Polycrystalline and epitaxial thin films composed of a single phase of yttrium iron garnet (YIG) have been synthesized on silica glass and single-crystalline gadolinium gallium garnet substrates, respectively, by the mist chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. The element Y can be found in the deposited thin films only when an aprotic polar solvent such as acetone is employed for the preparation of the precursor solutions. The crystal structure, magnetic properties, and magneto-optical properties of the thin films are explored. The maximum Faraday rotation angle observed in the present epitaxial YIG thin film is 3.66 degrees/mu m at 441 nm, as far as we know, which is higher than those reported for YIG films prepared by other methods, suggesting that the mist CVD method is effective for obtaining epitaxial thin films of multiple oxides. (C) 2014 The Japan Society of Applied Physics