Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeasternNew York state, extending into theAtlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of theNew York metropolitan area in both population and land area. The island extends fromNew York Harbor 118 miles (190 km) eastward into the ocean with a maximum north–south width of 23 miles (37 km).[2][3] With a land area of 1,401 square miles (3,630 km2), it is thelargest island in thecontiguous United States.[4]
With a population of 8,063,232 residents as of the2020 U.S. census, Long Island constitutes 40% of the state's population.[5][6][7][8][9] Long Island is themost populous island in any U.S. state or territory, the third-most populous island in theAmericas afterHispaniola andCuba, and the 18th-most populous island in the world ahead ofIreland,Jamaica, andHokkaidō. Itspopulation density is 5,859.5 inhabitants per square mile (2,262.4/km2). Long Island is culturally andethnically diverse, featuring some of the wealthiest and most expensive neighborhoods in the world near the shorelines, as well as a variety ofworking-class areas in all four counties.
As the lastIce Age waned withWisconsin glaciation, earlyPaleo-Indians ventured into the evolving landscapes of present-day Long Island, marking a significant environmental shifts and laying the groundwork for the region's rich ecosystems.[14] These nomadic hunter-gatherers, equipped with stone tools, navigated the newly emerging landscapes, hunting large game and gathering from the abundant natural resources.[15]
Following the Paleo-Indian period, theArchaic Period marked a broadening of subsistence strategies. The inhabitants of Long Island diversified their diet, exploiting the rich marine and terrestrial environments.[14] The main source of protein came from the sea, consisting of fish and shellfish, oysters being of particular importance.[16] Deer and other wild game and various plant foods also became part of their regular diet.[17]The archaeological record also reveals a shift towards a more settled lifestyle, with small bands forming seasonal settlements.[18]
The indigenous peoples in the Early and MiddleWoodland period began developing horticulture as well as more efficient strategies for hunting and gathering. They established year-round settlements. Pottery emerged as a widespread technological innovation during this era, serving not only practical storage and cooking purposes but also functioning as a medium for cultural expression. The stylistic variations in pottery across different sites on Long Island suggest a rich diversity of cultural identities and the exchange of ideas among various groups.[19] Additionally, this period was marked by participation in trade networks with other Northeastern Indigenous communities.[20]
During the Late Woodland Period, there was a noticeable intensification of agriculture, with maize becoming a staple crop alongside beans and squash. This agricultural advancement supported larger populations and led to the establishment of more permanent villages characterized by substantial dwellings, mostlywigwams andlonghouses.[16] The increased reliance on farming did not eliminate hunting and gathering, which continued to play a crucial role in the subsistence economy.[19]
The Long Island natives lived in villages of differing sizes and their governing style, because of a lack of evidence, can only be guessed. However, anthropological models suggest that the leaders did not have overarching authority over the rest of the village. Rather, the leaders often sought advice from the elders.[17]
The early settlers of Long Island were likely tied by kinship and did not identify themselves as distinct tribes. These tribes were designated by the Europeans as a method of identifying borders. However, there seems to be two, overlapping, but different cultures. Western Long Island natives probably spoke the Delaware-Munsee dialect. The eastern group's language is less well-founded, but it is most likely related to the southern New EnglandAlgonquian dialect. The kinship system likely kept Long Island natives together with clans in present-dayNew Jersey,Massachusetts,Connecticut, andRhode Island.[21]
Giovanni da Verrazzano was the firstEuropean to record an encounter with the Lenape people, after entering what is nowNew York Bay in 1524, however it is unclear whether he encountered Native Americans from Long Island.
Excerpt from the 1685Novi Belgii Novæque Angliæ map byNicolaes Visscher II with "Lange Eylandt alias Matouwacs" in red
In 1609, theEnglish navigatorHenry Hudson explored the harbor and purportedly landed at present-dayConey Island.Dutch explorerAdriaen Block followed in 1615 and is credited as the first European to determine that bothManhattan and Long Island are islands.
The first recorded encounters between theAlgonquian peoples of Long Island and Europeans occurred with the arrival of explorers in the early 17th century, first contacted by Henry Hudson and his crew. These interactions were initially characterized by curiosity and tentative exchanges, but conflicts later emerged between them. Despite this, mutually beneficial trade ensued, with the Algonquian trading fur for clothing, metal, guns, and alcohol.[17]
The Dutch, recognizing the value of New England's fur market, forged long-term alliances with the Algonquians in 1613, ushering in permanent settlements. By 1621, theDutch West India Company established itself in the Northeast. The Dutch West India Company established a foothold in the Northeast, initiating a lucrative trade inwampum—beads of significant cultural and economic importance to Native tribes across the Northeast. The wampum was primarily made by Long Island Native Americans. The Dutch would thus engage in a triangular trade: purchasing large quantities of wampum from Long Island, exchanging wampum for fur with inland tribes, and shipping the fur back to Europe.[22] This triangular trade created peace amongst the Europeans and the Native Americans for decades.[17]
In 1636,Charles I of England, aStuart, rewarded Scottishcourtier, diplomat, and colonial governorWilliam Alexander's service to the Crown by creating him Lord Alexander ofTullibody andViscount of Stirling. On April 22 of that year Charles told thePlymouth Colony, which had laid claim to Long Island but had not settled it, to cede it to Alexander. When his agent James Farret arrived inNew Amsterdam in 1637 to present his claim of English sovereignty, he was arrested and imprisoned inHolland, but later escaped from prison.
The Pequot War, a struggle over between the Pequot tribe of Connecticut, who exerted control over eastern Long Island, and the EnglishNew England Colonies, reshaped alliances and power dynamics in the region. The defeat of the Pequots left a void in eastern Long Island's political landscape, who were historically under the influence of the Connecticut Pequots for trade and protection. Indigenous leaders such asUncas andNinigret, alongside the New England Colonies, vied to fill this vacuum, with the colonists eventually prevailing over their indigenous rivals. In 1639,Lion Gardiner secured the first purchase of eastern Long Island land, an islet off of present-dayEast Hampton.[14]
The period between 1636 and 1648 marked a time of land acquisition in Long Island by Dutch and English colonists. The Dutch occupied a small portion of western Long Island while the English settled on the eastern side, buying land from any sachems who were willing to sell to them. The perspectives on these land purchases likely varied significantly between Native Americans and Europeans. Europeans viewed land transactions as opportunities for exclusive ownership and permanent settlement, while the Algonquian peoples viewed the transaction as temporary and communal.[23] Additionally, the Native Americans governance style of weak leadership and undefined hunting grounds, did not align with the European's need for strict boundaries. This confusion resulted in conflict and boundary disputes for many years after.
In 1640, English colonists attempted to settle Cow Bay in what is present-dayPort Washington. After an alert by Native leaderPenhawitz, the colonists were arrested by the Dutch but released after saying they were mistaken about the title.[24]
As European settlers proliferated on Long Island, the ecosystem underwent significant transformation, and the dynamics between Native Americans and Europeans shifted. The Europeans cleared vast areas of traditional hunting grounds and introduced livestock that damaged Native crops.[17] Europeans also began to encroach on Native land, and this growing proximity heightened tensions. This culminated inKieft's War, initiated by a devastating attack that killed 80 Native Americans.[26]
Despite shifting claims to title and absentee land sales, European settlers continued to purchase land directly from indigenous people. In 1655, they split the acquired land amongst themselves and continued to search the island for more land for settlement. On June 10, 1664, other parts of indigenous land were bought, including present-dayBrookhaven,Bellport, andSouth Haven, in exchange for four coats and 6 pounds 10 shillings – a value that, accounting for monetary inflation through 2017, is currently worth approximately $840.[27]
DuringKing Philip's War in 1675, thegovernor of New York,Edmund Andros, ordered that all canoes east ofHell Gate be confiscated. This was done to prevent local indigenous people from helping their Native allies on the mainland, who were attacking New England settlers there.[28] Notable sachems, such as Tackapousha of the Massapequa, saw their influence wane post-King Philip's War in 1675. In the face of escalating tensions between French and English settlers, these Indigenous figures endeavored to mediate and protect their communities. However efforts to maintain land rights were undermined by disease, deceit, infringements of land patents, and cultural misunderstandings.[17]
After the Dutch began to colonize Manhattan, many indigenous people moved toPennsylvania andDelaware. Many of those who stayed behind died fromsmallpox, which spread to North America via European colonists and resulted in large scale deaths due to lack of antibodies and natural resistance which Eurasian peoples had gained with their exposure to the disease.[29]
Native American landdeeds recorded by the Dutch from 1636 state that the Indians referred to Long Island asSewanhaka.Sewanhacky andSewanhacking were other spellings in the transliteration of theLenape.[30]Sewan was one of the terms forwampum, commemorative stringed shell beads, for a while also used as currency by colonists in trades with the Lenape, and is also translated as "loose" or "scattered", which may refer either to the wampum or to Long Island.[30] The name "'t Lange Eylandt alias Matouwacs" appears in Dutch maps from the 1650s,[31][32] with't Lange Eylandt translating it to "Long Island" fromOld Dutch. The English referred to Long Island as "Nassau Island",[33] after theHouse of Nassau of theDutch PrinceWilliam of Nassau, Prince of Orange (who later also ruled asKing William III ofEngland). It is unclear when the name "Nassau Island" was discontinued. Another indigenous name from colonial time,Paumanok, comes from the Native American name for Long Island and means "the island that pays tribute."[34]
The very first European settlements on Long Island were by settlers from England and its colonies in present-dayNew England. Lion Gardiner settled nearby Gardiners Island. The first settlement on the geographic Long Island itself was on October 21, 1640, whenSouthold was established by theRev. John Youngs and settlers fromNew Haven, Connecticut. Peter Hallock, one of the settlers, drew the long straw and was granted the honor to step ashore first. He is considered the first New World settler on Long Island.Southampton was settled in the same year.Hempstead followed in 1644,East Hampton in 1648,Huntington in 1653,Brookhaven in 1655, andSmithtown in 1665.
While the eastern region of Long Island was first settled by the English, the western portion of Long Island was settled by the Dutch; until 1664, the jurisdiction of Long Island was split between the Dutch and English, roughly at the present border betweenNassau County andSuffolk County. The Dutch founded six towns in present-dayBrooklyn beginning in 1645. These included:Brooklyn,Gravesend,Flatlands,Flatbush,New Utrecht, andBushwick. The Dutch had granted an English settlement inHempstead, New York (now in Nassau County) in 1644, but after a boundary dispute, they drove out English settlers from the Oyster Bay area. However, in 1664, the English returned to take over the Dutch colony ofNew Netherland, including Long Island.
The 1664 land patent granted to theDuke of York included all islands in Long Island Sound. The Duke of York held a grudge against Connecticut, as New Haven had hiddenthree of the judges (John Dixwell,Edward Whalley andWilliam Goffe[35]) who sentenced the Duke's father,King Charles I, to death in 1649. Settlers throughout Suffolk County pressed to stay part of Connecticut, but Governor SirEdmund Andros threatened to eliminate the settlers' rights to land if they did not yield, which they did by 1676.[36]
All of Long Island along with islands between Long Island and Connecticut became part of theProvince of New York within theShire of York. Present-day Suffolk County was designated as theEast Riding (of Yorkshire), present-day Brooklyn was part of theWest Riding, and present-day Queens and Nassau were part of the largerNorth Riding. In 1683, Yorkshire was dissolved and the three original counties on Long Island were established: Kings, Queens, and Suffolk.
Following theEuropean colonization of the Americas, including Long Island, theAlgonquian peoples found themselves increasingly marginalized, their ancient hunting grounds cleared for agriculture, and their economic systems integrated into the European market, particularly through their labor and the dwindling fur and wampum trades. By the 18th century, most native lands had been seized, leaving only small parcels, and many Indigenous people were relegated to roles as domestics, laborers, guides, and seamen.[17]
William Floyd was born on Long Island on December 17, 1734. In 1654, his family emigrated to North America. By the time of Floyd's birth, the family was established and wealthy. He was a member of the Suffolk County Militia in the beginning of theAmerican Revolution, and rose to the rank of Major General. In 1774, he was chosen as a representative from New York to theFirst Continental Congress. After thebattle of Long Island, his estate was confiscated by theBritish army and was used as a cavalry base. In 1789, Floyd was elected to theU.S. House of Representatives, where he served until 1791.Francis Lewis fromBrookhaven on Long Island, another signer of theDeclaration of Independence, had his home destroyed and his wife Elizabeth arrested by the British after the battle of Long Island.George Washington managed her release by having the wives of two wealthyLoyalists fromPhiladelphia arrested, and then exchanging the two for Mrs. Lewis.
Early in theAmerican Revolutionary War, the island was captured by the British from American troops underGeorge Washington in the battle of Long Island, a major battle after which Washington narrowly evacuated his troops fromBrooklyn Heights under a dense fog. After the British victory on Long Island, manyPatriots withdrew, leaving mostlyLoyalists behind. The island was a British stronghold until the end of the war in 1783.[37]
General Washington based hisintelligence activities on Long Island, due to the western part of the island's proximity to theBritish military headquarters in New York City. TheCulper Ring included agents operating betweenSetauket and Manhattan. This ring alerted Washington to valuable British secrets, including the treason ofBenedict Arnold and a plan to use counterfeiting to induce economic sabotage.[citation needed]
Long Island's colonists supported both Loyalist and Patriot causes, with many prominent families divided among both sides. During the occupation, British forces utilized a number of civilian structures for defense and were also at times quartered in local homes. A number of structures from this era remain. Among these areRaynham Hall, theOyster Bay home of patriot spyRobert Townsend, and theCaroline Church inSetauket, which contains bullet holes from a skirmish known as theBattle of Setauket. Also in existence is a reconstruction of Brooklyn'sOld Stone House, on the site of theMaryland 400's celebrated last stand during theBattle of Long Island.[38]
In the 19th century, Long Island was still mainlyrural and devoted toagriculture. The predecessor to theLong Island Rail Road (LIRR) began service in 1836 from theSouth Ferry inBrooklyn, through the remainder of Brooklyn, toJamaica inQueens. The line was completed to the east end of Long Island in 1844, as part of a plan for transportation toBoston. Competing railroads, soon absorbed by the LIRR, were built along the south shore to accommodate travelers from those more populated areas. For the century from 1830 until 1930, total population roughly doubled every twenty years, with more dense development in areas near Manhattan. Several cities were incorporated, such as the "City of Brooklyn" in Kings County, andLong Island City in Queens.[39][40]
Until completion of theBrooklyn Bridge in 1883, the only means of travel between Long Island and the rest of the United States was by boat or ship. As other bridges and tunnels were constructed, areas of the island began to be developed as residential suburbs, first around the railroads that offered commuting into the city. On January 1, 1898, Kings County and portions of Queens County were consolidated into theCity of Greater New York, abolishing all cities and towns within them. The easternmost 280 square miles (730 km2) of Queens County, which were not part of the consolidation plan,[41][42][43][44][45][46]separated from Queens in 1899 to form Nassau County.
At the close of the 19th century, wealthyindustrialists who made vast fortunes during theGilded Age began to construct large "baronial" country estates in Nassau County communities along the North Shore of Long Island, favoring the manyproperties with water views. Proximity to Manhattan attracted such men asJ. P. Morgan,William K. Vanderbilt, andCharles Pratt, whose estates led to this area being nicknamed theGold Coast. This period and the area was immortalized in fiction, such asF. Scott Fitzgerald'sThe Great Gatsby, which has also been adapted infilms.
The gradual decline in Indigenous authority reached a critical point when it led to the formal obliteration of acknowledgement for many tribes. A poignant example of this phenomenon occurred in 1910, when a legal decree by theJudiciary of New York pronounced the Montaukett "tribe" extinct, ignoring the presence and testimonies of its members in court. Such decrees were used to facilitate the encroachment on Native American lands with greater ease, granting legal legitimacy to the acts of settler colonialism. In the absence of legally recognized Indigenous territories, settlers could assert ownership over Native lands without engaging in negotiations or offering compensation. This act represented the final stage in the thorough domination and displacement of Native American communities on Long Island.[47]
Charles Lindbergh lifted off fromRoosevelt Field with hisSpirit of St. Louis for his historic 1927 solo flight to Europe, one of the events that helped to establish Long Island as an early center ofaviation during the 20th century. Other famous aviators such asWiley Post originated notable flights fromFloyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn, which became the first major airport serving New York City before it was superseded by the opening ofLa Guardia Airport in 1939. Long Island was also the site ofMitchel Air Force Base and was a major center of military aircraft production by companies such asGrumman andFairchild Aircraft duringWorld War II and for some decades afterward. Aircraft production on Long Island extended all the way into the Space Age. Grumman was one of the major contractors that helped to build the earlylunar flight andSpace Shuttle vehicles. Although the aircraft companies eventually ended their Long Island operations and the early airports were all later closed. Roosevelt Field, for instance, became the site of amajor shopping mall, theCradle of Aviation Museum on the site of the former Mitchel Field documents the Island's key role in the history of aviation.
From the 1920s to the 1940s, Long Island began the transformation from backwoods and farms as developers created numerous suburbs. Numerous branches of theLong Island Rail Road (LIRR) already enabled commuting from the suburbs to Manhattan.Robert Moses engineered various automobileparkway projects to span the island, and developed beaches and state parks for the enjoyment of residents and visitors from the city. Gradually, development also followed these parkways, with various communities springing up along the more traveled routes.
AfterWorld War II, suburban development increased with incentives under theG.I. Bill, and Long Island's population skyrocketed, mostly in Nassau County and western Suffolk County. Second and third-generation children of immigrants moved out to eastern Long Island to settle in new housing developments built during the post-war boom.Levittown became noted as a suburb, where housing construction was simplified to be produced on a large scale. These provided opportunities for white World War IImilitary veterans returning home to buy houses and start a family. In his 1966 book,My Private America (Moja prywatna Ameryka),Kazimierz Wierzyński, a Polish poet who could not go back to Poland after World War II, describes Polish farmers living there, as "walking novels".[48]
At the beginning of the 21st century, a number of Long Island communities had converted their assets fromindustrial uses topost-industrial roles.Brooklyn reversed decades of population decline and factory closings to resurface as a globally renowned cultural and intellectual hotbed.Gentrification has impacted much of Brooklyn and a portion ofQueens, relocating a sizeable swath of New York City's population. On eastern Long Island,Port Jefferson,Patchogue, andRiverhead evolved from inactiveshipbuilding and mill towns into tourist-centric commercial centers with cultural attractions.
The westernmost end of Long Island contains the New York Cityboroughs ofBrooklyn (Kings County) andQueens (Queens County). The central and eastern portions contain thesuburbanNassau andSuffolk counties. However, colloquial usage of the term "Long Island" usually refers only to Nassau and Suffolk counties. For example, theFederal Reserve Bank of New York has a district named "Long Island (Nassau-Suffolk Metro Division)."[49] At least as late as 1911, locations in Queens were still commonly referred to as being on Long Island.[50] Some institutions in the New York City section of the island use the island's names, likeLong Island University andLong Island Jewish Medical Center.
There are fewtall buildings on Long Island. Nassau County is more densely developed than Suffolk County. While affluent overall, Nassau County has pockets of more pronounced wealth with estates covering greater acreage within theGold Coast of theNorth Shore and theFive Towns area on theSouth Shore. South Shore communities are built along protectedwetlands of the island and contain white sandy beaches ofOuter Barrier Islands fronting on the Atlantic Ocean. Dutch and English settlers from the time before theAmerican Revolutionary War, as well as communities of Native Americans, populated the island. The 19th century saw the infusion of the wealthiest Americans in the so-calledGold Coast of theNorth Shore, where wealthy Americans and Europeans in theGilded Age built lavish country homes.
East ofRiverhead in Suffolk County, Long Island splits into two peninsulas (colloquially referred to as "Forks"), which are separated by thePeconic Bay. The easternmost point of theNorth Fork isOrient Point, and the easternmost point of theSouth Fork (and all of Long Island) isMontauk Point. Long Island'sEast End remains semi-rural, as inGreenport on the North Fork and some of the periphery of the area prominently known asThe Hamptons, although summer tourism swells the population in those areas. The North Fork has developed a burgeoningwine region.[56] In addition, the South Fork is known for beach communities, including the Hamptons, and for theMontauk Point Lighthouse at the eastern tip of the island. ThePine Barrens is a preservedpine forest encompassing much of eastern Suffolk County.
The land to the south of this moraine to the South Shore is the outwash plain of the last glacier. One part of the outwash plain was known as theHempstead Plains, and this land contained one of the few natural prairies to exist east of the Appalachian Mountains.[58] Theglaciers melted and receded to the north, resulting in the difference between thetopography of the North Shore beaches and the South Shore beaches. The North Shore beaches are rocky from the remaining glacial debris, while the South Shore's are crisp, clear, outwash sand.Jayne's Hill, at 401 feet (122 m), within Suffolk County near its border with Nassau County, is the highest hill along either moraine; another well-known summit isBald Hill in Brookhaven Town, not far from its geographical center atMiddle Island. The glaciers also formedLake Ronkonkoma in Suffolk County andLake Success in Nassau County, each a deepkettle lake.
Under theKöppen climate classification, Long Island lies in a transition zone between ahumid subtropical climate (Cfa) and a hot-summerhumid continental climate (Dfa).[60] The climate features hot, usually humid summers with occasional thunderstorms, mild spring and fall weather, and cool winters with a mix of snow and rain and stormier conditions. Spring can be cool due to the relatively cooler temperatures of the Atlantic Ocean and occasionalblocking. Thunderstorms rarely form directly over Long Island, but can form over inland areas and then move eastward. Some storms may weaken as they approach Long Island due to the moderating effects of the Atlantic Ocean. The ocean also brings afternoon sea breezes to the immediate South Shore areas (within 1 mile (1.6 km)) that temper the heat in the warmer months. The temperatures south of Sunrise Highway (NY Route 27) tend to be significantly cooler than the rest of Long Island in the spring and summer months because of the relatively cooler temperatures of the Atlantic Ocean. Long Island has a moderately sunny climate, averaging 2,400 to 2,800 hours ofsunshine annually.[61]
Due to its coastal location, Long Island winter temperatures are milder than most of the state. The coldest month is January, when average temperatures range from 25 to 45 °F (−4 to 7 °C), and the warmest month is July, when average temperatures range from 74 to 85 °F (23 to 29 °C).[62] Temperatures seldom fall below 0 °F (−18 °C) or rise above 100 °F (38 °C). Coldest temp ever recorded on Long Island was −23 °F (−31 °C) on January 22, 1961. Long Island temperatures vary from west to east, with the western part (Nassau County, Queens, and Brooklyn) generally 2 to 3 degrees F (1 to 2 degrees C) warmer than the east (Suffolk County). This is due to several factors: the western part is closer to the mainland and more densely developed, causing the "urban heat island" effect, and Long Island's land mass veers northward as one travels east. Also, daytime high temperatures on the eastern part of Long Island are cooler on most occasions, due to the moderating effect of the Atlantic Ocean and Long Island Sound. On dry nights with no clouds or wind, the Central Part of Suffolk County and Pine Barrens forest of eastern Suffolk County can be almost 5 to 10 F (3 to 5 C) cooler than the rest of the island, due toradiational cooling. Averagedew points, a measure of atmospheric moisture, typically lie in the 65–75 °F (18–24 °C) range during July and August.
Precipitation is distributed uniformly throughout the year, with approximately 3–4 inches (76–102 mm) on average during each month. Average yearly snowfall totals range from approximately 20 to 35 inches (51 to 89 cm), with the north shore and western parts averaging more than the immediate south shore (South of Sunrise Hwy) and the east end. In any given winter, however, some parts of the island can see up to 50 inches (130 cm) of snow or more. There are also milder winters, in which much of the island see less than 10 inches (25 cm) of snow.
On August 13, 2014,flash flooding occurred in western-central Suffolk County after a record-setting rainfall deposited more than three months' worth of precipitation on the area within a few hours.[63]
Long Island is somewhat vulnerable totropical cyclones.[64] While it lies north of where most tropical cyclones turn eastward and out to sea (most landfalls on the East Coast of the U.S. occur fromNorth Carolina southward), several tropical cyclones have struck Long Island, including a devastating Category 3, the1938 New England hurricane (also known as the "Long Island Express"), and another Category 3,Hurricane Carol in 1954. Other 20th-century storms that made landfall on Long Island at hurricane intensity include the1944 Great Atlantic hurricane,Hurricane Donna in 1960,Hurricane Belle in 1976, andHurricane Gloria in 1985. Also, the eyewall ofHurricane Bob in 1991 brushed the eastern tip. In August 2011, portions of Long Island were evacuated in preparation forHurricane Irene, a Category 1 hurricane which weakened to a tropical storm before it reached Long Island.[65]
On October 29, 2012,Hurricane Sandy caused extensive damage to low-lying coastal areas of Nassau and Suffolk counties, Brooklyn, and Queens, destroying or severely damaging thousands of area homes and other structures by ocean and bay storm surges. Hundreds of thousands of residents were left without electric power for periods of time ranging up to several weeks while the damage was being repaired. The slow-moving "Superstorm Sandy" (so-nicknamed because it merged with anor'easter before it made landfall) caused 90% of Long Island households to lose power and an estimated $18 billion in damages in Nassau and Suffolk counties alone.[66][67] The storm also had a devastating impact on coastal communities in the Brooklyn and Queens portions of the island, includingConey Island in Brooklyn and theRockaway Peninsula in Queens, although estimates of monetary damages there are usually calculated as part of the overall losses suffered in New York City as a whole. When allowance is made forinflation, the extent of Sandy's damages is second only to that of those caused by the 1938Long Island Express. Although a lower central pressure was recorded in Sandy, the National Hurricane Center estimates that the 1938 hurricane had a lower pressure at landfall.[68][69][full citation needed] Hurricane Sandy and its profound impacts have prompted the discussion of constructingseawalls and other coastal barriers around the shorelines of Long Island and New York City to minimize the risk of destructive consequences from another such event in the future.[70][71]
A detailed map of Long IslandA mansion on Long Island's wealthyNorth Shore, which along withThe Hamptons andBrooklyn's western waterfront (facingManhattan) provides Long Island with some of world's most expensive residentialreal estate
Long Island is a region affected byenvironmental degradation resulting from urban and suburban expansion beginning at the start of the 20th century. With theLong Island Sound to the north and theAtlantic Ocean to the south and east, Long Island is home to a diverse range of habitats includingsalt marshes, coastal grasslands,beaches, rocky intertidal zones, tidal flats, pine barrens,estuaries,deciduous forests and many more.[78] Each of these habitats faces unique challenges in terms of environmental degradation but a few common issues can be found in each of them.
One of the most common forms of environmental degradation iseutrophication of lakes and ponds due nutrient pollution. Nearly all of the bodies of water on Long Island have been affected by nutrient pollution in the form of nitrogen and phosphorus.[79] Fertilizer containing high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus is washed into nearby surface water, accelerating the process of eutrophication. Common signs of eutrophication include murky green water and foul odor.[80] Nutrient pollution is also responsible forharmful algal blooms which can be toxic to aquatic organisms, birds and mammals, including humans.
Chemical pollution is common on Long Island with it being home to 38Superfund sites both closed and active. The four counties of Long Island have had chemical pollution, butNassau County has the most out of the group with 18 superfund sites.[81] Most famously from 1942 to 1996Northrop Grumman and theUnited States Navy owned 600 acres where they manufactured military aircraft. Disposal practices of both parties resulted in a plume of VOCs orvolatile organic compounds that contaminated groundwater in an area extending 4.3 miles north and south and 2.1 miles east and west. Restoration efforts have been on going since 2019 but concern over water quality still remains.[82] Chemical pollution on Long Island often follows a similar pattern of negligence with hazardous chemicals that leak into groundwater and soil. Long Island drinking water is sourced from a largeaquifer which is at risk of contamination if chemical pollution continues.
Long Island is one of the most developed areas in the United States with a majority of the high intensity development located closer toNew York City and lower intensity development moving east across the island. High intensity development makes up 10% of the land cover on Long Island. Medium intensity development makes up 17%, and low intensity development makes up 17%. Developed open spaces account for 19% making the total percent of developed land around 63%.[83] Most of the undeveloped land is found inSuffolk County which is made up of 46% undeveloped land.[83] This level of development means most of the original habitats on Long Island have been destroyed or segmented by housing developments or roads.Tidal wetlands are the victims of the most habitat destruction due development of coastal land. New York has lost almost half of its tidal wetlands along the Long Island Sound.[84] Thesetidal wetlands act as a natural barrier from flooding. As they are destroyed and developed the chances of flooding increase.
Climate change will affect Long Islanders in a number of ways in the future. It is estimated that at current rates by the year 2100 water levels will rise about four feet causing the relocation and destruction of neighborhoods along the coast of the island.[85] As well as rising water levels, Long Islanders will have to deal with the effects of ever stronger hurricane seasons, and more catastrophic storms likeHurricane Sandy in 2012.[85] Rising temperatures will also exacerbate the algal bloom problems, as algae tends to thrive in warmer waters.[85] Restoration of coast lines and marsh habitats may provided some protection against flooding from large storms, but Long Island is largely unprepared for the increasing intensity of storms in the years to come.
Long Island is the most populous island and one of the most densely populated regions in the United States. At the2020 U.S. census, the total population of all four counties of Long Island was 8,063,232, comprising 40% of the population of the State of New York. As of 2020, the proportion of New York City residents (total 8,804,190) living on Long Island had risen to 58.4%, given the 5,141,538 residents living in Brooklyn and Queens.[86] Furthermore, the proportion of New York State's population residing on Long Island has also been increasing, with Long Island's census-estimated population increasing 6.5% since 2010, to 8,063,232 in 2020, representing 40% of New York State's census 2020-enumerated population of 20,215,751[87] and with apopulation density of 5,859.5 inhabitants per square mile (2,262.4/km2) on Long Island; the island is more populous than 37 of the 50 U.S. states.[citation needed]
At the 2020 census, the combined population of Nassau and Suffolk counties was 2,921,694 people, Suffolk County's share being 1,525,920 and Nassau County's 1,395,774. Nassau County had a larger population for decades, but Suffolk County surpassed it in the 1990 census as growth and development continued to spread eastward. As Suffolk County has more than three times the land area of Nassau County, the latter still has a much higher population density, given its proximity to New York City. According to theU.S. Census Bureau's 2008American Community Survey, Nassau and Suffolk counties had the 10th and 26th highestmedian household incomes in the nation, respectively.[88] Long Island's population is in decline, having lost over 111,000 residents to other states between 2017 and 2022. An exception was in 2020 during the pandemic, when Long Island saw a small net increase as city residents left for more space. Those who leave Long Island are generally younger than the median resident and less likely to have a four-year degree, children, or high income. Florida, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina are the biggest recipients of ex-Long Islanders. The Island has seen a net increase from New Yorkers leaving other parts of the state, and a net decrease of Long Islanders leaving for other areas in New York.[89]
Whites are the largest racial group in all four counties, and are in the majority in Nassau and Suffolk counties.[90] In 2002,The New York Times cited a study by the non-profit group ERASE Racism, which determined that Nassau and Suffolk counties constitute the most racially segregated suburbs in the United States.[91]
In contrast, Queens is the most ethnically diverse county in the United States and the most diverse urban area in the world.[92][93]
According to a 2000 report on religion, which asked congregations to respond,Catholics are the largest religious group on Long Island, with non-affiliated in second place. Catholics make up 52% of the population of Nassau and Suffolk, versus 22% for the country as a whole, withJews at 16% and 7%, respectively, versus 1.7% nationwide.[94] Only a small percentage ofProtestants responded, 7% and 8% respectively, for Nassau and Suffolk counties. This is in contrast with 23% for the entire country on the same survey, and 50% on self-identification surveys.[94]
A growing population of nearly half a millionChinese Americans now live on Long Island.[95] Rapidly expandingChinatowns have developedin Brooklyn andQueens, with Chinese immigrants also moving into Nassau County,[96][97][98] as did earlier European immigrants, such as theIrish andItalians. The busy intersection ofMain Street,Kissena Boulevard, and 41st Avenue defines the center ofDowntown Flushing and theFlushing Chinatown, known as the "ChineseTimes Square" or the "ChineseManhattan".[99][100] The segment of Main Street between Kissena Boulevard andRoosevelt Avenue, punctuated by theLong Island Rail Roadtrestle overpass, represents the cultural heart of the Flushing Chinatown. Housing over 30,000 individuals born in China alone, the largest by this metric outside Asia,Flushing has become home to the largest and one of the fastest-growing Chinatowns in the world as the heart of over 250,000 ethnic Chinese in Queens, representing the largest Chinese population of any U.S. municipality other than New York City in total.[101] Conversely, the Flushing Chinatown has also become the epicenter oforganized prostitution in the United States, importing women fromChina,Korea,Thailand, andEastern Europe to sustain the underground North Americansex trade.[102]Flushing is undergoing rapidgentrification with investment by Chinese transnational entities.[103]
A 2010 article inThe New York Times stated that the expansion of the immigrant workforce on Long Island has not displaced any jobs from other Long Island residents. Half of the immigrants on Long Island holdwhite-collar positions.[112]
The counties of Nassau and Suffolk have been long renowned for theiraffluence. Long Island is home to some of the wealthiest communities in the United States, includingThe Hamptons, on theEast End of theSouth Shore of Suffolk County; theGold Coast, in the vicinity of the island's North Shore, alongLong Island Sound; and increasingly, the western shoreline of Brooklyn, facing Manhattan. In 2016, according toBusiness Insider, the 11962 zip code encompassingSagaponack, withinSouthampton, was listed as the most expensive in the U.S., with a median home sale price of $8.5 million.[113]
Long Island is home to theEast Coast's largestindustrial park, the Hauppauge Industrial Park, hosting over 1,300 companies which employ more than 71,000 individuals. Companies in the park and abroad are represented by theHauppauge Industrial Association. As many as 20% of Long Islanders commute to jobs in Manhattan. The island's eastern end is still partly agricultural. Development ofvineyards on the North Fork has spawned a majorviticultural industry, replacing potato fields.Pumpkin farms have been added to traditionaltruck farming. Farms allow freshfruit picking by Long Islanders for much of the year.Fishing continues to be an important industry, especially atHuntington,Northport,Montauk, and other coastal communities of the East End and South Shore.
From about 1930 to about 1990, Long Island was considered one of the aerospace manufacturing centers of the United States, with companies such asGrumman,Republic,Fairchild, andCurtiss having their headquarters and factories on Long Island. These operations have largely been phased out or significantly diminished.
A commemorativehalf-dollar coin issued in 1936 for Long Island's 300th anniversary
Nassau County and Suffolk County each have their own governments, with aCounty Executive leading each. Each has a county legislature and countywide-elected officials, includingdistrict attorney, county clerk, and countycomptroller. Thetowns in both counties have their own governments as well, with town supervisors and atown council. Nassau County is divided into threetowns and two small incorporated cities (Glen Cove andLong Beach). Suffolk County is divided into ten towns.
Brooklyn andQueens, on the other hand, do not have official county governments and are represented only by the Kings County and Queens County District Attorneys, respectively, who work for the State of New York. Asboroughs of New York City, both haveborough presidents, which have been largely ceremonial offices since the shutdown of theNew York City Board of Estimate. The respective Borough Presidents are responsible for appointing individuals to theBrooklyn Community Boards andQueens Community Boards, each of which serves an advisory function on local issues. Brooklyn's sixteen members and Queens' fourteen members represent the first and second largest borough contingents of theNew York City Council.[114]
The secession of Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island from New York State was proposed as early as 1896, but talk was revived towards the latter part of the twentieth century.[116] On March 28, 2008, Suffolk CountyComptroller Joseph Sawicki proposed a plan that would make Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island the51st state of the United States of America.[117] Sawicki claimed all of Nassau and Suffolk taxpayers' money would remain locally, rather than the funds being dispersed all over the entire state of New York, with these counties sending toAlbany over three billion dollars more than they receive.[118] The state of Long Island would have included nearly 3 million people (a larger population than that of fifteen other states). Nassau County executiveEd Mangano came out in support of such a proposal in April 2010 and commissioned a study on it.[119]
Nassau Coliseum andJones Beach Theater are venues used by national touring acts as performance spaces for concerts. Jones Beach Theater is a popular place to view summer concerts that feature new and classic artists. It also hosts a largeFourth of July fireworks show annually.
Long Island is also known for its school music programs. Many schools in both Nassau and Suffolk County have distinguished music programs, with high numbers of students who are accepted into the statewide All-State music groups, or even the National All-Eastern Coast music groups. Both the Suffolk County and Nassau County Music Educator's Associations are recognized byThe National Association for Music Education (NAfME),[123][124]and host numerous events, competitions, and other music-related activities.
TheBig Duck inFlanders in August 2018A winery and tasting room in a 1690 farmhouse nearStony Brook in May 2014
Long Island has historically been a center for fishing andseafood. This legacy continues in theBlue Pointoyster, a now ubiquitous variety originally harvested on theGreat South Bay that was the favorite oyster ofQueen Victoria. Clams are also a popular food andclam digging a popular recreational pursuit, withManhattan clam chowder reputed to have Long Island origins.[125]
Of land-based produce, Long Islandduck has a history of national recognition since the 19th century, with four duck farms continuing to produce 2 million ducks a year as of 2013[update].[126] Two symbols of Long Island's duck farming heritage are theLong Island Ducks minor-league baseball team and theBig Duck, a 1931 duck-shaped building that is a historic landmark and tourist attraction. In addition to Long Island's duck industry,Riverhead contains one of the largestbuffalo farms on the East coast.[127]
Long Island is well known for its production of alcoholic beverages. Eastern Long Island is a significant producer ofwine. Vineyards are most heavily concentrated on Long Island'sNorth Fork, which contains 38 wineries. Most of these contain tasting rooms, which are popular attractions for visitors from across the New York metropolitan area.[128] Long Island has also become a producer of diversecraft beers, with 15microbreweries across Nassau and Suffolk counties as of 2013[update]. The largest of these isBlue Point Brewing Company, best known for itstoasted lager.[129] Long Island is also globally known for its signature cocktail, theLong Island Iced Tea, which was purportedly invented at the popular Babylon TownOak Beach Inn nightclub in the 1970s.[130]
TheBarclays Center, a sportsarena, business, and residential complex built partly on a platform over theAtlantic Yards atAtlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, is the home of theBrooklyn Nets andNew York Liberty basketball teams. The move from New Jersey in the summer of 2012 marked the return to Long Island for the Nets franchise, which played atNassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum inUniondale from 1972 to 1977. TheNew York Islanders hockey team played at Nassau Coliseum from their 1972 inception through 2015, and then splitting time between Nassau Coliseum and Barclays Center from 2017 to 2021, playing their last full season at the Nassau Coliseum during the 2020-2021 NHL Season. The Islanders moved full-time toUBS Arena at Belmont Park, inElmont, New York, in November 2021.
Despite this success during the latter part of the team's stay in Brooklyn, they were a second-division team with an unspectacular winning record for much of their history there – but nonetheless became legendary for the almost-fanatical devotion of the Brooklynites who packed the relatively small ballpark to vigorously root for the team they affectionately called, "Dem Bums". Loss of the Dodgers to California was locally considered a civic tragedy that negatively affected the community far more than the similar moves of other established teams to new cities in the 1950s, including the Dodgers' long-time arch-rivalNew York Giants, who also left for California after 1957.
There are eleven road crossings out of Long Island, all but one providing Brooklyn-Manhattan, Queens-Manhattan, and Queens-Bronx connections across the East River, with theTriborough Bridge providing two connections from Queens, one each to Manhattan and the Bronx. The single non-East River crossing is theVerrazzano-Narrows Bridge, connecting Brooklyn toStaten Island acrossThe Narrows. Plans for aLong Island Sound link at locations in Nassau and Suffolk counties (a proposed bridge or tunnel that would link Long Island to the south withWestchester County, New York or Connecticut to the north across Long Island Sound) have been discussed for decades, but there are no plans to construct such a crossing.
The MTA considers itself to be the largest regional public transportation provider in theWestern Hemisphere. As of 2018[update], MTA agencies move about 8.6 million customers per day (translating to 2.65 billion rail and bus customers a year).[133] The MTA's systems carry over 11 million passengers on an average weekday systemwide, and over 850,000 vehicles on itsseven toll bridges and two tunnels per weekday.[134]
TheLong Island Rail Road (LIRR) is North America's busiestcommuter railroad system, carrying an average of 282,400 passengers each weekday on 728 daily trains. Chartered on April 24, 1834, and operating continuously since, it is also the oldestrailroad in the U.S. that still operates under its original charter and name. TheMetropolitan Transportation Authority has operated the LIRR as one of its two commuter railroads since 1966, and the LIRR is one of the few railroads worldwide that provides serviceall the time, year round.[135][136] A $2 billion plan to add a third railroad track to the LIRRMain Line between theFloral Park andHicksville stations in Nassau County was completed in 2022,[137] and an expansion of theRonkonkoma Branch from one to two tracks was completed in 2018.[138] Five "readiness projects" across the LIRR system, which cost a combined $495 million, were built in preparation for expanded peak-hour LIRR service after the completion ofEast Side Access, which brings LIRR trains toGrand Central Madison in Manhattan.[139][140][141]
Nassau Inter-County Express (NICE) provides bus service in Nassau County, whileSuffolk County Transit, an agency of the Suffolk County government, provides bus service in Suffolk County. In 2012, NICE replaced the formerMTA'sLong Island Bus in transporting Long Islanders across Nassau County while allowing them to use MTAMetroCards as payment.[142]
Several hundred transportation companies service the Long Island and New York City areas. Winston Airport Shuttle, the oldest of these companies in business since 1973, was the first to introduce door-to-door shared-ride service to and from the major airports, which almost all transportation companies now use.[144]
^Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the expected highest and lowest temperature readings at any point during the year or given month) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.
^Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the expected highest and lowest temperature readings at any point during the year or given month) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.
^John Burbidge (November 21, 2004)."Long Island at its Best; Who's the Longest of Them All?".The New York Times.Archived from the original on April 30, 2011. RetrievedApril 30, 2011.But the court wasn't saying Long Island isn't an island in a geographical sense", he continued. "In fact, all parties involved in the case agreed Long Island is a geographical island. It was only for the purposes of the case that the island was declared an extension of New York's coastline.
^abcdefgStrong, John A (1997).The Algonquian peoples of Long Island from earliest times to 1700. Empire State Books.
^Truex, James (1982).The Second Coastal Archaeology Reader 1900 to the Present Readings in Long Island Archaeology and Ethnohistory Volume V. Lexington, MA: Ginn Custom Pub (published January 1, 1982). pp. 70–78.
^abStrong, John A (1997).The Algonquian peoples of Long Island from earliest times to 1700. Empire State Books.
^Strong, John. "Wyandanch And The Dispossession Of Indian Land On Long Island, New York:Grand Sachem, Puppet, Or Culture Broker?".Long Island History Journal.
^"Early Indian Life on Long Island".Richmond Hill Historical Society website. Richmond Hill Historical Society.Archived from the original on May 15, 2013. RetrievedMarch 22, 2013.
^"Of Interest to Politicians".The New York Times. September 13, 1894. p. 9.Archived from the original on June 14, 2018. RetrievedApril 30, 2011.The question of the Greater New-York, which is also to be submitted to the people at this coming election, involves the proposition to unite in one city the following cities, counties, and towns: New York City, Long Island City, in Queens County; the County of Kings, (Brooklyn;) the County of Richmond, (S.I.;) the towns of Flushing, Newtown, Jamaica, in Queens County; the town of Westchester, in Westchester County, and all that portion of the towns of East Chester and Pelham which lies south of a straight line drawn from a point where the northerly line of the City of New-York meets the centre line of the Bronx River, to the middle of the channel between Hunter's and Glen Islands, in Long Island Sound, and that part of the town of Hempstead, in Queens County, which is westerly of a straight line drawn from the south-easterly point of the town of Flushing in a straight line to the Atlantic Ocean. (before vote)
^"Vote for Greater New York".The New York Times. October 16, 1894.Archived from the original on January 17, 2012. RetrievedApril 30, 2011. (before election)
^"Greater New-York in Doubt: The City Vote is for it and Brooklyn is uncertain".NY Times. November 8, 1894.Archived from the original on June 14, 2018. RetrievedApril 30, 2011.The increase in area and population that New-York will acquire if consolidation becomes a fact will become evident by a glance at the following table... Flushing... * Part of the town of Hempstead... Jamaica... Long Island City ... Newtown... The townships in Queens County that are to be included in the Greater New-York have not been heard from yet... (before results of Queens vote known)
^"Station: New York JFK INTL AP, NY".U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991–2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. RetrievedMay 9, 2021.
^Sarah Ngu (January 29, 2021)."'Not what it used to be': in New York, Flushing's Asian residents brace against gentrification".The Guardian US.Archived from the original on August 13, 2020. RetrievedAugust 13, 2020.The three developers have stressed in public hearings that they are not outsiders to Flushing, which is 69% Asian. 'They've been here, they live here, they work here, they've invested here,' said Ross Moskowitz, an attorney for the developers at a different public hearing in February...Tangram Tower, a luxury mixed-use development built by F&T. Last year, prices for two-bedroom apartments started at $1.15m...The influx of transnational capital and rise of luxury developments in Flushing has displaced longtime immigrant residents and small business owners, as well as disrupted its cultural and culinary landscape. These changes follow the familiar script of gentrification, but with a change of actors: it is Chinese American developers and wealthy Chinese immigrants who are gentrifying this working-class neighborhood, which is majority Chinese.
^"Transportation Network". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. February 11, 2018.Archived from the original on February 11, 2018. RetrievedFebruary 11, 2018.
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