St. Simons is a barrier island and census-designated place in Glynn County, Georgia, and the largest of the state's Golden Isles, the chain of coastal islands that also includes Sea Island, Jekyll Island, and Little St. Simons Island. It lies just east of the mainland city of Brunswick, to which it is connected by the F.J. Torras Causeway, and it has a permanent population of roughly 15,000. The island's history reaches back to the colonial era. James Oglethorpe established the settlement of Frederica in 1736 and built Fort Frederica to defend the young colony of Georgia against Spanish expansion; the fort played a central role in the 1742 Battle of Bloody Marsh. After the American Revolution, St. Simons became a hub of plantation agriculture, and reminders of that era remain in sites such as Christ Church and the Avenue of the Oaks. Today those layers of history coexist with a thriving resort and residential community. Modern St. Simons is defined by its Atlantic beaches, its golf culture, and the compact social center of Pier Village, anchored by the St. Simons Lighthouse, a fishing pier, and Neptune Park. Golf clubs such as Sea Island Golf Club and Frederica Golf Club are central to the island's identity, and neighborhoods range from gated golf communities to marsh-front enclaves and condominiums. Public school students attend the Glynn County School District, based in Brunswick, with St. Simons Elementary located on the island. For regional access, the island sits about seven miles from Brunswick and roughly 15 miles from Brunswick Golden Isles Airport, with larger airports in Jacksonville and Savannah about an hour and an hour and a half away respectively. The result is an island community that feels both historically rooted and comfortably connected to the broader coast.