Are There Any Other Truly Car-Free Places Like Mackinac Island in Michigan?

Many visitors to Michigan's Mackinac Island think that there isn't another place like this to be found anywhere. That's likely true.

But what about the car-free aspect? Can you find another place quite that like outside of Mackinac Island.

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Mackinac Island's Unique History: The 1898 Car Ban

The island in the Straits of Mackinac has been car-free since 1898 when a group of horse-drawn carriage operators got a law passed that banned the new technology of the automobile on the island. It's been that way ever since.

So where else in the world is car free like Mackinac? The question came up on the Geogrpahy subreddit of Reddit with a user asking about any similar locations.

There are some in Brazil. Afua in the Amazon delta banned cars in 2002 due to lack of space on the island where the community is located. Unlike Mackinac which does allow motorized vehicles for emergency services, in Afua, "everything goes by bike, including the ambulance."

READ MORE: There's a Silent 'Dead Zone' in the Interior of Mackinac Island Where Tourists Never Go

Catalina Island, California: Restricted Cars and Golf Carts

On Catalina Island off the coast of California, the city of Avalon doesn't have an outright ban on cars but they're heavily restricted

So basically the only cars on island are for business use or owned by loooong-time residents. The waitlist is something like 20-30 years. Everyone drives golf carts instead.

Golf carts, however are not an alternative for those on Mackinac Island.

👇🏼BELOW: Have You Driven These 23 Official Michigan Byways?👇🏼

Ocean Beach, New York: Stricter Than Mackinac?

In the village of Ocean Beach, New York, on Fire Island off the coast of Long Island, not only are cars prohibited due to the narrow sidewalks that serve as connections between homes, but even bicycles are highly regulated. Due to the compact nature of the community as well as being in a protected natural area, Ocean Beach may the only located in the US with tighter, more stringent rules than Mackinac Island.