NASA satellite image of Santa Cruz Island.

Santa Cruz Island is the largest privately owned island off the continental United States. The island, located off the coast of California, is 22 miles (35 km) long and from two to six miles (three to 10 kilometers wide). It is part of the northern group of the Channel Islands of California, and at 60,645 acres (245.42 km²) is the largest of the eight islands in the chain. Santa Cruz Island is located within Santa Barbara County. Download high resolution version (924x434, 62 KB) This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Download high resolution version (924x434, 62 KB) This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... The continental United States refers (except sometimes in U.S. federal law and regulations) to the largest part of the U.S. that is delimited by a continuous border. ... State nickname: The Golden State Other U.S. States Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger Official languages English Area 410,000 km² (3rd)  - Land 404,298 km²  - Water 20,047 km² (4. ... The eight Channel Islands of California, off the west coast of North America. ... Santa Barbara County is a county located on the Pacific coast of Southern California, in the state of California, just west of Ventura County. ...

A central valley splits the island along the Santa Cruz Island Fault, with volcanic rock on the north and older sedimentary rock on the south.

Three-fourths of Santa Cruz has been owned by The Nature Conservancy since 1987, when it was willed to that group by owner Carey Stanton. The remaining fourth once belonged to the Gherini family and is now part of the Channel Islands National Park. The Nature Conservancy is an environmental organization, founded in 1951 in the United States. ... 1987 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Channel Islands National Park is a national park that consists of five of the eight Channel Islands off the coast of the U.S. state of California, in the Pacific Ocean. ...

External Links

• Santa Cruz Island Foundation

Channel Islands of California: Anacapa Island - San Clemente Island - San Miguel Island San Nicolas Island - Santa Barbara Island     Santa Catalina Island - Santa Cruz Island - Santa Rosa Island