San Juan Islands

[san wahn ahy-luhndz, hwahn]

plural noun

1. a group of islands in Washington State that lie between the northwest coast of Washington and the southernmost part of Canada’s Vancouver Island.

San Juan Islands

/ sæn ˈwɑːn, ˈhwɑːn /

plural noun

1. a group of islands between NW Washington, US, and SE Vancouver Island, Canada: administratively part of Washington

Word History and Origins

Origin of San Juan Islands¹

First recorded in 1865–70; originally named Isla y Archiepelago de San Juan (“Island and Archipelago of St. John”) in 1791 by Francisco de Eliza y Reventa (1759–1825), Spanish naval officer, navigator, and explorer

Example Sentences

“The San Juan Islands are beautiful. Period,” he writes.

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Ecology also recently submitted a report to the Legislature that significantly underestimates the value of establishing an Emergency Response Towing Vessel near the San Juan Islands.

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Recreational opportunities abound in this remote, water-bound county, which encompasses the picturesque San Juan Islands.

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The only time I can afford to see the San Juan Islands is during the offseason when rates are low.

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The nationality of dozens of San Juan Islands, however, had been left unresolved.

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