Jekyll Island is approximately 7 1/2 miles long and 1 1/2 miles across. It us approximately halfway between Jacksonville and Savannah.
Development:  Under state law, only 35 percent of Jekyll can be developed.  The remainder must stay in its wild or primitive stage.
Governing body:  The Jekyll Island Authority, a nine-member state agency, governs the island.  It appoints an executive director to oversee ongoing operations.
Police and fire:   The Georgia State Patrol provides police protection.  Jekyll Island has its own fire department with a full-time staff plus an active volunteer auxiliary.  
Utilities:  Georgia Power provides electrical service.  AT&T is the telephone service provider.  Cable television service  comes through Comcast.  The Jekyll Island Authority provides water and sewer service and trash pick-up, including yard waste.
Sports and recreation:  Three 18-hole and one 9-home golf courses are operated by the Jekyll Island Authority, as is the clay-surface tennis facility.  The Authority also operates Summer Waves, a a water park open in the summer months. A fishing pier is located at the north end of the island.  There is a  modern playground and miniature golf course, plus more than 20 miles of bicycle paths, with many rental bikes available at several outlets. Boat rental is available at the Marina.  A 200-site campground is operated by the Authority.  Horseback riding is available in the Clam Creek area on the north end.
History:  The first residents of Jekyll Island were the Guale and Timuncuan Indians.  The Spanish may have had a mission here in the 1500-1600s.  The English established the first outpost here in 1734, with the granting of the land to Maj. William Horton.  A string of owners of the island followed, most notably the DuBignon family from 1800-1886.  The Jekyll Island Club, comprised of some of the nation’s wealthiest individuals, owned the island from 1886-1947, using it as a winter retreat.  The state of Georgia bought the island in 1947 for $675,000.   
Historic District:  A 240-acre tract on the river side has been designated a National Historic Landmark. Cottages and other buildings from the Jekyll Island Club era are maintained there.  Ten historic cottages, plus the old Club House (now the Jekyll Island Club Hotel),  the wharf and several other buildings, are in this district.