__NOTOC__ The Kill Van Kull is a tidal strait between

Staten Island Staten Island ( ) is the southernmost of the boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County and situated at the southernmost point of New York (state), New York. The borough is separated from the ad ...

, New York, and

Bayonne Bayonne () is a city in southwestern France near the France–Spain border, Spanish border. It is a communes of France, commune and one of two subprefectures in France, subprefectures in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques departments of France, departm ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

, in the United States. It is approximately long and wide and connects Newark Bay with

Upper New York Bay New York Harbor is a bay that covers all of the Upper Bay. It is at the mouth of the Hudson River near the East River tidal estuary on the East Coast of the United States. New York Harbor is generally synonymous with Upper New York Bay ...

. The Robbins Reef Light is at the eastern end of the Kill, and Bergen Point marks its western end. It is spanned by the

Bayonne Bridge The Bayonne Bridge is an Through arch bridge, arch bridge that spans the Kill Van Kull between Staten Island, New York (state), New York, and Bayonne, New Jersey, Bayonne, New Jersey, United States. It carries New York State Route 440 and ...

and is one of the most heavily traveled waterways in the Port of New York and New Jersey. Historically, it has been one of the most important channels for the commerce of the region, providing a passage for marine traffic between Upper New York Bay and the industrial towns of northeastern New Jersey. During the colonial era, it played a significant role in travel between New York and the southern

colonies A colony is a territory subject to a form of foreign rule, which rules the territory and its indigenous peoples separated from the foreign rulers, the colonizer, and their '' metropole'' (or "mother country"). This separated rule was often or ...

, with passengers changing from

ferries A ferry is a boat or ship that transports passengers, and occasionally vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A small passenger ferry with multiple stops, like those in Venice, Italy, is sometimes referred to as a water taxi or water bus. ...

to coaches at Elizabethtown (now Elizabeth). Since the final third of the 20th century, it has provided the principal access for oceangoing container ships to Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal, the busiest port facility in the eastern United States, and Howland Hook Marine Terminal. The strait has required continued dredging and deepening to accommodate the passage of ever-larger ships. In many areas, the sandy bottom was excavated down to rock and required blasting. The Bayonne Bridge's deck was raised in 2017 so that New Panamax ships could travel the Kill Van Kull. Collins Park in Bayonne is situated along the northern shore.

Etymology

Kill Van Kull translates as "channel of the ridge" or "pass". Nearby is the Arthur Kill, the name of which is an Anglicization of the Dutch ''achter kill'' meaning "back channel", referring to its location "behind" Staten Island. The name "Kill Van Kull" originated during the early 17th century, during the Dutch colonial era, when the region was part of New Netherland. Places were named by early explorers and settlers in reference to their shape, topography, or other geographic qualities. The area around Newark Bay was termed Achter Col. The bay lies behind Bergen Hill, the ridge of the Hudson Palisades which begins on Bergen Neck, the peninsula between it and the

. Behind or ''achter'' the ridge was a ''col'' or ''

mountain pass A mountain pass is a navigable route through a mountain range or over a ridge. Since mountain ranges can present formidable barriers to travel, passes have played a key role in trade, war, and both Human migration, human and animal migration t ...

'' to the interior. '' Kill'' comes from the Middle Dutch word '' kille'' meaning creek. Compare Dordtse Kil in the Netherlands. The bay was known as Cull Bay during the British colonial era.

Gallery

Kill Van Kull BB high jeh.JPG, Western part of the Kill from the

Deepening the Kill Van Kull channel.jpg, USACE dredge brings up blasted bedrock in widening the channel. Pilot Boat NYC Harbor.jpg, Ships in

wait to enter the Kill. Kill Van Kull from new Bayonne Br jeh.jpg, Eastern part of Kill Van Kull

References

Water upgrade for Kill Van Kull, ''Staten Island Advance'', May 20, 2010

''New York Daily News'' articles re: Kill Van Kull
{{authority control Bayonne, New Jersey New Netherland Straits of New Jersey Straits of Richmond County, New York Bodies of water of Staten Island Bodies of water of Hudson County, New Jersey Borders of New York (state) Borders of New Jersey Port of New York and New Jersey

Etymology

Gallery

See also

References