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About Suffolk County |
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Suffolk County is a suburban county located in the state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,493,350,making it the fourth-most populous county in New York. Its county seat is Riverhead,[2] though many county offices are located in Hauppauge. There are also offices in Smithtown, for the legislature, Yaphank, and Farmingville. The county was named after the county of Suffolk in England, from where its earliest European settlers came. Suffolk County is included in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA Metropolitan Statistical Area. It encompasses the eastern portion of Long Island and is the easternmost county in New York. The largest of Long Island's four counties, and the second-largest of 62 in the state, Suffolk measures 86 miles (138 km) in length and 26 miles (42 km) in width at its widest (including water).[3] Major facilities include Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton and Plum Island Animal Disease Center on Plum Island. In 2006 Forbes Magazine ranked six Suffolk County zip codes as among the top 110 most expensive in the United States. Sagaponack was ranked the most expensive zip code in the nation with a median home sale price in 2005 of $2,787,500. Water Mill was ranked the sixth most expensive zip code in the nation, with a median home sale price in 2005 of $2,150,000. |
HistorySuffolk County was an original county of the Province of New York, one of twelve created in 1683. From 1664 until 1683 it had been the East Riding of Yorkshire. Its boundaries were essentially the same as at present, with only minor changes in the boundary with its western neighbor, which was originally Queens County but has been Nassau County since the separation of Nassau from Queens in 1899. According to the Suffolk County website, the county is the leading agricultural county in the state of New York, saying that: "The weather is temperate, clean water is abundant, and the soil is so good that Suffolk is the leading agricultural county in New York State. That Suffolk is still number one in farming, even with the development that has taken place, is a tribute to thoughtful planning, along with the excellent soil, favorable weather conditions, and the work of dedicated farmers in this region."[5] GeographyAccording to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,373 square miles (6,150 km2), of which 912 square miles (2,360 km2) is land and 1,461 square miles (3,780 km2) (62%) is water.[6] It is the second-largest county in New York by total area and occupies 66% of the land area of Long Island. Suffolk County occupies the central and eastern part of Long Island, in the extreme southeast of New York State. The eastern end of the county splits into two peninsulas, known as the North Fork and the South Fork. The county is surrounded by water on three sides, including the Atlantic Ocean and Long Island Sound, with 980 miles (1,580 km) of coastline. The eastern end contains large bays. The highest elevation in the county, and on Long Island as a whole, is Jayne's Hill in West Hills, at 401 feet (122 m) above sea level. ref.Wikipedia |
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