Tybee Island ( ) is a
city
A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...
and a
barrier island
Barrier islands are a Coast#Landforms, coastal landform, a type of dune, dune system and sand island, where an area of sand has been formed by wave and tidal action parallel to the mainland coast. They usually occur in chains, consisting of an ...
in
Chatham County,
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States
Georgia may also refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
, 18 miles (29 km) east of
Savannah
A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) biome and ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach th ...
. The name is used for both the city and the island, but geographically the two are not identical: only part of the island's territory lies within the city, while the rest is unincorporated.
The island is Georgia's easternmost point. The phrase "From
Rabun Gap to
Tybee Light", intended to illustrate Georgia's geographic diversity, contrasts the mountain pass near the state's northernmost point with the coastal barrier island's lighthouse.
As of the
2020 census, the city's population was about 3,000 people. 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 reverted to its original name in 1978. The small island, which has long been a quiet beach getaway for Savannah residents, has become a popular vacation spot for visitors 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
Tybee Island ( ) is a city and a barrier island in Chatham County, Georgia, Chatham County, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, 18 miles (29 km) east of Savannah, Georgia, Savannah. The name is used for both the city and the island, but geograph ...
Historic District.
On February 5, 1958, the U.S. Air Force accidentally dropped an atomic bomb into the sea off Tybee Island due to an
accidental collision between two aircraft. Although the "Tybee Bomb" did not detonate (the nuclear weapon was an inert, simulated nuclear capsule according to some reports, while others have claimed the nuclear capsule was equipped), there has been ongoing concern because the
Mark 15 nuclear bomb lost during the mishap was never recovered.
History
Native Americans, using dugout canoes to navigate the waterways, hunted and camped in Georgia's coastal islands for thousands of years. The
Euchee tribe likely inhabited the island in the years preceding the arrival of the first Spanish explorers in the area in the 16th century. ''Tybee'' is the Euchee word for "salt".
In 1520, the Spanish laid claim to what is now Tybee Island and named it ''Los Bajos''. It was at the northern end of the
Guale missionary province of
Spanish Florida
Spanish Florida () was the first major European land-claim and attempted settlement-area in northern America during the European Age of Discovery. ''La Florida'' formed part of the Captaincy General of Cuba in the Viceroyalty of New Spain, and th ...
. During that time the island was frequented by
pirate
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and valuable goods, or taking hostages. Those who conduct acts of piracy are call ...
s who used the island to hide from those who pursued them. Pirates later used the island's inland waterways for a fresh water source. After the founding of
South Carolina
South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...
in 1670, warfare increased between the English and their pirate allies and the Spanish and their Native American allies. In 1702,
James Moore of South Carolina led an invasion of Spanish Florida with an Indian army and a fleet of militia-manned ships. The invasion failed to take the capital of Florida,
St. Augustine, but did destroy the Guale and
Mocama missionary provinces. After another invasion of Spanish Florida by South Carolina in 1704, the Spanish retreated to St. Augustine and
Pensacola; the
Sea Islands
The Sea Islands are a chain of over a hundred tidal and barrier islands on the Atlantic Ocean coast of the Southeastern United States, between the mouths of the Santee and St. Johns rivers along South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. The la ...
were depopulated, allowing the establishment of new English settlements such as the
colony of Georgia.
Lighthouse
Tybee Island's strategic position near the mouth of the
Savannah River
The Savannah River is a major river in the Southeastern United States, forming most of the border between the states of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and South Carolina. The river flows from the Appalachian Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean, ...
has made the island's northern tip the ideal location for a lighthouse since Georgia's early settlement period. First built in 1736, the lighthouse was made of
brick
A brick is a type of construction material used to build walls, pavements and other elements in masonry construction. Properly, the term ''brick'' denotes a unit primarily composed of clay. But is now also used informally to denote building un ...
and
wood
Wood is a structural tissue/material found as xylem in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulosic fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin t ...
, and stood tall, making it the highest structure in America at that time. The original lighthouse has been replaced several times. The second lighthouse was built in 1742 when
beach erosion threatened the first. Part of the third lighthouse at the site, built in 1773, still stands as the bottom of the present lighthouse. The top of the current lighthouse were added in 1867.
Today, the Tybee Lighthouse is a popular tourist destination, having all of its support buildings on the site historically preserved. The current black-and-white tower markings are a reversion to its fourth day mark, first used in 1916. The Tybee Island Light Station is one of just a handful of 18th-century lighthouses still in operation in North America.
Civil War
During the
Civil War
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
, the
Union Army placed siege batteries along the north coast of Tybee Island that aided in their successful bombardment and capture of
Fort Pulaski on April 10–11, 1862. This was the first significant use of
rifled cannon
A cannon is a large-caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder during th ...
s against
masonry
Masonry is the craft of building a structure with brick, stone, or similar material, including mortar plastering which are often laid in, bound, and pasted together by mortar (masonry), mortar. The term ''masonry'' can also refer to the buildin ...
fortification
A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Lati ...
s and demonstrated that masonry fortifications were obsolete. Recently, the City of Tybee Island has taken action to commemorate Tybee's historic significance in the Civil War. In 2005, the city obtained a federal grant to acquire two tracts of land where Union soldiers launched their attack against Fort Pulaski.
Fort Screven historic district
Fort Screven was first commissioned in 1898
and named for Brigadier General James Screven, a
Revolutionary War hero killed in action near
Midway, Georgia, in 1778. The fort served as a valuable part of coastal defense until it was decommissioned in 1947. Fort Screven is most notable for one of its former commanding officers,
General of the Army George C. Marshall, later the architect of the
Marshall Plan that helped rebuild Western Europe after
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. Approximately 70 fort buildings still remain. The entire Fort Screven district was placed on the National Historic Register in 1982. One of the most important remaining structures is the
Tybee Post Theater, constructed in 1930. It was one of Georgia's first theaters to have sound features and was the highlight of the fort's recreational activities. Other remaining buildings include the recently restored guard house, the bakery (now a private home), and barracks (now apartments). The ruins of the beach fortifications are also extant, and of the six original batteries, Battery Garland (built in 1899) is accessible to the public. Battery Garland houses the Tybee Museum. Another remaining area is Officer's Row, a group of original homes with a sweeping ocean view, one of which is now a
bed and breakfast
A bed and breakfast (typically shortened to B&B or BnB) is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast. In addition, a B&B sometimes has the hosts living in the house.
''Bed and breakfast'' is also used to ...
.
Resort period
During the late 19th century, at the height of the
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution, sometimes divided into the First Industrial Revolution and Second Industrial Revolution, was a transitional period of the global economy toward more widespread, efficient and stable manufacturing processes, succee ...
, residents in large, polluted cities frequently sought out remote beaches for summertime getaways. Clear, saltwater breezes were thought to be remedies for numerous ailments, including
asthma
Asthma is a common long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wh ...
and certain
allergies
Allergies, also known as allergic diseases, are various conditions caused by hypersensitivity of the immune system to typically harmless substances in the environment. These diseases include Allergic rhinitis, hay fever, Food allergy, food al ...
. Steamships began carrying patients and tourists to Tybee Island just after the Civil War.
In 1887, the
Central of Georgia Railway completed a
rail line to Tybee Island from downtown Savannah, opening the island to waves of summertime visitors.
The railroad built the Tybrisa Pavilion in 1891, and by the end of the decade, several hundred summer cottages dotted the island's Atlantic coast.
[Tybee Island Beach Management Plan]
." Retrieved: September 9, 2008.
In the 1920s,
U.S. Route 80 was completed, connecting Tybee Island via road with the mainland. The Tybrisa Pavilion became a popular stop for
big band
A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s and ...
tours and performers included
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, comedian, entertainer and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwi ...
,
Tommy Dorsey
Thomas Francis Dorsey Jr. (November 19, 1905 – November 26, 1956) was an American jazz trombone, trombonist, composer, conductor and bandleader of the big band era. He was known as the "Sentimental Gentleman of Swing" because of his smooth-to ...
, and
Blue Steele. The pavilion also housed a bowling alley and roller skating rink. Development continued to push toward the island's southern tip. By 1940, the island had four hotels, including the Desoto Hotel and Hotel Tybee, and numerous smaller lodges. The Tybrisa Pavilion burned down in 1967, and was replaced by the Tybee Pier and Pavilion in 1996.
Cecil B. Day opened the first
Days Inn on Tybee Island in 1970.
Tybee Bomb
On February 5, 1958, a
U.S. Air Force B-47 Stratojet from
Homestead Air Force Base, Florida, jettisoned a
nuclear weapon
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission or atomic bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions (thermonuclear weapon), producing a nuclear exp ...
(specifically, a
Mark 15 hydrogen bomb
A thermonuclear weapon, fusion weapon or hydrogen bomb (H-bomb) is a second-generation nuclear weapon design. Its greater sophistication affords it vastly greater destructive power than first-generation nuclear bombs, a more compact size, a lo ...
) off the coast of Tybee Island while conducting training exercises with a USAF
F-86 Sabrejet. The aircraft collided, with the pilot of the fighter ejecting and the crew of the bomber making an emergency landing at nearby
Hunter Air Force Base. The lost weapon, known popularly as the "Tybee Bomb", remained a security concern for several years, although the Air Force claims the bomb lacks a nuclear capsule and poses no serious threat. In 2004, retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant Colonel Derek Duke took part in a private search for the bomb. According to an article in the ''Savannah Morning News'', Duke found that there were "high levels of radiation and unusual magnetometer readings" at a specific point in the
Wassaw Sound, just off the Tybee coast.
He concluded from these readings that the bomb might be present "at a point just off the southern tip of Little Tybee",
an undeveloped barrier island
adjacent to Tybee Island. In response, the Air Force launched a nine-month search for the Tybee bomb in 2004. The search team specifically investigated the area of the Wassaw Sound where Duke had found high radiation levels. The Air Force reported to the media in 2005 that the source of the high radiation was likely
monazite, a mineral naturally high in radiation. The ''Morning News'' headline at the time said, "Duke Found Dirt".
Shark attacks
On June 15, 2016, the Tybee city council voted 4–1 to withhold shark attack numbers where the attacks did not result in loss of life. According to the ''Savannah Morning News'', the vote was a direct result of pressure from local businesses that had seen a decline in tourism due to recent reported shark activity.
Geography
Tybee Island is located at (32.006672, -80.849374).
The island is the north easternmost of Georgia's
Sea Islands
The Sea Islands are a chain of over a hundred tidal and barrier islands on the Atlantic Ocean coast of the Southeastern United States, between the mouths of the Santee and St. Johns rivers along South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. The la ...
, which comprise the outer section of the state's Lower Coastal Plain region. Like the other Sea Islands, Tybee consists of a sandy beach on its eastern shore and a tidal
salt marsh
A salt marsh, saltmarsh or salting, also known as a coastal salt marsh or a tidal marsh, is a coastal ecosystem in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and open saltwater or brackish water that is regularly flooded by the tides. I ...
on its western shore. The interior consists of a maritime forest (the density of which has been reduced by development) and freshwater sloughs.
The
Savannah River
The Savannah River is a major river in the Southeastern United States, forming most of the border between the states of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and South Carolina. The river flows from the Appalachian Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean, ...
empties into the
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...
just north of Tybee Island, placing the island in a strategic location. To the west, the marsh-lined
Lazaretto Creek splits the island off from McQueens Island (the stretch between the main western shore of Tybee Island and Lazaretto Creek is mostly marshland). Tybee Creek flows along the south shore of Tybee Island and joins the Atlantic at the island's southeastern tip. Little Tybee Island, which consists mostly of protected wetlands, lies across Tybee Creek to the southwest. The size of the sandy beach at the southern tip of Tybee Island varies considerably in response to tidal changes.
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has an area of , of which is land and , or 27.2%, is water.
The entire island (as distinguished from the city of the same name) has a land area of .
Climate
Tybee Island has hot weather in summer, while in winter the weather is cool with winds. The temperature typically varies from 45 °F to 88 °F and is rarely below 33 °F or above 93 °F. The below table shows the monthly average temperatures:
Demographics
As of the
2020 United States census, there were 3,114 people, 1,305 households, and 831 families residing in the city.
Crime rate
Tybee's violent crime rate is lower than Georgia's but its property crime rate is higher. The table below shows the rate of crime per 100,000 people.
Events
Every year since 1987, Tybee Island has had a Beach Bum parade, traditionally held in May the weekend before Memorial Day weekend. The parade route comes down Tybee's main road, Butler Avenue, and when parade floats come by onlookers have been known to shoot each other with water guns.
Tybee Pirate Fest, which began in 2005, is typically held the weekend before
Columbus Day
Columbus Day is a national holiday in many countries of the Americas and elsewhere, and a federal holiday in the United States, which officially celebrates the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas. He went ashore at ...
.
Tybee Island was formerly home to "Orange Crush," an annual beach party attracting thousands of students from historically Black colleges and universities. The 2019 event was canceled after an organizer was arrested, and future events were moved to
Jacksonville Beach, Florida, with organizers citing "lack of resources, limited parking, civil rights violations, and political injustices." The event returned to Tybee Island for the 2025 season.
Education

Tybee Island is part of the
Savannah-Chatham County Public School System. In the 2009-10 school year, there were approximately 34,668 students in the district.
There is also a public charter school on the island.
Photo gallery
File:Tybee Island City Hall.jpg, City Hall
Image:Tybee-island-sunrise-ga1.jpg, Sunrise from the Tybee Pier
Image:Tybee-island-north-beach-ga1.jpg, Fort Screven and the North Beach, viewed from the Tybee Lighthouse
Image:Tybee-island-pier-ga1.jpg, Tybee Pier and Pavilion
Image:Tybee-tybrisa-street-ga1.jpg, Tybrisa Street
File:Tybee Island Pier in Savannah, Georgia.jpg, Tybee Island Pier in Savannah, Georgia
Image:Tybee-island-south-lowtide-ga1.jpg, The south tip of Tybee Island at low tide
Image:Tybee-island-lazaretto-ga1.jpg, Lazaretto Marsh, off the western shore of Tybee Island
Image:Sunrise over north beach on Tybee Island, GA.jpg, Sunrise over north beach
Image:CrabShack-TybeeIsland.JPG, Entrance to The Crab Shack, a popular spot on Tybee Island
See also
*
Burton 4-H Center
*
Battle of Fort Pulaski
* https://carseatheadrest.bandcamp.com/track/tybee-island-horse-ghosts
References
External links
City of Tybee Island official websiteTybeeIsland.com
{{authority control
Cities in Georgia (U.S. state)
Barrier islands of Georgia (U.S. state)
Cities in Chatham County, Georgia
Savannah metropolitan area
Populated coastal places in Georgia (U.S. state)
Islands of Chatham County, Georgia
Forts in Georgia (U.S. state)