# Counties that are just an island **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 29, 2026, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/counties-that-are-just-an-island/1027169 "2026-01-29T21:27:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/counties-that-are-just-an-island/1027169/21 "2026-01-30T17:07:36Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > Do they have satellite courthouses? Three courthouses. Starting from the mainland end they are: - Plantation / Tavernier at the ~1/4th point along the island chain. - Marathon at the ~2/3rds point. - Key West at the far end. Those towns pretty well contain the bulk of the populace, and the other concentration, in Key Largo / Islamorada closest to the mainland, is quite near Tavernier / Plantation. ---
**Author:** ![Mark\_Finn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@Mark\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mark_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/counties-that-are-just-an-island/1027169/22 "2026-01-30T20:27:08Z")
Although the definition of “county” has been redefined over the years, if we include any jurisdiction with a courthouse - in the province of Quebec, both the islands of Montreal and Laval have their own courthouses. It looks like “Les Iles de la Madeleine” also have their own courthouse. It’s a small group of islands in the Gulf of St Lawrence. (pop. 12,000). The province’s largest island (Anticosti) has a population of 177 - too small for its own courthouse. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2026, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/counties-that-are-just-an-island/1027169/23 "2026-01-31T15:22:40Z")
We have the Isle of Wight, Orkney, Shetland and Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar (the Western Isles Council). The Channel Islands and the Isle of Man are self-governing Crown dependencies, so not part of the UK, though not totally independent. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/counties-that-are-just-an-island/1027169.md?page=1)