Aquidneck Island, also called Rhode Island, is the largest island in Narragansett Bay. It must be distinguished from the State of Rhode Island, of which it is part. The total land area is 97.9 km² (37.8 sq mi), and the population as of the 2000 census was 60,870.

The origin of the name "Rhode Island" is unclear. It may have been given its name because of its similarity in shape to the island of Rhodes in the Mediterranean. Alternatively, it may been bestowed by Dutch navigator Adriaen Block who visited the island in 1614, who may have named it Roode after the Dutch word for "red".

The city of Newport shares the island with the towns of Middletown and Portsmouth. Newport is the fifth largest city in the state of Rhode Island.

The Newport Bridge connects Aquidneck Island to Jamestown on nearby Conanicut Island in Narragansett Bay, and subsequently to the mainland on the western side of the bay. Additionally, the Mount Hope Bridge connects it to Bristol, and the Sakonnet River Bridge carries traffic to Tiverton over the Sakonnet River, the narrow saltwater strait on the eastern side of the island. South of the Sakonnet Bridge is the site of the demolished Stone Bridge; the other two bridges replaced ferries.

Geography of Rhode Island | Newport County, Rhode Island

Rhode Island (Insel)