The Town of Hempstead (also known historically as South Hempstead) is the largest of the three
town
A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world.
Origin and use
The word "town" shares an ori ...
s in
Nassau County (alongside
North Hempstead
North Hempstead is one of three towns in Nassau County, on Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 237,639 at the 2020 census.
History
The area was first settled by Europeans around 1643 and became part of the town of Hemps ...
and
Oyster Bay) in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...
of
New York. It occupies the southwestern part of the county, on the western half of
Long Island. Twenty-two incorporated
villages
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...
(one of which is named
Hempstead) are completely or partially within the town. The town's combined population was 759,757 at the
2010 census, which is the majority of the population of the county and by far the largest of any town in New York. In 2019, its combined population increased to an estimated 759,793 according to the American Community Survey.
If Hempstead were to be incorporated as a city, it would be the second-largest city in New York, behind
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
; it is about three times the size of
Buffalo, which has long been the state's second-largest city. It would be the 18th-
largest city in the country, behind
San Francisco, California
San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
, and ahead of
Seattle, Washington. Hempstead is thus the most populous municipality in the
New York metropolitan area outside New York City.
Hofstra University's main campus is located in the Town of Hempstead.
History
The town was first settled around 1644 following the establishment of a treaty between English colonists, John Carman and Robert Fordham, and the
Lenape Indians in 1643. Although the settlers were from the English colony of
Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...
, a patent was issued by the government of
New Netherland after the settlers had purchased land from the local natives. This transaction is depicted in a mural in the Hempstead Village Hall, reproduced from a poster commemorating the 300th anniversary of Hempstead Village.
In local Dutch-language documents of the 1640s and later, the town was invariably called ''
Heemstede
Heemstede () is a town and a municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It is the fourth richest municipality of the Netherlands.
History
Heemstede formed around the Castle ''Heemstede'' that was built overlooking the ...
,'' and several of Hempstead's original 50 patentees were Dutch, suggesting that Hempstead was named after the Dutch town and/or
castle Heemstede, which are near the cities of
Haarlem and
Amsterdam. However, the authorities possibly had Dutchified a name given by co-founder John Carman, who was born in 1606 in
Hemel Hempstead
Hemel Hempstead () is a town in the Dacorum district in Hertfordshire, England, northwest of London, which is part of the Greater London Urban Area. The population at the 2011 census was 97,500.
Developed after the Second World War as a new ...
,
Hertfordshire, England, on land owned by his ancestors since the 13th century.
In 1664, the settlement under the new
Province of New York
The Province of New York (1664–1776) was a British proprietary colony and later royal colony on the northeast coast of North America. As one of the Middle Colonies, New York achieved independence and worked with the others to found the U ...
adopted the
Duke's Laws, austere statutes that became the basis upon which the laws of many colonies were to be founded. For a time, Hempstead became known as "Old Blue", as a result of the "
Blue Laws
Blue laws, also known as Sunday laws, Sunday trade laws and Sunday closing laws, are laws restricting or banning certain activities on specified days, usually Sundays in the western world. The laws were adopted originally for religious reasons, ...
".
During the
American Revolution
The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...
, the
Loyalists
Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cro ...
in the south and the American sympathizers in the north caused a split in 1784 into "
North Hempstead
North Hempstead is one of three towns in Nassau County, on Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 237,639 at the 2020 census.
History
The area was first settled by Europeans around 1643 and became part of the town of Hemps ...
" and "South Hempstead". With the 1898 incorporation of the Borough of
Queens as part of the city of New York, and the 1899 split of Queens County to create Nassau County, some southwestern portions of the Town of Hempstead seceded from the town and became part of the Borough of Queens.
Richard Hewlett, who was born in Hempstead, served as a Lieutenant Colonel with the British Army under General
Oliver De Lancey in the American Revolution. Afterward, Hewlett departed the United States with other Loyalists and settled in the newly created Province of
New Brunswick
New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...
in what later became Canada. A settlement there was named Hampstead, in Queen's County next to Long Island in the
Saint John River.
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...
, the town has a total area of 191.3 square miles (495.5 km
2), of which 120.0 square miles (310.7 km
2) is land and 71.4 square miles (184.8 km
2) (37.30%) is water.
The western town line is the border of
Queens County in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
. Its northern border, with the
town of North Hempstead and the
town of Oyster Bay, is along the main line of the
Long Island Rail Road and along
Old Country Road in Garden City heading east towards the
Wantagh Parkway. Its eastern border, also with the town of Oyster Bay, runs parallel to (and several hundred feet west of) Route 107. To the south is the Atlantic Ocean, off of Atlantic Beach, Lido Beach, Point Lookout, and
Jones Beach, as well as the
city of Long Beach.
The most popular beach on the east coast of the United States, Jones Beach State Park, is located in Hempstead. The beach is a popular destination for Long Islanders and residents of New York. The beach itself receives approximately six million visitors per year.
Communities
The town of Hempstead contains 22
villages
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...
and 38
hamlets
A hamlet is a human settlement that is smaller than a town or village. Its size relative to a parish can depend on the administration and region. A hamlet may be considered to be a smaller settlement or subdivision or satellite entity to a lar ...
:
Villages
*
Atlantic Beach
*
Bellerose
*
Cedarhurst
*
East Rockaway
*
Floral Park
Floral Park is an Administrative divisions of New York State#Village, incorporated village in Nassau County, New York, Nassau County, New York (state), New York, United States, on Long Island. The population as of the US Census of 2010 is 15,863. ...
''(small part in
North Hempstead
North Hempstead is one of three towns in Nassau County, on Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 237,639 at the 2020 census.
History
The area was first settled by Europeans around 1643 and became part of the town of Hemps ...
)''
*
Freeport
*
Garden City ''(small part in North Hempstead)''
*
Hempstead (village)
*
Hewlett Bay Park
*
Hewlett Harbor
*
Hewlett Neck
*
Island Park
*
Lawrence
Lawrence may refer to:
Education Colleges and universities
* Lawrence Technological University, a university in Southfield, Michigan, United States
* Lawrence University, a liberal arts university in Appleton, Wisconsin, United States
Preparator ...
*
Lynbrook
*
Malverne
*
Mineola ''(almost all in North Hempstead)''
*
New Hyde Park ''(part; with North Hempstead)''
*
Rockville Centre
Rockville Centre, commonly abbreviated as RVC, is an incorporated village located in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, on the South Shore of Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 24,023 at the 2010 census.
Histo ...
*
South Floral Park
*
Stewart Manor
*
Valley Stream
Valley Stream is a village in Nassau County, on Long Island, in New York, United States. The population in the Village of Valley Stream was 37,511 at the 2010 census.
The incorporated Village of Valley Stream is within the Town of Hempstead, ...
*
Woodsburgh
Hamlets
*
Baldwin
*
Baldwin Harbor
*
Barnum Island
*
Bay Park
*
Bellerose Terrace
*
Bellmore
*
Bethpage ''(almost all in
Oyster Bay)''
*
East Atlantic Beach
*
East Garden City
*
East Meadow
*
Elmont
*
Franklin Square
*
Garden City South
Garden City South is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, on Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 4,119 at the 2020 census.
History
Garden City South's name reflects upon ...
*
Harbor Isle
*
Hewlett
*
Inwood
*
Lakeview
*
Levittown
Levittown is the name of several large suburban housing developments created in the United States (including one in Puerto Rico) by William J. Levitt and his company Levitt & Sons. Built after World War II for returning white veterans and their ...
*
Lido Beach
*
Malverne Park Oaks
*
Merrick
*
Munson
*
North Bellmore
*
North Lynbrook
*
North Merrick
*
North Valley Stream
*
North Wantagh
*
North Woodmere
*
Oceanside
*
Point Lookout
*
Roosevelt
Roosevelt may refer to:
*Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919), 26th U.S. president
* Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945), 32nd U.S. president
Businesses and organisations
* Roosevelt Hotel (disambiguation)
* Roosevelt & Son, a merchant bank
* Rooseve ...
*
Salisbury (South Westbury)
*
Seaford
*
South Hempstead
South Hempstead is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, on Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 3,243 at the 2010 census.
History
South Hempstead's name reflects its geogra ...
*
South Valley Stream
*
Uniondale
*
Wantagh
*
West Hempstead
*
Woodmere
In addition, there are a few areas that are not part of any incorporated village or census-designated place:
*
Jones Beach Island
Jones Beach Island is one of the outer barrier islands off the southern coast of Long Island in the U.S. state of New York.
Etymology
It is named for Major Thomas Jones, who first came to Long Island in 1692, where he proceeded to build the ...
and nearby uninhabited islands in
South Oyster Bay
* A small area between Lynbrook and Rockville Centre that contains only
Rockville Cemetery
Demographics
The 2019
American Community Survey determined the population of the town of Hempstead was 759,793.
The racial and ethnic makeup of the town was 54.0%
non-Hispanic white, 17.4% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian or Alaska Native, 6.2% Asian, 3.7% multiracial, and 20.9% Hispanic or Latin American of any race.
Of the population, there were 244,203 households and there was an owner-occupied housing rate of 80.8%. The average household size was 3.10 and the population was made of 22.7% foreign-born residents. In 2019, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the median value of an owner-occupied housing unit was $455,700 and the median gross rent of rented units at $1,678. Residents of the town had a combined median household income of $111,072 and per capita of $44,958. Of the population in 2019, 6.0% lived at or below the poverty line.
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...
of 2010, there were 759,757 people, 246,828 households, and 193,513 families residing in the town. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...
was 6,301.3 inhabitants per square mile (2,433.0/km
2). There were 252,286 housing units at an average density of 2,103.0 per square mile (812.0/km
2). The racial makeup of the town was 59.9%
White, 16.5% Black, 0.3%
Native American, 5.2%
Asian, 0.03%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...
, 4.5% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 2.2% from two or more races. Hispanic and Latin Americans of any race were 17.4% of the population.
There were 246,828 households, out of which 36.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.2% were
married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.6% were non-families. 18.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.02 and the average family size was 3.41.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.4% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.2 males.
According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the town was $84,362, and the median income for a family was $96,080. Males had a median income of $50,818 versus $36,334 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the town was $28,153. About 4.0% of families and 5.8% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 6.6% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
Lufthansa United States had its headquarters in
East Meadow, beginning in the 1970s, after it moved from
Park Avenue
Park Avenue is a wide New York City boulevard which carries north and southbound traffic in the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx. For most of the road's length in Manhattan, it runs parallel to Madison Avenue to the west and Lexington Av ...
in
Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
, in order to save money. In 2019, the office had 206 employees; that year the headquarters moved to
Uniondale.
At one time
Swiss International Air Lines
Swiss International Air Lines AG, colloquially known as SWISS, is the flag carrier of Switzerland, operating scheduled services in Europe and to North America, South America, Africa and Asia. Zurich Airport serves as its sole hub and Geneva ...
operated its United States office at 776 RexCorp Plaza in the EAB Plaza in Uniondale. The airline moved from 41 Pinelawn Road in
Melville, Suffolk County around 2002.
Snapple was previously headquartered in East Meadow, prior to moving their corporate office. The office space is now currently occupied by the Epilepsy Foundation of Long Island.
Government and politics
The town is headed by Donald X. Clavin, Jr. (R) of Garden City. The responsibilities of the office include presiding over meetings of the Town Council and directing the legislative and administrative function of that body. The position also entails creating and implementing the town's budget. One famous former supervisor was
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
Alfonse D'Amato, who later represented New York in the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and pow ...
from 1981 to 1999.
Prior to 1994, the town also had a Presiding Supervisor, who along with the Supervisor, sat on what was then Nassau County's main governmental body, the Board of Supervisors, along with the Supervisors of the towns of
North Hempstead
North Hempstead is one of three towns in Nassau County, on Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 237,639 at the 2020 census.
History
The area was first settled by Europeans around 1643 and became part of the town of Hemps ...
and
Oyster Bay and the independent cities of
Long Beach—formerly a part of Hempstead Town until its incorporation as a separate municipality in 1922—and
Glen Cove, which had been carved out of Oyster Bay Town in 1917. Typically, the Presiding Supervisor, besides chairing the weekly county Board of Supervisors meetings, acted as the senior official in the town government with the Supervisor in a more junior, subordinate role; a number of Supervisors moved up to Presiding Supervisor whenever that office became vacant, including, in succession during the 1970s,
Ralph G. Caso and
Francis T. Purcell, both of whom later went on to become the
county executive
A county executive, county manager or county mayor is the head of the executive branch of government in a United States county.
The executive may be an elected or an appointed position. When elected, the executive typically functions either as a ...
, and then Al D'Amato, before he moved up to the Senate. Having the Presiding Supervisor on the county board along with the Supervisor gave Hempstead—by far the most populous of the county's three towns and two cities—the most clout on that body. However, in 1993–94, a federal judge ruled that the board's makeup violated the one-person, one-vote constitutional principle and also gave no representation to the country's growing minority population. As a result of that ruling, the Board of Supervisors was replaced by a 19-member county legislature. Gregory P. Peterson served as the last Presiding Supervisor, as the position was abolished with the demise of the county board.
The Current Tax Collector is Jeanine Driscoll.
The Town Council comprises six voting members, elected from a councilmanic district. Their primary function is to adopt the annual budget, adopting and amending the town code and the building zone ordinances, adopting all traffic regulations, and hearing applications for changes of zone and special exceptions to
zoning
Zoning is a method of urban planning in which a municipality or other tier of government divides land into areas called zones, each of which has a set of regulations for new development that differs from other zones. Zones may be defined for a si ...
codes.
As of 2022, the council members are:
# Dorothy L. Goosby (D-Hempstead Village)
# Thomas E. Muscarella (R-Garden City)
# Melissa Miller (R-
Atlantic Beach)
# Anthony P. D'Esposito (R-Island Park)(Elected to US House of Representatives NY-04, beginning in January 2023)
# Chris Carini (R-Seaford)
# Dennis Dunne, Sr. (R-Levittown)
Other elected officials in the town include the clerk and the receiver of taxes. The clerk is responsible for issuing birth, marriage, and
death certificate
A death certificate is either a legal document issued by a medical practitioner which states when a person died, or a document issued by a government civil registration office, that declares the date, location and cause of a person's death, as ...
s and is considered the town's record keeper. The clerk is currently Kate Murray (R). The Receiver of Taxes is Jeanine C. Driscoll (R). The Town of Hempstead formerly elected the offices of Constable, Overseer of the Poor, Town Assessor, Town Treasurer, Town Auditors, Superintendent of Highways, Overseer of the Public Cemetery, and Justices of the Peace. Most of these functions have been included in other governments or made non-elected.
State and federal representation
Hempstead is part of New York's 2nd, 4th and 5th Congressional Districts.
District 2, represented by
Andrew Garbarino
Andrew Reed Garbarino (born September 27, 1984) is an American attorney and politician serving as the U.S. representative for New York's 2nd congressional district since 2021. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the New York State A ...
(R-
Sayville), is the southern and eastern portions of the town, while
District 4, formerly represented for nine terms by
Carolyn McCarthy (D-Mineola) and since the beginning of 2015 by
Kathleen Rice
Kathleen Maura Rice (born February 15, 1965) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the United States representative for New York's 4th congressional district. She is a member of the Democratic Party. Before serving in Congress, Rice ...
(D-Garden City), covers the northern and western portions of the town.
Gregory Meeks represents
District 5 District 5, 5 District or 5th District may refer to:
Europe
* District 5 (Zürich)
* District 5, Düsseldorf
* V District, Turku
* District 5, an electoral district of Malta
* District 5, a police district of Malta
* Palma-Palmilla, also known ...
which includes minority majority areas in the western portion of the Town like Elmont and North Valley Stream.
{{Update, section, date=January 2022
Hempstead is in parts of New York's 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th Senatorial Districts. They are currently represented by Kevin Thomas (D),
Anna Kaplan
Anna Kaplan (née Monahemi) (born August 23, 1965) is an American politician from Great Neck, New York. A Democrat, she was a member of the New York State Senate, representing New York's 7th State Senate district, which runs from the North Shor ...
(D), John Brooks (D), and
Todd Kaminsky (D), respectively.
Nine assembly districts are either within or partly within the town. They are Districts 12, 14–15, and 17–22. The assembly members are
Joseph Saladino (R),
Brian F. Curran (R),
Michael Montesano (R),
Thomas McKevitt
Thomas McKevitt (born April 28, 1971) is an American politician who represented District 17 in the New York Assembly from 2006 to 2017, which includes large portions of Nassau County, New York.
McKevitt was born in East Meadow, New York and is a ...
(R),
Earlene Hill Hooper (D), David G. McDonough (R), Melissa "Missy" Miller;(R),
Edward Ra (R), and
Michaelle Solages
Michaelle C. Solages (born May 27, 1985) is an American politician serving as a member of the New York State Assembly, representing the 22nd district which includes portions of the town of Hempstead in Nassau County on Long Island. A Democrat ...
(D), respectively.
County legislators
Hempstead has 12 county legislative districts either within or in part of the town. They are districts 1–8, 13–15, and 19. The legislators who represent those districts are:
# Kevan Abrahams
# Siela Bynoe
# Carrie Solages
# Denise Ford
# Debra Mule
# C. William Gaylor, III
# Howard Kopel
# Vincent Muscarella
# Thomas McKevitt
# Laura Schaefer
# John Ferretti, Jr.
# Steven D. Rhoads
Sister city
On September 12, 2016, the Town of Hempstead signed a Declaration of Cooperation with the
Shomron Regional Council in the Israeli-controlled
West Bank
The West Bank ( ar, الضفة الغربية, translit=aḍ-Ḍiffah al-Ġarbiyyah; he, הגדה המערבית, translit=HaGadah HaMaʽaravit, also referred to by some Israelis as ) is a landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...
. This council represents 35
Israeli settlements in that region. Signing the pact was its proponent Councilmen
Bruce Blakeman
Bruce Arthur Blakeman (born October 2, 1955) is an American attorney and politician currently serving as the 10th County Executive of Nassau County, New York. He was elected in the 2021 election, defeating Democratic incumbent Laura Curran. He ...
and Anthony D'Esposito and Supervisor Santino and Shomron leader
Yossi Dagan
Yossi Dagan ( he, יוסי דגן) is an Israeli activist and politician who has been the head of the Shomron Regional Council since August 2015.
Dagan grew up in the Israeli towns of Bnei Brak and Pardes Katz. When he was in the tenth grade, ...
.
["In anti-BDS stand, Hempstead New York signs sister city pact with settler council" '' Jerusalem Post'' http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy/In-anti-BDS-stand-Hempstead-New-York-signs-sister-city-pact-with-settler-council-467880]
Politics
{{see also, Nassau_County,_New_York#Law_and_government, l1=Law and Government of Nassau County
Though the town government is still controlled by the
Republicans (and has been for almost the entire history of the party), town voters in recent years leaned
Democratic in elections on the state and federal level. In presidential elections since 1996, the Democrat has won in Hempstead (
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...
received 56% in 1996,
Al Gore received 58% in 2000 and
John Kerry got 53% in 2004). Democratic Senator
Chuck Schumer
Charles Ellis Schumer ( ; born November 23, 1950) is an American politician serving as Senate Majority Leader since January 20, 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, Schumer is in his fourth Senate term, having held his seat since 1999, an ...
won Hempstead by a large margin in 2004, and Democratic County Executive
Thomas Suozzi won in 2001 and 2005. Democratic candidate
Hillary Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...
won 49 percent of voters in 2016, while President
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
won 42 percent of voters. In 2021
Bruce Blakeman
Bruce Arthur Blakeman (born October 2, 1955) is an American attorney and politician currently serving as the 10th County Executive of Nassau County, New York. He was elected in the 2021 election, defeating Democratic incumbent Laura Curran. He ...
, a Republican Town Councilman, was elected Nassau County Executive in a surprising defeat of Democratic incumbent
Laura Curran.
Transportation
Railroad lines
The
Long Island Rail Road's
Main Line runs through the northwestern part of the town with stations from
Bellerose through
Merillon Avenue in
Garden City. The
Hempstead Branch
The Hempstead Branch is an electrified rail line and service owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road in the U.S. state of New York. The branch begins at the Main Line at Queens Interlocking, just east of Queens Village station. It pa ...
breaks away from the Main Line in
Floral Park
Floral Park is an Administrative divisions of New York State#Village, incorporated village in Nassau County, New York, Nassau County, New York (state), New York, United States, on Long Island. The population as of the US Census of 2010 is 15,863. ...
, and uses stations from Bellerose into
Hempstead. The
West Hempstead Branch runs from
Valley Stream
Valley Stream is a village in Nassau County, on Long Island, in New York, United States. The population in the Village of Valley Stream was 37,511 at the 2010 census.
The incorporated Village of Valley Stream is within the Town of Hempstead, ...
northeast to
West Hempstead. Further south in the town, the
Babylon Branch runs from the New York City Line into southern portions of the Town of Oyster Bay with stations between
Valley Stream
Valley Stream is a village in Nassau County, on Long Island, in New York, United States. The population in the Village of Valley Stream was 37,511 at the 2010 census.
The incorporated Village of Valley Stream is within the Town of Hempstead, ...
and
Seaford. Also the
Far Rockaway Branch branches off from Valley Stream and curves to the southwest from that station through
Inwood before finally re-entering the city in the Rockaways. Just east of there, the
Long Beach Branch
The Long Beach Branch is an electrified rail line and service owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road in the U.S. state of New York. The branch begins at Valley Interlocking, just east of Valley Stream station, where it merges with the F ...
breaks away at
Lynbrook and runs southeast into
Long Beach.
Bus service
The Town of Hempstead is served primarily by
Nassau Inter-County Express bus routes, though some
MTA Bus Routes enter Nassau County from Queens. The City of Long Beach also has a separate bus service.
Major roads
{{See also, List of county routes in Nassau County, New York
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Meadowbrook State Parkway
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Wantagh State Parkway
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Southern State Parkway
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Bay Parkway
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Loop Parkway
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Ocean Parkway
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New York State Route 25
New York State Route 25 (NY 25) is an east–west state highway in downstate New York in the United States. The route extends for just over from east midtown Manhattan in New York City to the Cross Sound Ferry terminal at Orient Poin ...
*
Glen Cove Road
Glen Cove Road (also known as Guinea Woods Road) is a , major north–south thoroughfare running through north-central Nassau County on Long Island, New York, in the United States.
It is the main road leading to the communities on the east s ...
*
Peninsula Boulevard
*
New York State Route 24
New York State Route 24 (NY 24) is a east–west state highway on Long Island in the U.S. state of New York. The highway is split into two segments, with the longest and westernmost of the two extending from an interchange with In ...
*
New York State Route 27
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Merrick Road
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New York State Route 102
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New York State Route 105
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New York State Route 106
New York State Route 106 (NY 106) is a state highway located in Nassau County, New York, in the United States. It begins in the town of Hempstead at an intersection with NY 105 in North Bellmore and heads to the north, crossing t ...
*
New York State Route 107
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New York State Route 135
*
New York State Route 878
New York State Route 878 (NY 878) is a state highway on Long Island and in New York City. The route exists in two sections, which both form the Nassau Expressway. NY 878's western terminus is the Belt Parkway and Conduit Avenue ( ...
State parks
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Hempstead Lake State Park
Hempstead Lake State Park is a state park located in Nassau County, New York in the United States. The park is located in West Hempstead and is one of three state parks within the Town of Hempstead. There is a quick-access entrance at exit 18 ...
*
Valley Stream State Park
Valley Stream State Park is a state park located in the village of Valley Stream in Nassau County, New York. The park is one of three state parks located in the Town of Hempstead on Long Island. Like Hempstead Lake State Park, Valley Stream Stat ...
*
Jones Beach State Park
{{Portal, New York (state)
References
{{reflist
External links
{{Commons category, Town of Hempstead, New York
Town of Hempstead official website
{{HempsteadNY
{{NassauCountyNY
{{Former towns of New York City
{{authority control
Towns in Nassau County, New York
Towns in the New York metropolitan area
Towns on Long Island
1644 establishments in the Dutch Empire