Bethel Island, CA

Bethel Island is a small, unincorporated community located in Marin County, California. The population was 1,876 at the 2010 census. Bethel Island is located on the north side of San Francisco Bay, opposite Tiburon.

The first Europeans to visit the island were the Spanish in 1775. In 1821, the Mexican government granted land on the island to Andrés Pico and his wife Maria Antonia de las Villas Palos. They built a rancho called Rancho San Pedro de la Punta de Tiburon and a small settlement grew up around it. After California became a state in 1850, Tiburon was incorporated as a town and San Pedro de la Punta became its official name. The town's economy was based on cattle and sheep farming. However, with the arrival of railroads in 1879 and 1900, shipping became an increasingly important part of Tiburon's economy. By 1930, there were only 10 businesses left in town.

In 1933, Congress created Bethel Island National Monument to protect natural resources on the island including oak woodlands and coastal marshes which were important for wildlife conservation purposes. The monument was expanded by Congress in 1980 to include 2 square miles of land surrounding Bethel Island itself

In 1986, after years of negotiations between local residents and representatives from Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA), GGNRA agreed to transfer ownership of most of Bethel Island from federal to local control as part of a larger effort by GGNRA to decentralize its operations

In 1994 voters approved Proposition 184 which transferred all ownership rights over Bethel Island from federal agencies such as GGNRA back into local hands

Today most property on Bethel Island is owned by individual citizens through private deed restrictions or conservation easements

There are no commercial businesses or public services available on Bethel Island