Port Jefferson, also known as Port Jeff, is an incorporated village in the

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 ...

of Brookhaven in Suffolk County, on the North Shore 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 ...

, in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, United States. The population was 7,962 at the time of the 2020 census. Port Jefferson was first settled in the 17th century and remained a rural community until its development as an active shipbuilding center in the mid-19th century. The village has since transitioned to a tourist-based economy. The community's port remains active as terminus of the

Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Ferry The Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Steamboat Company, commonly referred to as the Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Ferry, is a privately owned transportation company that operates a passenger and vehicle ferry service across the Long Island Sound, betwe ...

– one of two commercial ferry lines between Long Island and

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 is supplemented by the terminus of 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 ...

Port Jefferson Branch The Port Jefferson Branch is a rail line and service owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. The branch splits from the Main Line (Long Island Rail Road), Main Line just east of Hicksville ...

. It is also the center of the Greater Port Jefferson region of northwestern Brookhaven, serving as the cultural, commercial and transportation hub of the neighboring Port Jefferson Station, Belle Terre,

Mount Sinai Mount Sinai, also known as Jabal Musa (), is a mountain on the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt. It is one of several locations claimed to be the Mount Sinai (Bible), biblical Mount Sinai, the place where, according to the sacred scriptures of the thre ...

, Miller Place, Poquott, and the Setaukets.

History

Colonial and precolonial history

The original settlers of the

Town of Brookhaven Brookhaven is a large suburban town in Suffolk County, Long Island, New York. With a population of 488,497 as of 2022, it is the second most populous town in New York (after Hempstead, in the adjacent Nassau County) and the third most popu ...

, based in the neighboring hamlet of Setauket, bought a tract of land from the Setalcott Indians in 1655. The deed included the area of contemporary Port Jefferson along with all other lands along the North Shore from the

Nissequogue River The Nissequogue River is an long river flowing from Smithtown, New York into the Long Island Sound. Its average discharge of is the most of any of the freshwater rivers on Long Island. The river, like all other freshwater rivers on the island, i ...

eastward to Mount Misery Point. Port Jefferson's original name was ''Sowaysset'', a Native American term for either "place of small pines" or "where water opens. The first known home within the present village boundaries was erected in the early 1660s by

Captain John Scott John Scott (–1704), often called John Scott of Long Island, was a royal adviser, military leader, spy, cartographer, attorney, land speculator, and early settler and leader of Long Island. He lobbied to make Long Island a colony in North Ameri ...

, an important leader in Long Island's early history. This house, named Egerton, was a grand abode on the western end of Mount Sinai Harbor at Mount Misery Neck. The first settler in Port Jefferson's current downtown was an Irish Protestant shoemaker from

Queens Queens is the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...

named John Roe, who built his still-standing home in 1682. It remained a small community of five homes through the 18th century, and was renamed to "Drowned Meadow" in 1682. Local lore has it that the pirate

Captain Kidd William Kidd (c. 1645 – 23 May 1701), also known as Captain William Kidd or simply Captain Kidd, was a Scottish-American privateer. Conflicting accounts exist regarding his early life, but he was likely born in Dundee and later settled in Ne ...

rendezvoused in the harbor on his way to bury treasure at

Gardiners Island Gardiner's Island is a small island in the Town of East Hampton (town), New York, East Hampton, New York (state), New York, in Eastern Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk County. It is located in Gardiners Bay, Gardiner's Bay between the two penins ...

. Another legend is that: during the Revolutionary War, naval commander

John Paul Jones John Paul Jones (born John Paul; July 6, 1747 – July 18, 1792) was a Scottish-born naval officer who served in the Continental Navy during the American Revolutionary War. Often referred to as the "Father of the American Navy", Jones is regard ...

had a ship fitted here. However, there is no factual support for these assertions, and the historical works quoted do not present them as definitive facts. John Paul Jones's career in particular is well documented, and there are no accounts of him visiting the village, which was under British control during the time he served as a commanding officer.

Development as a shipbuilding village

In 1797, when the entire town had five houses, its first shipyard was built. By 1825, several shipbuilding firms were located there, which attracted new residents and commerce. During the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

, British interference on Long Island Sound upset local shipping routes. On one occasion, two British warships, the frigate HMS ''Pomone'' and brig HMS ''Despatch'' sent their boats into the harbor under cover of darkness, capturing seven sloops. To protect local interests, a small fortress was set up on the west side of Port Jefferson Harbor. In 1836 the local leadership initiated the community's transition from a "swampish hamlet" to a busy port town. The 22 acres of the harborfront, which flooded at high tide, were brought to a stable elevation with the construction of a

causeway A causeway is a track, road or railway on the upper point of an embankment across "a low, or wet place, or piece of water". It can be constructed of earth, masonry, wood, or concrete. One of the earliest known wooden causeways is the Sweet T ...

. The village changed its name from "Drowned Meadow" to "Port Jefferson", in honor of

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (, 1743July 4, 1826) was an American Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was the primary author of the United States Declaration of Indepe ...

. Numerous shipyards developed along Port Jefferson's harbor, and the village's

shipbuilding Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other Watercraft, floating vessels. In modern times, it normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation th ...

industry became the largest in Suffolk County. Two

whaling Whaling is the hunting of whales for their products such as meat and blubber, which can be turned into a type of oil that was important in the Industrial Revolution. Whaling was practiced as an organized industry as early as 875 AD. By the 16t ...

vessels were built for New Bedford at Port Jefferson in 1877 (ship ''Horatio'' and bark ''Fleetwing''), and a Port Jefferson-built schooner (''La Ninfa'') was later converted into a whaling vessel at San Francisco. Port Jefferson's primary role as a port in the 19th century was to build and support vessels engaged in the coastal freighting trades. Many of Port Jefferson's remaining homes from this period were owned by shipbuilders and captains. This includes the

Mather House Museum The Mather House Museum in Port Jefferson, New York is local history museum complex that includes: * the mid 19th century period Mather House house with furnished rooms, and local history and decorative art exhibits * a craft house with a display o ...

, a mid-19th century home once owned by the Mather shipbuilding family that now serves as the center of a museum complex and headquarters for the Historical Society of Greater Port Jefferson. Historical postcard of Hotel Square in Port Jefferson

Historical postcard of Hotel Square in Port Jefferson

P. T. Barnum Phineas Taylor Barnum (July 5, 1810 – April 7, 1891) was an American showman, businessman, and politician remembered for promoting celebrated hoaxes and founding with James Anthony Bailey the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. He was ...

, the famous circus owner, owned a tract of land which ran through the village. His intention was to make Port Jefferson the home base for his circus, founded in 1871. The residents blocked his plans, and he eventually sold his land. Barnum Avenue now runs through the area that was once Barnum's. The section of town at the intersection of the two streets, then known as Hotel Square, became an active center of Port Jefferson's early tourism industry in the mid-19th century, with a variety of hotels and restaurants. This included the John Roe house, which was converted into the Townsend House hotel. The village's first post office was added to this intersection in 1855. With the 1923 sale of the Bayles Shipyard to the

Standard Oil Standard Oil Company was a Trust (business), corporate trust in the petroleum industry that existed from 1882 to 1911. The origins of the trust lay in the operations of the Standard Oil of Ohio, Standard Oil Company (Ohio), which had been founde ...

Company and demolition of all but two of its structures, Port Jefferson's shipbuilding industry came to a close. This resulted in an economic downturn, and the closing of many of the grand hotels in Hotel Square, as tourism declined along with the industry. Port Jefferson Harbor then became a depot for the oil transportation and gravel industries, and, since the 1940s, the site of a

Long Island Lighting Company The Long Island Lighting Company, or LILCO ("lil-co"), was an Electrical power industry, electrical power company and natural gas utility for Long Island, New York (state), New York, serving 2.7 million people in Nassau County, New York, Nassau, Su ...

coal-fired power plant A coal-fired power station or coal power plant is a thermal power station which burns coal to generate electricity. Worldwide there are about 2,500 coal-fired power stations, on average capable of generating a gigawatt each. They generate a ...

. The harbor also had activity as a

rum-running Rum-running, or bootlegging, is the illegal business of smuggling alcoholic beverages where such transportation is forbidden by law. The term ''rum-running'' is more commonly applied to smuggling over water; ''bootlegging'' is applied to smugg ...

center during the

Prohibition era Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacturing, manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption ...

. Decades later, Port Jefferson's economy had recovered, with tourism as its base.

Village of Port Jefferson (1963–present)

The village of Port Jefferson was incorporated in 1963. The revitalization of lower Port Jefferson soon followed as local tourism brought increased revenues and the village adjusted itself to its new economic role. One such transformation was the 1976 redevelopment of the defunct Mather & Jones Shipyard into a shop-lined promenade known as Chandler Square. A result of the transition is new public access to much of the waterfront, as several industrial lots had previously stood in the way. Danfords Hotel and Marina was one major waterfront project, which integrated several new and historical structures into a luxury hotel. Danfords includes a commercial marina and walkable pier, marking an aspect of the harbor's transformation from industrial to recreational use. Harborfront Park, a project completed in 2004, similarly transitioned the site of a shipyard turned Mobil Oil terminal into a public park with picnic grounds, a seasonal ice skating rink and a promenade. Concurrent to the park's construction was the rebuilding of a former shipyard warehouse into the Port Jefferson Village Center, a new public space for events and recreation. A number of historic buildings were included in the Port Jefferson Village Historic District, listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 2005. Separately listed are the Bayles Shipyard and First National Bank of Port Jefferson building.

Geography

The village's commerce is divided into two centers that lie apart along Main Street and at differing elevations. These are known as ''Lower Port Jefferson'' and ''Upper Port Jefferson'', respectively the waterfront and the railroad station sections of town. The first is currently the center of tourism, while the latter is undergoing plans for revitalization to the economic viability of its historic self. Further from Main Street, the remainder of Port Jefferson consists of several residential neighborhoods defined by the hills on which they sit. In the northeastern corner of the village is the neighborhood of ''Harbor Hills''. This neighborhood occupies the western edge of Mount Sinai Harbor and contains the Port Jefferson Country Club at Harbor Hills. ''Brick Hill'' is the neighborhood directly west of the Lower Port Jefferson commercial center and was first developed by the noted circus owner

. West of Upper Port Jefferson is ''Cedar Hill'', which is topped by the c. 1859 Cedar Hill Cemetery where residents formerly would bask while enjoying views over the village from its highest point. Within Port Jefferson is Port Jefferson Harbor, a natural deepwater harbor. Setauket Harbor branches off to the west from the harbor. One notable geographic feature is The Cove, a small cove dredged in the early 20th century by the Seaboard Dredging Company. The original name was Seaboard Hole, but it was changed for the sake of appealing to tourists, and several large sand dunes artificially created by the dredging can also be found here.

Demographics

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 7,750 people, 3,090 households, and 1,975 families residing in the village. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...

was approximately 2,500 people per square mile (980/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 88.5%

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 ...

, 10.5%

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, 2.1% Asian, 1.6%

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 ...

, 0.2% Native American, 2.2% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. There were 3,090 households, out of which 27.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.2% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.8% had a male household with no wife present, and 36.1% were non-families. Of all households, 28.3% were made up of individuals living alone, and 9.0% consisted of people living alone who were 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.96.DP-1 – Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 from the 2010 Demographic Profile Data for Port Jefferson village, New York
,

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

. Accessed April 5, 2019. The age breakdown consisted of 20.7% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 31.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.1 males. In the 2008–2012

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

, the median income for a household in the village was $108,060 and the median income for a family was $138,984. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the village was $51,937. Of the population, 6.5% were below the

poverty threshold 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 ...

Arts and culture

Port Jefferson is home to Theatre Three, a non-profit theatre company founded in 1969. Each year Theatre Three stages four musicals and two plays and additionally performs A Christmas Carol during the annual Dickens Festival. Theatre Three is held in Athena Hall, a performance space dating to 1874. The village was home to two notable landscape painters in the late 19th century, William Moore Davis and Leon Foster Jones. Both artists produced numerous depictions of Port Jefferson and its harbor. They were the subject of a 1993 art exhibition by the Long Island Museum of American Art, History, and Carriages in Stony Brook.

Annual cultural events

Port Jefferson has been home to the annual ''Port Jefferson Village Dickens Festival'' every year since 1996. The festival celebrates the works and times of English novelist

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English novelist, journalist, short story writer and Social criticism, social critic. He created some of literature's best-known fictional characters, and is regarded by ...

. It takes place during a weekend early in December and typically includes many events and occurrences, such as the regular sighting of people who dress in 19th century clothing, house tours, the reading of winter-related poetry, caroling, and booths set up by local businesses. Students from the Port Jefferson Middle School and High School submit poetry and art that are used in the festival. Free concerts of seasonal music by various ensembles are presented at the Methodist church. Many small festivals are held during the summer, showcasing music and crafts. Each

Fourth of July Independence Day, known colloquially as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States which commemorates the ratification of the Declaration of Independence by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, establishing th ...

sees a substantial parade on Main Street. The village also hosts an annual outdoor concert series and film screenings, both of which currently take place in Harborfront Park throughout July and August. In keeping with its seafaring heritage, Port Jefferson hosts its own annual boat race series known as the ''Village Cup Regatta'', with proceeds benefiting cancer research.

Government

Port Jefferson is governed at the local level by a

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

, four

trustees Trustee (or the holding of a trusteeship) is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, refers to anyone in a position of trust and so can refer to any individual who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility for the ...

, and a village justice.

Education

The Port Jefferson Union Free School District covers Belle Terre and most of Port Jefferson. In 2008, the district had 1375 students. There are three schools: * Edna Louise Spear Elementary School (Pre-K to 5th), also known as Port Jefferson Elementary School or Scraggy Hill School. * Port Jefferson Middle School (6th to 8th) * Earl L. Vandermeulen High School (9th to 12th), also known as Port Jefferson High School * Port Jefferson Middle School and High School currently share the same building located on 350 Old Post Road. The Middle School (7th and 8th grade only) was previously located at 118 Spring Street. That building currently houses the Jefferson Academic Center, a vocational school operated by Eastern Suffolk

BOCES ''Boces'' is the second album by Mercury Rev, released in 1993. It was their final album with frontman David Baker, who was asked to leave shortly after the supporting tour concluded. The title is derived from the Boards of Cooperative Educati ...

. Port Jefferson union free school district (UFSD) is bordered on the west by

Three Village Central School District Three Village Central School District is a school district located on Long Island, New York (state), New York. It serves Setauket, East Setauket, Stony Brook, New York, Stony Brook, Poquott, Head of the Harbor, New York, Head of the Harbor, Old ...

, on the south by

Comsewogue School District Brookhaven-Comsewogue Union School District (pronounced Kom-sah-wohg) is located in Port Jefferson Station, on the North Shore of Long Island, in Brookhaven Town, Suffolk County, New York, United States. The district office is attached to ...

, and on the east by Mount Sinai School District.

Media

* '' 93.3 The Breeze'' is

licensed A license (American English) or licence (Commonwealth English) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit). A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another part ...

to serve Port Jefferson * ''

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" ...

'' (daily) * '' The Port Times Record'' (weekly)

Transportation

Port Jefferson features a major ferry route, a

terminus, multiple bus lines, and an extensive network of roads. The

is one of two routes connecting

New England New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...

. The other route is the

Cross Sound Ferry Cross Sound Ferry is a passenger and road vehicle ferry service operating between New London, Connecticut and Orient, New York on Long Island. The service is privately owned and operated by Cross Sound Ferry Services, headquartered in New Lond ...

at Orient Point and no bridges or tunnels exist despite past proposals. Port Jefferson's ferry company was established in 1883 and was championed by influential circus owner

. Barnum, who owned lands in both Port Jefferson and

Bridgeport, Connecticut Bridgeport is the List of municipalities in Connecticut, most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut and the List of cities in New England by population, fifth-most populous city in New England, with a population of 148,654 in 2020. Loc ...

, became the new company's first president. The village additionally serves as the eastern terminus for the Long Island Rail Road's

. The branch consists of a diesel train that connects to the electrified Main Line at Huntington station. During the full run it continues toward the western terminus of

Pennsylvania Station Pennsylvania Station or Penn Station may refer to: Current train stations * Baltimore Penn Station * New York Penn Station ** Pennsylvania Station (1910–1963), the predecessor to the present New York City station * Newark Penn Station Trai ...

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

or to

Atlantic Terminal Atlantic Terminal (formerly Flatbush Avenue) is the westernmost commuter rail terminal on the Long Island Rail Road's (LIRR) Atlantic Branch, located at Flatbush Avenue and Atlantic Avenue in Downtown Brooklyn, New York City. It is the prima ...

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

. The average commute from Port Jefferson to Manhattan via the Long Island Rail Road takes approximately 2 hours. Train service to New York City first reached Port Jefferson in 1873. The ferry terminal and train station are approximately apart. In March 2014, mayor Margot Garant announced interest in establishing a future shuttle to link the two transportation networks as well as their respective sections of town, lower and upper Port Jefferson.

Suffolk County Transit Suffolk County Transit is the provider of bus services in Suffolk County, New York, on Long Island and is an agency of the Suffolk County government. It was founded in 1980 as a county-run oversight and funding agency for a group of private con ...

operates a bus route, the 51, which runs from

Patchogue station Patchogue is a station of the Montauk Branch of the Long Island Rail Road in the Village of Patchogue, Suffolk County, New York. It is on Division Street between West Avenue (CR 19) and South Ocean Avenue. The station is the eastern terminus ...

to Port Jefferson station via

Ronkonkoma station Ronkonkoma (signed as Ronkonkoma LI MacArthur Airport) is a major railroad station and transportation hub along the Main Line of the Long Island Rail Road in Ronkonkoma, Suffolk County, New York. The station is the eastern terminus of the R ...

, Smith Haven Mall,

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 ...

, and Port Jefferson. It operates every 30 minutes on weekdays and hourly on weekends. Routes 53 and 55 operate between Port Jefferson station and Patchogue station via

Farmingville, New York Farmingville is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Brookhaven, in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 14,983 at the time of the 2020 census. The community serves as the town seat of Brookhaven. ...

, and New York State Route 112, respectively. Port Jefferson's main street forms a section of

New York State Route 25A New York State Route 25A (NY 25A) is a state highway on Long Island in New York (state), New York, United States. It serves as the main east–west route for most of the North Shore (Long Island), North Shore of Long Island, running ...

, a scenic and historic route through Long Island's North Shore from the New York City

borough 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 ...

eastward to Calverton. Just southeast of the village is the eastern terminus of

New York State Route 347 New York State Route 347 (NY 347) is an east–west state highway located in Suffolk County, New York, in the United States. It connects the Northern State Parkway in Hauppauge to NY 25A in Mount Sinai. The route serves as a s ...

, a multilane divided highway that connects to the

Northern State Parkway The Northern State Parkway (also known as the Northern State or Northern Parkway) is a controlled-access parkway on Long Island in the U.S. state of New York. The western terminus is at the Queens– Nassau County line in Lake Success � ...

Hauppauge Hauppauge ( ) is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the towns of Islip and Smithtown in western Suffolk County, New York, on Long Island. Its population in 2022 was estimated at 20,401 by the U.S. Census Bureau. Despite the official ...

. New York State Route 112, an important north–south route, begins just south of the village and runs to

Patchogue Patchogue ( ) is a village in Suffolk County, New York. The population was 12,408 at the time of the 2020 census. The Incorporated Village of Patchogue is an incorporated community in the town of Brookhaven, on the south shore of Long Island, ...

, with a dedicated bicycle lane along much of the route.

Notable people

Jesse Ball Jesse Ball (born June 7, 1978) is an American novelist and poet. He has published novels, volumes of poetry, short stories, and drawings. His works are distinguished by the use of a spare style and have been compared to those of Jorge Luis Borges ...

(born 1978), novelist and poet * Howard Bayles (1877-1940), sports shooter * Vernon Berg III (1951–1999), U.S. Naval Academy graduate and artist *

Walter Berndt Walter Berndt (November 22, 1899, – August 15, 1979) was an American cartoonist known for his comic strip ''Smitty (comic strip), Smitty'', which he drew for 50 years. Biography Bernt's job as an office boy at the ''New York Journal'' , wh ...

(1899–1979), cartoonist, best known for his long-run comic strip, ''

Smitty Smitty may refer to: People * Smitty (rapper), American rapper * Smitty the Jumper (1898–1995), American parachutist and skydiver H. Truesdell Smith * Big Bad Smitty (1940–2002), American blues guitar player and singer born John H. Smith * ...

'' * James F. Burke (1923–1981) cornet soloist with the

Goldman Band The Goldman Band was an American concert band founded in 1918 by Edwin Franko Goldman from his previous New York Military Band. Both bands were based in New York City. It was Goldman's contention that the New York symphony and orchestra musici ...

John Buscema John Buscema ( ; born Giovanni Natale Buscema, ; December 11, 1927 – January 10, 2002)Social Se ...

(1927–2002), comic book artist *

Robert Farrar Capon Robert Farrar Capon (October 26, 1925 – September 5, 2013) was an American Episcopal Church in the United States of America, Episcopal priest, author and chef. He was born in Jackson Heights, Queens in 1925 and graduated from Columbia College ...

(1925–2013), Episcopal priest, author, and chef *

Vic Carapazza Victor Joseph Carapazza (born July 6, 1979) is an American Major League Baseball umpire. He wears uniform number 19, and previously wore uniform number 85. Umpiring career From 2003 until 2012 Carapazza was an umpire with several minor league ...

(born 1979),

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

umpire An umpire is an official in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection. The term derives from the Old French , , and , : (as evidenced in cricke ...

; born in Port Jefferson *

Vivien Cardone Vivien Cardone (born April 14, 1993) is an American actress, known for her role as Doctor Brown's daughter Delia on The WB's ''Everwood'' from 2002 to 2006. She has appeared in ''One Life to Live'' (2011) and ''Theater, Interrupted'' (2020–2021) ...

(born 1993), actress; born in Port Jefferson *

Ted Chiang Ted Chiang (; pinyin: ''Jiāng Fēngnán''; born 1967) is an American science fiction writer. His work has won four Nebula Award, Nebula awards, four Hugo Award, Hugo awards, the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer, and six Locus Award, ...

(born 1967),

speculative fiction Speculative fiction is an umbrella term, umbrella genre of fiction that encompasses all the subgenres that depart from Realism (arts), realism, or strictly imitating everyday reality, instead presenting fantastical, supernatural, futuristic, or ...

writer; born in Port Jefferson *

Chris Colmer Christopher James Colmer (November 21, 1980 – December 28, 2010) was an American professional football offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Early life Colmer graduated from Earl L. Va ...

(1980–2010),

American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...

offensive lineman In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line (OL), while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line ( ...

Guy Cosmo Guy Andrew Cosmo (born 12 March 1977 in Port Jefferson, NY) is an American racing driver who competes in the United SportsCar Championship. He is a former American Le Mans Series Rookie-of-the-Year winner who claimed four wins and multiple podi ...

(born 1977), racing driver * Leslie Davis,

Armenian genocide The Armenian genocide was the systematic destruction of the Armenians, Armenian people and identity in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Spearheaded by the ruling Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), it was implemented primarily t ...

witness, diplomat, and author * William Moore Davis, painter * Tony DePhillips,

catcher Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the catc ...

with the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...

; resident of Port Jefferson *

Cathy Downs Catherine N. Downs (March 3, 1926 – December 8, 1976) was an American film actress. Biography Downs was born in Port Jefferson, New York. She was the daughter of James Nelson Downs and Edna Elizabeth Newman. A model for the Walter Thornton ...

, actress; born in Port Jefferson *

Maurice DuBois Maurice DuBois (born August 20, 1965) is an American television news presenter, anchorman who is the co-anchor of the ''CBS Evening News'' with John Dickerson (journalist), John Dickerson. Previously, he anchored various newscasts for WCBS-TV, t ...

WCBS-TV WCBS-TV (channel 2), branded CBS New York, is a television station in New York City, serving as the flagship of the CBS network. It is owned and operated by the network's CBS News and Stations division alongside Riverhead, New York–lic ...

news anchor; attended Earl L. Vandermeulen High School * Dom Famularo (1953–2023), drummer, author, speaker *

Chris Ferraro Christopher M. Ferraro (born January 24, 1973) is an American former professional ice hockey player who formerly played in the National Hockey League. Along with his twin brother, Peter, became the second set of identical twins to play on the sa ...

(born 1973), former

NHL The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...

hockey player; born in Port Jefferson *

Peter Ferraro Peter Joseph Ferraro (born January 24, 1973) is an American former professional ice hockey forward who played in the National Hockey League (NHL). He and his twin brother Chris became the second set of identical twins to play on the same NHL te ...

(born 1973), former

hockey player; born in Port Jefferson * Jackie Geary, actress * Anthony Gelsomino (born 1970), American actor, producer, director and writer *

Les Goodman Les Goodman (born September 1, 1950) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played professionally for the Atlanta Falcons and the Green Bay Packers. Early life Goodma ...

, former

running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offense ...

in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

Dan Gurney Daniel Sexton Gurney (April 13, 1931 – January 14, 2018) was an American racing driver, engineer and motorsport executive, who competed in Formula One from to . Widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of motorspo ...

, American race car driver *

Rebecca Kassay Rebecca Kassay is an American politician. She has served in the New York State Assembly representing the 4th District since 2025. A Democrat, she represents part of Suffolk County. In the 2024 New York State Assembly election, she unseated Rep ...

, New York politician * Adam Klein, opera singer; born in Port Jefferson *

Toby Knight Toby Thomas Knight (born May 3, 1955) is an American former professional basketball player. He played professionally in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the New York Knicks. He played college basketball for the Notre Dame Fighting ...

(born 1955), former

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

player * Peter Van Zandt Lane (born 1985), composer *

Ed McMullen Edward Thomas McMullen Jr. (born May 1, 1964) is an American political strategist and diplomat, who served as the List of ambassadors of the United States to Switzerland and Liechtenstein, United States Ambassador to Switzerland from 2017 to 202 ...

(born 1964),

United States Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein This is a list of United States ambassadors to the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation and the Principality of Liechtenstein. History Since 1997, the U.S. ambassador to Switzerland has also been Diplomatic accreditation, accredited to the Princi ...

(2017-2021) *

Alan North Alan North (December 23, 1920 – January 19, 2000) was an American actor. Early life North was born in Bronx, New York, and joined the United States Navy during the Second World War. Career After the war, he became a stage manager and made ...

, actor; resident of Port Jefferson * Frank Norton (1845–1920), professional baseball player * Kaela Pflumm (born 1991), pair skater * Elijah Riley (born 1998), NFL Safety, born in Port Jefferson *

Austin Roe Austin Roe (March 2, 1748November 28, 1830) was a member of the Culper Ring, a successful spy network during the American War of Independence that was organized in 1778 by George Washington. Early life Austin Roe was born March 2, 1748, in Port J ...

(1748–1830), American spy in the Revolutionary War *

Bob Samuelson Robert Lewis Samuelson (born July 30, 1966) is an American former volleyball player. Samuelson won a bronze medal with the United States men's national volleyball team, United States national team in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. A ...

(born 1966), Olympic medalist in volleyball * SIRPAUL (born 1976), musician and producer * George Williamson (1892–1979), architect * Tom Veryzer (1953–2014), MLB shortstop *

Louis Zukofsky Louis Zukofsky (January 23, 1904 – May 12, 1978) was an American poet. He was the primary instigator and theorist of the so-called "Objectivist" poets, a short lived collective of poets who after several decades of obscurity would reemerge a ...

, American poet, resident of Port Jefferson from 1973 until his death in 1978

In popular culture

Foghat Foghat are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1971. The band is known for the use of electric slide guitar in its music. Their best known song is the 1975 hit "Slow Ride". The band has released 17 studio albums, including ei ...

owned a recording studio called Boogie Motel on Main Street; their 1979 album ''

Boogie Motel ''Boogie Motel'' is the eighth studio album by rock band Foghat, released in 1979. It was recorded at the Boogie Hotel Studios in Port Jefferson, NY, and was certified gold in the US. The cover art is by Jim Baikie. "Third Time Lucky (First Time ...

'' was recorded there. * The 1989 black comedy film '' She-Devil'' was shot on location in Port Jefferson at 161 Cliff Road. The pink-colored 30-bedroom mansion belonged to Bulgarian operetta singer and actress Nadya Nozharova, also known as Countess Nadya de Navarro Farber, who died in 2014. The house was built in 1870, and was almost . The countess lived in the house for over 40 years. The house was demolished in 2017. * In season two of Netflix's ''

House of Cards A house of cards (also known as a card tower or card castle) is a structure created by stacking playing cards on top of each other, often in the shape of a pyramid. "House of cards" is also an expression that dates back to 1645 meaning a struc ...

'' there are ongoing negotiations regarding the financing of a bridge from Port Jefferson to Milford, Connecticut. It is referred to in the series as the "Port Jefferson Bridge". The idea is similar to many proposals that have been made over the years, collectively called the

Long Island Sound link The Long Island Sound link is a proposed bridge or tunnel that would link Long Island, New York, to Westchester County or Connecticut, across Long Island Sound east of the Throgs Neck Bridge. The project has been studied and debated since the mi ...

, including one project proposed from Port Jefferson to Bridgeport, Connecticut. * Port Jefferson's Main Street and East Main Street were featured as part of

NPR National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...

's "Mapping Main Street" project in spring 2010. * The 2015 film '' True Story'' was filmed in part on the docks behind Danford's Hotel.

References

External links

* {{authority control Brookhaven, New York Long Island Sound Populated coastal places in New York (state) Villages in New York (state) Villages in Suffolk County, New York 1963 establishments in New York (state)