Volvo Island is a tiny man-made island located in a flooded strip mine near Ottawa, Illinois. It gained its name from a 2001 Volvo S80 sedan that’s 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 the 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. He initially placed the car there with the idea of holding a contest for people to guess how the Volvo got to the island, but abandoned the plan due to safety concerns. Over time, Volvo Island has become a peculiar tourist attraction, visible on Google Maps and Street View since 2015. Despite its novelty, there are no plans to retrieve the car or change the island’s status.
