Merry Isthmus!

While we all know and love islands and peninsulas, there’s one unique geographical feature that is rarely discussed… the isthmus! To celebrate this unique feature, let’s look at 5 prominent examples in the United States.

An isthmus is a narrow neck of land with water on each side that connects two larger areas of land.

Madison, WI

The capital city of Wisconsin is situated on a narrow strip of land separating Lake Mendota and Lake Monona. Although, you’d be forgiven for not noticing in the winter when the lakes freeze over and locals are known to drive straight across!

Seattle, WA

The most populous city in Washington is unique as it sits between the saltwater Puget Sound and the fresh Lake Washington. To allow migrating fish to swim upstream, fish ladders were installed on the locks that connect the two bodies of water.

New Orleans, LA

Another example of a state’s most populous city, New Orleans, Louisiana is another prominent isthmus. Sitting between Lake Pontchartrain and the mighty Mississippi River the city actually sits below sea level, requiring large levees to keep back water from the river and lake. The longest continuous bridge over water, the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, crosses the eponymous lake, greatly aiding traffic flow to and from the city.

Grand Rivers, KY

In much less populous example, this town is situated in the “Land Between the Lakes” region. This isthmus separates Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley, which are fed by the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers, respectively. While a mile-long man-man canal connects the rivers here at their closest point, there is no naturally-occurring connection between the two rivers. They both continue northwest before separately converging into the Ohio River.

Delmarva Peninsula

Another example with a man-made canal, the Delmarva Peninsula is connected to the mainland by a relatively narrow isthmus separating Chesapeake Bay and Delaware Bay. This peninsula is named for the 3 states that occupy it: Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. Just to the north of the isthmus is the only example of a circular border in the US, as the border between Delaware and Pennsylvania is marked by a twelve mile circle centered on the courthouse in New Castle, Delaware.

Wrap Up

If you have other examples of isthmuses from the US or would like to see a similar list for world cities, leave a comment below! I hope to add more blog posts about interesting geography in the future.

Picture Credits

• https://www.medicine.wisc.edu/department-medicine/life-madison
• https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aerial_view_of_Downtown_Seattle_with_Bellevue_in_the_background,_2019.jpg
• https://www.sciencephoto.com/media/181921/view/aerial-infrared-view-of-new-orleans-usa
• https://www.rv.com/lifestyle-travel/places-to-go-things-to-do/land-between-the-lakes-kentucky/
• https://www.outsideonline.com/adventure-travel/essays/a-magical-realm-of-crabs-and-chickens/