Volvo Island is a small man-made island located in a flooded strip mine near Ottawa, Illinois. It gained its name from a 2001 Volvo S80 sedan that has been sitting on the island since January 2012. The island, which is roughly the size of the car itself, was once part of a peninsula that extended into the water of the former mine. The car was towed to the end of this peninsula before the land was excavated, effectively creating the island.
The island and the surrounding lake are private property owned by Scott Mann, who operates two local car repair shops. Initially, Mann placed the car there with the idea of holding a contest for people to guess how the Volvo got to the island. However, he abandoned this plan due to safety concerns about people attempting to reach the island, surrounded by water up to 40 feet deep.
Over time, Volvo Island has become a peculiar tourist attraction, visible on Google Maps and Street View since 2015. It has garnered a 4.9-star rating on Google based on over 300 reviews, with visitors describing it as “rich in history,” “majestic,” and a “premier tourist attraction.” Despite its novelty, there are no plans to retrieve the car or change the island’s status.
