View source for Long Island

{{Short description|Populous island in southeastern New York}}
{{other uses}}
{{Use American English|date = September 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Stack|float=right}}
{{Infobox islands
| map_image                       = Long Island location map.svg
| map_size                        = 300
| map_caption                     = Location of Long Island in [[New York (state)|New York State]]
| image_name                      = {{multiple image
  | total_width              = 300
  | border                   = infobox
  | perrow                   = 1/2/2/2/2/1
  | caption_align            = center
  | image1                   = Montauk Point Lighthouse New York Winter View.jpg
  | alt1                     = A lighthouse
  | caption1                 = [[Montauk Point Light]]
  | image2                   = Unisphere at night (cropped).jpg
  | alt2                     = The Unisphere, a large metal globe sculpture
  | caption2                 = [[Unisphere]]
  | image3                   = Spiderweb BB jeh.jpg
  | alt3                     = Brooklyn Bridge
  | caption3                 = [[Brooklyn Bridge]]
  | image4                   = Coney Island beach and amusement parks (June 2016).jpg
  | alt4                     = Coney Island
  | caption4                 = [[Luna Park (Coney Island, 2010)|Luna Park]], [[Coney Island]]
  | image5                   = Chinatown 1.jpg
  | alt5                     = Many shop signs in Chinese alphabets
  | caption5                 = [[Flushing Chinatown]]
  | image7                   = JFK Aerial Nov 14 2018.jpg
  | alt7                     = An airport
  | caption7                 = [[JFK International Airport]]
  | image9                   = 石溪大学王嘉廉中心.jpg
  | alt9                     = A college museum building
  | caption9                 = [[Charles B. Wang Center|Stony Brook University]]
}}
| native_name                     = ''Paumanok''<ref>[http://www.richmondhillhistory.org/indians.html Richmond Hill Historic Society] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130515034504/http://www.richmondhillhistory.org/indians.html |date=May 15, 2013 }} Tributary tribes</ref>
| native_name_link                = Amerindian language
| location                        = [[Atlantic Ocean]]
| pushpin_map                     = USA
| pushpin_label_position          = left
| pushpin_label                   = Long Island
| pushpin_map_caption             = Location of Long Island in the [[United States]]
| coordinates                     = {{Coord|40.8|N|73.3|W|scale:1000000000000000000|display=inline}}
| total_islands                   =
| country                         = [[United States]]
| country_admin_divisions_title_1 = State
| country_admin_divisions_1       = [[New York (state)|New York]]
| demonym                         = {{bulleted list
|Long Islander 
|Islander 
}}
| area_sqmi                       = 1,376.1
| elevation_ft = 401
| highest_mount = [[Jayne's Hill]]
| country_largest_city = [[Brooklyn]],
 [[New York City|New York]] (pop. 2,736,074)
| population                      = 8,063,232
| population_as_of                = 2020
| density_sqmi                    = 5,859.5
| ethnic_groups                   = 54.7% [[Race (United States Census)|White]], 20.5% [[Hispanic]] or [[Latinos|Latino]] of any race, 20.4% [[Race (United States Census)|Black]], 12.3% [[Race (United States Census)|Asian]], 8.8% [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], 3.2% from [[Multiracial|two or more races]], 0.49% [[Race (United States Census)|Native American]], and 0.05% [[Race (United States Census)|Pacific Islander]]
| additional_info                 =
|country2_largest_city=}}
{{maplink|frame=yes|zoom=8|id=Q18438|type=shape|stroke-width=3|text=Interactive map of Long Island|frame-coordinates={{Coord|40.8|N|73.3|W}}}}

{{Regions of New York}}
{{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 area. The island extends from [[New York Harbor]] {{convert|118|mi}} eastward into the ocean with a maximum north–south width of {{convert|23|mi|km}}.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Long Island Facts |url=https://www.longisland.com/long-island-facts.html |website=LongIsland.com |access-date=October 23, 2022 |archive-date=March 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230305221845/https://www.longisland.com/long-island-facts.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="EBCli">{{cite encyclopedia |year=2011 |title=Long Island |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] |publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. |id=9370515 |url=http://concise.britannica.com/ebc/article-9370515/Long-Island |access-date=April 30, 2011 |edition=Britannica Concise |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071105193902/http://concise.britannica.com/ebc/article-9370515/Long-Island |archive-date=November 5, 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref>  With a land area of {{convert|1,401|sqmi|km2}}, it is the [[List of islands of the United States by area|largest island]] in the [[contiguous United States]] and the 11th largest island in the U.S.<ref name="longest">{{cite news |author=John Burbidge |date=November 21, 2004 |title=Long Island at its Best; Who's the Longest of Them All? |work=The New York Times |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A07E3DB133FF932A15752C1A9629C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all |url-status=live |access-date=April 30, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430043742/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A07E3DB133FF932A15752C1A9629C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all |archive-date=April 30, 2011 |quote="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."}}</ref>

Long Island is divided among four [[List of counties in New York|counties]] with [[Brooklyn|Kings]] (Brooklyn), [[Queens]], and [[Nassau County, New York|Nassau]] counties occupying its western third and [[Suffolk County, New York|Suffolk County]] its eastern two-thirds. The relationship of Brooklyn and Queens to the rest of Long Island is a matter of debate. Geographically, both Kings and Queens county are located on the Island, but some argue they represent a culturally distinct area which should be considered as separate from the rest of Long Island.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-08-02 |title=Why aren't Brooklyn and Queens part of Long Island? |url=https://www.newsday.com/long-island/why-aren-t-brooklyn-and-queens-part-of-long-island-a31904 |access-date=2025-05-09 |website=Newsday |language=en}}</ref> Long Island may refer both to the main island and the surrounding [[Outer Barrier|outer barrier islands]]. Long Island is separated from [[Manhattan]] Island and [[the Bronx]] by the [[East River]] [[tidal estuary]] in the west part of the island. North of the island is [[Long Island Sound]], across which lie [[Westchester County, New York]], and the state of [[Connecticut]]. Across the [[Block Island Sound]] to the northeast is the state of [[Rhode Island]]. [[Block Island]], which is part of Rhode Island, and numerous smaller islands extend farther into the [[Atlantic Ocean]]. To the extreme southwest, Long Island, at [[Brooklyn]], is separated from [[Staten Island]] and the state of [[New Jersey]] by [[Upper New York Bay]], [[The Narrows]], and [[Lower New York Bay]].

With a population of 8,063,232 residents as of the [[2020 United States census|2020 U.S. census]], Long Island constitutes 40% of the state's population.<ref name="census-est-ny">{{cite web |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/PEP/2015/PEPANNRES/0400000US36.05000 |archive-url=http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20160515162907/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/PEP/2015/PEPANNRES/0400000US36.05000 |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 15, 2016 |title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2015 - 2015 Population Estimates |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=March 24, 2016}}</ref><ref name="Kings County, New York QuickFacts">{{cite web |url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/36/36047.html |title=Kings County, New York QuickFacts |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=March 24, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160217175357/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/36/36047.html |archive-date=February 17, 2016 }}</ref><ref name="Queens County, New York QuickFacts">{{cite web |url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/36/36081.html |title=Queens County, New York QuickFacts |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=March 24, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808084246/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/36/36081.html |archive-date=August 8, 2014 }}</ref><ref name="Nassau County, New York QuickFacts">{{cite web |url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/36/36059.html |title=Nassau County, New York QuickFacts |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=March 24, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607014652/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/36/36059.html |archive-date=June 7, 2011 }}</ref><ref name="U.S. Census Bureau">{{cite web |url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/36/36103.html |title=Suffolk County, New York QuickFacts |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=March 24, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110624025327/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/36/36103.html |archive-date=June 24, 2011 }}</ref> Long Island is the [[List of islands by population|most populous]] island in any U.S. state or territory, the third-most populous island in the [[Americas]] after [[Hispaniola]] and [[Cuba]], and the 18th-most populous island in the world ahead of [[Ireland]], [[Jamaica]], and [[Hokkaido|Hokkaidō]]. Its [[List of islands by population density|population density]] is {{convert|5859.5|PD/sqmi|/km2}}. Long Island is culturally and [[Multiculturalism|ethnically diverse]], featuring some of the wealthiest and most expensive neighborhoods in the world near the shorelines, as well as a variety of [[American working class|working-class]] areas in all four counties.

As of 2022, Kings, Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk counties collectively had a [[gross domestic product]] of approximately $600 billion.<ref name="bea.gov">{{citation|title=Gross Domestic Product by County and Metropolitan Area|url=https://fred.stlouisfed.org/release?et=&pageID=2&rid=397&t=|website=fred.stlouisfed.org|access-date=January 13, 2024|archive-date=January 4, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240104091324/https://fred.stlouisfed.org/release?et=&pageID=2&rid=397&t=|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Median household income]] on the island significantly exceeds $100,000, and the median home price is approximately $600,000, with Nassau County approximating $700,000. Among residents over the age of 25, 42.6% hold a college degree or higher educational degree.<ref>[https://www.newyorkfed.org/regional-economy/profiles/longisland "Long Island"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220813023159/https://www.newyorkfed.org/regional-economy/profiles/longisland |date=August 13, 2022 }} at New York Fed</ref> Unemployment on Long Island stays consistently below 4%. [[Biotech and pharmaceutical companies in the New York metropolitan area|Biotechnology companies]], [[engineering]], and [[scientific research]] play a significant role in Long Island's economy,<ref name="LongIslandBioPharma">[http://biopharmguy.com/links/state-ny-all-geo.php] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161116121707/http://biopharmguy.com/links/state-ny-all-geo.php|date=November 16, 2016}} Accessed November 16, 2016.</ref> including [[research institute|research facilities]] at [[Brookhaven National Laboratory]], [[Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory]], [[Stony Brook University]], [[New York Institute of Technology]], [[Plum Island Animal Disease Center]], the [[New York University Tandon School of Engineering]], the [[Zucker School of Medicine]], and the [[Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research]].

As a hub of [[commercial aviation]], Long Island is home to two of the nation's and [[New York metropolitan area]]'s busiest airports, [[John F. Kennedy International Airport|JFK International Airport]] and [[LaGuardia Airport]].{{efn|The third major airport is [[Newark Liberty International Airport]] in [[Newark, New Jersey]].}} Also located on Long Island are [[Long Island MacArthur Airport]] and two major [[air traffic control]] radar facilities, [[New York TRACON]] and New York ARTCC. Long Island has nine major bridges and thirteen traffic tunnels, which connect Brooklyn and Queens to the three other boroughs of New York City. [[Ferries]] connect Suffolk County northward across [[Long Island Sound]] to [[Connecticut]]. [[Long Island Rail Road]] is the [[Commuter rail in North America|busiest commuter railroad in North America]] and operates continuously.<ref name="APTA-2014-Q4">{{cite web |url=http://www.apta.com/resources/statistics/Documents/Ridership/2014-q4-ridership-APTA.pdf |title=Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter and End-of-Year 2014 |publisher=[[American Public Transportation Association]] (APTA) |date=March 3, 2015 |access-date=October 28, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171011081123/http://www.apta.com/resources/statistics/Documents/Ridership/2014-q4-ridership-APTA.pdf |archive-date=October 11, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==History==
===Early history===
{{Main|History of Long Island}}
[[File:Tribal Territories Southern New England.png|thumb|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] settlements on Long Island in 1600]]
[[File:Three Delaware Indians C17334.jpg|thumb|A circa 1860 portrait of three [[Lenape|Lenape people]]]]As the last [[Ice age|Ice Age]] waned with [[Wisconsin glaciation]], early [[Paleo-Indians]] ventured into the evolving landscapes of present-day Long Island, marking a significant environmental shift and laying the groundwork for the region's rich ecosystems.<ref name=":6">{{Cite book |last=Strong |first=John A. |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1353/book.114659 |title=The Montaukett Indians of Eastern Long Island |date=2022 |publisher=Syracuse University Press |doi=10.1353/book.114659 |isbn=978-0-8156-5645-6 |access-date=May 1, 2024 |archive-date=September 7, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240907221149/https://chooser.crossref.org/?doi=10.1353%2Fbook.114659 |url-status=live }}</ref> The nomadic hunter-gatherers, equipped with stone tools, navigated the newly emerging landscapes, hunting large game and gathering from the abundant natural resources.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-10-05 |title=First European Contact with Indigenous People - The Cutchogue-New Suffolk Historical Council |url=https://www.cutchoguenewsuffolkhistory.org/timeline/first-european-contact-with-indigenous-people/ |access-date=2024-05-01 |website=www.cutchoguenewsuffolkhistory.org/ |language=en-US |archive-date=July 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230702014104/https://www.cutchoguenewsuffolkhistory.org/timeline/first-european-contact-with-indigenous-people/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

After the Paleo-Indian period, the [[Archaic Period (Americas)|Archaic Period]] marked a broadening of subsistence strategies. The inhabitants of Long Island diversified their diet, exploiting the rich marine and terrestrial environments.<ref name=":6"/> The main source of protein came from the sea, consisting of fish and shellfish, with oysters being of particular importance.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Indian Archaeology of Long Island |url=https://www.garviespointmuseum.com/indian-archaeology-long-island.php#:~:text=The |access-date=2024-05-01 |website=www.garviespointmuseum.com |archive-date=September 7, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240907221143/https://www.garviespointmuseum.com/indian-archaeology-long-island.php#:~:text=The |url-status=live }}</ref> Deer and other wild game and various plant foods also became part of their regular diet.<ref name=":5">{{Cite book |last=Strong |first=John A |title=The Algonquian peoples of Long Island from earliest times to 1700 |publisher=Empire State Books |year=1997}}</ref>
The archaeological record also reveals a shift towards a more settled lifestyle, with small bands forming seasonal settlements.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Truex |first=James |title=The Second Coastal Archaeology Reader 1900 to the Present Readings in Long Island Archaeology and Ethnohistory Volume V. |publisher=Lexington, MA: Ginn Custom Pub |year=1982 |publication-date=Jan 1, 1982 |pages=70–78}}</ref>

The indigenous peoples in the Early and Middle [[Woodland 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.<ref name=":4">{{Cite book |last=Strong |first=John A |title=The Algonquian peoples of Long Island from earliest times to 1700 |publisher=Empire State Books |year=1997}}</ref> Additionally, this period was marked by participation in trade networks with other Northeastern Indigenous communities.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stone |first=Gaynell |date=January 31, 1998 |title=The Material History of the Montaukett |url=https://easthamptonlibrary.org/wp-content/files/pdfs/history/lectures/19980131.pdf |access-date=May 1, 2024 |archive-date=May 1, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240501210822/https://easthamptonlibrary.org/wp-content/files/pdfs/history/lectures/19980131.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

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, mostly [[wigwam]]s and [[longhouse]]s.<ref name=":3" /> The increased reliance on farming did not eliminate hunting and gathering, which continued to play a crucial role in the subsistence economy.<ref name=":4" />

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.<ref name=":5" /> 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 England [[Algonquian languages|Algonquian]] dialect. The kinship system likely kept Long Island natives together with clans in present-day [[New Jersey]], [[Massachusetts]], [[Connecticut]], and [[Rhode Island]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Stong |first=John |title=The Thirteen Tribes of Long Island: The History of a Myth |publisher=The Hudson Valley Regional Review |year=1992}}</ref>

[[Giovanni da Verrazzano]] was the first [[European peoples|European]] to record an encounter with the Lenape people, after entering what is now [[New York Bay]] in 1524; however, it is unclear whether he encountered Native Americans from Long Island.

===17th century===
[[File:Excerpt from Map-Novi Belgii Novæque Angliæ (Amsterdam, 1685).jpg|thumb|Excerpt from the 1685 ''Novi Belgii Novæque Angliæ'' map by [[Nicolaes Visscher II]] with "Lange Eylandt alias Matouwacs" in red]]
In 1609, the [[Kingdom of England|English]] navigator [[Henry Hudson]] explored the harbor and purportedly landed at present-day [[Coney Island]]. [[Dutch colonial empire|Dutch]] explorer [[Adriaen Block]] followed in 1615 and is credited as the first European to determine that both [[Manhattan]] and Long Island are islands.

The first recorded encounters between the [[Algonquian 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.<ref name=":5" />

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, the [[Dutch West India Company]] established itself in the Northeast. The Dutch West India Company  established a foothold in the Northeast, initiating a lucrative trade in [[wampum]]—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.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ceci |first=Lynn |date=1982 |title=The Value of Wampum among the New York Iroquois: A Case Study in Artifact Analysis |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/3629950 |journal=Journal of Anthropological Research |volume=38 |issue=1 |pages=97–107 |doi=10.1086/jar.38.1.3629950 |jstor=3629950 |issn=0091-7710 |access-date=May 2, 2024 |archive-date=May 2, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240502181441/https://www.jstor.org/stable/3629950 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription }}</ref> This triangular trade created peace amongst the Europeans and the Native Americans for decades.<ref name=":5" />

In 1636, [[Charles I of England]], a [[House of Stuart|Stuart]], rewarded Scottish [[courtier]], diplomat, and colonial governor [[William Alexander, 1st Earl of Stirling|William Alexander]]'s service to the Crown by creating him Lord Alexander of [[Tullibody]] and [[Viscount of Stirling]]. On April 22 of that year Charles told the [[Plymouth Colony]], which had laid claim to Long Island but had not settled it, to cede it to Alexander. When his agent James Farret arrived in [[New Amsterdam]] in 1637 to present his claim of English sovereignty, he was arrested and imprisoned in [[Holland]], 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 English [[New 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 as [[Uncas]] and [[Ninigret]], 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-day [[East Hampton, New York|East Hampton]].<ref name=":6" />

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.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Strong |first=John |title=Wyandanch And The Dispossession Of Indian Land On Long Island, New York:Grand Sachem, Puppet, Or Culture Broker? |journal=Long Island History Journal}}</ref> 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-day [[Port Washington, New York|Port Washington]]. After an alert by Native leader [[Penhawitz]], the colonists were arrested by the Dutch but released after saying they were mistaken about the title.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YdMLAAAAYAAJ&dq=James+Farret&pg=PA15|title=Year Book of the Holland Society of New-York|first=Holland Society of New|last=York|date=August 6, 1922|publisher=The Secretary|via=Google Books|access-date=March 15, 2023|archive-date=April 7, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230407020633/https://books.google.com/books?id=YdMLAAAAYAAJ&dq=James+Farret&pg=PA15|url-status=live}}</ref>

Through Farret, who received [[Shelter Island (town), New York|Shelter Island]] and [[Robins Island]], Alexander in turn sold most of the eastern island to the [[New Haven Colony|New Haven]] and [[Connecticut Colony|Connecticut]] colonies.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://archive.org/details/historylongisla01thomgoog|title=The history of Long Island, from its discovery to the present time : with many important and interesting matters, including notices of numerous individuals and families, also a particular account of the different churches and ministers|first=Benjamin F. (Benjamin Franklin)|last=Thompson|date=August 6, 1843|publisher=New York : Gould, Banks & Co.|via=Internet Archive}}</ref>

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.<ref name=":5" /> Europeans also began to encroach on Native land, and this growing proximity heightened tensions. This culminated in [[Kieft's War]], initiated by a devastating attack that killed 80 Native Americans.<ref>{{Cite web |last=History |first=J. C. |title=Library Guides: William Kieft (1638-1646): William Kieft (1638-1646) |url=https://njcu.libguides.com/c.php?g=1048973&p=7612635 |access-date=2024-05-02 |website=njcu.libguides.com |language=en}}</ref>

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-day [[Brookhaven, New York|Brookhaven]], [[Bellport, New York|Bellport]], and [[South Haven, New York|South Haven]], in exchange for four coats and 6 pounds 10 shillings &ndash; a value that, accounting for monetary inflation through 2017, is currently worth approximately $840.<ref name="longislandgenealogy.com">{{Cite web |title=Long Island Indians and The Early Settlers |url=http://longislandgenealogy.com/indians.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130329042210/http://www.longislandgenealogy.com/indians.html |archive-date=March 29, 2013 |access-date=November 7, 2019 |website=longislandgenealogy.com}}</ref>

During [[King Philip's War]] in 1675, the [[List of colonial governors of New York|governor of New York]], [[Edmund Andros]], ordered that all canoes east of [[Hell 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.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=z6yE6mWZUcYC|title=The Long Island Sound: A History of Its People, Places, and Environment|last=Weigold|first=Marilyn E.|date=August 2004|publisher=NYU Press|isbn=9780814794005|access-date=November 7, 2019|archive-date=August 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200805061257/https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=z6yE6mWZUcYC|url-status=live}}</ref> 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.<ref name=":5" />

After the Dutch began to colonize Manhattan, many indigenous people moved to [[Pennsylvania]] and [[Delaware]]. Many of those who stayed behind died from [[smallpox]], 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.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Edwin|first1=Burrows|last2=Wallace|first2=Mike|date=1999|title=Lenape|url=http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~chan/Lenape.pdf|access-date=April 8, 2020|archive-date=November 1, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101095554/https://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~chan/Lenape.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

Native American land [[deed]]s recorded by the Dutch from 1636 state that the Indians referred to Long Island as ''{{lang|umu|Sewanhaka}}''. ''{{lang|umu|Sewanhacky}}'' and ''{{lang|umu|Sewanhacking}}'' were other spellings in the transliteration of the [[Lenape]].<ref name="Sewanha..." /> ''{{lang|umu|Sewan}}'' was one of the terms for [[wampum]], 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.<ref name="Sewanha...">{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/stream/indianplacenames00tookiala/indianplacenames00tookiala_djvu.txt |title=The Indian Place-Names On Long Island and Islands Adjacent With Their Probable Significations |first=William Wallace |last=Tooker |year=1911 |pages=35, 212, 232–233}}</ref> The name "'t Lange Eylandt alias Matouwacs" appears in Dutch maps from the 1650s,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dyasites.com/maps/nysbook/Chapter2b.htm |title=The Dutch Period, with maps and explanatory text |access-date=October 15, 2012 |archive-date=January 31, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130131173712/http://www.dyasites.com/maps/nysbook/Chapter2b.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.richmondhillhistory.org/OldLImaps4.html |title=Close-up of 1650s map |access-date=October 15, 2012 |archive-date=January 6, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130106091619/http://www.richmondhillhistory.org/OldLImaps4.html |url-status=live }}</ref> with ''{{'}}t Lange Eylandt'' translating it to "Long Island" from [[Old Dutch]]. The English referred to Long Island as "Nassau Island",<ref name="Bunker 1895" /> after the [[House of Nassau]] of the [[Netherlands|Dutch]] Prince [[William III of England|William of Nassau, Prince of Orange]] (who later also ruled as [[William III of England|King William III]] of [[England]]). It is unclear when the name "Nassau Island" was discontinued. Another indigenous name from colonial time, [[Paumanok Path|Paumanok]], comes from the Native American name for Long Island and means "the island that pays tribute."<ref name="Paumanok origin">{{cite web|title=Early Indian Life on Long Island|url=http://www.richmondhillhistory.org/indians.html|work=Richmond Hill Historical Society website|publisher=Richmond Hill Historical Society|access-date=March 22, 2013|archive-date=May 15, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130515034504/http://www.richmondhillhistory.org/indians.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

The very first European settlements on Long Island were by settlers from England and its colonies in present-day [[New England]]. Lion Gardiner settled nearby Gardiners Island. The first settlement on the geographic Long Island itself was on October 21, 1640, when [[Southold, New York|Southold]] was established by the [[John Youngs (minister)|Rev. John Youngs]] and settlers from [[New 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, New York|Southampton]] was settled in the same year. [[Hempstead, New York|Hempstead]] followed in 1644, [[East Hampton, New York|East Hampton]] in 1648, [[Huntington, New York|Huntington]] in 1653, [[Brookhaven, New York|Brookhaven]] in 1655, and [[Smithtown, New York|Smithtown]] 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 between [[Nassau County, New York|Nassau County]] and [[Suffolk County, New York|Suffolk County]]. The Dutch founded six towns in present-day [[Brooklyn]] beginning in 1645. These included: [[Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn|Brooklyn]], [[Gravesend, Brooklyn|Gravesend]], [[Flatlands, Brooklyn|Flatlands]], [[Flatbush, Brooklyn|Flatbush]], [[New Utrecht, Brooklyn|New Utrecht]], and [[Bushwick, Brooklyn|Bushwick]]. The Dutch had granted an English settlement in [[Hempstead, 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 of [[New Netherland]], including Long Island.

The 1664 land patent granted to the [[James II of England|Duke of York]] included all islands in Long Island Sound. The Duke of York held a grudge against Connecticut, as New Haven had hidden [[List of regicides of Charles I|three of the judges]] ([[John Dixwell]], [[Edward Whalley]] and [[William Goffe]]<ref>{{cite ODNB |last=Nenner |first=Howard |year=2004 |title=Regicides (act. 1649) |id=70599}}</ref>) who sentenced the Duke's father, [[List of regicides of Charles I|King Charles I]], to death in 1649. Settlers throughout Suffolk County pressed to stay part of Connecticut, but Governor Sir [[Edmund Andros]] threatened to eliminate the settlers' rights to land if they did not yield, which they did by 1676.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/historicalandde00baylgoog |first=Richard Mather | last=Bayles |title=Sketches of Suffolk County, Historical and Descriptive, with a Historical Outline of Long Island |publisher=The Author |year=1874}}</ref>

All of Long Island along with islands between Long Island and Connecticut became part of the [[Province of New York]] within the [[York Shire (Province of New York)|Shire of York]]. Present-day Suffolk County was designated as the ''East Riding'' (of Yorkshire), present-day Brooklyn was part of the ''West Riding'', and present-day Queens and Nassau were part of the larger ''North Riding''. In 1683, Yorkshire was dissolved and the three original counties on Long Island were established: Kings, Queens, and Suffolk.

===18th century===
[[File:NYC_Brooklyn_Bridge_western_ramp.jpg|thumb|The [[Brooklyn Bridge]], one of several bridges crossing the [[East River]] and connecting Long Island with [[Manhattan]]]]

Following the [[European colonization of the Americas]] that included Long Island, the [[Algonquian 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.<ref name=":5" />

[[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 the [[American Revolution]], and rose to the rank of Major General. In 1774, he was chosen as a representative from New York to the [[First Continental Congress]]. After the [[battle of Long Island]], his estate was confiscated by the [[British Army during the American Revolutionary War|British army]] and was used as a cavalry base. In 1789, Floyd was elected to the [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. House of Representatives]], where he served until 1791. [[Francis Lewis]] from [[Brookhaven, New York|Brookhaven]] on Long Island, another signer of the [[United States Declaration of Independence|Declaration 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 wealthy [[Loyalist (American Revolution)|Loyalists]] from [[Philadelphia]] arrested, and then exchanging the two for Mrs. Lewis.

[[Marinus Willett]], of [[Jamaica, Queens]] enlisted in the [[New York Guard|colonial militia]] after the [[French and Indian War]] broke out in 1754. He participated in the [[Battle of Carillon|Ticonderoga campaign]] and the [[Battle of Fort Frontenac|capture of Fort Frontenac]] in 1758. Joining the revolutionary [[Sons of Liberty]] in the 1770s, Willett shortly thereafter enlisted in the [[Continental Army]] in 1775. Serving in the [[1st New York Regiment|1st New York]], he took part in the [[Invasion of Quebec (1775)|Invasion of Quebec]] before transferring to the [[3rd New York Regiment|3rd New York]] in 1776. Seeing action [[Battle of Monmouth|at Monmouth]], Willett then participated in the 1778 [[Sullivan Expedition|Sullivan Campaign]]. He was made the [[Colonel (United States)|colonel]] of the [[5th New York Regiment|5th New York]] in 1780 and the [[Tryon County militia]] in 1781, where he fought [[Battle of Johnstown|at Johnstown]]. On August 22, 1830, Willett died and was buried in the graveyard of [[Trinity Church (Manhattan)|Trinity Church]]. The [[Willets Point]] and the accompanying [[Mets–Willets Point station (IRT Flushing Line)|Mets-Willets Point station]] is named in his honor.

Early in the [[American Revolutionary War]], the island was captured by the British from American troops under [[George Washington]] in the battle of Long Island, a major battle after which Washington narrowly evacuated his troops from [[Brooklyn Heights]] under a dense fog. After the British victory on Long Island, many [[Patriot (American Revolution)|Patriots]] withdrew, leaving mostly [[Loyalist (American Revolution)|Loyalists]] behind. The island was a British stronghold until the end of the war in 1783.<ref>{{Cite web|title=George Washington: The Commander in Chief|url=https://www.ushistory.org/valleyforge/washington/george2a.html|access-date=February 22, 2022|website=www.ushistory.org|archive-date=February 22, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220222172828/https://www.ushistory.org/valleyforge/washington/george2a.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

General Washington based his [[Intelligence in the American Revolutionary War|intelligence]] activities on Long Island, due to the western part of the island's proximity to the [[British Armed Forces|British military]] headquarters in New York City. The [[Culper Ring]] included agents operating between [[Setauket, New York|Setauket]] and Manhattan. This ring alerted Washington to valuable British secrets, including the treason of [[Benedict Arnold]] and a plan to use counterfeiting to induce economic sabotage.{{citation needed|date=November 2021}}

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 are [[Raynham Hall Museum|Raynham Hall]], the [[Oyster Bay, New York|Oyster Bay]] home of patriot spy [[Robert Townsend (spy)|Robert Townsend]], and the [[Caroline Church and Cemetery|Caroline Church]] in [[Setauket, New York|Setauket]], which contains bullet holes from a skirmish known as the [[Battle of Setauket]]. Also in existence is a reconstruction of Brooklyn's [[Old Stone House (Brooklyn)|Old Stone House]], on the site of the [[Maryland 400]]'s celebrated last stand during the [[Battle of Long Island]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Barron |first=James |date=August 26, 2016 |title=The Battle of Brooklyn: A Loss That Helped Win the Revolution |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/27/nyregion/the-battle-of-brooklyn-a-loss-that-helped-win-the-revolution.html |access-date=May 3, 2022 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

===19th century===
In the 19th century, Long Island was still mainly [[rural]] and devoted to [[agriculture]]. The predecessor to the [[Long Island Rail Road]] (LIRR) began service in 1836 from the [[South Ferry, Brooklyn|South Ferry]] in [[Brooklyn]], through the remainder of Brooklyn, to [[Jamaica, Queens|Jamaica]] in [[Queens]]. The line was completed to the east end of Long Island in 1844, as part of a plan for transportation to [[Boston]]. 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, and [[Long Island City]] in Queens.<ref name="QueensInc">{{cite web | title=The New Long Island City--Provisions of the Proposed Charter | website=New York Times | date=February 20, 1870 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1870/02/20/archives/the-new-long-island-cityprovisions-of-the-proposed-charter.html | access-date=November 23, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181219000822/https://www.nytimes.com/1870/02/20/archives/the-new-long-island-cityprovisions-of-the-proposed-charter.html | archive-date=December 19, 2018}}</ref><ref name="BrooklynInc">{{cite web | title=Brooklyn, Before It Was a Global Brand: Walk Its History | website=New York Times | date=May 20, 2020 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/20/arts/design/brooklyn-virtual-tour-virus.html | access-date=November 23, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221121103111/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/20/arts/design/brooklyn-virtual-tour-virus.html | archive-date=November 21, 2022}}</ref>

Until completion of the [[Brooklyn 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 the [[City of Greater New York]], abolishing all cities and towns within them. The easternmost {{convert|280|sqmi|km2}} of Queens County, which were not part of the consolidation plan,<ref><!-- \\ BEGIN refs that Nassau never voted on consolidation -->{{cite news
|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1894/09/13/archives/of-interest-to-politicians.html
|title=Of Interest to Politicians.
|page=9
|date=September 13, 1894
|work=The New York Times
|quote=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.
|access-date=April 30, 2011
|archive-date=June 14, 2018
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180614194733/https://www.nytimes.com/1894/09/13/archives/of-interest-to-politicians.html
|url-status=live
}} (before vote)</ref><ref>{{cite news
|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9D06E0D91131E033A25755C1A9669D94659ED7CF
|title=Vote for Greater New York
|date=October 16, 1894
|work=The New York Times
|access-date=April 30, 2011
|archive-date=January 17, 2012
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120117114833/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9D06E0D91131E033A25755C1A9669D94659ED7CF
|url-status=live
}} (before election)</ref><ref>{{cite news
|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1894/11/04/archives/newyorks-place-in-danger-consolidation-defeated-she-must-yield-to.html
|title=New-York's Place in Danger; Consolidation Defeated, She Must Yield, to Chicago.
|date=November 4, 1894
|work=The New York Times
|access-date=April 30, 2011
|archive-date=June 14, 2018
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180614195233/https://www.nytimes.com/1894/11/04/archives/newyorks-place-in-danger-consolidation-defeated-she-must-yield-to.html
|url-status=live
}} (before election)
<!--NOTE:again, no mention of Town of Oyster Bay, nor Town of North Hempstead, nor any plan for ALL of Town of Hempstead, indeed only part of Hempstead was ever planned to become part of Queens--></ref><ref>{{cite news
|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1894/11/08/archives/greater-newyork-in-doubt-the-city-vote-is-for-it-and-brooklyn-is.html
|title=Greater New-York in Doubt: The City Vote is for it and Brooklyn is uncertain.
|date=November 8, 1894
|newspaper=NY Times
|quote=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...
|access-date=April 30, 2011
|archive-date=June 14, 2018
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180614195139/https://www.nytimes.com/1894/11/08/archives/greater-newyork-in-doubt-the-city-vote-is-for-it-and-brooklyn-is.html
|url-status=live
}} (before results of Queens vote known)
<!-- NOTE: no mention of Town of Oyster Bay, nor Town of North Hempstead, nor any plan for ALL of Town of Hempstead, indeed only part of Hempstead was ever planned to become part of Queens--></ref><ref>{{cite news
|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1896/02/22/archives/report-favors-consolidation-an-argument-against-the-claims-of-the.html
|title=Report Favors Consolidation; An Argument Against the Claims of the Resubmissionists.
|page=1
|date=February 22, 1896
|work=The New York Times
|access-date=April 30, 2011
|archive-date=June 14, 2018
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180614203109/https://www.nytimes.com/1896/02/22/archives/report-favors-consolidation-an-argument-against-the-claims-of-the.html
|url-status=live
}}</ref><ref>{{cite news
|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1899/02/12/archives/the-east-city-line-fixed-its-base-found-in-the-sand-of-a-closed.html
|title=The East City Line Fixed
|date=February 12, 1899
|page=15
|work=The New York Times
|access-date=April 30, 2011
|archive-date=June 14, 2018
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180614195031/https://www.nytimes.com/1899/02/12/archives/the-east-city-line-fixed-its-base-found-in-the-sand-of-a-closed.html
|url-status=live
}}

<!-- \\ END refs that Nassau never voted on consolidation --></ref>
separated from Queens in 1899 to form Nassau County.

At the close of the 19th century, wealthy [[industrialist]]s who made vast fortunes during the [[Gilded Age]] began to construct large "baronial" country estates in Nassau County communities along the North Shore of Long Island, favoring the many [[land lot|properties]] with water views. Proximity to Manhattan attracted such men as [[J. P. Morgan]], [[William K. Vanderbilt]], and [[Charles Pratt]], whose estates led to this area being nicknamed the [[North Shore (Long Island)|Gold Coast]]. This period and the area was immortalized in fiction, such as [[F. Scott Fitzgerald]]{{'}}s ''[[The Great Gatsby]]'', which has also been adapted in [[The Great Gatsby (disambiguation)|films]].

===20th century===
[[Image:Manhasset-Bay-NY-1917.jpg|thumb|[[Manhasset Bay]], along the [[North Shore (Long Island)|North Shore]] of [[Nassau County, New York|Nassau County]], as seen on a map from 1917]]
[[File:OHEKA_CASTLE_exterior_view_3.jpg|thumb|[[Oheka Castle]], a [[North Shore (Long Island)|North Shore]] estate in [[West Hills, New York|West Hills]] and the second-largest private residence in the country]]
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 the [[Judiciary 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.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctvx06xs7 |title=The Archaeology of Race in the Northeast |date=2015 |publisher=University Press of Florida |doi=10.2307/j.ctvx06xs7|jstor=j.ctvx06xs7 }}</ref>

[[Charles Lindbergh]] lifted off from [[Roosevelt Field (airport)|Roosevelt Field]] with his ''[[Spirit 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 of [[aviation]] during the 20th century. Other famous aviators such as [[Wiley Post]] originated notable flights from [[Floyd Bennett Field]] in Brooklyn, which became the first major airport serving New York City before it was superseded by the opening of [[La Guardia Airport]] in 1939. Long Island was also the site of [[Mitchel Air Force Base]] and was a major center of military aircraft production by companies such as [[Grumman]] and [[Fairchild Aircraft]] during [[World 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 early [[space flight|lunar flight]] and [[Space 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 a [[Roosevelt Field (shopping mall)|major shopping mall]], the [[Cradle 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 the [[Long Island Rail Road]] (LIRR) already enabled commuting from the suburbs to Manhattan. [[Robert Moses]] engineered various automobile [[parkways in New York|parkway]] 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.

After [[World War II]], suburban development increased with incentives under the [[G.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, New York|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 II [[military veteran]]s 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".<ref>{{cite book |last1=Wierzyński |first1=Kazimierz |title=Moja prywatna Ameryka |date=1966 |publisher=Polska Fundacja Kulturalna |location=Londyn |page=14|edition=first}}</ref>

===21st century===
{{unreferenced section|date=November 2024}}
[[File:The Brooklyn Tower 010.jpg|thumb|[[The Brooklyn Tower]], a 93-story [[supertall]] [[skyscraper]] in [[Downtown Brooklyn]], the tallest building on Long Island as of 2021 at a height of {{convert|1073|ft|m}}]]
At the beginning of the 21st century, a number of Long Island communities had converted their assets from [[Manufacturing|industrial]] uses to [[post-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 of [[Queens]], relocating a sizeable swath of New York City's population.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Defining NYC Gentrification Through the Cost of Rent |url=https://nextcity.org/urbanist-news/new-york-neighborhood-gentrification-new-report |access-date=2025-06-17 |website=nextcity.org |language=en}}</ref> On eastern Long Island, [[Port Jefferson, New York|Port Jefferson]], [[Patchogue, New York|Patchogue]], and [[Riverhead (town), New York|Riverhead]] evolved from inactive [[shipbuilding]] and mill towns into tourist-centric commercial centers with cultural attractions.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Manley |first=Brendan |date=2017-12-14 |title=Port Jefferson: From Shipbuilding Hub to Tourist Haven |url=https://www.longislandpress.com/2017/12/14/port-jefferson-from-shipbuilding-hub-to-tourist-haven/ |access-date=2025-06-17 |website=www.longislandpress.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

The descendants of late 19th and early 20th-century immigrants from [[Southern Europe|southern]] and [[Eastern Europe]], and [[Great Migration (African American)|Black migrants]] from the [[Southern United States|South]], were followed by more recent immigrants from [[Asia]] and [[Latin America]]. Long Island has many ethnic [[Irish Americans in New York City|Irish]], [[Jews in New York City|Jews]], and [[Italian Americans in New York City|Italians]]. In later immigration trends, [[Asian Americans in New York City|Asians]], [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanics]], [[Afghan Americans|Afghans]], [[Arab Americans|Arabs]], and [[Indian Americans|Indians]] arrived on Long Island.

==Geography==
{{Main|Geography of Long Island}}
[[File:Map of the Boroughs of New York City and the counties of Long Island.png|thumb|The four counties of Long Island include two independent counties, [[Nassau County, New York|Nassau]] and [[Suffolk County, New York|Suffolk]], and two [[New York City]] boroughs, Kings ([[Brooklyn]]) and [[Queens]]]]
[[File:New York City, Southern RI and CT, illuminated at night.jpg|thumb|[[Satellite imagery]] showing the [[New York metropolitan area]] at night; Long Island is highly developed and densely populated, extending approximately {{convert|120|mi}} eastward from the central core of [[Manhattan]].]]
The westernmost end of Long Island contains the New York City [[Borough (New York City)|boroughs]] of [[Brooklyn]] (Kings County) and [[Queens]] (Queens County). The central and eastern portions contain the [[suburb]]an [[Nassau County, New York|Nassau]] and [[Suffolk County, New York|Suffolk]] counties. However, colloquial usage of the term "Long Island" usually refers only to Nassau and Suffolk counties. For example, the [[Federal Reserve Bank of New York]] has a district named "Long Island (Nassau-Suffolk Metro Division)."<ref name="fed">{{cite web | url=http://www.newyorkfed.org/regional/profile_longisland.html | title=Long Island (Nassau-Suffolk Metro Division) | publisher=Federal Reserve Bank of New York | date=August 2011 | access-date=June 24, 2012 | archive-date=October 13, 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121013175407/http://www.newyorkfed.org/regional/profile_longisland.html | url-status=live }}</ref> At least as late as 1911, locations in Queens were still commonly referred to as being on Long Island.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1911/12/07/104884708.pdf |title=The Real Estate Field – On Long Island |date=December 11, 1911 |work=The New York Times |access-date=April 30, 2011 |archive-date=September 16, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180916110652/https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1911/12/07/104884708.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Some institutions in the New York City section of the island use the island's names, like [[Long Island University]] and [[Long Island Jewish Medical Center]].

In 1985, the [[United States Supreme Court|U.S. Supreme Court]] ruled in ''[[United States v. Maine]]'' that Long Island is integrally related to the mainland enough that [[Long Island Sound]] and the western part of [[Block Island Sound]] constitute a "juridical bay" for the purpose of determining maritime state boundaries.<ref>{{Cite web|title=UNITED STATES v. MAINE et al. (Rhode Island and New York Boundary Case).|url=https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/469/504|access-date=June 8, 2021|website=LII / Legal Information Institute|language=en|archive-date=June 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210608043802/https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/469/504|url-status=live}}</ref> In the popular media, this has been often misinterpreted as a ruling that Long Island is legally not an island.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A07E3DB133FF932A15752C1A9629C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all%2F |title=LONG ISLAND AT ITS BEST; Who's the Longest of Them All? |newspaper=The New York Times |date=November 21, 2004 |access-date=November 1, 2020 |archive-date=July 30, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170730065046/https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A07E3DB133FF932A15752C1A9629C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all%2F |url-status=live |last1=Burbidge |first1=John }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/03/17/nyregion/long-island-opinion-long-peninsula-the-shape-of-things-to-come.html |title=LONG ISLAND OPINION; LONG PENINSULA: THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME |newspaper=The New York Times |date=March 17, 1985 |access-date=February 10, 2017 |archive-date=April 4, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170404033819/http://www.nytimes.com/1985/03/17/nyregion/long-island-opinion-long-peninsula-the-shape-of-things-to-come.html |url-status=live |last1=Panos |first1=Jim }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://sagharboronline.com/sagharborexpress/our-town/long-island-peninsula-could-have-had-far-reaching-effects-11936/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120430015739/http://sagharboronline.com/sagharborexpress/our-town/long-island-peninsula-could-have-had-far-reaching-effects-11936 |url-status=dead |title=Long Island Peninsula: Could Have Had Far-Reaching Effects|archive-date=April 30, 2012}}</ref> The [[United States Board on Geographic Names]] still considers Long Island an island, because it is surrounded by water.<ref name="piniat20160220">{{Cite news |url=https://www.newsday.com/long-island/long-island-isn-t-an-island-according-to-1985-ruling-1.11408089 |title=True or false? Long Island is an island |last=Piniat |first=Elaine |date=February 20, 2016 |work=Newsday |access-date=January 18, 2019 |archive-date=January 19, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190119121603/https://www.newsday.com/long-island/long-island-isn-t-an-island-according-to-1985-ruling-1.11408089 |url-status=live }}</ref>

There are few [[List of tallest buildings on Long Island|tall 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 the [[Gold Coast, Long Island|Gold Coast]] of the [[North Shore (Long Island)|North Shore]] and the [[Five Towns]] area on the [[South Shore (Long Island)|South Shore]]. South Shore communities are built along protected [[wetland]]s of the island and contain white sandy beaches of [[Outer Barrier Islands]] fronting on the Atlantic Ocean. Dutch and English settlers from the time before the [[American 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-called [[Gold Coast, Long Island|Gold Coast]] of the [[North Shore (Long Island)|North Shore]], where wealthy Americans and Europeans in the [[Gilded Age]] built lavish country homes.

East of [[Riverhead, New York|Riverhead]] in Suffolk County, Long Island splits into two peninsulas (colloquially referred to as "Forks"), which are separated by the [[Peconic Bay]]. The easternmost point of the [[North Fork (Long Island)|North Fork]] is [[Orient, New York|Orient Point]], and the easternmost point of the [[South Fork (Long Island)|South Fork]] (and all of Long Island) is [[Montauk, New York|Montauk Point]]. Long Island's [[East End (Long Island)|East End]] remains semi-rural, as in [[Greenport, Suffolk County, New York|Greenport]] on the North Fork and some of the periphery of the area prominently known as [[The Hamptons]], although summer tourism swells the population in those areas. The North Fork has developed a burgeoning [[Long Island AVA|wine region]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.liwines.com/|title=Long Island Wine Country – The Official Website Of The Long Island Wine Council|publisher=The Long Island Wine Council|access-date=April 25, 2015|archive-date=April 21, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150421214619/http://www.liwines.com/|url-status=live}}</ref> In addition, the South Fork is known for beach communities, including the Hamptons, and for the [[Montauk Point Light]]house at the eastern tip of the island. The [[Long Island Central Pine Barrens|Pine Barrens]] is a preserved [[pine]] forest encompassing much of eastern Suffolk County.

===Geology===
A detailed [[Geomorphology|geomorphological]] study of Long Island provides evidence of [[glacial period|glacial history]] of the [[kame]] and [[terminal moraine]]s of the island which were formed by the advance and retreat of two [[ice sheet]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://people.hofstra.edu/J_B_Bennington/research/long_island/geology_Li_Bennington.pdf|title=New observations on the glacial geomorphology of long island from a digital elevation model (DEM)|author=Bennington, J Bret|work=Hofstra University|date=2003|access-date=January 25, 2016|archive-date=January 13, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160113195354/http://people.hofstra.edu/J_B_Bennington/research/long_island/Geology_LI_Bennington.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> Long Island, as part of the [[Outer Lands]] region, is formed largely of two spines of [[glacial moraine]], with a large, sandy [[outwash plain]] beyond. These moraines consist of gravel and loose rock left behind during the two most recent pulses of [[Wisconsin glaciation]] during the [[ice ages]] some 21,000 years ago (19,000 BC). The northern moraine, which directly abuts the [[North Shore (Long Island)|North Shore of Long Island]] at points, is known as the [[Harbor Hill moraine]]. The more southerly moraine, known as the [[Ronkonkoma Moraine|Ronkonkoma moraine]], forms the "backbone" of Long Island; it runs primarily through the very center of Long Island, roughly coinciding with the length of the [[Long Island Expressway]].

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 the [[Hempstead Plains]], and this land contained one of the few natural prairies to exist east of the Appalachian Mountains.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.newsday.com/community/guide/lihistory/ny-history-hs105a,0,5519292.story |newspaper=Newsday.com |title=Long Island History: The Prairie That Was |first=George |last=DeWan |access-date=January 4, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080415230214/http://www.newsday.com/community/guide/lihistory/ny-history-hs105a%2C0%2C5519292.story |archive-date=April 15, 2008 }}</ref> The [[glacier]]s melted and receded to the north, resulting in the difference between the [[topography]] 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 {{convert|401|ft|m}}, within Suffolk County near its border with Nassau County, is the highest hill along either moraine; another well-known summit is [[Bald Hill (Farmingville, New York)|Bald Hill]] in Brookhaven Town, not far from its geographical center at [[Middle Island, New York|Middle Island]]. The glaciers also formed [[Lake Ronkonkoma (lake)|Lake Ronkonkoma]] in Suffolk County and [[Lake Success, New York|Lake Success]] in Nassau County, each a deep [[kettle lake]].

===Countyscapes===
{{Wide image|Brooklyn Skyline (9910358874).jpg|800px|3=<div align=center>The [[Downtown Brooklyn]] [[skyline]] at the western end of Long Island with the [[Manhattan Bridge]] (far left) and the [[Brooklyn Bridge]] (near left) visible across the [[East River]] from [[Lower Manhattan]] at sunset in June 2013</div>|dir=rtl}}
{{Wide image|Long Island City New York May 2015 panorama 3.jpg|800px|3=<div align=center>[[Long Island City]] in [[Queens]], one of [[New York City]] and Long Island's fastest-growing neighborhoods,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-10-30/nyc-s-fastest-growing-neighborhood-gets-180-million-investment?srnd=premium |title=NYC's Fastest-Growing Neighborhood Gets $180 Million Investment |author=Henry Goldman |newspaper=Bloomberg.com |publisher=Bloomberg, L.P |date=October 30, 2018 |access-date=November 13, 2018 |archive-date=October 31, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181031005321/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-10-30/nyc-s-fastest-growing-neighborhood-gets-180-million-investment?srnd=premium |url-status=live }}</ref> with the [[East River]] (foreground) and the [[Queensboro Bridge]] (left), which connects Queens and [[Manhattan]], at [[blue hour]] in March 2015
.</div>|dir=rtl}}

===Climate===
[[File:Hamptons New York - Mark Jenney.jpg|thumb|A beach in [[Montauk, New York|Montauk]] in [[Suffolk County, New York|Suffolk County]] in April 2015]]
Under the [[Köppen climate classification]], Long Island lies in a transition zone between a [[humid subtropical climate]] ('''Cfa''') and a hot-summer [[humid continental climate]] ('''Dfa''').<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Peel, M. C. |author2=Finlayson, B. L. |author3=McMahon, T. A. |year=2007 |title=Updated world map of the Köppen–Geiger climate classification |journal=Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. |volume=11 |issue=5 |pages=1633–1644 |doi=10.5194/hess-11-1633-2007 |bibcode=2007HESS...11.1633P |url=https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00298818/file/hessd-4-439-2007.pdf |issn=1027-5606 |doi-access=free |access-date=March 19, 2014 }} ''(direct: [http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/11/1633/2007/hess-11-1633-2007.pdf Final Revised Paper] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120229181440/http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/11/1633/2007/hess-11-1633-2007.pdf |date=February 29, 2012 }})''</ref> 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 occasional [[Block (meteorology)|blocking]]. 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 {{convert|1|mi}}) that temper the heat in the warmer months. The temperatures south of Sunrise Highway ([[New York State Route 27|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 of [[sunshine]] annually.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://maps.howstuffworks.com/united-states-annual-sunshine-map.htm |title=united states annual sunshine map |publisher=HowStuffWorks, Inc |access-date=April 30, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110429042722/http://maps.howstuffworks.com/united-states-annual-sunshine-map.htm |archive-date=April 29, 2011 }}</ref>

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 {{convert|25 to 45|F|C}}, and the warmest month is July, when average temperatures range from {{convert|74 to 85|F|C|abbr=}}.<ref name="NOAA">{{cite web |url=https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=okx |title=NowData&nbsp;– NOAA Online Weather Data |access-date=February 28, 2014 |publisher=[[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] |archive-date=May 27, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150527215410/http://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=okx |url-status=live }}</ref> Temperatures seldom fall below {{convert|0|F|C|abbr=}} or rise above {{convert|100|F|C|abbr=}}. Coldest temp ever recorded on Long Island was {{convert|-23|F|C|abbr=}} 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 to [[radiational cooling]]. Average [[dew point]]s, a measure of atmospheric moisture, typically lie in the {{convert|65-75|F|C}} range during July and August.

Precipitation is distributed uniformly throughout the year, with approximately {{convert|3-4|inch|mm}} on average during each month. Average yearly snowfall totals range from approximately {{convert|20|to|35|in|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 {{convert|50|in|cm}} of snow or more. There are also milder winters, in which much of the island see less than {{convert|10|in|cm}} of snow.

On August 13, 2014, [[flash flood]]ing 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=542806 |title=Storm Events Database |publisher=NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information |access-date=August 26, 2016 |archive-date=August 28, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160828091822/http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=542806 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Long Island is somewhat vulnerable to [[tropical cyclones]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Vulnerable Cities: Long Island |url=http://www.weather.com/newscenter/specialreports/hurricanes/vulnerablecities/longisland.html |work=weather.com |publisher=The Weather Channel |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060410111625/http://www.weather.com/newscenter/specialreports/hurricanes/vulnerablecities/longisland.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date=April 10, 2006 |access-date=April 30, 2011}}</ref> 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 from [[North Carolina]] southward), several tropical cyclones have struck Long Island, including a devastating Category 3, the [[1938 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 the [[1944 Great Atlantic hurricane]], [[Hurricane Donna]] in 1960, [[Hurricane Belle (1976)|Hurricane Belle]] in 1976, and [[Hurricane Gloria]] in 1985. Also, the eyewall of [[Hurricane Bob]] in 1991 brushed the eastern tip. In August 2011, portions of Long Island were evacuated in preparation for [[Hurricane Irene (2011)|Hurricane Irene]], a Category 1 hurricane which weakened to a tropical storm before it reached Long Island.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-08-28/irene-makes-nyc-landfall-as-tropical-storm-with-rain-flooding.html |title=Irene Makes NYC Landfall as Tropical Storm With Rain, Flooding |work=Bloomberg Business Week |date=August 28, 2011 |access-date=November 8, 2012 |archive-date=December 9, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121209121638/http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-08-28/irene-makes-nyc-landfall-as-tropical-storm-with-rain-flooding.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

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 a [[nor'easter]] before it made landfall) caused 90% of Long Island households to lose power and an estimated $18&nbsp;billion in damages in Nassau and Suffolk counties alone.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.longislandpress.com/2012/10/30/superstorm-sandy-sparks-floods-blackouts-on-long-island |title=Superstorm Sandy Sparks Floods, Blackouts on Long Island |work=[[Long Island Press]] |date=October 30, 2012 |access-date=November 8, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104004321/http://www.longislandpress.com/2012/10/30/superstorm-sandy-sparks-floods-blackouts-on-long-island/ |archive-date=November 4, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.newsday.com/long-island/comptroller-sandy-cost-estimate-may-hit-18-billion-1.4181231 |title=Comptroller: Sandy cost estimate may hit $18 billion |work=[[Newsday]] |date=November 2, 2012 |access-date=November 8, 2012 |archive-date=November 8, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121108031123/http://www.newsday.com/long-island/comptroller-sandy-cost-estimate-may-hit-18-billion-1.4181231 |url-status=live }}</ref> The storm also had a devastating impact on coastal communities in the Brooklyn and Queens portions of the island, including [[Coney Island]] in Brooklyn and the [[Rockaway 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 for [[inflation]], the extent of Sandy's damages is second only to that of those caused by the 1938 [[Long 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.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/30/us/sandy-records/index.html |title=Superstorm Sandy Breaks Records |work=[[CNN.com]] |date=October 30, 2012 |access-date=November 8, 2012 |archive-date=November 3, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103040746/http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/30/us/sandy-records/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/hurdat/All_U.S._Hurricanes.html |title=HURDAT Re-analysis |access-date=September 6, 2014 |archive-date=July 9, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140709120550/http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/hurdat/All_U.S._Hurricanes.html |url-status=live }}{{Full citation needed|date=September 2018}}</ref>{{Full citation needed|date=September 2018}} Hurricane Sandy and its profound impacts have prompted the discussion of constructing [[seawall]]s 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ibtimes.com/hurricane-sandy-anniversary-2014-fortifying-new-york-how-well-armored-are-we-next-1711729 |title=Hurricane Sandy Anniversary 2014: Fortifying New York -- How Well Armored Are We For The Next Superstorm? |author1=Jeff Stone |author2=Maria Gallucci |name-list-style=amp |website=International Business Times |date=October 29, 2014 |access-date=July 23, 2015 |archive-date=July 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150724070525/http://www.ibtimes.com/hurricane-sandy-anniversary-2014-fortifying-new-york-how-well-armored-are-we-next-1711729 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.eenews.net/public/climatewire/2012/11/15/1 |title=ADAPTATION: Political support for a sea wall in New York Harbor begins to form |author=Robert S. Eshelman |publisher=E&E Publishing, LLC |date=November 15, 2012 |access-date=July 23, 2015 |archive-date=February 5, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130205101452/http://www.eenews.net/public/climatewire/2012/11/15/1 |url-status=live }}</ref>

{{Islip, New York weatherbox}}
{{Queens airports weatherbox}}
{{Weather box
|location = Montauk, New York (1981–2010 normals, extremes 1998-present)
|single line = Y
|collapsed =
|Jan record high F = 64
|Feb record high F = 59
|Mar record high F = 71
|Apr record high F = 89
|May record high F = 86
|Jun record high F = 92
|Jul record high F = 98
|Aug record high F = 98
|Sep record high F = 91
|Oct record high F = 84
|Nov record high F = 71
|Dec record high F = 70
|Jan high F = 38.1
|Feb high F = 40.1
|Mar high F = 45.6
|Apr high F = 54.5
|May high F = 64.2
|Jun high F = 73.3
|Jul high F = 79.3
|Aug high F = 78.9
|Sep high F = 71.9
|Oct high F = 62.6
|Nov high F = 53.0
|Dec high F = 43.6
|year high F= 58.8
|Jan mean F = 32.3
|Feb mean F = 33.7
|Mar mean F = 39.0
|Apr mean F = 47.5
|May mean F = 56.6
|Jun mean F = 66.4
|Jul mean F = 72.4
|Aug mean F = 72.2
|Sep mean F = 65.7
|Oct mean F = 56.4
|Nov mean F = 47.2
|Dec mean F = 37.9
|year mean F= 52.3
|Jan low F = 26.4
|Feb low F = 27.3
|Mar low F = 32.4
|Apr low F = 40.4
|May low F = 48.9
|Jun low F = 59.5
|Jul low F = 65.5
|Aug low F = 65.5
|Sep low F = 59.4
|Oct low F = 50.3
|Nov low F = 41.4
|Dec low F = 32.3
|year low F= 45.8
|Jan record low F = 5
|Feb record low F = -2
|Mar record low F = 8
|Apr record low F = 25
|May record low F = 31
|Jun record low F = 43
|Jul record low F = 51
|Aug record low F = 54
|Sep record low F = 39
|Oct record low F = 30
|Nov record low F = 19
|Dec record low F = 12
|precipitation colour= green
|Jan precipitation inch = 2.87
|Feb precipitation inch = 3.38
|Mar precipitation inch = 4.75
|Apr precipitation inch = 3.45
|May precipitation inch = 2.21
|Jun precipitation inch = 3.80
|Jul precipitation inch = 3.81
|Aug precipitation inch = 3.92
|Sep precipitation inch = 3.93
|Oct precipitation inch = 3.66
|Nov precipitation inch = 4.22
|Dec precipitation inch = 3.58
|source 1 = [[NOAA]]<ref>{{Cite FTP |url=ftp://ftp.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/normals/1981-2010/products/station/USW00054780.normals.txt|title=Station Name: NY MONTAUK AP|access-date=June 27, 2013|url-status=dead|server=ftp.ncdc.noaa.gov}}</ref>
}}

===Additional islands===
{{Main|Outer barrier}}
[[File:LongIsland2022OSM.png|thumb|A detailed map of Long Island]]
[[File:Castle_Gould,_western_façade_(July_2020).jpg|thumb|A mansion on Long Island's wealthy [[North Shore (Long Island)|North Shore]], which along with [[The Hamptons]] and [[Brooklyn]]'s western waterfront (facing [[Manhattan]]) provides Long Island with some of world's most expensive residential [[real estate]]]]
Several smaller islands, though geographically distinct, are in proximity to Long Island and are often grouped with it. These islands include [[Fire Island]], the largest of the outer barrier islands that parallels the southern shore of Long Island for approximately {{convert|31|mi|km}}; [[Plum Island (New York)|Plum Island]], which was home to the [[Plum Island Animal Disease Center]], a [[Biological warfare|biological weapons]] [[research institute|research facility]]; [[Fishers Island]] and smaller islands Wicopesset Island, [[North Dumpling Island]], South Dumpling Island, and Flat Hammock; as well as [[Robins Island]], [[Gardiners Island]], [[Long Beach, New York#Long Beach Barrier Island|Long Beach Barrier Island]], [[Jones Beach Island]], [[Great Gull Island]], [[Little Gull Island]], and [[Shelter Island (town), New York|Shelter Island]].

=== Environmental degradation ===
Long Island is a region affected by [[environmental degradation]] resulting from urban and suburban expansion beginning at the start of the 20th century. With the [[Long Island Sound]] to the north and the [[Atlantic Ocean]] to the south and east, Long Island is home to a diverse range of habitats including [[salt marsh]]es, coastal grasslands, [[beach]]es, rocky intertidal zones, tidal flats, pine barrens, [[Estuary|estuaries]], [[Deciduous|deciduous forests]] and many more.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Study |first=NY/CT Sea Grant {{!}} Long Island Sound |date=December 2, 2021 |title=A Virtual Tour of Long Island Sound Habitats |url=https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/b5599d0650be41539bad14806cd39beb |access-date=May 18, 2023 |website=ArcGIS StoryMaps |language=en |archive-date=May 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230518015605/https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/b5599d0650be41539bad14806cd39beb |url-status=live }}</ref> 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 is [[eutrophication]] of lakes and ponds due to [[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.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Watson |first1=Elizabeth Burke |last2=Powell |first2=Elisabeth |last3=Maher |first3=Nicole P. |last4=Oczkowski |first4=Autumn J. |last5=Paudel |first5=Bhanu |last6=Starke |first6=Adam |last7=Szura |first7=Katelyn |last8=Wigand |first8=Cathleen |date=March 2018 |title=Indicators of nutrient pollution in Long Island, New York, estuarine environments |journal=Marine Environmental Research |language=en |volume=134 |pages=109–120 |doi=10.1016/j.marenvres.2018.01.003 |pmc=5937021 |pmid=29373137|bibcode=2018MarER.134..109W }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Nutrients and Eutrophication |url=https://www.usgs.gov/mission-areas/water-resources/science/nutrients-and-eutrophication |access-date=May 18, 2023 |website=www.usgs.gov |date=March 2, 2019 |archive-date=May 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230518021108/https://www.usgs.gov/mission-areas/water-resources/science/nutrients-and-eutrophication |url-status=live }}</ref> Nutrient pollution is also responsible for [[harmful algal bloom]]s which can be toxic to aquatic organisms, birds and mammals, including humans.

Chemical pollution is common on Long Island with it being home to 38 [[Superfund]] sites both closed and active. The four counties of Long Island have had chemical pollution, but [[Nassau County, New York|Nassau County]] has the most out of the group with 18 superfund sites.<ref>{{Cite web |last=US EPA |first=OLEM |date=September 4, 2015 |title=Search for Superfund Sites Where You Live |url=https://www.epa.gov/superfund/search-superfund-sites-where-you-live |access-date=May 18, 2023 |website=www.epa.gov |language=en}}</ref>  Most famously from 1942 to 1996 [[Northrop Grumman]] and the [[United States Navy]] owned 600 acres where they manufactured military aircraft. Disposal practices of both parties resulted in a plume of VOCs or [[volatile organic compound]]s 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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Environmental Investigation and Cleanup Activities at the Former U.S. Navy and Northrop Grumman Bethpage Facility Sites - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation |url=https://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/35727.html |access-date=May 18, 2023 |website=www.dec.ny.gov |archive-date=May 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230518014103/https://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/35727.html |url-status=live }}</ref> 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 large [[aquifer]] 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 to [[New 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%.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Long Island Land Use and Land Cover |url=https://www.usgs.gov/centers/new-york-water-science-center/science/long-island-land-use-and-land-cover#:~:text=About%2010%20percent%20is%20developed,Fry%20and%20others,%202011). |access-date=May 18, 2023 |website=www.usgs.gov | date=June 7, 2017 |archive-date=May 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230518015606/https://www.usgs.gov/centers/new-york-water-science-center/science/long-island-land-use-and-land-cover#:~:text=About%2010%20percent%20is%20developed,Fry%20and%20others,%202011). |url-status=live }}</ref> Most of the undeveloped land is found in [[Suffolk County, New York|Suffolk County]] which is made up of 46% undeveloped land.<ref name=":0" /> This level of development means most of the original habitats on Long Island have been destroyed or segmented by housing developments or roads. [[Tidal marsh|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.<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 1, 2015 |title=Status and Trends of Wetlands in the Long Island Sound Area: 130 Year Assessment |url=https://www.fws.gov/media/status-and-trends-wetlands-long-island-sound-area-130-year-assessment |access-date=May 18, 2023 |website=FWS.gov |language=en}}</ref> These [[Tidal marsh|tidal 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.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=June 29, 2021 |title=Climate Change Impacts Happening on Long Island - |url=https://www.pinebarrens.org/bridge-to-the-barrens/climate-change-impacts-happening-on-long-island/ |access-date=May 18, 2023 |language=en |archive-date=May 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230518014102/https://www.pinebarrens.org/bridge-to-the-barrens/climate-change-impacts-happening-on-long-island/ |url-status=live }}</ref> As well as rising water levels, Long Islanders will have to deal with the effects of ever stronger hurricane seasons, and more catastrophic storms like [[Hurricane Sandy]] in 2012.<ref name=":1" /> Rising temperatures will also exacerbate the algal bloom problems, as algae tends to thrive in warmer waters.<ref name=":1" /> 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.

==Demographics==
Long Island is the most populous island and one of the most densely populated regions in the United States. At the [[United States 2020 Census|2020 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.<ref name="LINYCpopulation">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/12/us/new-york-city-population-growth.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211228/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/12/us/new-york-city-population-growth.html |archive-date=December 28, 2021 |url-access=limited|title=New York City adds 629,000 people, defying predictions of its decline|author=Annie Correal|newspaper=The New York Times|date=August 12, 2021|access-date=August 14, 2021}}{{cbignore}}</ref> 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<ref name="New York QuickFacts">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/map/PST045214/36 |title=QuickFacts New York |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=March 24, 2016 |archive-date=September 18, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150918034958/http://www.census.gov/quickfacts/map/PST045214/36 |url-status=live }}</ref> and with a [[List of islands by population density|population density]] of {{convert|5859.5|PD/sqmi|/km2}} on Long Island; the island is more populous than most of the 50 U.S. states.

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 many 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 the [[United States Census Bureau|U.S. Census Bureau]]'s 2008 [[American Community Survey]], Nassau and Suffolk counties had the 10th and 26th highest [[median household income]]s in the nation, respectively.<ref>{{cite web |last=Levy |first=Francesca |url=https://finance.yahoo.com/real-estate/article/108999/americas-richest-counties |title=americas-richest-counties: Personal Finance News from Yahoo! Finance |publisher=Finance.yahoo.com |date=March 1, 2010 |access-date=January 2, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111106032512/http://finance.yahoo.com/real-estate/article/108999/americas-richest-counties |archive-date=November 6, 2011}}</ref> Long Island 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.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Brodsky |first1=Robert |title=Long Island residents moving out of state: What the numbers show |work=Newsday |date=2024-03-11 |url=https://www.newsday.com/long-island/long-island-association-report-population-losing-residents-lv6ofz4d |language=en |access-date=2024-03-11 |df=mdy-all |archive-date=September 7, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240907221704/https://www.newsday.com/long-island/long-island-association-report-population-losing-residents-lv6ofz4d |url-status=live }}</ref>

{{US Census population
|1790= 37108
|1800= 42907
|1810= 48752
|1820= 56978
|1830= 69775
|1840= 110406
|1850= 212637
|1860= 379788
|1870= 540648
|1880= 743957
|1890= 1029097
|1900= 1452611
|1910= 2098460
|1920= 2723764
|1930= 4103638
|1940= 4600022
|1950= 5237918
|1960= 6403852
|1970= 7141515
|1980= 6728074
|1990= 6861474
|2000= 7448618
|2010= 7568304
|2020= 8063232
|estref=<ref name="Kings County, New York QuickFacts"/><ref name="Queens County, New York QuickFacts"/><ref name="Nassau County, New York QuickFacts"/><ref name="U.S. Census Bureau"/>
}}
Whites are the largest racial group in all four counties, and are in the majority in Nassau and Suffolk counties.<ref name="Census2010">{{cite web |author=2010 Census Data |url=http://2010.census.gov/2010census/data/index.php |title=U.S. Census Bureau ''Census 2010'' |publisher=2010.census.gov |access-date=January 2, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120215083619/http://2010.census.gov/2010census/data/index.php |archive-date=February 15, 2012 }}</ref> 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.<ref name=":2">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/06/05/nyregion/study-calls-li-most-segregated-suburb.html?pagewanted=1 |work=The New York Times |title=Study Calls L.I. Most Segregated Suburb |first=Bruce |last=Lambert |date=June 5, 2002 |access-date=April 30, 2011 |archive-date=May 16, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130516111243/http://www.nytimes.com/2002/06/05/nyregion/study-calls-li-most-segregated-suburb.html?pagewanted=1 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In contrast, Queens is the most ethnically diverse county in the United States and the most diverse urban area in the world.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://traveltips.usatoday.com/queens-new-york-sightseeing-107156.html|title=Queens, New York, Sightseeing|author1=Christine Kim|author2=Demand Media|newspaper=USA TODAY|access-date=June 23, 2014|archive-date=June 16, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160616145824/http://traveltips.usatoday.com/queens-new-york-sightseeing-107156.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.newyork.com/articles/neighborhoods/queens-72876/ |title=Queens |author=Andrew Weber |publisher=NewYork.com |date=April 30, 2013 |access-date=May 12, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150513065643/http://www.newyork.com/articles/neighborhoods/queens-72876/ |archive-date=May 13, 2015 }}</ref>

According to a 2000 report on religion, which asked congregations to respond, [[Catholic Church|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, with [[Jews]] at 16% and 7%, respectively, versus 1.7% nationwide.<ref name="ARDA2000">{{cite web |url=http://www.thearda.com/mapsReports/reports/selectCounty.asp?state=36&county=25001 |title=The Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA), Year 2000 Report |access-date=March 20, 2007 |archive-date=January 16, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090116054231/http://www.thearda.com/mapsReports/reports/selectCounty.asp?state=36&county=25001 |url-status=live }} Churches were asked for their membership numbers. ARDA estimates that most of the churches not reporting were black Protestant congregations.</ref> Only a small percentage of [[Protestantism|Protestants]] 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.<ref name=ARDA2000/>

A growing population of nearly half a million [[Chinese people in New York City#Queens (皇后華埠)|Chinese Americans]] now live on Long Island.<ref name="ChineseLongIsland">[https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/15_SPT/B01003/0500000US36047%7C0500000US36059%7C0500000US36081%7C0500000US36103/popgroup~016] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20200215120501/https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/15_SPT/B01003/0500000US36047%7C0500000US36059%7C0500000US36081%7C0500000US36103/popgroup~016|date=February 15, 2020}} Accessed September 3, 2017.</ref> Rapidly expanding [[Chinatowns in New York|Chinatowns]] have developed [[Chinatowns in Brooklyn|in Brooklyn]] and [[Chinatowns in Queens|Queens]], with Chinese immigrants also moving into Nassau County,<ref name="Heng Shao">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/hengshao/2014/04/10/chinese-real-estate-buyers-fan-out-to-long-islands-north-shore/|title=Join The Great Gatsby: Chinese Real Estate Buyers Fan Out To Long Island's North Shore|author=Heng Shao|magazine=Forbes|date=April 10, 2014|access-date=August 2, 2014|archive-date=August 8, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808052633/http://www.forbes.com/sites/hengshao/2014/04/10/chinese-real-estate-buyers-fan-out-to-long-islands-north-shore/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |url=http://geographyplanning.buffalostate.edu/MSG%202002/13_McGlinn.pdf |title=Beyond Chinatown: Dual Immigration and the Chinese Population of Metropolitan New York City, 2000 |author=Lawrence A. McGlinn |publisher=Middle States Geographer |journal=Journal of the Middle States Division of the Association of American Geographers |year=2002 |volume=35 |pages=110–119 |access-date=June 25, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121029075400/http://geographyplanning.buffalostate.edu/MSG%202002/13_McGlinn.pdf |archive-date=October 29, 2012 }}</ref><ref name=LongIslandAsians/> as did earlier European immigrants, such as the [[Irish American|Irish]] and [[Italian American|Italians]]. The busy intersection of [[Main Street (Queens)|Main Street]], [[Kissena Boulevard]], and 41st Avenue defines the center of [[Downtown Flushing]] and the [[Flushing Chinatown]], known as the "Chinese [[Times Square]]" or the "Chinese [[Manhattan]]".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/05/realestate/downtown-flushing-where-asian-cultures-thrive.html?contentCollection=realestate&action=click&module=NextInCollection&region=Footer&pgtype=article|title=Downtown Flushing: Where Asian Cultures Thrive|first=Vera|last=Haller|newspaper=The New York Times|date=October 1, 2014|access-date=March 23, 2019|archive-date=March 28, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190328181700/https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/05/realestate/downtown-flushing-where-asian-cultures-thrive.html?contentCollection=realestate&action=click&module=NextInCollection&region=Footer&pgtype=article|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="DiverseCuisineFlushingChinatownTimesSquare">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/25/dining/food-queens-us-open.html?action=click&module=Editors%20Picks&pgtype=Homepage|title=A World of Food, Outside the U.S. Open Gates|author=Max Falkowitz|newspaper=The New York Times|date=August 25, 2018|access-date=March 23, 2019|archive-date=March 28, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190328180142/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/25/dining/food-queens-us-open.html?action=click&module=Editors%20Picks&pgtype=Homepage|url-status=live}}</ref> The segment of Main Street between Kissena Boulevard and [[Roosevelt Avenue]], punctuated by the [[Long Island Rail Road]] [[Trestle bridge|trestle]] 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, Queens|Flushing]] has become home to the largest and fastest-growing Chinatown in the world and home to one of the world's busiest [[pedestrian]] intersections, 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/i-ate-my-way-through-flushing-queens-and-now-i-get-why-its-the-bigger-and-better-chinatown-2015-5|title=This is what it's like in one of the biggest and fastest growing Chinatowns in the world|author=Melia Robinson|website=Business Insider|date=May 27, 2015|access-date=March 19, 2019|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170730033121/http://www.businessinsider.com/i-ate-my-way-through-flushing-queens-and-now-i-get-why-its-the-bigger-and-better-chinatown-2015-5|archive-date=July 30, 2017}}</ref>  Conversely, the Flushing Chinatown has also become the epicenter of [[prostitution|organized prostitution]] in the United States, importing women from [[China]], [[Koreatown, Long Island|Korea]], [[Thailand]], and [[Eastern Europe]] to sustain the underground North American [[sex trade]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/behind-illicit-massage-parlors-lie-a-vast-crime-network-and-modern-indentured-servitude/ar-BBUhZgJ?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=mailsignout|title=Behind Illicit Massage Parlors Lie a Vast Crime Network and Modern Indentured Servitude|author1=Nicholas Kulish |author2=Frances Robles |author3=Patricia Mazzei|newspaper=The New York Times|date=March 2, 2019|access-date=March 2, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306043138/http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/behind-illicit-massage-parlors-lie-a-vast-crime-network-and-modern-indentured-servitude/ar-BBUhZgJ?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=mailsignout|archive-date=March 6, 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Flushing, Queens|Flushing]] is undergoing rapid [[gentrification]] with investment by Chinese transnational entities.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/aug/13/flushing-queens-gentrification-luxury-developments|title='Not what it used to be': in New York, Flushing's Asian residents brace against gentrification|author=Sarah Ngu|newspaper=[[The Guardian US]]|date=January 29, 2021|access-date=August 13, 2020|quote=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&amp;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.|archive-date=August 13, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200813091230/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/aug/13/flushing-queens-gentrification-luxury-developments|url-status=live}}</ref>

More recently, a [[Little India (location)|Little India]] community has emerged in [[Hicksville, New York|Hicksville]], Nassau County,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.newsday.com/long-island/li-life/hicksville-li-s-little-india-1.606341|title=Hicksville: LI's LITTLE INDIA|author=Alan Krawitz|newspaper=Newsday|access-date=February 13, 2020|archive-date=July 30, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130730034837/http://www.newsday.com/long-island/li-life/hicksville-li-s-little-india-1.606341|url-status=live}}</ref> spreading eastward from the more established Little India enclaves in Queens. Rapidly growing [[Chinatowns in New York|Chinatowns]] have developed in [[Chinatowns in Brooklyn|Brooklyn]] and [[Chinatowns in Queens|Queens]],<ref name="Heng Shao"/><ref>{{cite journal |url=http://geographyplanning.buffalostate.edu/MSG%202002/13_McGlinn.pdf |title=BEYOND CHINATOWN: DUAL IMMIGRATION AND THE CHINESE POPULATION OF METROPOLITAN NEW YORK CITY, 2000 |author=Lawrence A. McGlinn |publisher=Middle States Geographer |journal=Journal of the Middle States Division of the Association of American Geographers |year=2002 |volume=35 |pages=110–119 |access-date=April 7, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121029075400/http://geographyplanning.buffalostate.edu/MSG%202002/13_McGlinn.pdf |archive-date=October 29, 2012 }}</ref><ref name=LongIslandAsians/> as did earlier European immigrants, such as the Irish and Italians. As of 2019, the Asian population in Nassau County had grown by 39% since 2010 to an estimated 145,191 individuals, including approximately 50,000 [[Indians in the New York City metropolitan region|Indian Americans]] and 40,000 [[Chinese people in New York City|Chinese Americans]], as Nassau County has become the leading [[suburb]]an destination in the U.S. for [[Chinese emigration|Chinese immigrants]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newsday.com/long-island/population-growth-declines-census-1.46080630|title=LI growing more racially and ethnically diverse, census data show|newspaper=Newsday |access-date=February 13, 2021|archive-date=April 4, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210404000107/https://www.newsday.com/long-island/population-growth-declines-census-1.46080630|url-status=live}}</ref> Likewise, the [[Koreatown, Long Island|Long Island Koreatown]] originated in Flushing, Queens, and is expanding eastward along [[Northern Boulevard]]<ref name="KT1">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5PSYZMs8TzEC&pg=PA237 |title=Asian Americans: Contemporary Trends and Issues Second Edition, Edited by Pyong Gap Min |publisher=Pine Forge Press – An Imprint of Sage Publications, Inc |year=2006 |access-date=January 10, 2013 |isbn=9781412905565 |archive-date=September 7, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240907221646/https://books.google.com/books?id=5PSYZMs8TzEC&pg=PA237#v=onepage&q&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Meokjagolmok">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/06/09/nyregion/new-york-citys-newest-immigrant-enclaves.html?pagewanted=all |title=City's Newest Immigrant Enclaves, From Little Guyana to Meokjagolmok |author=Kirk Semple |newspaper=The New York Times |date=June 8, 2013 |access-date=June 9, 2013 |archive-date=September 4, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904050141/http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/06/09/nyregion/new-york-citys-newest-immigrant-enclaves.html?pagewanted=all |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="KT2">{{cite web |url=http://queens.about.com/od/neighborhoods/p/flushing.htm |title=Flushing: Queens Neighborhood Profile |author=John Roleke |publisher=About.com |access-date=June 9, 2013 |archive-date=April 30, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130430161747/http://queens.about.com/od/neighborhoods/p/flushing.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="KT3">{{cite web |url=http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/628585 |title=Koreatown Manhattan, or Koreatown Flushing? |publisher=CBS Interactive Inc |date=June 2009 |access-date=June 9, 2013 |archive-date=October 17, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131017215441/http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/628585 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="KT4">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/23/realestate/if-you-re-thinking-living-murray-hill-queens-name-s-same-pace-slower.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm |title=If You're Thinking of Living In/Murray Hill, Queens; The Name's the Same, the Pace is Slower |author=Joyce Cohen |newspaper=The New York Times |date=March 23, 2003 |access-date=June 9, 2013 |archive-date=May 16, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130516101720/http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/23/realestate/if-you-re-thinking-living-murray-hill-queens-name-s-same-pace-slower.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm |url-status=live }}</ref> and into Nassau County.<ref name="LongIslandAsians">{{cite news |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-10-27/one-percenters-drop-six-figures-at-long-island-mall.html |title=One Percenters Drop Six Figures at Long Island Mall |author=Carol Hymowitz |newspaper=Bloomberg.com |publisher=Bloomberg L.P |date=October 27, 2014 |access-date=October 29, 2014 |archive-date=October 29, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141029024434/http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-10-27/one-percenters-drop-six-figures-at-long-island-mall.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name = Meokjagolmok/><ref name=KT2/>

Long Island is home to two [[Indian reservation|Native American reservations]], [[Poospatuck Reservation, New York|Poospatuck Reservation]], and [[Shinnecock Reservation, New York|Shinnecock Reservation]], both in Suffolk County. Numerous island place names are Native American in origin.

A 2010 article in ''The 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 hold [[white-collar worker|white-collar]] positions.<ref name="NYT">{{cite news |last=Semple |first=Kirk |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/18/nyregion/18immig.html |title=Long Island Study Rebuts Views on Immigrant Workers |newspaper=The New York Times |date=November 17, 2010 |access-date=January 14, 2013 |archive-date=December 30, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111230113637/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/18/nyregion/18immig.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

The counties of Nassau and Suffolk have been long renowned for their [[affluence]]. Long Island is home to some of the wealthiest communities in the United States, including [[The Hamptons]], on the [[East End (Long Island)|East End]] of the [[South Shore (Long Island)|South Shore]] of Suffolk County; the [[North Shore (Long Island)|Gold Coast]], in the vicinity of the island's North Shore, along [[Long Island Sound]]; and increasingly, the western shoreline of Brooklyn, facing Manhattan. In 2016, according to ''[[Business Insider]]'', the 11962 zip code encompassing [[Sagaponack, New York|Sagaponack]], within [[Southampton, New York|Southampton]], was listed as the most expensive in the U.S., with a median home sale price of $8.5&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/the-most-expensive-us-zip-codes-2016-3 |title=The 25 most expensive ZIP codes in America |author=Raisa Bruner |website=Business Insider |date=March 7, 2016 |access-date=March 9, 2016 |archive-date=March 8, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160308105307/http://www.businessinsider.com/the-most-expensive-us-zip-codes-2016-3 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Economy==
{{Main|Economy of Long Island}}
{{unreferenced section|date=November 2013}}
{{further|List of biotech and pharmaceutical companies in the New York metropolitan area|List of tech companies in the New York metropolitan area}}
[[File:Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.jpg|thumb|[[Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory]] on the [[North Shore (Long Island)|North Shore]] of [[Nassau County, New York|Nassau County]], a [[biomedical research]] facility and home to eight [[Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine|Nobel Prize recipients]]]]
Long Island has played a prominent role in [[scientific research]] and in [[engineering]]. It is the home of the [[Brookhaven National Laboratory]] in [[nuclear physics]] and [[United States Department of Energy|Department of Energy]] research. Long Island is also home to the [[Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory]], which was directed for 35 years by [[James D. Watson]] (who, along with [[Francis Crick]] and [[Rosalind Franklin]], discovered the [[double helix]] structure of [[DNA]]). Companies such as [[Sperry Corporation]], [[Computer Associates]] (headquartered in [[Islandia, New York|Islandia]]), [[Zebra Technologies]] (now occupying the former headquarters of [[Symbol Technologies]], and a former [[Grumman]] plant in [[Holtsville, New York|Holtsville]]), have made Long Island a center for the [[Tech companies on Long Island|computer industry]]. [[Stony Brook University]] and [[New York Institute of Technology]] conduct advanced medical and [[technology|technological research]].

Long Island is home to the [[East Coast of the United States|East Coast]]'s largest [[industrial 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 the [[Hauppauge Industrial Association]]. As many as 20% of Long Islanders commute to jobs in Manhattan. The island's eastern end is still partly agricultural. Development of [[vineyard]]s on the North Fork has spawned a major [[viticulture|viticultural]] industry, replacing potato fields. [[Pumpkin]] farms have been added to traditional [[truck farming]]. Farms allow fresh [[fruit]] picking by Long Islanders for much of the year. [[Fishing]] continues to be an important industry, especially at [[Huntington, New York|Huntington]], [[Northport, New York|Northport]], [[Montauk, New York|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 as [[Grumman]], [[Republic Aviation|Republic]], [[Fairchild Aircraft|Fairchild]], and [[Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company|Curtiss]] having their headquarters and factories on Long Island. These operations have largely been phased out or significantly diminished.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Long Island Manufacturers {{!}} New York Heritage |url=https://nyheritage.org/collections/long-island-manufacturers |access-date=2025-06-17 |website=nyheritage.org}}</ref>

==Government and politics==
{{Main|Politics of Long Island}}
[[File:Long island tercentenary half dollar commemorative reverse.jpg|thumb|A commemorative [[Half dollar (United States coin)|half-dollar coin]] issued in 1936 for Long Island's 300th anniversary]]
Nassau County and Suffolk County each have their own governments, with a [[County Executive]] leading each. Each has a county legislature and countywide-elected officials, including [[district attorney]], county clerk, and county [[comptroller]]. The [[Political subdivisions of New York State#Town|towns]] in both counties have their own governments as well, with town supervisors and a [[town council]]. Nassau County is divided into three [[Political subdivisions of New York State#Town|towns]] and two small incorporated cities ([[Glen Cove, New York|Glen Cove]] and [[Long Beach, New York|Long Beach]]). Suffolk County is divided into ten towns.

[[Brooklyn]] and [[Queens]], 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. As [[borough (New York City)|boroughs]] of New York City, both have [[Borough President|borough presidents]], which have been largely ceremonial offices since the shutdown of the [[New York City Board of Estimate]]. The respective Borough Presidents are responsible for appointing individuals to the [[Community Boards of Brooklyn|Brooklyn Community Boards]] and [[Community Boards of Queens|Queens 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 the [[New York City Council]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://council.nyc.gov/html/members/members.shtml|title=All New York City Council Members|website=New York City Council|publisher=The City of New York|access-date=August 8, 2016|archive-date=August 7, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160807141833/http://council.nyc.gov/html/members/members.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Law enforcement===
{{Main|List of Long Island law enforcement agencies}}
Queens and Brooklyn are patrolled by the [[New York City Police Department]]. Nassau and Suffolk counties are served by the [[Nassau County Police Department (New York)|Nassau County Police Department]] and [[Suffolk County Police Department]], respectively, although several dozen villages and the two cities in Nassau County have their own police departments. The [[Nassau County Sheriff's Department (New York)|Nassau County Sheriff's Department]] and [[Suffolk County, New York|Suffolk County Sheriff's Office]] handle [[civil procedure]], evictions, warrant service and enforcement, prisoner transport and detention, and operation of the county jails. The Suffolk County Sheriff also has a patrol division, and in 2008, had patrol duties along the Long Island Expressway, when the County Executive briefly disbanded the Suffolk County Police Highway Patrol Division. The Suffolk County Sheriff's Office is the oldest law enforcement agency in the State of New York, founded in the year 1683.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.suffolkcountysheriffsoffice.com/suffolk-county-sheriffs-office-his | title=Suffolk County Sheriff's Office History &#124; Sheriff's Office &#124; Suffolk County Sher | access-date=November 21, 2022 | archive-date=November 21, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221121080148/https://www.suffolkcountysheriffsoffice.com/suffolk-county-sheriffs-office-his | url-status=dead }}</ref> [[New York State Police]] patrol [[List of New York state parks|state parks]] and [[Parkways in New York|parkways]]. The several [[SUNY]] colleges and universities are patrolled by the [[New York State University Police]].

===Statehood proposals===
{{Main|Long Island (proposed state)|Partition and secession in New York}}
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.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125142955 |title=Beyond 50: American States That Might Have Been |author=Michael J. Trinklein |newspaper=NPR.org |date=April 2, 2010 |publisher=National Public Radio |access-date=April 30, 2011 |archive-date=December 23, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101223084834/http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125142955 |url-status=live }}</ref> On March 28, 2008, Suffolk County [[Comptroller]] Joseph Sawicki proposed a plan that would make Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island the [[51st state]] of the United States of America.<ref name="SecessionDreaming">{{cite news |url=http://www.silive.com/opinion/editorials/index.ssf/2009/05/secession_dreaming.html |title=Secession Dreaming |newspaper=Silive.com |publisher=Staten Island Advance Editorial |date=May 17, 2009 |access-date=April 30, 2011 |archive-date=June 15, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615193453/http://www.silive.com/opinion/editorials/index.ssf/2009/05/secession_dreaming.html |url-status=live }}</ref> 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 to [[Albany, New York|Albany]] over three billion dollars more than they receive.<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://suffolkcountyny.gov/Portals/Comptroller/documents/State%20of%20Long%20Island%20Joint%20Release%202%201%2010.pdf |title=Lindsay and Sawicki Renew Push for a State of Long Island |access-date=July 7, 2014 |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304025141/http://suffolkcountyny.gov/Portals/Comptroller/documents/State%20of%20Long%20Island%20Joint%20Release%202%201%2010.pdf |url-status=dead |date=February 1, 2010}}</ref> The state of Long Island would have included nearly 3&nbsp;million people (a larger population than that of fifteen other states). Nassau County executive [[Ed Mangano]] came out in support of such a proposal in April 2010 and commissioned a study on it.<ref>Casesse, Sid and William Murphy (May 1, 2010). [http://www.newsday.com/long-island/suffolk/nassau-executive-mangano-supports-li-as-51st-state-1.1889859 Nassau Executive Magnano Supports Long Island as 51st State] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170728120406/http://www.newsday.com/long-island/suffolk/nassau-executive-mangano-supports-li-as-51st-state-1.1889859 |date=July 28, 2017 }}. ''Newsday''. Retrieved May 1, 2010.</ref>

==Education==
===Primary and secondary education===
Many public and private high schools on Long Island are ranked among the best in the United States.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/new-york/rankings?int=983308|title=Education: New York High Schools|magazine=U.S. News & World Report|access-date=September 4, 2017|archive-date=August 14, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170814095455/https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/new-york/rankings?int=983308|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://k12.niche.com/rankings/private-high-schools/best-overall/|title=Best Private High Schools in America|website=Niche|archive-date=July 29, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160729180211/https://k12.niche.com/rankings/private-high-schools/best-overall/|url-status=live}}</ref> Nassau and Suffolk counties are the home of [[List of school districts in New York#Long Island Region|125 public school districts]] containing [[List of Long Island public school districts and schools|656 public schools]]. [[Brookhaven Public Schools]] is the largest district. It also hosts [[private school]]s such as [[Friends Academy]], [[Chaminade High School]], [[Kellenberg Memorial High School]], [[St. Anthony's High School (New York)|St. Anthony's High School]], and [[North Shore Hebrew Academy]]. There also are many [[parochial school]]s on Long Island, including several operated by the [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre|Diocese of Rockville Centre]].

In contrast, all of Brooklyn and Queens are served by the [[New York City Department of Education]], the largest school district in the United States. Three of the nine [[specialized high schools in New York City]] are in the two Long Island boroughs, those being [[Brooklyn Latin School]], [[Brooklyn Technical High School]] (one of the original three specialized schools), and [[Queens High School for the Sciences]]. Like Nassau and Suffolk counties, they are home to private schools such as [[Poly Prep Country Day School]], [[Packer Collegiate Institute]], and [[Saint Ann's School (Brooklyn)|Saint Ann's School]], and [[Berkeley Carroll School]], and parochial schools operated by the Catholic [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn|Diocese of Brooklyn]].

===Colleges and universities===
{{See also|List of colleges and universities on Long Island|List of colleges and universities in New York City}}
Long Island is home to a range of [[higher education]] institutions, both public and private. Brooklyn and Queens contain five of eleven senior colleges within [[City University of New York|CUNY]], the public university system of New York City and one of the largest in the country. Among these are the notable institutions of [[Brooklyn College]] and [[Queens College]]. Brooklyn also contains private colleges such as [[Pratt Institute]] and the [[New York University Tandon School of Engineering]], the engineering school of [[New York University]].

Several colleges and universities within the [[State University of New York]] system are on Long Island, including [[Stony Brook University]], [[Nassau Community College]], and [[Suffolk County Community College]]. Notable private universities on Long Island include [[Molloy University]] in [[Rockville Centre]], the [[New York Institute of Technology]] in [[Old Westbury, New York|Old Westbury]], [[Hofstra University]] in [[Hempstead (village), New York|Hempstead]], [[Adelphi University]] in [[Garden City, New York|Garden City]], [[Long Island University]] (with its [[LIU Post|C.W. Post campus]] on a former Gold Coast estate in [[Brookville, New York|Brookville]] and a [[LIU Brooklyn|satellite campus]] in downtown Brooklyn), the [[Webb Institute]], a small naval architecture college in [[Glen Cove, New York|Glen Cove]], and the [[United States Merchant Marine Academy|U.S. Merchant Marine Academy]], a [[United States service academies|U.S. service academy]] in [[Kings Point, New York|Kings Point]], on the [[North Shore (Long Island)|North Shore]].

==Culture==
{{See also|List of Long Islanders}}

===Music===
{{See also|Long Island Music Hall of Fame}}
[[File:Nikon at Jones Beach Theater.jpg|thumb|[[Jones Beach Theater]], a 15,000-capacity theater and stadium in [[Wantagh, New York|Wantagh]], in March 2007]]
Music on Long Island (Nassau and Suffolk) is strongly influenced by the proximity to New York City and by the [[youth culture]] of the [[suburb]]s.
[[Psychedelic rock]] was widely popular in the 1960s as flocks of disaffected youth travelled to NYC to participate in protest and the culture of the time. [[Rhythm and blues]] also has a history on Long Island, most notably [[Huntington, New York|Huntington]]-born [[Mariah Carey]], one of the top-selling musicians of all time. In the late 1970s through the 1980s, the influence of radio station [[WLIR]] made Long Island one of the first places in the nation to hear and embrace European [[New wave music|New Wave]] bands, including [[Depeche Mode]], [[Pet Shop Boys]], and [[Culture Club]]. In the 1990s, [[hip hop music]] became popular. Rap pioneers [[Rakim]], [[EPMD]], [[De La Soul]], [[MF Doom]], and [[Public Enemy]] grew up on Long Island. Long Island was the home of a bustling [[emo]] scene in the 2000s, with bands such as [[Brand New (band)|Brand New]], [[Taking Back Sunday]], [[Straylight Run]], [[From Autumn to Ashes]] and [[As Tall as Lions]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nymag.com/nymetro/arts/music/features/10611/|title=L.I.R.R. (Long Island Rock 'n' Roll)|last=Jacobson|first=Mark|website=NYMag.com|date=December 3, 2004 |access-date=January 9, 2019|archive-date=January 10, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190110073925/http://nymag.com/nymetro/arts/music/features/10611/|url-status=live}}</ref>
Rock bands from Long Island include [[the Rascals]], [[the Ramones]] (from Queens), [[Dream Theater]], [[Blue Öyster Cult]], [[Twisted Sister]], and guitar virtuosos [[Buck Dharma|Donald (Buck Dharma) Roeser]], [[John Petrucci]], [[Steve Vai]], and [[Joe Satriani]], and drummer [[Mike Portnoy]]. Rock and pop singer [[Billy Joel]] grew up in [[Hicksville, New York|Hicksville]], and his music references Long Island and his youth.

[[Nassau Coliseum]] and [[Jones 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 large [[Independence Day (United States)|Fourth 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 by [[The National Association for Music Education]] (NAfME),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scmea.org/about.cfm|title=About the SCMEA|access-date=April 30, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130705003918/http://www.scmea.org/about.cfm|archive-date=July 5, 2013}}
</ref><ref>
{{cite web |url=http://www.nyssma.org/zonemaps.cfm?subpage=62 |title=NYSSMA Zone Map |access-date=April 30, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723103535/http://www.nyssma.org/zonemaps.cfm?subpage=62 |archive-date=July 23, 2011 }}</ref>
and host numerous events, competitions, and other music-related activities.

===Cuisine===
[[File:Big_Duck_2018_05.jpg|thumb|The [[Big Duck]] in [[Flanders, New York|Flanders]] in August 2018]]
[[File:East Farm farmhouse, Head of the Harbor.jpg|thumb|A winery and tasting room in a 1690 farmhouse near [[Stony Brook, New York|Stony Brook]] in May 2014]]
Long Island has historically been a center for fishing and [[seafood]]. This legacy continues in the [[Blue Point, New York|Blue Point]] [[oyster]], a now ubiquitous variety originally harvested on the [[Great South Bay]] that was the favorite oyster of [[Queen Victoria]]. Clams are also a popular food and [[clam digging]] a popular recreational pursuit, with [[Manhattan clam chowder]] reputed to have Long Island origins.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://levittown-ny.patch.com/groups/historical-levittown/p/edible-long-island|title=Edible Long Island|date=October 8, 2008|access-date=July 23, 2014|archive-date=November 1, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101095624/https://patch.com/new-york/levittown-ny/edible-long-island|url-status=live}}</ref>

Of land-based produce, Long Island [[duck]] has a history of national recognition since the 19th century, with four duck farms continuing to produce 2&nbsp;million ducks a year {{As of|2013|lc=y}}.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/21/nyregion/long-island-s-ducks-are-still-table-favorites.html| title=Long Island's Ducks are Still Table Favorites| date=December 21, 2003| work=New York Times| access-date=July 23, 2014| archive-date=August 8, 2014| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808184309/http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/21/nyregion/long-island-s-ducks-are-still-table-favorites.html| url-status=live}}</ref> Two symbols of Long Island's duck farming heritage are the [[Long Island Ducks]] minor-league baseball team and the [[Big Duck]], a 1931 duck-shaped building that is a historic landmark and tourist attraction. In addition to Long Island's duck industry, [[Riverhead, New York|Riverhead]] contains one of the largest [[American bison|buffalo]] farms on the East coast.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/07/18/nyregion/long-island-journal-in-riverhead-where-the-buffalo-roam.html| title=In Riverhead, Where the Buffalo Roam| date=July 18, 1999| newspaper=New York Times| access-date=July 23, 2014| archive-date=August 8, 2014| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808192104/http://www.nytimes.com/1999/07/18/nyregion/long-island-journal-in-riverhead-where-the-buffalo-roam.html| url-status=live}}</ref>

Long Island is well known for its production of alcoholic beverages. Eastern Long Island is a significant producer of [[Long Island AVA|wine]]. Vineyards are most heavily concentrated on Long Island's [[North Fork (Long Island)|North Fork]], which contains 38 wineries. Most of these contain tasting rooms, which are popular attractions for visitors from across the New York metropolitan area.<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/can-long-island-make-world-class-wines| title= Can Long Island Make World-Class Wines?| date= November 2007| access-date= July 23, 2014| archive-date= July 29, 2014| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140729034615/http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/can-long-island-make-world-class-wines| url-status= live}}</ref> Long Island has also become a producer of diverse [[craft beer]]s, with 15 [[microbrewery|microbreweries]] across Nassau and Suffolk counties {{As of|2013|lc=y}}. The largest of these is [[Blue Point Brewing Company]], best known for its ''toasted lager''.<ref>{{cite news|url= http://www.newsday.com/business/number-of-li-craft-brewers-have-tripled-in-recent-years-1.5187396|title= Number of LI craft brewers have tripled in recent years|newspaper= Newsday|date= May 2, 2013|access-date= July 23, 2014|archive-date= August 11, 2014|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140811012508/http://www.newsday.com/business/number-of-li-craft-brewers-have-tripled-in-recent-years-1.5187396|url-status= live}}</ref> Long Island is also globally known for its signature cocktail, the [[Long Island Iced Tea]], which was purportedly invented at the popular Babylon Town ''Oak Beach Inn'' nightclub in the 1970s.<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.grubstreet.com/2013/02/bob-rosebud-butt-long-island-iced-tea.html| title= Here's the Long Island Iced Tea's High-Proof Origin Story| date= February 22, 2013| access-date= July 23, 2014| archive-date= July 29, 2014| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140729121940/http://www.grubstreet.com/2013/02/bob-rosebud-butt-long-island-iced-tea.html| url-status= live}}</ref>

Long Island's eateries are largely a product of the region's local ethnic populations. [[Asian cuisine]]s, [[Italian cuisine]], [[Jewish cuisine]], and [[Latin American cuisine]]s were the most popular ethnic cuisines on Long Island as of the second decade of the 2000s.<ref name="AsianCuisinesLongIsland">{{cite news|url=http://www.newsday.com/lifestyle/restaurants/the-best-asian-restaurants-on-long-island-1.4822311|title=The best Asian restaurants on Long Island: Eat here now |author1=Peter M. Gianotti |author2=Melissa McCart |author3=Erica Marcus |newspaper=Newsday|date=March 24, 2017|access-date=July 21, 2017|archive-date=August 1, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170801142549/http://www.newsday.com/lifestyle/restaurants/the-best-asian-restaurants-on-long-island-1.4822311|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="LatinAmericanCuisinesLongIsland">{{cite news|url=http://www.newsday.com/lifestyle/restaurants/latin-american-restaurants-on-long-island-our-critics-favorites-1.9070900|title=Latin American restaurants on Long Island: Our critics' favorites|newspaper=Newsday|date=November 12, 2015|access-date=July 21, 2017|archive-date=September 14, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170914112432/http://www.newsday.com/lifestyle/restaurants/latin-american-restaurants-on-long-island-our-critics-favorites-1.9070900|url-status=live}}</ref> Asian cuisines are predominantly represented by [[East Asian cuisine|East Asian]], [[South Asian cuisine|South Asian]], and [[Middle Eastern cuisine|Middle Eastern]] cuisines.<ref name="AsianCuisinesLongIsland" /> Italian cuisine is found in ubiquitous [[pizzeria]]s throughout the island, with the region hosting an annual competition, the [[Long Island Pizza Festival & Bake-Off]]. Jewish cuisine is likewise represented by [[delicatessen]]s and [[bagel]] stores. Latin American cuisines span their geographical origins,<ref name="LatinAmericanCuisinesLongIsland" /> from [[Brazilian cuisine|Brazilian]] [[rodizio]]s to [[Mexican cuisine|Mexican]] [[taqueria]]s.

=== Folklore and urban legends ===
Long Island has inspired numerous local legends over the centuries from the distant past to the present. For instance, numerous historic buildings and other locations on Long Island are rumored to be haunted including the [[Fire Island Lighthouse]], [[Lake Ronkonkoma (lake)|Lake Ronkonkoma]], [[Mount Misery Road]], Country House Restaurant, and [[Raynham Hall Museum|Raynham Hall]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Epstein |first=Skylar |date=2024-10-20 |title=Fire Island Lighthouse Visited by Paranormal Investigators » Fire Island News & Great South Bay News |url=https://www.fireislandnews.com/features/fire-island-lighthouse-paranormal-investigators/ |access-date=2025-04-09 |website=www.fireislandnews.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-10-17 |title=Spooky Historic Sites & Paranormal Experiences around Long Island |url=https://www.discoverlongisland.com/blog/stories/post/spooky-historic-sites-paranormal-experiences-around-long-island/ |access-date=2025-04-09 |website=www.discoverlongisland.com |language=en-us}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-07-09 |title=Raynham Hall Museum |url=https://www.hauntedplaces.org/item/raynham-hall-museum/ |access-date=2025-04-09 |website=Haunted Places |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Fox |first=Tristram |date=2016-10-28 |title=Long Island Haunts: 13 Creepiest Haunted Places on Long Island |url=https://www.longislandpress.com/2016/10/28/long-island-haunts-13-creepiest-haunted-places-on-long-island/ |access-date=2025-04-09 |website=www.longislandpress.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Brosky |first=Kerriann Flanagan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d56gCgAAQBAJ |title=Historic Haunts of Long Island: Ghosts and Legends from the Gold Coast to Montauk Point |date=2015-09-14 |publisher=Arcadia Publishing |isbn=978-1-62585-203-8 |language=en}}</ref> However, the most prominent and supposedly haunted location on Long Island is the [[Amityville haunting|Amityville Horror House]] which has inspired numerous [[Works based on the Amityville haunting|books and horror movies]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Amityville Horror: Horror or Hoax? |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/story?id=132035&page=1&singlePage=true |access-date=2025-04-09 |website=ABC News |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-12-05 |title=The Legend of the Amityville Horror Is Built on Lies. This Is the Twisted Truth. |url=https://www.popularmechanics.com/culture/a45976125/amityville-horror-true-story/ |access-date=2025-04-09 |website=Popular Mechanics |language=en-US}}</ref>

The [[Montauk Monster]] is at the center of numerous conspiracy theories.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-07-01 |title=Why the Legend of the Montauk Monster Will Never Die |url=https://observer.com/2024/07/why-the-legend-of-the-montauk-monster-will-never-die/ |access-date=2025-04-09 |website=Observer |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Mikkelson |first=David |date=2008-07-31 |title=Montauk Monster / Panama Creature |url=https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/the-montauk-monster/ |access-date=2025-04-09 |website=Snopes |language=en}}</ref> Long Island is also home to other stories of conspiracies and government cover-ups mainly centered around [[Camp Hero State Park]] and the [[Montauk Project]]. Peter Moon's book ''Pyramids of Montauk'' explores these theories, suggesting connections between Montauk and ancient civilizations. These conspiracy stories also helped inspire the hit Netflix show [[Stranger Things]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kennedy |first=Dana |date=2020-10-24 |title=Inside the Camp Hero 'Montauk Project' conspiracy |url=https://nypost.com/article/camp-hero-montauk-project-conspiracy/ |access-date=2025-04-09 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Shaw |first=Gabbi |title=See inside the eerie, abandoned Air Force base that spawned conspiracy theories and inspired 'Stranger Things' |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/camp-hero-montauk-air-force-base-inspired-stranger-things-photos-2023-8?op=1 |access-date=2025-04-09 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US}}</ref> Additionally, it is rumored that a UFO crash in [[Southaven County Park]] was covered up in 1992.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=Newsday |date=2022-10-31 |title=Long Island myths and legends |url=https://www.newsday.com/long-island/long-island-myths-and-legends-w96157 |access-date=2025-04-09 |website=Newsday |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Flammer |first=Joseph |date=2018-10-31 |title=UFO Investigator: Long Island Sightings Soar |url=https://www.longislandpress.com/2018/10/31/ufo-investigator-long-island-sightings-soar/ |access-date=2025-04-09 |website=www.longislandpress.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Sports===
{{see also|Sports in New York (state)}}
{{refimprove|section|date=October 2025}}

====Major league sports====
{{Further|Brooklyn Nets|New York Islanders |New York Liberty|New York Mets}}
[[File:Belmont Park td (2021-12-19) 017 - UBS Arena.jpg|thumb|[[UBS Arena]] in [[Elmont, New York|Elmont]] in 2021. It is the home of the [[National Hockey League|NHL]]'s [[New York Islanders]], a team named after Long Island]]
The [[New York Mets]] of [[Major League Baseball]] play at [[Citi Field]] in [[Flushing Meadows-Corona Park]], Queens. Their former stadium, [[Shea Stadium]], was also home for the [[New York Jets]] of the [[National Football League]] from 1964 until 1983. The new stadium has an exterior façade and main entry [[rotunda (architecture)|rotunda]] inspired by [[Brooklyn]]'s famous [[Ebbets Field]].

The [[Barclays Center]], a sports [[arena]], business, and residential complex built partly on a platform over the [[Atlantic Yards]] at [[Atlantic Avenue (New York City)|Atlantic Avenue]] in Brooklyn, is the home of the [[Brooklyn Nets]] and [[New 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 at [[Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum]] in [[Uniondale, New York|Uniondale]] from 1972 to 1977. The [[New 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 2020–21 NHL Season. The Islanders moved full-time to [[UBS Arena]] at Belmont Park, in [[Elmont, New York]], in November 2021.

[[New York City FC]], a [[Major League Soccer]] (MLS) team established in 2015, has played some home matches at Citi Field when [[Yankee Stadium]], their primary venue, is unavailable.<ref>{{cite news |last=Stejskal |first=Sam |date=October 23, 2019 |title=NYCFC fans are OK with the Citi Field move, but not the factors causing it |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/1317827/2019/10/23/nycfc-fans-are-ok-with-the-citi-field-move-but-not-the-factors-causing-it/ |work=The Athletic |url-access=subscription |accessdate=October 12, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release |date=December 19, 2024 |title=New York City FC Announce 2025 MLS Regular Season Schedule |url=https://www.newyorkcityfc.com/news/new-york-city-fc-announce-2025-mls-regular-season-schedule |publisher=New York City FC |accessdate=October 12, 2025}}</ref> The team began construction of a new stadium, [[Etihad Park (New York City)|Etihad Park]], adjacent to Citi Field in 2024. It is scheduled to open in 2027 and will have a capacity of 25,000 seats.<ref>{{cite news |last=McLogan |first=Elle |date=December 4, 2024 |title=Construction begins on NYCFC's new stadium in Queens |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/construction-begins-etihad-park-new-york-city-fc-soccer-stadium-queens/ |work=CBS News New York |accessdate=October 12, 2025}}</ref>

====Historical professional teams====
{{Further|Brooklyn Dodgers|New York Giants (NL)}}
[[Ebbets Field]], which stood in Brooklyn from 1913 until its demolition in 1960, was the home of the [[Brooklyn Dodgers]] baseball team, who moved to [[Los Angeles]] after the [[1957 Major League Baseball season]] to become the [[Los Angeles Dodgers]]. The Dodgers won several [[National League (baseball)|National League]] pennants in the 1940s and 1950s, losing several times in the [[World Series]], often called the [[Subway Series]], to their [[The Bronx|Bronx]] rivals, the [[New York Yankees]]. The Dodgers won their lone championship in Brooklyn in the [[1955 World Series]] versus the Yankees.

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-rival [[New York Giants (NL)|New York Giants]], who also left for California after 1957.

====Minor league sports====
[[File:Kenneth P LaValle Stadium.jpg|thumb|The [[Stony Brook Seawolves football|Stony Brook Seawolves]] homecoming game in September 2012]]
[[File:Bethpage ballpark.jpg|thumb|[[Bethpage Ballpark]], home of the [[Long Island Ducks]], in July 2011]]
Long Island is home to the [[Long Island Ducks]] [[Independent baseball league|independent league]] team of the [[Atlantic League of Professional Baseball|Atlantic League]]. Their stadium, [[Bethpage Ballpark]], is in [[Central Islip, New York|Central Islip]]. The [[Brooklyn Cyclones]] minor league baseball team, affiliated with the [[New York Mets]], plays in the [[High-A]] classification [[South Atlantic League]]. The Cyclones play at [[MCU Park]] just off the [[Riegelmann Boardwalk|Coney Island Boardwalk]] in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The [[New York Dragons]] of the [[Arena Football League]] played their home games at [[Nassau Coliseum]]. The two main [[rugby union]] teams are the Long Island RFC in [[East Meadow, New York|East Meadow]] and the Suffolk Bull Moose in [[Stony Brook, New York|Stony Brook]].

The [[Brooklyn Cyclones]] are a [[minor league baseball]] team, affiliated with the New York Mets. The Cyclones play at [[MCU Park]] just off the boardwalk on [[Coney Island]] in Brooklyn. An [[artificial turf]] baseball complex named [[Baseball Heaven]] is in [[Yaphank, New York|Yaphank]].

The [[New York Sharks]] is a women's American football team that is a member of the [[Women's Football Alliance]]. The New York Sharks home field is at [[Aviator Sports Complex]] in Brooklyn. The [[New York Mets]] planned to move their Double-A farm team to Long Island, as part of the ambitious but now-defunct plan for Nassau County called [[The Lighthouse Project]].

Long Island's professional soccer club, the [[New York Cosmos (2013–2020)|New York Cosmos]], played in the [[United States soccer league system#Men's leagues|Division 2]] [[North American Soccer League (2011–2017)|North American Soccer League]] at [[James M. Shuart Stadium]] in [[Hempstead, New York|Hempstead]] until 2020.

Long Island has historically been a hotbed of [[lacrosse]] at the youth and [[college lacrosse|college]] level, which made way for a [[Major League Lacrosse]] team in 2001, the [[Long Island Lizards]]. The Lizards play at [[Mitchel Athletic Complex]] in [[Uniondale, New York|Uniondale]].

====Collegiate sports====
{{Further|Stony Brook Seawolves}}
The [[Stony Brook Seawolves]] represent [[Stony Brook University]], and have had a bevy of athletic accomplishments such as reaching the [[2012 College World Series]] as an underdog after defeating the [[LSU Tigers baseball|LSU Tigers]] in a best-of-3 series.

====Other sports====
[[File:Belmont9 1999-05.jpg|thumb|Preparing for the [[Belmont Stakes]] horse race, the final leg of the [[Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States)|Triple Crown]], at [[Belmont Park]], in April 2005]]
Long Island has a wide variety of [[golf course]]s found all over the island. Two of the most well-known are the [[Shinnecock Hills Golf Club]] and the public [[Bethpage Black Course]] that has hosted multiple [[U.S. Open (golf)|U.S. Open]] tournaments and several other top level international championships. Queens also hosts one of the four [[tennis]] grand slams, the [[US Open (tennis)|US Open]]. Every August (September, in Olympic years) the best tennis players in the world travel to Long Island to play the championships held at the [[USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center]], adjacent to [[Citi Field]] in [[Flushing Meadows Park]]. The complex also contains the biggest tennis stadium in the world, the [[Arthur Ashe Stadium]].

Long Island also has two [[horse racing]] tracks, [[Aqueduct Racetrack]] in [[Ozone Park]], Queens and [[Belmont Park]] on the Queens/Nassau border in [[Elmont, New York|Elmont]], home of the [[Belmont Stakes]]. The longest dirt [[thoroughbred racing|thoroughbred racecourse]] in the world is also at Belmont Park. Another category of sporting events popular in this region involves [[Firematic Racing|firematic racing]] events, involving many local [[volunteer fire department]]s.

====Notable sports teams====
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Club
! City
! Sport
! Founded
! League
! Venue(s)
! Championships
|-
| [[Brooklyn Nets]]
| [[Brooklyn]]
| [[Basketball]]
| 1967
| [[National Basketball Association]]
| [[Barclays Center]]
| 2 (1974, 1976)
|-
| [[New York City FC]]
| [[Queens]] (future)
| [[Association football|Soccer]]
| 2015
| [[Major League Soccer]]
| [[Etihad Park (New York)|Etihad Park]] (opens in 2027)
| 1 (2021)
|-
| [[New York Islanders]]
| [[Elmont, New York|Elmont]]
| [[Ice hockey]]
| 1972
| [[National Hockey League]]
| [[UBS Arena]]
| 4 (1980, 1981, 1982, 1983)
|-
| [[New York Mets]]
| [[Queens]]
| [[Baseball]]
| 1962
| [[Major League Baseball]]
| [[Citi Field]]
| 2 (1969, 1986)
|-
| [[Brooklyn Cyclones]]
| [[Brooklyn]]
| [[Baseball]]
| 1986
| [[South Atlantic League]]
| [[Maimonides Park]]
| 2 (1986, 2001)
|-
| [[Long Island Nets]]
| [[Uniondale, New York|Uniondale]]
| [[Basketball]]
| 2015
| [[NBA G League]]
| [[Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum]]
| 0
|-
| [[Long Island Ducks]]
| [[Islip, New York|Islip]]
| [[Baseball]]
| 2000
| [[Atlantic League of Professional Baseball|Atlantic League]]
| [[Fairfield Properties Ballpark]]
| 4 (2004, 2012, 2013, 2019)
|}

==Transportation==
{{Main|Transportation on Long Island}}
[[File:The_sun_sets_over_a_crowded_JFK_(8444192213).jpg|thumb|[[John F. Kennedy International Airport|John F. Kennedy Airport]] in [[Queens]], the [[Busiest airports in the United States by international passenger traffic|busiest international air passenger gateway]] to the United States in January 2013]]
Many major forms of transportation serve Long Island, including aviation via [[John F. Kennedy International Airport]], [[LaGuardia Airport]], and [[Long Island MacArthur Airport]], and multiple smaller airports; [[commuter rail|rail transportation]] via the [[Long Island Rail Road]] and the [[New York City Subway]]; bus routes via [[MTA Regional Bus Operations]], [[Nassau Inter-County Express]], and [[Suffolk County Transit]]; ferry service via [[NYC Ferry]] and multiple smaller ferry companies; and several major highways. There are historic and modern bridges, and [[Trails on Long Island|recreational and commuter trails]], serving various parts of Long Island.

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 the [[Triborough Bridge]] providing two connections from Queens, one each to Manhattan and the Bronx. The single non-East River crossing is the [[Verrazzano–Narrows Bridge]], connecting Brooklyn to [[Staten Island]] across [[The Narrows]]. Plans for a [[Long Island Sound link]] at locations in Nassau and Suffolk counties (a proposed bridge or tunnel that would link Long Island to the south with [[Westchester 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.

===Public transportation===
{{Further|Metropolitan Transportation Authority}}
The [[Metropolitan Transportation Authority]] operates [[mass transit|mass transportation]] for the [[New York metropolitan area]] including all five boroughs of New York City, the suburban counties of [[Dutchess County, New York|Dutchess]], [[Nassau County, New York|Nassau]], [[Orange County, New York|Orange]], [[Putnam County, New York|Putnam]], [[Rockland County, New York|Rockland]], [[Suffolk County, New York|Suffolk]], and [[Westchester County, New York|Westchester]], all of which together are the "Metropolitan Commuter Transportation District (MCTD)".

The MTA considers itself to be the largest regional public transportation provider in the [[Western Hemisphere]]. {{as of|2018}}, MTA agencies move about 8.6&nbsp;million customers per day (translating to 2.65&nbsp;billion rail and bus customers a year).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://web.mta.info/mta/network.htm|title=Transportation Network|date=February 11, 2018|publisher=Metropolitan Transportation Authority|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180211180823/http://web.mta.info/mta/network.htm|archive-date=February 11, 2018|url-status=live|access-date=February 11, 2018}}</ref> The MTA's systems carry over 11&nbsp;million passengers on an average weekday systemwide, and over 850,000 vehicles on its [[MTA Bridges and Tunnels|seven toll bridges and two tunnels]] per weekday.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://web.mta.info/bandt/html/btintro.html|title=MTA – About Bridges & Tunnels|access-date=October 1, 2014|archive-date=September 11, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170911025108/http://web.mta.info/bandt/html/btintro.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

====Rail====
{{Main|Long Island Rail Road}}
[[File:LIRR map.svg|thumb|A schematic map of the [[Long Island Rail Road]] system]]
The [[Long Island Rail Road]] (LIRR) is North America's busiest [[Commuter rail in North America|commuter 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 oldest [[railroad]] in the U.S. that still operates under its original charter and name. The [[Metropolitan 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 service [[24/7|all the time]], year round.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mta.info/mta/network.htm |title=The MTA Network |access-date=April 30, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140403224122/http://mta.info/mta/network.htm |archive-date=April 3, 2014 }}</ref><ref name="LIRR175">{{cite web |url=http://web.mta.info/lirr/Video/175thAnniversary/Honoring175Years.htm |title=LIRR History |publisher=[[Metropolitan Transportation Authority|Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)]] |access-date=March 7, 2016 |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304030137/http://web.mta.info/lirr/Video/175thAnniversary/Honoring175Years.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> A $2&nbsp;billion plan to add a third railroad track to the LIRR [[Main Line (Long Island Rail Road)|Main Line]] between the [[Floral Park (LIRR station)|Floral Park]] and [[Hicksville station]]s in Nassau County was completed in 2022,<ref>{{cite web | last=Duggan | first=Kevin | title='Third' time's the charm: MTA finishes $2.5 billion LIRR Third Track project | website=amNewYork | date=October 3, 2022 | url=https://www.amny.com/transit/mta-finishes-lirr-third-track/ | access-date=October 15, 2022 | archive-date=October 14, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221014224930/https://www.amny.com/transit/mta-finishes-lirr-third-track/ | url-status=live }}</ref> and an expansion of the [[Ronkonkoma Branch]] from one to two tracks was completed in 2018.<ref name="ABC7-DoubleTrackComplete">{{cite web|url=https://abc7ny.com/4304599/|title=LIRR Double Track project completed ahead of schedule|date=September 21, 2018|website=ABC7 New York|access-date=September 22, 2018|archive-date=September 23, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180923005842/https://abc7ny.com/4304599/|url-status=live}}</ref>  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 of [[East Side Access]], which brings LIRR trains to [[Grand Central Madison]] in Manhattan.<ref name="TimesLedger Readiness">{{Cite web |url=https://www.timesledger.com/stories/2013/22/queenstransit_qt_2013_05_31_q2.html |title=Queens Tomorrow: LIRR headed to Grand Central |last1=Anuta |first1=Joe |last2=Newman |first2=Philip |date=June 5, 2013 |website=TimesLedger |publisher=[[TimesLedger Newspapers]] |access-date=May 24, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180525133216/https://www.timesledger.com/stories/2013/22/queenstransit_qt_2013_05_31_q2.html |archive-date=May 25, 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="Jan 2013">{{cite web |url=http://web.mta.info/mta/news/books/archive/130128_1330_CPOC.pdf#page=8 |title=MTA Capital Program Oversight Meeting |date=January 2013 |access-date=May 24, 2018 |work=[[Metropolitan Transportation Authority|mta.info]] |publisher=[[Metropolitan Transportation Authority]] |page=8 |archive-date=October 25, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171025231644/http://web.mta.info/mta/news/books/archive/130128_1330_CPOC.pdf#page=8 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Nov 2017">{{cite web |url=http://web.mta.info/mta/news/books/archive/140623_1345_CPOC.pdf#page=35 |title=MTA Long Island Rail Road Committee Meeting |date=November 2017 |access-date=May 24, 2018 |work=[[Metropolitan Transportation Authority|mta.info]] |publisher=[[Metropolitan Transportation Authority]] |page=35 |archive-date=February 5, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180205130002/http://web.mta.info/mta/news/books/archive/140623_1345_CPOC.pdf#page=35 |url-status=live }}</ref>

====Bus====
{{Further|Long Island Bus|Nassau Inter-County Express|Suffolk County Transit}}
[[Nassau Inter-County Express]] (NICE) provides bus service in Nassau County, while [[Suffolk County Transit]], an agency of the Suffolk County government, provides bus service in Suffolk County. In 2012, NICE replaced the former [[Metropolitan Transportation Authority|MTA]]'s [[Long Island Bus]] in transporting Long Islanders across Nassau County while allowing them to use MTA [[MetroCard (New York City)|MetroCards]] as payment.<ref>Bolger, Timothy. (December 30, 2011) [http://archive.longislandpress.com/2011/12/30/nice-bus-replacing-long-island-bus-this-weekend/ NICE Bus Replacing Long Island Bus This Weekend | Long Island Press] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130623084605/http://archive.longislandpress.com/2011/12/30/nice-bus-replacing-long-island-bus-this-weekend/ |date=June 23, 2013 }}. Archive.longislandpress.com. Retrieved on July 21, 2013.</ref>

===Roads===
[[File:I-495 in Nassau County.jpg|thumb|[[Interstate 495 (New York)|Long Island Expressway]], sometimes referred to as the "world's longest parking lot" because of its heavy traffic,<ref>{{cite web|last=Popik|first=Barry|title=Entry from June 29, 2011 World's Longest Parking Lot (Long Island Expressway)|url=http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/worlds_longest_parking_lot_long_island_expressway_nickname/|access-date=October 27, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130929035121/http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/worlds_longest_parking_lot_long_island_expressway_nickname|archive-date=September 29, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> in [[Nassau County, New York|Nassau County]]]]
The [[Long Island Expressway]], [[Northern State Parkway]], and [[Southern State Parkway]], all products of the automobile-centered planning of [[Robert Moses]], are the island's primary east–west high-speed [[controlled-access highway]]s.
{| class=wikitable
|+ style="text-align:center;"|'''Major roads of Long Island'''
|-
!width=125 |Direction !! width=60 |Route<br />shield !! Name
|-
|rowspan=10|'''''West-East'''''
|[[File:I-878.svg|25px]] [[File:NY-878.svg|25px]] || '''[[New York State Route 878|Nassau Expressway]] northern section'''
|-
|[[File:NY-27A.svg|25px]] || [[Montauk Highway]]
|-
|[[File:NY-27.svg|25px]] || '''[[New York State Route 27|Sunrise Highway]]'''*
|-
|[[File:Belt Pkwy Shield free.svg|25px]] [[File:Southern Pkwy Shield.svg|25px]]  || '''[[Belt Parkway]]''' / '''[[Southern State Parkway]]'''
|-
|[[File:NY-24.svg|25px]] || [[New York State Route 24|Hempstead Turnpike]]
|-
|[[File:NY-109.svg|25px]] || [[New York State Route 109|Babylon–Farmingdale Turnpike]]
|-
|[[File:Grand Central Pkwy Shield free.svg|25px]] [[File:Northern Pkwy Shield.svg|25px]] || '''[[Grand Central Parkway]]''' / '''[[Northern State Parkway]]'''
|-
|[[File:I-495.svg|25px]] || '''[[Interstate 495 (New York)|Long Island Expressway]]'''
|-
|[[File:NY-25.svg|25px]] || [[New York State Route 25|Jericho Turnpike/Middle Country Road]]
|-
|[[File:NY-25A.svg|25px]] || [[New York State Route 25A|Northern Boulevard]]
|-
|rowspan=18|'''''South-North'''''
|[[File:I-278.svg|25px]] || '''[[Interstate 278|Brooklyn-Queens Expressway]]'''
|-
|[[File:I-678.svg|25px]] || '''[[Interstate 678|Van Wyck Expressway]]'''
|-
|[[File:NY-878.svg|25px]] || [[New York State Route 878|Nassau Expressway]] southern section
|-
|[[File:I-295.svg|25px]] || '''[[Interstate 295 (New York)|Clearview Expressway]]'''
|-
|[[File:Cross Island Pkwy Shield free.svg|25px]] || '''[[Cross Island Parkway]]'''
|-
|[[File:Meadowbrook Pkwy Shield.svg|25px]] || '''[[Meadowbrook State Parkway]]'''
|-
|[[File:Wantagh Pkwy Shield.svg|25px]] || '''[[Wantagh State Parkway]]'''
|-
|[[File:NY-106.svg|25px]] || [[New York State Route 106|Newbridge Road]]
|-
|[[File:NY-107.svg|25px]] || [[New York State Route 107|Cedar Swamp Road/Broadway/Hicksville Road]]
|-
|[[File:NY-135.svg|25px]] || '''[[New York State Route 135|Seaford-Oyster Bay Expressway]]'''
|-
|[[File:NY-110.svg|25px]] || [[New York State Route 110|Broad Hollow Road]]
|-
|[[File:NY-231.svg|25px]] || [[New York State Route 231|Deer Park Avenue]]
|-
|[[File:Robert Moses Cswy Shield.svg|25px]] || '''[[Robert Moses Causeway]]'''
|-
|[[File:Sagtikos Pkwy Shield.svg|25px]] || '''[[Sagtikos State Parkway]]'''
|-
|[[File:Sunken Meadow Pkwy Shield.svg|25px]] || '''[[Sunken Meadow State Parkway]]'''
|-
|[[File:NY-111.svg|25px]] || [[New York State Route 111|Islip Avenue]]
|-
|[[File:Suffolk County Route 97 NY.svg|25px]] || [[County Route 97 (Suffolk County, New York)|Nicolls Road]]
|-
|[[File:Suffolk County Route 46 NY.svg|25px]] || '''[[County Route 46 (Suffolk County, New York)|William Floyd Parkway]]'''
|-
|colspan=3|
Roads in '''boldface''' are limited-access roads.<br />Sunrise Highway is only limited-access from western Suffolk County eastwards.
|}

====Ground transportation====
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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.winstontrans.com/about |title=About GO Winston |access-date=September 13, 2014 |archive-date=September 12, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140912030441/https://www.winstontrans.com/about/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Notable people==
{{Main|List of Long Islanders}}

==See also==
* [[Coastal Connecticut]]
* [[Geography of New York City]]
* [[Jersey Shore]]
* [[List of films shot on Long Island]]
* [[List of Long Island recreational facilities]]
* [[List of tallest buildings on Long Island]]
* [[Long Island (proposed state)]]
* [[Timeline of town creation in Downstate New York]]
* [[Long Island Sound]]
* [[Fire Island]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em|refs=
<ref name="Bunker 1895">{{cite book |last1=Bunker |first1=Mary Powell ({{italics correction|''née''}} Seaman; 1820–1906) (compiler) |date=1895 |title=Long Island Genealogies – Families of Albertson, Andrews, Bedell, Birdsall, Bowne, Carman, Carr, Clowes, Cock, Cornelius, Covert, Dean, Doughty, Duryea, Feke, Frost, Haff, Hallock, Haydock, Hicks, Hopkins, Jackson, Jones, Keese, Ketcham, Kirby, Liones, Marvin, Merritt, Moore, Mott, Oakley, Onderdonck, Pearsall, Post, Powell, Prior, Robbins, Rodman, Rowland, Rushmore, Sands, Scudder, Seaman, Searing, Smith, Strickland, Titus, Townsend, Underhill, Valentine, Vanderdonk, Weeks, Whitman, Whitson, Willets, Williams, Willis, Wright, and Other Families – Being Kindred Descendants of Thomas Powell, of Bethpage, L.I., 1688 |type=descendants of [[Thomas Powell (1641–1722)|Thomas Powell]]; 1641–1722 |language=en-US |location=[[Albany, New York|Albany]] |publisher=[[Joel Munsell's Sons]] (publisher)}} {{LCCN|03013311}}; {{OCLC|841579522|show=all}}.
<ol type="i" start="1">
<li> {{hanging indent |text={{cite book |ref={{SfnRef|Bunker, Google (Harvard),|1895|p=7 }} |title=''"Records" – "A Copy of the Will of Thomas Powell"'' |date=1895 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=z3ku4MsF6n0C&dq=%22%22last+will+and+testament+of+thomas+powell+sen+late+of+bethpage%22%22&pg=PA7 |pages=7–11 |via=[[Google Books]] ([[Harvard Library|Harvard]]) |access-date=October 19, 2021 |archive-date=October 19, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231019125957/https://books.google.com/books?id=z3ku4MsF6n0C&pg=PA7&dq=%22%22last+will+and+testament+of+thomas+powell+sen+late+of+bethpage%22%22 |url-status=live }} }}</ol></ref>}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
{{Wikivoyage}}
<!-- {{No more links}}

Please be cautious adding more external links.

Wikipedia is not a collection of links and should not be used for advertising.

Excessive or inappropriate links will be removed.

See [[Wikipedia:External links]] and [[Wikipedia:Spam]] for details.

If there are already suitable links, propose additions or replacements on
the article's talk page, or submit your link to the relevant category at
DMOZ (dmoz.org) and link there using {{Dmoz}}.

-->
* {{Cite AmCyc|wstitle=Long Island}}

{{Adjacent communities
| Centre = Long Island
| North = [[Connecticut]], [[Long Island Sound]]
| Northeast = [[Washington County, Rhode Island]], [[Long Island Sound]]
| East = [[Block Island Sound]], Atlantic Ocean
| Southeast = Atlantic Ocean
| South = Atlantic Ocean
| Southwest = [[Staten Island, New York|Staten Island]], [[Monmouth County, New Jersey]], [[Lower New York Bay]]
| West = [[The Bronx]],
[[Manhattan, New York|Manhattan]], [[East River]], [[Upper New York Bay]]
| Northwest = [[Westchester County, New York|Westchester County]],
[[Long Island Sound]]
}}
{{Navboxes
|title = Articles related to Long Island
|list=
{{Long Island region}}
{{New York City Islands}}
{{Hudson River}}
{{Connecticut River}}
{{New York metropolitan area}}
{{New York}}
}}
{{Portal bar|New York (state)|New York City}}
{{authority control}}
{{Coord|40.8|N|73.3|W|display=title|scale:10000000000000000000_source:dewiki}}

[[Category:Long Island| ]]
[[Category:Coastal islands of New York (state)]]
[[Category:Islands of New York City]]
[[Category:Islands of New York (state)]]
[[Category:Landforms of Long Island]]
[[Category:Moraines of the United States]]
[[Category:New York metropolitan area]]