Suffolk County is a
county located in the
U.S. state of
New York on the eastern portion of
Long Island. As of the
2000 census, the population was 1,419,369. It was named for the county of
Suffolk in
England, from which its earliest settlers came. The
county seat is
Riverhead, though many county offices are in
Hauppauge on the west side of the county where most of the population lives. There are also offices in
Smithtown, for the legislature,
Yaphank, and
Farmingville.
Suffolk and
Nassau counties together are generally referred to as "
Long Island" by area residents — as distinct from the
New York City boroughs of
Queens (Queens County) and
Brooklyn (Kings County), which geographically make up the island's western end.
Suffolk County is the easternmost county in New York State and the
New York Metropolitan Area.
History
Suffolk County was an
original county of New York State, one of twelve created in 1683. Its boundaries were substantially the same as at present, with only minor changes in the boundary with its western neighbor, which was originally
Queens County but since 1899 has been
Nassau County.
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 dedicated farmers in this region."
Geography
According to the
U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,373
square miles (6,146
km²), of which, 912 square miles (2,363 km²) of it is land and 1,461 square miles (3,784 km²) of it (61.56%) is water, making it the 2nd largest county by area in the state of New York. The highest elevation in the county, and on Long Island as a whole, is
Jayne's Hill in
West Hills, at 401 feet (122 m) above sea level.
Suffolk County occupies the easternmost portion of
Long Island, in the southeastern portion of
New York State. The eastern end of the county splits into two
peninsulas, known as the
North Fork and the
South Fork. The county is surrounded by water on three sides, including the
Atlantic Ocean and the
Long Island Sound. The eastern end contains large
bays. Suffolk County is divided into 10
towns:
Babylon,
Brookhaven,
East Hampton,
Huntington,
Islip,
Riverhead,
Shelter Island,
Smithtown,
Southampton, and
Southold. Also part of the county, but not considered parts of the above towns, are the
Poospatuck and
Shinnecock Indian reservations. Poospatuck is
enclaved within Brookhaven in the
Mastic CDP, and Shinnecock is enclaved within Southampton, adjacent to
Southampton village,
Tuckahoe, and
Shinnecock Hills.
Major facilities include
Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton and
Plum Island Animal Disease Center on Plum Island. Several airports serve commuters and business travelers, most notably
Long Island MacArthur Airport in Islip,
Republic Airport in East Farmingdale and
Francis S. Gabreski Airport in Westhampton Beach.
Adjacent counties
National protected areas
View of western Fire Island from the top of Fire Island Lighthouse
Law and government
Suffolk County had long been a
Republican bastion in
New York. U.S. Congressman
Rick Lazio, who opposed
Hillary Clinton in the 2000 Senate race, was from Suffolk County. However, recent elections have turned the county more toward the
Democrats. 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 a victory here in 1992, the county voted for
Bill Clinton in 1996 and continued the trend by giving
Al Gore an 11-percent victory in the county in 2000. 2004 Democratic candidate
John Kerry won by a much smaller margin of one percent, in 2008 Democratic candidate
Barack Obama won by a slightly larger 5 percent margin, 52%-47%.
Suffolk County is represented by three congressional districts, the
first, most of the second, and part of the third. The former two seats are held by Democrats.
Tim Bishop, a Democrat, represents the once heavily Republican
first district, which includes almost half of the county, from
Smithtown to
Montauk, including
The Hamptons and
Riverhead. The
second district, which includes
Huntington,
Brentwood and
Bay Shore, is represented by
Steve Israel. A Democrat, Israel won the seat vacated by
Rick Lazio in 2000 when he made his unsuccessful bid for the
U.S. Senate. The
third district, which is mainly in
Nassau County, but includes some middle-class coastal areas of southwestern Suffolk County, is represented by
Peter King, a Republican.
As a whole both Suffolk and Nassau counties are considered swing counties, though usually in presidential elections it doesn't matter since New York State is almost reliably blue.
Suffolk County Executives
thumb|250px|H. Lee Dennison County Executive Building in Hauppauge* Appointed to compete Cohalan's term Suffolk County Legislature
The county is divided into 18
legislative districts, each represented by a legislator. As of 2008, there are 9
Democrats, 6
Republicans, 2 members of the
Independence Party of New York, and one legislator from the
Working Families Party:
- Vivian Viloria-Fisher (D)
Republicans controlled the county legislature until a landmark election in November 2005 where three Republican seats switched to the Democrats, giving them control. William Lindsay is the current Presiding Officer of the legislature while Jon Cooper is the majority leader.
In November 2007, the Democratic Party once again retained control over the Suffolk County Legislature picking up one seat in the process.
Currently, Democrats hold a 11-7 advantage, although their caucus includes one member from the Working Families Party, and one from the Independence Party(Eddington). Additionally Legislator Montano is not a member of the caucus.
Law enforcement
Police services in the five western towns (
Babylon,
Huntington,
Islip,
Smithtown and
Brookhaven) are provided primarily by the
Suffolk County Police Department. The five "East End" towns (
Riverhead,
Southold,
Shelter Island,
East Hampton, and
Southampton), maintain their own police forces. Also, there are a number of villages, such as
Amityville,
Lloyd Harbor,
Northport and
Westhampton Beach, that maintain their own police forces.
In an unusual move, the
Village of Greenport in 1994 voted to abolish its police department and turn responsibility for law and order over to the
Southold Town 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, headquartered at
Republic Airport. State parks, such as
Robert Moses State Park, are the responsibility of the
New York State Park Police, based at
Belmont Lake State Park. In 1996, the
Long Island Rail Road Police Department was consolidated into the
Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police, which has jurisdiction over all rail lines in the county.
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.
Suffolk PoliceSince the disbandment of the Suffolk County Police Highway Patrol Unit last year, Suffolk County Deputy Sheriffs have assumed responsibility for patrolling and investigating all crimes committed on both the
Long Island Expressway (State route 495) and
Sunrise Highway (State Route 27). 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. They also provide back-up and assistance to the
Suffolk County Park Police. As of 2008, the Suffolk County Sheriff's Office employs 275 Deputy Sheriffs, 850 Correction Officers and about 200 civilian staff.
Suffolk County has a long maritime history with several
outer barrier beaches and hundreds of square miles of
waterways. The Suffolk Police Marine Bureau patrols the 500 square miles of navigable waterways within the police district, from the
Connecticut and
Rhode Island state line which bisects the
Long Island Sound - , to the
New York state line three miles south of Fire Island in the
Atlantic Ocean.
This includes
Fire Island and even parts of
Jones Island barrier beaches and the islands of the
Great South Bay.
Marine units also respond to water and ice rescues on the inland lakes, ponds and streams of the District.
Courts
Suffolk County is the 10th judicial district within the New York State Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court has unlimited, original jurisdiction, but generally hears cases outside the jurisdiction of other courts, such as:
Civil matters beyond the monetary limits of the lower courts' jurisdiction; Divorce, separation, and annulment proceedings; Equity suits, such as mortgage foreclosures and injunctions; Criminal prosecution of felonies.
.
Although there is also a courthouse in Hauppauge, the main courthouse for the Supreme Court is in Riverhead. Riverhead has been the home of the County's Supreme Court since 1729.
The original, colonial era courthouse was replaced in 1855, expanded in 1881.
Although the nineteenth century courthouse was damaged by fire and rebuilt in 1929, the same structure still stands today. In 1994, a new, modern court building was added to the complex.
Suffolk County's lower courts are organized somewhat similar to Nassau County, and very different from the rest of the state.
Like Nassau, there is a District Court, but only for about half the county. For about half of the county, most traffic tickets are handled by the Traffic Violations Bureau of Suffolk County.
TVB is an arm of the Department of Motor Vehicles, and is not part of the state court system.
There are TVBs in New York City, Rochester and Buffalo as well. Suffolk County also has village courts and five town courts.
Demographics
As of the
census of 2000, there were 1,419,369 people, 469,299 households, and 360,421 families residing in the county. The
population density was 1,556 people per square mile (601/km²). There were 522,323 housing units at an average density of 573 per square mile (221/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 84.60%
White (78.8% White Non-Hispanic), 6.94%
African American, 0.27%
Native American, 2.45%
Asian, 0.03%
Pacific Islander, 3.65% from
other races, and 2.06% from two or more races.
Hispanic or
Latino of any race were 10.53% of the population. Some main European ancestries in Suffolk County as of 2000: 28.33%
Italian, 22.02%
Irish, 16.95%
German and 5.98%
English.
By 2006 the racial or ethnic makeup of the county 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.
There were 469,299 households out 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.
The median income for a household in the county was $65,288, 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. About 3.90% of families and 6.00% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 6.70% of those under age 18 and 6.30% of those age 65 or over.
Suffolk County ranks at number 21 on the
list of the most populous counties in the United States.
Suffolk County has the highest number of
Italian American residents of any county in the United States.
Colleges and universities
thumb|250px|right|Dowling College CourtyardSuffolk County is home to numerous colleges and universities, including:Public
Private
- *Touro College School of Health Sciences - in Bay Shore
Newspapers
Indian reservations
Two
Indian reservations are located within the borders of Suffolk County:
Towns, villages, and hamlets
In
New York State, a
town 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 or on an
Indian reservation live in a town. A
village 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 is a populated area within a town that is not part of a village. The term "hamlet" is not defined under New York law (unlike cities, towns and villages), but is often used in the state's statutes to refer to well-known populated sections of towns that are not incorporated as villages. For more information, see the article
Political subdivisions of New York State.
In 2006
Forbes Magazine ranked six Suffolk County zip codes as among the top 110 most expensive in the United States.
Sagaponack,
New York was ranked the most expensive zip code in the nation with a median home sale price in 2005 of $2,787,500.
Water Mill,
New York was ranked the sixth most expensive zip code in the nation, with a median home sale price in 2005 of $2,150,000.
Sorted by name
- Babylon (town), Babylon (village), Baiting Hollow, Bay Shore, Bayport, Baywood, Belle Terre, Bellport, Blue Point, Bohemia, Brentwood, Bridgehampton, Brightwaters, Brookhaven (town), Brookhaven (hamlet)
Argyle Lake: A main attraction in the town of Babylon.
*
Calverton,
Center Moriches,
Centereach,
Centerport,
Central Islip,
Cherry Grove (a.k.a. Fire Island),
Cold Spring Harbor,
Commack,
Copiague,
Copiague Harbor,
Coram,
Cutchogue- East Farmingdale, East Hampton (town), East Hampton (village), East Islip, East Marion, East Moriches, East Northport, East Patchogue, East Quogue, East Setauket, East Shoreham, Eastport, Eatons Neck, Elwood
Huntington Bay*
Farmingville,
Fire Island (a.k.a. Cherry Grove),
Fire Island Pines,
Fishers Island,
Flanders,
Fort Salonga- Manorville, Mastic, Mastic Beach, Mattituck, Medford, Melville, Middle Island, Miller Place, Montauk, Moriches, Mount Sinai
- Napeague, Nesconset, New Suffolk, Nissequogue, North Amityville, North Babylon, North Bay Shore, North Bellport, North Great River, North Haven, North Lindenhurst, North Patchogue, North Sea, Northampton, Northport, Northville, Northwest Harbor, Noyack (Noyac)
- Sag Harbor, Sagaponack, Saltaire, Sayville, Selden, Setauket, Shelter Island, Shelter Island Heights, Shinnecock Hills, Shirley, Shoreham, Smithtown (town), Smithtown (hamlet), Southampton (town), Southampton (village), Southampton (hamlet), Southold (town), Southold (hamlet), Sound Beach, South Huntington, Speonk, Springs, St. James, Stony Brook
- Wading River, Wainscott, Water Mill (Watermill), West Babylon, West Bay Shore, West Gilgo Beach, West Hampton Dunes (Westhampton Dunes), West Hills, West Islip, West Sayville, Westhampton, Westhampton Beach, Wheatley Heights, Wyandanch, North Wyandanch
Gardiners Island is an island off eastern Suffolk County in the U.S. state of New York.
The Island is 6 miles long, and 3 miles wide and has 27 miles of coastline.
The same family has owned the Island for nearly 400 years, one the largest privately owned islands in America or the world.
It is, however, the only American real estate still intact as part of an original royal grant from the English Crown.
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 435-acres and presently undeveloped.
The island is privately owned and not accessible to the public.
See Map -
Suffolk Seashore
Fire Island Lighthouse was an important landmark for many trans-atlantic ships coming into
New York Harbor 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 two-mile long span across Great South Bay to Captree Island features a 600-foot-long main span, with a 60-foot clearance for boats.
After crossing the State Boat Channel over Its 665-foot-long
bascule bridge, 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.
The
Fire Island 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 of any other United States county, with fifteen of its original twenty-six lighthouses still standing. Of these fifteen, eight are located in
Southold township alone, giving it more lighthouses than any other township in the United States.
Secessionist Movement
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 of Suffolk County:
East Hampton,
Riverhead,
Shelter Island,
Southampton and
Southold, plus the
Shinnecock Indian Reservation.
The secessionist movement has not been active since 1998.
See also
List of townships in Suffolk County
