San Nicolas Island (Calif.)

San Nicolas Island (Spanish: Isla de San Nicolás; Tongva: Haraasnga) is the most remote of the Channel Islands, off Southern California, 61 miles (98 km) from the nearest point on the mainland coast. It is part of Ventura County. The 14,562-acre (5,893 ha) island is currently controlled by the United States Navy and is used as a weapons testing and training facility, served by Naval Outlying Landing Field San Nicolas Island. The uninhabited island is defined by the United States Census Bureau as Block Group 9, Census Tract 36.04 of Ventura County, California. The Nicoleño Native American tribe inhabited the island until 1835. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the island has since remained officially uninhabited, though the census estimates that at least 200 military and civilian personnel live on the island at any given time. The island has a small airport, though the 10,000-foot (3,000 m) runway is the second-longest in Ventura County (slightly behind the 11,102-foot (3,384 m) one at the Naval Air Station Point Mugu). Additionally, there are several buildings including telemetry reception antennas.