St John, USVI

Archeological discoveries show that native peoples lived on St John as early as 710 B.C. before Columbus made landfall on St Croix and named the Virgin Islands for various saints.

The Danes took possession in 1694 and established the first permanent European settlement on St John at Estate Carolina in 1718. By 1733, there were 109 sugar and cotton plantations on the island. Emancipation in 1848 helped lead to their decline, and the population fell to about 900 residents by the 1900s.

The Virgin Islands made headlines in 1917 when the U.S. purchased them from Denmark, and the first seeds of a tourism industry began to sprout. Among those Americans encountering St John was Laurance Rockefeller, who purchased land and transferred it to the Federal Government to be designated as the Virgin Islands National Park. Today the National Park owns over 60% of the island, including 5,650 acres of submerged lands.

St John is located 1,075 miles east-southeast of Miami, 50 miles east of Puerto Rico and 3 miles east of St Thomas.

Population: Approximately 5,000 permanent residents

Average rain fall: 43 inches (September–October & May–June)

Average temperatures: 77–84 degrees in winter & 82–90 degrees

Highest elevation: Bordeaux Mountain at 1,277 feet

St John is the smallest of the three US Virgin Islands at 19 square miles — 9 miles long and 2 miles wide — making it extremely exclusive while keeping property values high. As a U.S. territory, it is easy to travel back and forth from the states without passports via a quick 2-hour flight from Miami.

The National Park keeps the majority of the island untouched — full of picture-perfect hiking trails and pristine white sand beaches. St John visitors and year-round residents alike enjoy hiking, fishing, surfing, world-class scuba diving and sailing, along with an array of other outdoor activities. It is certainly a nature lover’s dream!

Most conveniences can be found on St John. There are 3 small shopping complexes on the island: Mongoose Junction, The Marketplace and Wharfside Village. Grocery shopping is available at Starfish Market, Dolphin Market, St John Market, Pine Peace Market and a variety of other small food shops and delis.

St John has 2 hardware stores, 2 gas stations, a drycleaner, several laundromats, and pharmacy. A 20-minute car barge ride to St Thomas gives residents the opportunity to shop at larger stores such as K-Mart, Home Depot, Cost U Less and downtown Charlotte Amalie.

St John boasts a variety of gourmet restaurants, ranging from casual to elegant. Many fine jewelry shops, art galleries and gift stores can be found in Cruz Bay town. There is 1 resort and ZERO traffic lights!

St John: Myrah Keating-Smith Clinic, Island Health & Wellness Clinic, and Cruz Bay Family Practice

St Thomas: Roy L. Schneider Hospital and private physicians