Which state owns the majority of Ellis Island?

Since a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 1998, Ellis Island, which is federal property, belongs within the territorial jurisdiction of both New York and New Jersey depending upon where you are. The Main Building, housing the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration, is within the boundary of New York State.



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In 1998, the Supreme Court ruled in New Jersey v. New York that most of historic Ellis Island – approximately 83 percent of it – is actually in New Jersey.

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The hospitals of Ellis Island were shuttered in 1930 as immigration slowed, and they were abandoned in 1954.

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Instead, the two states negotiated a compact in 1833, ratified by the US Congress in 1834. Among other agreements, the compact established that New York owned Ellis Island, but New Jersey owned the submerged lands around Ellis Island.

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15 Ellis Island Facts Most Travelers Don't Know
  1. It had a life before it was an immigration station. ...
  2. Ellis Island processed over 12 million immigrants. ...
  3. The first immigrant to come through Ellis Island was a child. ...
  4. Ellis Island has grown more than 800% in size. ...
  5. Some immigrants were denied entry.


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Visitors can tour the Main Building of the former immigration complex, which is now home to the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration. A world class experience, the Museum is home to an evocative series of exhibits and houses an amazing collections of artifacts from America's history.

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