Decatur Island is one of the San Juan Islands

San Juan Islands

The San Juan Islands are an archipelago in the northwest corner of the contiguous United States between the US mainland and Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. The San Juan Islands are part of the U.S...

 in Washington state, USA

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, located just east of Lopez Island

Lopez Island

Lopez Island is the third largest of the U.S. San Juan Islands. Lopez Island is in land area. The 2000 census population was 2,177.-History:...

 across Lopez Sound and just south of Blakely Island across Thatcher Pass. Named by the Wilkes Expedition in 1841 for naval officer Stephen Decatur

Stephen Decatur

Stephen Decatur, Jr. , was an American naval officer notable for his many naval victories in the early 19th century. He was born on the eastern shore of Maryland, Worcester county, the son of a U.S. Naval Officer who served during the American Revolution. Shortly after attending college Decatur...

, it is 3.524 square miles (9.127 km²) in area.

There is no Washington State Ferries

Washington State Ferries

Washington State Ferries is a passenger and automobile ferry service owned and operated by the Washington State Department of Transportation that serves communities on Puget Sound and in the San Juan Islands. It is the most used ferry system in the world and the largest passenger and automobile...

 service to Decatur; access is by private boat or plane. The airport on Decatur Island is private, for residents of the Decatur Shores community only. All other persons wishing to use the airport must obtain prior permission from the community. Paraclete Charter Service and Island Express Charters provide passenger-only ferry service to Decatur from Anacortes

Anacortes, Washington

Anacortes is a city in Skagit County, Washington, United States. The name "Anacortes" is a consolidation of the name Anna Curtis, who was the wife of early Fidalgo Island settler Amos Bowman. Anacortes' population was 15,778 at the time of the 2010 census...

. Northwest Sky Ferry provides air service from Bellingham, Washington. There are no public facilities other than one public boat ramp on the north side of the island.

In addition to the three private communities on Decatur (Decatur Northwest, Decatur Shores, and Decatur Head), there are about 50 full-time residents, served by one general store, a school for kindergarten through eighth grade, and what some residents consider a golf course. The 2000 census

United States Census, 2000

The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...

, however, reported a resident population of 71 persons.

James Island State Park is just to the east of the island.