Ono Island (Alabama)
Encyclopedia
Ono Island is a 5.5 miles (8.9 km) long barrier island
in southern Baldwin County
, Alabama
, at the mouth of Perdido Bay
on the northern Gulf of Mexico
. It is bordered by Bayou St. John
to the north and Old River to the south. Surrounding communities include Perdido Key, Florida
to the south and east and Orange Beach, Alabama
to the west. The community is not within the corporate limits of any municipality
and is private and gated. It is accessed via a private bridge from State Route 182
.
The island was discovered by the Spanish
in the 15th century, who named it Orinoco, meaning "a place to paddle." Development began in the 1970s; now there are more than 700 homes on the island. The community has its own water tower, fire station, and private harbor, two recreation centers, a guard house at the entrance, and an administrative center known as Ono House. The island has several canal
s used for water traffic. The main road bisecting the island to either end is known as Ono Boulevard, and follows the strip of land all the way down its 8 miles (12.9 km) length.
Barrier island
Barrier islands, a coastal landform and a type of barrier system, are relatively narrow strips of sand that parallel the mainland coast. They usually occur in chains, consisting of anything from a few islands to more than a dozen...
in southern Baldwin County
Baldwin County, Alabama
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*85.7% White*9.4% Black*0.7% Native American*0.7% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*1.5% Two or more races*4.4% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, at the mouth of Perdido Bay
Perdido Bay
Perdido Bay is a bay at the mouth of and draining the Perdido River, a designated Outstanding Florida Waters river, in Baldwin County, Alabama and Escambia County, Florida, United States.-Geography:...
on the northern Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
. It is bordered by Bayou St. John
Bayou St. John
Bayou St. John is a bayou within the city of New Orleans, Louisiana.The Bayou as a natural feature drained the swampy land of a good portion of what was to become New Orleans into Lake Pontchartrain...
to the north and Old River to the south. Surrounding communities include Perdido Key, Florida
Perdido Key, Florida
Perdido Key, Florida is an unincorporated community located in Escambia County, Florida, between Pensacola, Florida and Orange Beach, Alabama. "Perdido" means "lost" in the Spanish language, and Perdido Key is sometimes called "Lost Key" by local residents and businesses.The community is located on...
to the south and east and Orange Beach, Alabama
Orange Beach, Alabama
Orange Beach is a city in Baldwin County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 3,784. It is part of the Daphne–Fairhope–Foley Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
to the west. The community is not within the corporate limits of any municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
and is private and gated. It is accessed via a private bridge from State Route 182
Alabama State Route 182
State Route 182 or SR-182 is a state highway that serves as the primary east-west connection along the Alabama shoreline of the Gulf of Mexico between Gulf Shores and Orange Beach in Baldwin County...
.
The island was discovered by the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
in the 15th century, who named it Orinoco, meaning "a place to paddle." Development began in the 1970s; now there are more than 700 homes on the island. The community has its own water tower, fire station, and private harbor, two recreation centers, a guard house at the entrance, and an administrative center known as Ono House. The island has several canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
s used for water traffic. The main road bisecting the island to either end is known as Ono Boulevard, and follows the strip of land all the way down its 8 miles (12.9 km) length.