The main channel of the St. Lawrence River passes to the south of the island and merges with Lake Ontario, while the Bateau Channel passes on the north between the Canadian mainland and the island.

In a proclamation by the Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada John Graves Simcoe on 16 July 1792, the island was renamed from Isle Cauchois to Howe island;[1] it was named for William Howe, 5th Viscount Howe, a British officer who served under General James Wolfe at the Battle of the Plains of Abraham during the Seven Years' War, and first appeared on a map in 1818 following a survey by Captain (later Vice Admiral) William Fitzwilliam Owen of the Royal Navy.

There is no evidence of any permanent habitation until 1810 by a man named William Casey.

In the following four decades successive waves of settlers brought many of the island's long standing families who still live or own land there.

The population of Howe Island in 2011 was 602,[3] although this figure expands in the summer months when recreational properties are occupied.