Island, Upper New York Bay, southeastern New York, U.S. It lies southwest of Manhattan island and has an area of about 27 acres (11 hectares).
In 1808 the state of New York sold the island to the federal government. It served as the nation's major immigration station from 1892 until 1943, when immigrant processing was moved to New York City proper. It became part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument in 1965; its restored main hall is the site of the Ellis Island Immigration Museum.