Today's GeoCRAZY Question: State Counties!

[Bicoastal]

How many of us know and love this old cliche?--"Gotta catch those bandits before they cross the county line, sheriff--'else they're as good as gone!"

Ah, US county lines--refuge for Dukes of Hazzards and Smokey Bandits alike, as well as being prime real estate for a fine chain of BBQ joints (at least in Texas). HOWEVER, less well known are the counties that don't have a line to their name! Which leads us to today's question:

Which are the only five US counties in the lower 48 that don't border a single other county on land? (I've left off Hawaii {too easy} and Alaska {too damn hard})

HINT: There should be one very obvious choice--except, contrary to what many believe, it DOES have a land border with another US county.

BONUS: Which US county, located near the Mississippi River, requires you to cross into another STATE in order to get from one end to the other?

[TheCentepedeShoes]

1. Is Nantucket, MA one of them

and whatever county Martha's Vinyard is on?

[Bicoastal]

2. 2/5.

BUT ya gotta name them--and the county Martha's Vineyard lies in actually covers more than just MV.

(Can't believe I looked all this up!)

[TheCentepedeShoes]

5. Nantucket is in

Nantucket Co and MV is in Dukes Co?

[AllegroRondo]

3. I know theres part of an Illinois county on the Missouri side of the river

its down near St Genevieve.

[AllegroRondo]

4. and im guessing Key West, Florida

[TheCentepedeShoes]

7. Key West is

in Monroe Co, but part of Monroe is on the mainland.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

8. Monroe County (the Florida Keys) actually covers part of the Florida mainland

And borders Dade and Collier Counties.

Good guess, though.

[formerrepuke]

6. Richmond (NY); Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket (MA); San Juan, Island (WA)

...OK- I had to look at a map.

[Bicoastal]

9. Soooo close...

In fact, you've mentioned the correct 3 states already.

[LynneSin]

10. The Bonus question

Isn't there a place in either Kentucky or Tennessee that is cut off from the rest of the state

[SoxFan]

11. Here we go

Nantucket County, MA
Dukes County (Martha's Vinyard), MA
Richmond County (Staten Island), NY
New York County (Manhattan), NY
San Juan County, WA

[Bicoastal]

Ah...4/5!

But you're close--you named all of the right states...

The fact in the matter is that New York County DOES in fact extend past the boundries of Manhattan island. A little sliver of a neighborhood, Marble Hill, is actually on the continental mainland, surrounded by Bronx county on 3 sides and the Harlem river on the fourth.

[Gormy Cuss]

12. No county in Louisiana borders another county on land.

:P

[KitchenWitch]

14. Louisiana does not have counties... but you knew that!

:P

[Gormy Cuss]

15. Yeah, so what I hear you saying is that I'm correct.

Why do you hate America?
:P

[dbackjon]

13. Bonus - Fulton County, Kentucky

My partner was born and raised there. You have to drive into Lake County, Tennessee to get there.


Wish I had seen this question earlier...one of my hobbies is county highpointing (going to the highest point in a county).

[Bicoastal]

16. Ding ding ding! You got the bonus!

Now if someone would just find out the 5th US county surrounded by water on all sides...

BTW, the name of this county is a dead giveaway...

[dbackjon]

17. You mean Island, WA

:D

[Bicoastal]

18. We have a WINNER!

Amazing that there are only five, isn't it? I would've bet that counties in Rhode Island, or Florida, or Upper Michigan met the criteria. But no--only 5 island counties in the lower 48. It also means that these are the only counties in the continental US whose borders are in no way shaped by man...

[dbackjon]

19. Only five island counties with no land border, as stated in OP

Others, like on Long Island, are all island, but share the island.

Grand Isle, VT comes very close, like NY County - but has a small mainland component.