Tybee Island, Georgia
Tybee Island is a city and a barrier island in Chatham County, Georgia, 18 miles (29 km) east of Savannah. The name "Tybee Island" is used for both the island and the city, but geographically they are not identical: only part of the island's territory lies within the city.
Tybee Island, Georgia | |
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Tybee Island Lighthouse. | |
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Flag Seal | |
Location in Chatham County and the state of Georgia | |
| Coordinates: 32°0′24″N 80°50′58″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 | www |
The island is Georgia's easternmost point. The phrase "From Rabun Gap to Tybee Light", intended to illustrate Georgia's geographic diversity, contrasts a mountain pass near the state's northernmost point with the coastal island's lighthouse.
As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 3,114. 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 has since reverted to its original name. The small island, which has long been a quiet beach getaway for Savannah residents, has become a popular vacation spot for tourists 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.
The U.S. Air Force accidentally dropped an atomic bomb into the sea off Tybee Island during a botched 1958 military training exercise. Though the "Tybee Bomb" did not detonate (according to some reports, it was never armed with a fuse), there has been ongoing concern because the Mark 15 nuclear bomb lost during the mishap was never recovered.