Suffolk County ( ) is the easternmost

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

in the U.S. state of New York, constituting the eastern two-thirds of

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...

. It is bordered to its west by Nassau County, to its east by Gardiners Bay and the open Atlantic Ocean, to its north by

Long Island Sound Long Island Sound is a sound (geography), marine sound and tidal estuary of the Atlantic Ocean. It lies predominantly between the U.S. state of Connecticut to the north and Long Island in New York (state), New York to the south. From west to east, ...

, and to its south by the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2020 United States census, the county's population was 1,525,920, its highest decennial count ever, making Suffolk the fourth-most populous county in the State of New York, and the most populous outside of the

boroughs A borough is an administrative division in various English language, English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History ...

of New York City. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

is Riverhead, though most county offices are in Hauppauge. The county was named after the county of

Suffolk Suffolk ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia. It is bordered by Norfolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Essex to the south, and Cambridgeshire to the west. Ipswich is the largest settlement and the county ...

in England, the origin of its earliest European settlers. Suffolk County incorporates the easternmost extreme of both the

New York City metropolitan area The New York metropolitan area, also called the Tri-State area and sometimes referred to as Greater New York, is the List of cities by GDP, largest metropolitan economy in the world, with a List of U.S. metropolitan areas by GDP, gross metropo ...

and New York State. The geographically largest of

's four counties and the second-largest of New York's 62 counties, Suffolk County is in length and in width at its widest (including water). Most of the island is near sea level, with over of coastline. Like other parts of Long Island, the county's high population density and proximity to New York City has resulted in a diverse economy, including industry, science, agriculture, fishery, and tourism. Major

scientific research The scientific method is an empirical method for acquiring knowledge that has been referred to while doing science since at least the 17th century. Historically, it was developed through the centuries from the ancient and medieval world. The ...

facilities in Suffolk County include

Brookhaven National Laboratory Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) is a United States Department of Energy national laboratories, United States Department of Energy national laboratory located in Upton, New York, a hamlet of the Brookhaven, New York, Town of Brookhaven. It w ...

in Upton and Plum Island Animal Disease Center on Plum Island. The county is home to

Stony Brook University Stony Brook University (SBU), officially the State University of New York at Stony Brook, is a public university, public research university in Stony Brook, New York, United States, on Long Island. Along with the University at Buffalo, it is on ...

in Stony Brook and

Farmingdale State College The State University of New York at Farmingdale (Farmingdale State College or SUNY Farmingdale) is a public college in East Farmingdale, New York, United States. It is part of the State University of New York. The college was chartered in 1912 a ...

in East Farmingdale.

History

Suffolk County was part of the

Connecticut Colony The Connecticut Colony, originally known as the Connecticut River Colony, was an English colony in New England which later became the state of Connecticut. It was organized on March 3, 1636, as a settlement for a Puritans, Puritan congregation o ...

before becoming an original county of the Province of New York, one of twelve created in 1683. From 1664 until 1683, it had been the East Riding of

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ) is an area of Northern England which was History of Yorkshire, historically a county. Despite no longer being used for administration, Yorkshire retains a strong regional identity. The county was named after its county town, the ...

. Its boundaries were essentially the same as at present, with only minor changes in the boundary with its western neighbor, which was originally Queens County but has been Nassau County since the separation of Nassau from Queens in 1899. During the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...

occupied Suffolk County after the retreat of George Washington's forces in the

Battle of Long Island The Battle of Long Island, also known as the Battle of Brooklyn and the Battle of Brooklyn Heights, was an action of the American Revolutionary War fought on August 27, 1776, at and near the western edge of Long Island in present-day Brooklyn ...

, and the county remained under occupation until the British evacuation of New York on November 25, 1783. According to the Suffolk County website, the county is the leading agricultural county in the state of New York, saying that: "The weather is temperate, clean water is abundant, and the soil is so good that Suffolk is the leading agricultural county in New York State. That Suffolk is still number one in farming, even with the development that has taken place, is a tribute to thoughtful planning, along with the excellent soil, favorable weather conditions, and the work of the dedicated farmers in this region."

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, 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 U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, the county has an area of , of which is land and (62%) is water. It is the second-largest county in New York by total area and occupies 66% of the land area of Long Island. Suffolk County occupies the central and eastern part of Long Island, in the extreme east of the State of New York. The eastern end of the county splits into two

peninsula A peninsula is a landform that extends from a mainland and is only connected to land on one side. Peninsulas exist on each continent. The largest peninsula in the world is the Arabian Peninsula. Etymology The word ''peninsula'' derives , . T ...

s, known as the North Fork and the South Fork. The county is surrounded by water on three sides, including the Atlantic Ocean and

, with of coastline. The eastern end contains large

bay A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a ''gulf'', ''sea'', ''sound'', or ''bight''. A ''cove'' is a small, ci ...

s. The highest elevation in the county, and on Long Island as a whole, is Jayne's Hill in West Hills, at above sea level. This low lying-geography means that much of the county is vulnerable to

sea level rise The sea level has been rising from the end of the last ice age, which was around 20,000 years ago. Between 1901 and 2018, the average sea level rose by , with an increase of per year since the 1970s. This was faster than the sea level had e ...

. File:Suffolk County 1683.jpg, Sign referring to Suffolk County's 1683 founding located in Peterkin Park on Oak Street in Amityville. File:Shinnecock-locks.jpg, Shinnecock Canal, located in Hampton Bays, New York

Climate

Suffolk County sits at the convergence of climate zones including the

humid continental Humidity is the concentration of water vapor present in the air. Water vapor, the gaseous state of water, is generally invisible to the human eye. Humidity indicates the likelihood for precipitation, dew, or fog to be present. Humidity depe ...

(''Dfa'') and

humid subtropical A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between la ...

(''Cfa''), bordering closely on an oceanic climate (Cfb). The majority of the county by land area is in the ''Dfa'' zone. Summers are cooler at the east end than in the western part of the county. The

hardiness zone A hardiness zone is a geographic area defined as having a certain average annual minimum temperature, a factor relevant to the survival of many plants. In some systems other statistics are included in the calculations. The original and most widely ...

is 7a, except in Copiague Harbor, Lindenhurst, and Montauk, where it is 7b. Average monthly temperatures in Hauppauge range from in January to in July, and in the Riverhead town center they range from in January to in July, which includes both daytime and nighttime temperatures. On February 9, 2013, Suffolk County was besieged with 30 inches of snow, making it the largest day of snowfall on record in Suffolk.

Adjacent counties

Suffolk County has

maritime boundaries A maritime boundary is a conceptual division of Earth's water surface areas using physical geography, physiographical or human geography, geopolitical criteria. As such, it usually bounds areas of exclusive sovereignty, national rights over mine ...

with five other U.S. counties and is connected by land only to Nassau County. * Nassau County—west *

Fairfield County Fairfield County is the name of three counties in the United States: * Fairfield County, Connecticut * Fairfield County, Ohio * Fairfield County, South Carolina {{Geodis, uscounty ...

, Connecticut—northwest *

New Haven County New Haven County is a county in the south central part of the U.S. state of Connecticut. As of the 2020 census, the population was 864,835, making it the third-most populous county in Connecticut. Two of the state's five largest cities, New Ha ...

, Connecticut—north * Middlesex County, Connecticut—north * New London County, Connecticut—north * Washington County, Rhode Island—northeast

National protected areas

* Amagansett National Wildlife Refuge * Conscience Point National Wildlife Refuge * Elizabeth A. Morton National Wildlife Refuge *

Fire Island National Seashore Fire Island National Seashore (FINS) is a United States National Seashore that protects a section of Fire Island, New York, Fire Island, an approximately long and wide barrier island separated from Long Island by the Great South Bay. The isla ...

* Sayville National Wildlife Refuge * Seatuck National Wildlife Refuge * Target Rock National Wildlife Refuge *

Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge The Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge is located on the south shore of Long Island and is one of the undeveloped estuary systems on Long Island. In 1947, Maurice Wertheim donated on eastern Long Island to the United States government; the do ...

Demographics

According to the 2010 U.S. census there were 1,493,350 people and 569,985 households residing in the county. The census estimated Suffolk County's population decreased slightly to 1,481,093 in 2018, representing 7.5% of the census-estimated New York State population of 19,745,289Kings County (Brooklyn Borough), New York; Queens County (Queens Borough), New York; Nassau County, New York; Suffolk County, New York; New York QuickFacts
Accessed February 12, 2020. and 19.0% of the census-estimated Long Island population of 7,869,820. The population density in 2010 was , with 569,985 households at an average density of . However, by 2012, with an estimated total population increasing moderately to 1,499,273 there were 569,359 housing units. As of 2006, Suffolk County was the 21st-most populous county in the United States. By 2014, the county's racial makeup was estimated at 85.2%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 8.3%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.6% Native American, 4.0% Asian, 0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, and 1.8% from two or more races. Those identifying as

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino, of any race, were 18.2% of the population. Those who identified as "white alone", not being of Hispanic or Latino origin, represented 69.3% of the population. In 2006, the county's racial or ethnic makeup was 83.6% White (75.4% White Non-Hispanic). African Americans were 7.4% of the population. Asians stood at 3.4% of the population. 5.4% were of other or mixed race. Latinos were 13.0% of the population. In 2007, Suffolk County's most common ethnicities were

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

(29.5%), Irish (24.0%), and

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

(17.6%). In 2002, ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' cited a study by the non-profit group ERASE Racism, which determined Suffolk and its neighboring county, Nassau, to be the most racially segregated suburbs in the United States. In 2006, there were 469,299 households, of which 37.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.00% were married couples living together, 10.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.20% were non-families. 18.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.96 and the average family size was 3.36. In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.10% under the age of 18, 7.60% from 18 to 24, 31.20% from 25 to 44, 23.30% from 45 to 64, and 11.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.80 males. In 2008, ''

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...

'' magazine released its American Community Survey and named Suffolk County number 4 in its list of the top 25 richest counties in America. In 2016, according to ''

Business Insider ''Business Insider'' (stylized in all caps: BUSINESS INSIDER; known from 2021 to 2023 as INSIDER) is a New York City–based multinational financial and business news website founded in 2007. Since 2015, a majority stake in ''Business Inside ...

'', the 11962 zip code encompassing Sagaponack, within

Southampton Southampton is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. It is located approximately southwest of London, west of Portsmouth, and southeast of Salisbury. Southampton had a population of 253, ...

, was listed as the most expensive in the U.S., with a median home sale price of $8.5 million. The median income for a household in the county was $84,767, and the median income for a family was $72,112. Males had a median income of $50,046 versus $33,281 for females. The per capita income for the county was $26,577. Using a weighted average from 2009 to 2014 about 6.40% of the population were below the poverty line In earlier censuses, the population below the poverty line included 2.70% of those under age 18 and 2.30% of those age 65 or over.

Law and government

State Senate Officials for Suffolk County

State Assembly Officials for Suffolk County

United States House of Representatives Officials for Suffolk County

United States Senate

In 2003, Democrat Steve Levy was elected county executive, ending longtime Republican control. In 2001, Democrat Thomas Spota was elected District Attorney, and ran unopposed in 2005. Although Suffolk voters gave

George H. W. Bush George Herbert Walker BushBefore the outcome of the 2000 United States presidential election, he was usually referred to simply as "George Bush" but became more commonly known as "George H. W. Bush", "Bush Senior," "Bush 41," and even "Bush th ...

a victory here in 1992, the county voted for

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...

in 1996 and continued the trend by giving

Al Gore Albert Arnold Gore Jr. (born March 31, 1948) is an American former politician, businessman, and environmentalist who served as the 45th vice president of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. He previously served as ...

an 11-percent victory in the county in 2000. 2004 Democratic candidate

John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician, and diplomat who served as the 68th United States secretary of state from 2013 to 2017 in the Presidency of Barack Obama#Administration, administration of Barac ...

won by a much smaller margin of under one percent, in 2008 Democratic candidate

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

won by a slightly larger 6 percent margin, 52.5%-46.5%. In 2012, he carried the county by a slightly smaller margin 51%-47%. In 2016, Republican candidate

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

won Suffolk County by a 6.9 percent margin, becoming the first Republican to carry the county since 1992. In 2020, Trump again won Suffolk County; this time, however, it was decided by just 232 votes out of nearly 800,000 votes cast, making it the closest county in the nation in terms of percentage margin, and representing nearly a seven-point swing towards the Democratic ticket of former Vice President

Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...

and junior California senator

Kamala Harris Kamala Devi Harris ( ; born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 49th vice president of the United States from 2021 to 2025 under President Joe Biden. She is the first female, first African American, and ...

. In percentage terms, it was the closest county in the state, although Ontario County and Warren County had narrower raw vote margins of just 33 and 57 votes, respectively. Suffolk was one of five counties in the state that Trump won by less than 500 votes. With

Tarrant County, Texas Tarrant County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas with a 2020 U.S. census population of 2,110,640, making it the third-most populous county in Texas and the 15th-most populous in the United States. Its county seat is Fort Worth. ...

and

Maricopa County, Arizona Maricopa County () is a County (United States), county in the south-central part of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census the population was 4,420,568, or about 62% of the state's total, making it the List ...

flipping Democratic in 2020, Suffolk County was the most populous county in the nation to vote for Trump in 2020. In 2024, Trump won 54% of the vote in Suffolk county, the highest percentage since 1988. As a whole, both Suffolk and Nassau counties are considered swing counties. However, until 2016, they tended not to receive significant attention from presidential candidates, as the state of New York has turned reliably Democratic at the national level. In 2008 and 2012,

Hofstra University Hofstra University is a Private university, private research university in Hempstead, New York, United States. It originated in 1935 as an extension of New York University and became an independent college in 1939. Comprising ten schools, includ ...

in Nassau County hosted a presidential debate. Hofstra hosted the first debate of the 2016 presidential election season, on September 26, 2016, making Hofstra the first college or university in the United States to host a presidential debate in three consecutive elections. The presence on the 2016 ticket of Westchester County resident Hillary Clinton and Manhattan resident Donald Trump resulted in greater attention by the candidates to the concerns of Long Island. Trump visited Long Island voters and donors at least four times while Clinton made one stop for voters and one additional stop in the Hamptons for donors. After the 2022 midterm election results were counted, Suffolk appears to have moved further to the right. Republican gubernatorial candidate and Suffolk County native Lee Zeldin won the county by more than 17 points over the Democratic candidate Kathy Hochul. Republicans, as of 2024, hold both congressional districts covering that being

New York's 1st congressional district New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 1 ...

represented by Nick LaLota and

New York's 2nd congressional district New York's 2nd congressional district is a List of United States congressional districts, congressional district for the United States House of Representatives along the South Shore (Long Island), South Shore of Long Island, New York (state), Ne ...

represented by

Andrew Garbarino Andrew Reed Garbarino ( ; born September 27, 1984) is an American attorney and politician serving as the United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative for New York's 2nd congressional district since 2021. A member of the Republica ...

. The 2023 election saw this trend continue, with Republican Edward P. Romaine defeating Democrat David Calone by 14 points to become the next County Executive. Republicans also gained a 12-6 supermajority in the County Legislature, seeing a net gain of one seat.

Suffolk County Executives

''* Appointed to complete Cohalan's term.'' ''** Levy was originally elected as a Democrat, but became a Republican in 2010.''

Suffolk County Legislature

The county has 18

legislative A legislature (, ) is a deliberative assembly with the legal authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country, nation or city on behalf of the people therein. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers ...

districts, each represented by a legislator. As of 2024, there are 11

Republicans 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 ...

, 6 Democrats, and 1

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

Historical composition of the Suffolk County Legislature

Republicans controlled the county legislature until a landmark election in November 2005 where three Republican seats switched to the Democrats, giving them control. In November 2007, the Democratic Party once again retained control over the Suffolk County Legislature, picking up one seat in the process. In November 2009, the Republican Party regained the seat lost in 2007 but remained in the minority for the 2010-2011 session. In November 2011, the Democratic Party maintained control over the Suffolk County Legislature picking up one seat that had been held by an Independence Party member. In November 2013, the Republican Party gained the 14th district seat, but remained in the minority until 2021, when the GOP flipped the county legislature, picking up three seats with incumbents Robert Calarco (the sitting Presiding Officer) and Susan Berland (the sitting Majority Leader) losing their bids for re-election. The Suffolk GOP built on these gains in the 2023 general election, gaining a 12-6 supermajority.

Law enforcement

Police services in the five western towns (

Babylon Babylon ( ) was an ancient city located on the lower Euphrates river in southern Mesopotamia, within modern-day Hillah, Iraq, about south of modern-day Baghdad. Babylon functioned as the main cultural and political centre of the Akkadian-s ...

, Huntington,

Islip Islip may refer to: Places England * Islip, Northamptonshire *Islip, Oxfordshire * Islip Manor Meadows United States *Islip, New York, a town in Suffolk County ** Islip (hamlet), New York, located in the above town **Central Islip, New York ...

, Smithtown and Brookhaven) are provided primarily by the

Suffolk County Police Department The Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD) provides police services to 5 of the 10 Towns in Suffolk County, New York. It is the second largest county police agency in the United States, with approximately 2500 sworn officers. History Prior ...

. The five "East End" towns ( Riverhead, Southold, Shelter Island, East Hampton, and

), maintain their own police and other law enforcement agencies. Also, there are a number of villages, such as

Amityville Amityville () is a village in the Town of Babylon in Suffolk County, on the South Shore of Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 9,500 at the 2020 census. The village maintains its own accredited law enforcement agency, ...

, Lloyd Harbor, Northport, and

Westhampton Beach Westhampton Beach is an incorporated village in the Town of Southampton, in Suffolk County, on the South Shore of Long Island, in New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,721. History Westhampton Beach Village ...

that maintain their own police forces. In 1994, the Village of Greenport voted to abolish its police department and turn responsibility for law and order over to the Southold police department. After the Long Island State Parkway Police was disbanded in 1980, all state parkways in Suffolk County became the responsibility of Troop L of the

New York State Police The New York State Police (NYSP) is the state police of the U.S. state of New York; it is part of the New York State Executive Department and employs over 5,000 sworn state troopers and 711 non-sworn members. The New York State Police are re ...

, headquartered at Republic Airport. State parks, such as Robert Moses State Park, are the responsibility of the

New York State Park Police The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (NYS OPRHP) is a government agency, state agency within the New York State Executive DepartmentParks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Law § 3.03. "The office of parks, ...

, based at Belmont Lake State Park. In 1996, the

Long Island Rail Road The Long Island Rail Road , or LIRR, is a Rail transport, railroad in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, stretching from Manhattan to the eastern tip of Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk County on Long Islan ...

Police Department was consolidated into the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police, which has jurisdiction over all rail lines in the county. Since the New York state legislature created the

New York State University Police The State University of New York (SUNY ) is a system of public colleges and universities in the State of New York. It is one of the largest comprehensive systems of universities, colleges, and community colleges in the United States. Led by ...

in 1999, they are in charge of all law enforcement services for State University of New York property and campuses. The State University Police have jurisdiction in Suffolk County at Stony Brook University and Farmingdale State College. The Suffolk County Sheriff's Office is a separate agency. The sheriff, an elected official who serves a four-year term, operates the two Suffolk County correctional facilities (in Yaphank and Riverhead), provides county courthouse security and detention, service and enforcement of civil papers, evictions and warrants. The Sheriff's Office is also responsible for securing all county-owned property, such as county government office buildings, as well as the campuses of the

Suffolk County Community College Suffolk County Community College (SCCC) is a public community college in Selden, New York. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system and is funded in part by Suffolk County, New York. Suffolk County Community College was ...

. As of 2008, the Suffolk County Sheriff's Office employed 275 Deputy Sheriffs, 850 corrections officers, and about 200 civilian staff. Suffolk County has a long maritime history with several

outer barrier The Outer Barrier, also known as the Long Island and New York City barrier islands, refers to the string of barrier islands that divide the lagoons south of Long Island, New York from the Atlantic Ocean. These islands include Long Beach Barrie ...

beaches and hundreds of square miles of

waterways A waterway is any navigable body of water. Broad distinctions are useful to avoid ambiguity, and disambiguation will be of varying importance depending on the nuance of the equivalent word in other ways. A first distinction is necessary betw ...

. The Suffolk Police Marine Bureau patrols the of navigable waterways within the police district, from the

Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...

and

Rhode Island Rhode Island ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Is ...

state line which bisects

to the New York state line south of Fire Island in the Atlantic Ocean. Some Suffolk County towns (Islip, Brookhaven, Southampton, East Hampton, Babylon, Huntington, Smithtown) also employ various bay constables and other local marine patrol, which are sworn armed peace officers with full arrest powers, providing back up to the Suffolk Police Marine Bureau as well as the

United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and Admiralty law, law enforcement military branch, service branch of the armed forces of the United States. It is one of the country's eight Uniformed services ...

. This includes

Fire Island Fire Island is the large center island of the outer barrier islands parallel to the South Shore of Long Island in the U.S. state of New York. In 2012, Hurricane Sandy once again divided Fire Island into two islands. Together, these two isl ...

and parts of Jones Island barrier beaches and the islands of the

Great South Bay The Great South Bay is a lagoon situated between Long Island and Fire Island, in the State of New York. It is about long and has an average depth of and is at its deepest. It is protected from the Atlantic Ocean by Fire Island, a barrier island ...

. Marine units also respond to water and ice rescues on the inland lakes, ponds, and streams of the District. In February 2019, legislator Robert Trotta (R- Fort Salonga) put forward a resolution to recover salary and benefits from James Burke, the county's former police chief. Burke had pled guilty to beating a man while in police custody and attempting to conceal it, and the county had paid the victim $1.5 million in a settlement; it had also paid Burke more than $500,000 in benefits and salary while Burke was concealing his conduct. Trotta said that the

faithless servant The faithless servant Legal doctrine, doctrine pursuant to which employees who act unfaithfully towards their employers must forfeit to their employers all compensation received during the period of disloyalty. It is under the laws of a number of ...

doctrine in New York common law gave him the power to

claw back A claw is a curved, pointed appendage found at the end of a toe or finger in most amniotes (mammals, reptiles, birds). Some invertebrates such as beetles and spiders have somewhat similar fine, hooked structures at the end of the leg or Arthro ...

the compensation. The Suffolk County Legislature supported the suit unanimously. The following month Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone signed the bill. Also in February 2019, a court ruled against the Suffolk County jail in the case of a former inmate who was denied

hormone replacement therapy Hormone replacement therapy (HRT), also known as menopausal hormone therapy or postmenopausal hormone therapy, is a form of hormone therapy used to treat symptoms associated with female menopause. Effects of menopause can include symptoms such ...

by the jail's doctors. Documents introduced in the trial indicate 11 other inmates were also denied treatment.

Courts

Suffolk County is part of the 10th Judicial District of the

New York State Unified Court System The Judiciary of New York (officially the New York State Unified Court System) is the judicial branch of the Government of New York, comprising all the courts of the State of New York (excluding extrajudicial administrative courts). The Court ...

; is home to the Alfonse M. D'Amato Courthouse of the Federal U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York; and has various local municipal courts. The State Courts are divided into Supreme Court, which has general jurisdiction over all cases, and lower courts that either hear claims of a limited dollar amount, or of a specific nature. Similarly, the local courts hear claims of a limited dollar amount, or hear specific types of cases. The Federal Court has jurisdiction over Federal Claims, State Law claims that are joined with Federal claims, and claims where there is a diversity of citizenship.

Supreme Court

* The Suffolk County

Supreme Court In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

is a trial court of unlimited general original jurisdiction (except as to matters which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction), but it generally only hears cases that are outside the

subject-matter jurisdiction Subject-matter jurisdiction, also called jurisdiction ''ratione materiae'', is a legal doctrine regarding the ability of a court to lawfully hear and adjudicate a case. Subject-matter relates to the nature of a case; whether it is criminal, ci ...

of other trial courts of more limited jurisdiction. The Suffolk County Clerk is the Clerk of the Court of the Supreme Court. * The main courthouse for the Supreme Court is in Riverhead, which has been the court's home since 1729. The original courthouse was replaced in 1855, and that courthouse was expanded in 1881. The courthouse was damaged by fire and rebuilt in 1929. In 1994, a new court building was added to the complex. This Courthouse was dedicated as the "Alan D. Oshrin Supreme Court Building" on August 1, 2011. * The Supreme Court also shares space in the Cohalan Court Complex in

Central Islip Central Islip (also known locally by its initials as CI) is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) within the Town of Islip in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 34,450 at the 2010 census. History and overview Prio ...

Directions to the Suffolk County Courts
with several other courts and county agencies. Matrimonial actions are heard in the Supreme Court, and those matters are generally heard in the Supreme Court section of the Cohalan Court Complex.

Other Superior Courts

* The Suffolk County Court is a trial court of limited jurisdiction. It has jurisdiction over all of Suffolk County, and is authorized to handle criminal prosecutions of both felonies and lesser offenses committed within the county, although in practice most minor offenses are handled by the local courts. It is the trial court for felonies, or where a person is indicted by a Grand Jury in Suffolk County. The County Court also has limited jurisdiction in civil cases, generally involving amounts up to $25,000. The County Court is in the Cromarty Court Complex Criminal Courts Building in Riverhead. * The Suffolk County Surrogate's Court hears cases involving the affairs of decedents, including the

probate In common law jurisdictions, probate is the judicial process whereby a will is "proved" in a court of law and accepted as a valid public document that is the true last testament of the deceased; or whereby, in the absence of a legal will, the e ...

of wills and the administration of estates, guardianships, and adoptions. The Surrogate's Court is in the County Center in Riverhead. * The Suffolk County Family Court has jurisdiction over all of Suffolk County in petitions filed for Neglect & Abuse, Juvenile Delinquency/Designated Felonies, Persons in Need of Supervision, Adoption, Guardianship, Foster Care, Family Offense (Order of Protection), Custody & Visitation, Paternity, Support Matters (Child & Spousal), Consent to Marry. The court also has a Juvenile Drug Court and Family Treatment Court. Individuals, attorneys, and agencies may initiate a proceeding in the Family Court with the filing of a petition. The Suffolk County Family Court is in the Cohalan Court Complex in

and maintains a facility in Riverhead. Case assignment is dependent upon the geographical location of the parties.

Local courts

The District Court and the Town and Village Courts are the local courts of Suffolk County. There are more than 30 local courts, each with limited criminal and civil subject matter and geographic jurisdictions. The local criminal courts have trial jurisdiction over misdemeanors, violations and infractions; preliminary jurisdiction over felonies; and traffic tickets charging a crime. The local civil courts calendar small claims, evictions, and civil actions. * Suffolk County District Court has geographic jurisdiction over the 5 western towns of Suffolk County (Babylon, Brookhaven, Huntington, Islip & Smithtown). The Criminal division of the Suffolk District Court is in the Cohalan Court Complex, Central Islip, and includes Domestic Violence Courts, Drug Court, and a Mental Health Court. The Civil division is divided up in the 5 "outlying" courthouses in Lindenhurst, Huntington Station, Hauppauge, Ronkonkoma, and Patchogue. Civil actions may be filed up to $15,000, and small claims actions up to $5000. Actions are commenced by filing with the court. Summary proceedings under the RPAPL are filed in the district where the property is located. * The Town Courts of East Hampton, Riverhead, Shelter Island, Southampton, and Southold have geographic jurisdiction over the 5 eastern towns of Suffolk County. Each town maintains a courthouse where judges hear criminal cases (including a regional Drug Court) and civil actions. Civil actions are commenced by serving a summons and complaint for claims up to $3,000, and small claims actions are heard up to $3000. Summary proceedings under the RPAPL are filed in the town where the property is located. * The Village Courts of Amityville, Asharoken, Babylon, Belle Terre, Bellport, Brightwaters, Head of the Harbor, Huntington Bay, Islandia, Lake Grove, Lindenhurst, Lloyd Harbor, Nissequogue, Northport, Ocean Beach, Old Field, Patchogue, Poquott, Port Jefferson, Quogue, Sag Harbor, Saltaire, Shoreham, Southampton, Village of the Branch, West Hampton Dunes, and Westhampton Beach have geographic jurisdiction within each incorporated village. Criminal and civil subject matter jurisdiction varies in each court. Most non-criminal moving violation tickets issued in the five west towns are handled by the Traffic Violations Bureau, which is part of the

New York State Department of Motor Vehicles The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (NYSDMV or DMV) is the department of the New York state government responsible for vehicle registration, vehicle inspections, driver's licenses, learner's permits, photo ID cards, and adjudicat ...

, not the court system.

Economy

Education

Colleges and universities

State University of New York The State University of New York (SUNY ) is a system of Public education, public colleges and universities in the New York (state), State of New York. It is one of the List of largest universities and university networks by enrollment, larges ...

in Stony Brook with a

satellite campus A satellite campus, branch campus or regional campus is a campus of a university or college that is physically at a distance from the original university or college area. This branch campus may be located in a different city, state, or country, ...

in East Farmingdale **

in Selden, Riverhead, and Brentwood, satellite centers in Sayville and Riverhead *

Private Private or privates may refer to: Music * "In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorded ...

Five Towns College Five Towns College is a private college in Dix Hills, New York. The college's degree programs focus on music, media, and the performing arts. History Founded in 1972, Five Towns College holds an Absolute Charter issued by the New York State Boa ...

in Dix Hills ** St. Joseph's University in Patchogue **

Touro University System Touro University is a private Jewish university system headquartered in New York City, with branches throughout the United States as well as one each in Germany, Israel and Russia. It was founded by Bernard Lander in 1971 and named for Isaac an ...

with its School of Health Sciences in

and its Law Center in

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory School of Biological Sciences The Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory School of Biological Sciences, formerly known as the Watson School of Biological Sciences (WSBS) until 2020, is a biological sciences graduate school at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. The school was opened in 1 ...

Cold Spring Harbor Cold Spring Harbor is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the Town of Huntington, in Suffolk County, on the North Shore of Long Island in New York. As of the 2010 United States census, the CDP population was 5,070. History Cold S ...

* Satellite and branch campuses **

Adelphi University Adelphi University is a private university in Garden City, New York, United States. Adelphi also has centers in Downtown Brooklyn, Hudson Valley, and Suffolk County in addition to a virtual, online campus for remote students. As of 2019, it had ...

in Hauppauge **

Long Island University Long Island University (LIU) is a private university in Brooklyn and Brookville, New York, United States. The university enrolls over 16,000 students and offers over 500 academic programs at its main campuses, LIU Brooklyn and LIU Post on Long I ...

in Brentwood and Riverhead, on the campuses of Suffolk County Community College ** Molloy University in

School districts

School districts (all officially designated for grades K-12) include: * Amagansett Union Free School District * Amityville Union Free School District * Babylon Union Free School District * Bay Shore Union Free School District * Bayport-Blue Point Union Free School District *

Brentwood Union Free School District Brentwood Union Free School District is a school district headquartered in Brentwood, New York Brentwood is a Hamlet (New York), hamlet in the Islip, New York, Town of Islip in Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk County, on Long Island, in New Y ...

Bridgehampton Union Free School District Bridgehampton Union Free School District is a public school district located in the Town of Southampton on Long Island, in Suffolk County, New York, United States. It is roughly co-extensive with the hamlet of Bridgehampton, but also serve ...

* Brookhaven-Comsewogue Union Free School District * Center Moriches Union Free School District * Central Islip Union Free School District * Cold Spring Harbor Central School District * Commack Union Free School District * Connetquot Central School District * Copiague Union Free School District *

Deer Park Union Free School District Suffolk County ( ) is the easternmost List of counties in New York, county in the U.S. state of New York, constituting the eastern two-thirds of Long Island. It is bordered to its west by Nassau County, New York, Nassau County, to its east by ...

* East Hampton Union Free School District * East Islip Union Free School District * East Moriches Union Free School District * East Quogue Union Free School District * Eastport-South Manor Central School District * Elwood Union Free School District * Farmingdale Union Free School District * Fire Island Union Free School District (Only operates elementary school) *

Fishers Island Union Free School District Fishers Island Union Free School District is a school district headquartered in Fishers Island, New York. It consists of a single K-12 school, Fishers Island School. The school district itself consists of Fishers Island, an area in the Town of ...

William Floyd Union Free School District The William Floyd Union Free School District is located in the southern area of the Brookhaven, New York, Town of Brookhaven on Long Island in New York (state), New York. The district serves the contiguous communities of Shirley, New York, Shir ...

* Greenport Union Free School District *

Half Hollow Hills Central School District Half Hollow Hills Central School District (#5) is located in Dix Hills, New York, on Long Island, and primarily serves the hamlets of Dix Hills and part of Melville, while also serving small areas of East Farmingdale, Deer Park, West Hills ...

Riverhead Central School District Riverhead Central School District is a public school district located in the eastern part of Suffolk County, New York, United States. It primarily serves the Town of Riverhead, as well as in the Town of Southampton and in the Town of Broo ...

* Rocky Point Union Free School District * Sachem Central School District * Sag Harbor Union Free School District * Sagaponack Common School District * Sayville Union Free School District *

Shelter Island Union Free School District Suffolk County ( ) is the easternmost county in the U.S. state of New York, constituting the eastern two-thirds of Long Island. It is bordered to its west by Nassau County, to its east by Gardiners Bay and the open Atlantic Ocean, to its no ...

* Shoreham-Wading River Central School District *

Smithtown Central School District Smithtown Central School District is a school district in New York which serves residents in Smithtown, New York. It serves approximately 10,000 students in seven elementary schools, three middle schools, and two high schools, and covers an a ...

* South Country Central School District * South Huntington Union Free School District * Southampton Union Free School District * Southold Union Free School District * Springs Union Free School District * Three Village Central School District * Tuckahoe Common School District * Wainscott Common School District * West Babylon Union Free School District * West Islip Union Free School District * Westhampton Beach Union Free School District * Wyandanch Union Free School District

Media

Newspapers

* ''Amityville Record'' * ''Bayport-Blue Point Gazette'' * '' Dan's Papers'' * ''Fire Island News'' * ''

Newsday ''Newsday'' is a daily newspaper in the United States primarily serving Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, although it is also sold throughout the New York metropolitan area. The slogan of the newspaper is "Newsday, Your Eye on LI" ...

'' * ''Sayville Gazette'' * ''Shelter Island Reporter'' * ''The Beacon'' * ''The Brookhaven Messenger'' (Messenger Papers, Inc.) * ''The East Hampton Press'' * ''

The East Hampton Star ''The East Hampton Star'' is a weekly, privately owned newspaper published each Thursday in East Hampton, New York. It is one of the few independent, family-owned newspapers still existing in the United States. The owners live in East Hampton Tow ...

'' * ''The Islip Bulletin'' * ''The Islip Messenger'' (Messenger Papers, Inc.) * ''The Long Island Advance'' * '' The Port Times Record'' * ''The Riverhead News-Review'' * ''The Shelter Island Reporter'' * ''The Smithtown Messenger'' (Messenger Papers, Inc.) * ''The Southampton Press'' * ''The Suffolk County News'' * ''The Suffolk Times'' * ''The Tide of Moriches and Manorville'' * '' The Times Beacon Record'' * '' The Times of Huntington'' * '' The Times of Middle Country'' * '' The Times of Northport and East Northport'' * '' The Times of Smithtown'' * '' The Village Beacon Record'' * '' The Village Times Herald''

Radio stations

WALK-FM WALK-FM (97.5 FM) is a hot adult contemporary radio station licensed to Patchogue, New York, and serving Long Island. The station is owned by Connoisseur Media, with studios and offices located at Airport Plaza in Farmingdale, New York, and its ...

, Patchogue * WAPP-LP, Westhampton *

WBAB WBAB (102.3 FM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Babylon, New York. It is owned by Cox Radio with studios and offices on Sunrise Highway (New York State Route 27) in West Babylon. Morning duo "Roger & JP" (Roger Luce and John Parise ...

* WBAZ, Bridgehampton *

WBEA WBEA (101.7 FM broadcasting, FM, "101-7 THE BEACH") is a Mainstream Top 40 radio station licensed to Southold (CDP), New York, Southold, New York and serving eastern Long Island. The station is licensed to LRS Radio, LLC, which is owned by WEHM o ...

, Southold *

WBLI WBLI (106.1 FM) is a commercial radio station owned by Cox Radio and licensed to Patchogue, New York. It airs a contemporary hit radio format. The station mainly serves Suffolk County, New York on Long Island. Its studios and offices are located ...

, Patchogue * WBWD,

* WBZO, Westhampton * WDRE, Riverhead * WEER, Montauk * WEGB, Napeague * WEGQ, Quogue * WEHM, Manorville * WEHN, East Hampton *

WELJ WELJ (104.7 FM broadcasting, FM) branded as "104.7 WELJ", is a commercial radio, commercial radio station city of license, licensed to Montauk, New York, and serving East End (Long Island), Eastern Long Island, and Southeastern Connecticut. It i ...

, Montauk *

WFRS FRS may refer to: Government and politics * Facility Registry System, a centrally managed Environmental Protection Agency database that identifies places of environmental interest in the United States * Family Resources Survey, a survey to collect ...

, Smithtown * WGSS, Copiague *

WHFM WHFM (95.3 FM) is a classic rock radio station licensed to Southampton, New York, and serving eastern Long Island. It is owned by Cox Radio and simulcasts 102.3 WBAB. History The station began broadcasting as WWRJ on October 28, 1971, airing a ...

WJJF WJJF (94.9 FM) is a radio station licensed to Montauk, New York, and serving the eastern Long Island and southeastern Connecticut areas. The station is owned by Full Power Radio (controlled by John Fuller), and offers a news/talk Talk radi ...

, Montauk * WJVC, Center Moriches *

WLID WLID (1370 AM broadcasting, AM) is a radio station licensed to Patchogue, New York. Established in 1952 as WALK, the station broadcasts a Spanish language in the United States, Spanish language Christian radio format. WLID broadcasts at 500 watts ...

, Patchogue *

WLIM WLIM (1440 AM) is a radio station licensed to Medford, New York, broadcasting a Spanish news/talk radio format. History Originally licensed to Babylon, New York, the 1440 frequency signed on the air on Sunday January 5, 1958, as WBAB with 50 ...

, Medford * WLIR-FM, Hampton Bays *

WLIW-FM WLIW-FM (88.3 FM) is a radio station licensed to Southampton, New York, and serving eastern Long Island and coastal Connecticut. Owned by The WNET Group, it is a sister station to PBS member television station WLIW, and features programming ...

, Southampton * WLIX-LP,

Ridge A ridge is a long, narrow, elevated geomorphologic landform, structural feature, or a combination of both separated from the surrounding terrain by steep sides. The sides of a ridge slope away from a narrow top, the crest or ridgecrest, wi ...

* WLNG,

Sag Harbor Sag Harbor is an incorporated village in Suffolk County, New York, United States, in the towns of Southampton and East Hampton on eastern Long Island. The village developed as a working port on Gardiners Bay. The population was 2,772 at the 2 ...

WNYG WNYG (1580 AM ''Radio Cantico Nuevo'') is a radio station licensed to Patchogue, New York, broadcasting a Spanish language Christian radio format. Its transmitter site and former studios are located at 45 Pennsylvania Ave in Medford, New York ...

, Patchogue * WNYH, Huntington * WPLF, Shelter Island * WPTY, Calverton- Roanoke * WRCN-FM, Riverhead *

WRIV WRIV (1390 AM broadcasting, AM) is a radio station licensed to Riverhead (CDP), New York, Riverhead, New York. Established in 1955, the station broadcasts an adult standards format to Eastern Long Island. The station, which has been owned since 1 ...

, Riverhead * WRLI, Southampton * WSHR,

Lake Ronkonkoma Lake Ronkonkoma is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in Suffolk County, on Long Island, New York, United States. The population was 18,619 at the time of the 2020 census. Located on the north and east sides of the eponymous lake, La ...

* WSUF, Noyack * WUSB, Stony Brook * WWSK, Smithtown * WWWF-FM, Bay Shore * WXBA, Brentwood

Television stations

WFTY-DT WFTY-DT (channel 67) is a television station licensed to Smithtown, New York, United States, serving Long Island and owned by TelevisaUnivision. Its main channel broadcasts the True Crime Network; it also rebroadcasts the main channels of its N ...

, Smithtown *

WLNY-TV WLNY-TV (channel 55), branded on-air as New York 55, is an independent television station licensed to Riverhead (CDP), New York, Riverhead, New York, United States, serving the New York City television market. It is owned by the CBS News and Sta ...

, Riverhead * WVVH-CD, Southampton

Suffolk seashore

Fire Island Lighthouse The Fire Island Lighthouse is a visible landmark on the Great South Bay, in southern Suffolk County, New York on the western end of Fire Island, a barrier island off the southern coast of Long Island. The lighthouse is located within Fire Isla ...

was an important landmark for many trans-Atlantic ships coming into

New York Harbor 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, ...

in the early 20th century. For many European immigrants, the Fire Island Light was their first sight of land upon arrival in America. The Fire Island Inlet span of the Robert Moses Causeway connects to Robert Moses State Park on the western tip of Fire Island. The Great South Bay Bridge, the first causeway bridge, had only one northbound and one southbound lane, was opened to traffic in April 1954. The span of across Great South Bay to Captree Island features a main span of , with a clearance for boats of . After crossing the State Boat Channel over its

bascule bridge A bascule bridge (also referred to as a drawbridge or a lifting bridge) is a moveable bridge with a counterweight that continuously balances a span, or leaf, throughout its upward swing to provide clearance for boat traffic. It may be single- o ...

, the causeway meets the Ocean Parkway at a cloverleaf interchange. This interchange provides access to Captree State Park, Gilgo State Park and

Jones Beach State Park Jones Beach State Park (colloquially "Jones Beach") is a state park in the U.S. state of New York. It is located in southern Nassau County on Jones Beach Island, a barrier island linked to Long Island by the Meadowbrook State Parkway, Wantag ...

. The Fire Island Inlet Bridge continues the two-lane road, one lane in each direction, across Fire Island Inlet to its terminus at Robert Moses State Park and The Fire Island Lighthouse. Robert Moses Causeway opened in 1964. Suffolk County has the most

lighthouses A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Lighthouses mark ...

of any United States county, with 15 of its original 26 lighthouses still standing. Of these 15, eight are in Southold township alone, giving it more lighthouses than any other township in the United States. File:Oak-beach-regatta-1.jpg, West Gilgo Beach, New York - Oak Beach File:Eatons Neck Light.JPG,

Huntington Bay, New York Huntington Bay is a village in the Town of Huntington in Suffolk County, on East Neck on the North Shore of Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 1,425 at the time of the 2010 census. It is considered part of the greater H ...

File:Fire island lighthouse.jpg,

File:F I W SEASHORE.jpg,

File:MONTAUK POINT LIGHT 1 150 500.jpg, Montauk Lighthouse, a Suffolk County landmark pictured in 1997

Secessionist movements

At various times, there have been proposals for a division of Suffolk County into two counties. The western portion would be called Suffolk County, while the eastern portion of the current Suffolk County would comprise a new county to be called Peconic County. Peconic County would consist of the five easternmost

towns A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

of Suffolk County: East Hampton, Riverhead, Shelter Island,

and Southold, plus the Shinnecock Indian Reservation. The proposed Peconic County flag showed the two forks at the east end of Long Island separated by Peconic Bay. The star on the north represents Southold. The stars on the South Fork represent Southampton and East Hampton. Riverhead is at the fork mouth and Shelter Island is between the forks. The secessionist movement has not been active since 1998. ''The End of the Hamptons: Scenes from the Class Struggle in America's Paradise'', by Corey Dolgon (New York University Press, 2005) examined the class roots of the secessionist movement in the Hamptons. In his review,

Howard Zinn Howard Zinn (August 24, 1922January 27, 2010) was an American historian and a veteran of World War II. He was chair of the history and social sciences department at Spelman College, and a political science professor at Boston University. Zinn ...

wrote that the book " kes us beyond the much-romanticized beaches of Long Island to the rich entrepreneurs and their McMansions, the Latino workers, and the stubborn indigenous residents refusing to disappear. The book is important because it is in so many ways a microcosm of the nation." The book won the Association for Humanist Sociology's 2005 Book Prize and the American Sociological Association's Marxist Section Book Award in 2007. Matt DeSimone, a young adult from Southold, and his partner Jake Dominy unsuccessfully started a similar movement in the late 2010s.

Finance and taxation

Suffolk County has an 8.625% sales tax, compared to an overall New York State sales tax of 4%, consisting of an additional 4.25% on top of the state and MTA assessment of .375%

Health

In March 2020, the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

first affected the county. As of December 12, 2020, there are a total of 73,281 cases and 2,153 deaths.

Hospitals

Tertiary care hospitals: * Good Samaritan University Hospital * South Shore University Hospital * Stony Brook University Hospital Community hospitals: * Huntington Hospital * Mather Hospital * NYU Langone Hospital — Suffolk * Peconic Bay Medical Center * Stony Brook Eastern Long Island Hospital *

Stony Brook Southampton Hospital Stony Brook Southampton Hospital, centrally located in the Village of Southampton, New York, is a 125-bed hospital accredited by the Joint Commission. A location of Stony Brook Medicine, Stony Brook Southampton Hospital is a New York State-desig ...

* St. Charles Hospital * St. Catherine of Sienna Medical Center Specialty care hospitals: * South Oaks Hospital * Stony Brook Children's Hospital

Communities

In the

State of New York New York, also called New York State, is a state in the northeastern United States. Bordered by New England to the east, Canada to the north, and Pennsylvania and New Jersey to the south, its territory extends into both the Atlantic Ocean and ...

, a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

is the major subdivision of each county. Towns provide or arrange for most municipal services for residents of hamlets and selected services for residents of villages. All residents of New York who do not live in a

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

or on an

Indian reservation An American Indian reservation is an area of land land tenure, held and governed by a List of federally recognized tribes in the contiguous United States#Description, U.S. federal government-recognized Native American tribal nation, whose gov ...

live in a town. A

village A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...

is an incorporated area which is usually, but not always, within a single town. A village is a clearly defined municipality that provides the services closest to the residents, such as garbage collection, street and highway maintenance, street lighting and building codes. Some villages provide their own police and other optional services. A

hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...

is an informally defined populated area within a town that is not part of a village. Figures in parentheses are 2022 population estimates from the Census Bureau.

Towns

(217,656) * Brookhaven (488,497) * East Hampton (28,607) * Huntington (203,243) *

(337,922) * Riverhead (35,834) * Shelter Island (3,276) * Smithtown (115,768) *

(69,490) * Southold (23,912)

Villages (incorporated)

(9,573) * Asharoken (603) *

(12,146) * Belle Terre (782) * Bellport (2,197) * Brightwaters (3,170) * Dering Harbor (36) * East Hampton (1,531) * Greenport (2,583) * Head of the Harbor (1,481) * Huntington Bay (1,427) * Islandia (3,568) * Lake Grove (11,041) * Lindenhurst (27,064) * Lloyd Harbor (3,551) * Nissequogue (1,603) * North Haven (1,161) * Northport (7,300) * Ocean Beach (171) * Old Field (906) * Patchogue (12,344) * Poquott (925) *

Port Jefferson Port Jefferson, also known as Port Jeff, is an Administrative divisions of New York (state)#Village, incorporated village in the Administrative divisions of New York (state)#Town, town of Brookhaven, New York, Brookhaven in Suffolk County, New Y ...

(8,059) * Quogue (1,687) *

(2,785) * Sagaponack (736) *

Saltaire Saltaire is a Victorian model village near Shipley, West Yorkshire, England, situated between the River Aire, the railway, and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. Salts Mill and the houses were built by Titus Salt between 1851 and 1871 to allo ...

(110) * Shoreham (521) *

(4,615) *

Village of the Branch Village of the Branch (also known as Branch Village, The Branch, or simply Branch) is a village in the Town of Smithtown in Suffolk County, on Long Island, in New York, United States. It is considered part of the Greater Smithtown area, which is ...

(1,759) *

(2,183) * West Hampton Dunes (115)

Census-designated places (unincorporated)

Amagansett Amagansett is a census-designated place that roughly corresponds to the hamlet by the same name in the Town of East Hampton in Suffolk County, New York, United States, on the South Shore of Long Island. As of the 2010 United States census, ...

* Aquebogue * Baiting Hollow * Bay Shore * Bayport * Baywood * Blue Point *

Bohemia Bohemia ( ; ; ) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. In a narrow, geographic sense, it roughly encompasses the territories of present-day Czechia that fall within the Elbe River's drainage basin, but historic ...

* Brentwood * Bridgehampton * Brookhaven * Calverton * Captree * Center Moriches * Centereach * Centerport *

* Commack * Copiague * Coram *

Cutchogue Cutchogue ( ) is a Hamlet (New York), hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk County, New York (state), New York, United States, on the North Fork (Long Island), North Fork of Long Island's East End (Long Isl ...

* Deer Park * Dix Hills * East Farmingdale * East Hampton North * East Islip * East Marion * East Moriches * East Northport * East Patchogue * East Quogue * East Setauket * East Shoreham * Eastport *

Eatons Neck Eatons Neck is a Hamlet (New York), hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the Huntington, New York, Town of Huntington in Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk County, on the North Shore (Long Island), North Shore of Long Island, in New York (st ...

* Elwood * Farmingville *

* Fishers Island *

Flanders Flanders ( or ; ) is the Dutch language, Dutch-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, la ...

* Fort Salonga * Gilgo * Gordon Heights * Great River, New York, Great River * Greenlawn, New York, Greenlawn * Greenport West * Halesite * Hampton Bays * Hauppauge * Holbrook, New York, Holbrook * Holtsville * Huntington * Huntington Station, New York, Huntington Station *

* Islip Terrace * Jamesport, New York, Jamesport * Kings Park, New York, Kings Park *

* Laurel, New York, Laurel * Manorville * Mastic, New York, Mastic * Mastic Beach * Mattituck * Medford * Melville, New York, Melville * Middle Island, New York, Middle Island * Miller Place * Montauk * Moriches, New York, Moriches * Mount Sinai, New York, Mount Sinai * Napeague * Nesconset * New Suffolk * North Amityville * North Babylon * North Bay Shore * North Bellport * North Great River * North Lindenhurst * North Patchogue * North Sea, New York, North Sea * Northampton, Suffolk County, New York, Northampton * Northville, Suffolk County, New York, Northville * Northwest Harbor, New York, Northwest Harbor * Noyack * Oak Beach * Oakdale, New York, Oakdale * Orient, New York, Orient * Peconic, New York, Peconic * Port Jefferson Station * Quiogue * Remsenburg-Speonk *

* Riverhead * Riverside, Suffolk County, New York, Riverside * Rocky Point, New York, Rocky Point * Ronkonkoma, New York, Ronkonkoma * Sayville * Selden * Setauket * Shelter Island * Shelter Island Heights * Shinnecock Hills, New York, Shinnecock Hills * Shirley, New York, Shirley * Smithtown * Sound Beach * South Huntington * Southold * Springs, New York, Springs * St. James, New York, St. James * Stony Brook *

* Terryville, New York, Terryville * Tuckahoe, Suffolk County, New York, Tuckahoe * Wading River, New York, Wading River * Wainscott, New York, Wainscott * Water Mill, New York, Water Mill * West Babylon * West Bay Shore * West Hills * West Islip * West Sayville * Westhampton * Wheatley Heights * Wyandanch * Yaphank File:Riverhead, New York.jpg, Riverhead, New York File:Watermill-convent.jpg, Watermill, New York Gardiners island 2007

Gardiners Island

Gardiners Island is an island off eastern Suffolk County. The Island is long, and wide and has of coastline. The same family has owned the Island for nearly 400 years; one of the largest privately owned islands in America or the world. In addition, it is the only American real estate still intact as part of an original royal grant from the English Crown.

Robins Island

Robins Island is an Island in the Peconic Bay between the North and South folks of eastern Suffolk County. It is within the jurisdiction of Town of Southold in Suffolk County, New York. The Island is and presently undeveloped. The island is privately owned and not accessible to the public.

Indian reservations

Two

s are within the borders of Suffolk County: * Shinnecock Reservation * Poospatuck Reservation

Transportation

The county includes a lot of roadways and other public transportation infrastructure. The local Suffolk County Legislature oversees funding and regulations for the infrastructure. In 2019, the legislature required all new projects to account for future climate change caused

Major highways

* Interstate 495 (New York), I-495 (Long Island Expressway) traverses the county from the Nassau County line in the West to Riverhead in the East. Original plans called for the Expressway to extend further past Riverhead and along the island's North Fork, possibly to Orient Point, where a crossing to Connecticut could be built. The expressway connects to Manhattan via the Queens-Midtown Tunnel. * New York State Route 27 crosses the county from the Nassau County line in the West to Montauk Point in the East, which is also the easternmost point in the State of New York. The road is limited-access from West Babylon to

Airports

Commercial airport: * Long Island MacArthur Airport, Long Island MacArthur Airport (ISP/KISP) General aviation airports: * Republic Airport, Republic Airport (FRG/KFRG) * Brookhaven Airport, Brookhaven Calabro Airport (WSH/KHWV/HWV) * Francis S. Gabreski Airport, Francis S. Gabreski Airport (FOK/KFOK) * East Hampton Airport, Town of East Hampton Airport (JPX/KJPX) * Elizabeth Field (Suffolk County, New York), Elizabeth Field (Fisher's Island) (FID/0B8)

Public transportation

Suffolk County is served by Suffolk County Transit.

, the Hampton Jitney, and Hampton Luxury Liner connect Suffolk County to New York City. Some parts of Suffolk County are also served by Nassau Inter-County Express, NICE bus.

Notable people

* Craig Biggio * Jimmy Buffett * Mariah Carey * Mick Foley * Kevin James * Loudon Wainwright III * Carl Yastrzemski

References

Bibliography

External links

Long Island History: Suffolk County

Suffolk Historical Newspapers

Map of Suffolk County CDPs in 2000

Map of Suffolk County CDPs in 2010
{{Authority control Suffolk County, New York, 1683 establishments in the Province of New York Counties in the New York metropolitan area Long Island Sound Long Island Populated places established in 1683