Tybee Island, Georgia
Tybee Island, Georgia | |
|---|---|
Tybee Island Lighthouse | |
Location in Chatham County and the state of Georgia | |
| Coordinates: 32°0′27″N 80°50′42″W / 32.00750°N 80.84500°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Georgia |
| County | Chatham |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Brian West |
| Area | |
• Total | 3.19 sq mi (8.25 km2) |
| • Land | 2.88 sq mi (7.46 km2) |
| • Water | 0.30 sq mi (0.79 km2) |
| Elevation | 10 ft (3 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 3,114 |
| • Density | 1,080.50/sq mi (417.21/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Code | 31328 |
| Area code | 912 |
| FIPS code | 13-78036 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0333294 |
| Website | cityoftybee.org |
Tybee Island (/ˌtaɪbɪ/ TYE-bee) is a city and a barrier island in Chatham County, Georgia, 18 miles (29 km) east of Savannah. The name is used for both the city and the island, but geographically the two are not identical: only part of the island's territory lies within the city, while the rest is unincorporated.
The island is Georgia's easternmost point. The phrase "From Rabun Gap to Tybee Light", intended to illustrate Georgia's geographic diversity, contrasts the mountain pass near the state's northernmost point with the coastal barrier island's lighthouse.
As of the 2020 census, the city's population was about 3,000 people. The entire island is a part of the Savannah metropolitan statistical area.
Officially renamed Savannah Beach in a publicity move in 1929, the City of Tybee Island reverted to its original name in 1978. The small island, which has long been a quiet beach getaway for Savannah residents, has become a popular vacation spot for visitors from outside the Savannah area. Tybee Island is home to the first of what eventually became the Days Inn chain of hotels, the oft-photographed Tybee Island Light Station, and the Fort Screven Historic District.
On February 5, 1958, the U.S. Air Force accidentally dropped an atomic bomb into the sea off Tybee Island due to an accidental collision between two aircraft. Although the "Tybee Bomb" did not detonate (the nuclear weapon was an inert, simulated nuclear capsule according to some reports, while others have claimed the nuclear capsule was equipped), there has been ongoing concern because the Mark 15 nuclear bomb lost during the mishap was never recovered.