All About Long Island

Long Island, at 118 miles long and almost 20 miles wide at its widest point, is the largest island contiguous to the continental United States. Rich in history and graced with natural beauty and miles of white sandy beaches, Long Island has something for everyone. Whether your passion is golf, tennis, sailing, fishing, horse racing or sports, you'll find a venue to satisfy your interest.


There are five regions that make up Long Island, each with its own flair and unique offerings; the North Shore, resplendent with magnificent mansions that recall the opulence of a bygone era; the South Shore, mecca for the island's spectator sports and entertainment, and home to the renowned Jones Beach and Fire Island Beaches; Central Suffolk, home to the mega outlet center, Tangers, and unspoiled forest land and natural inlets; the North Fork, with its vineyards (growing in prominence in world markets) and its farms; and the South Fork, also known as "The Hamptons," playground for the rich and famous, with its world famous beaches and charming villages.


Even though Long Island has a population greater than 19 states, it is after all an island, surrounded by the Long Island Sound on the north and the Atlantic Ocean on the south. As a result, we enjoy all manner of water sports, and a robust fishing and maritime industry, contributing to the area's thriving economy.

With our moderate climate, locals and visitors alike enjoy our wonderful park and recreation systems, some of the finest in the country. Beautiful nature preserves, hiking trails and sandy beaches, and world class sporting events, such as the Belmont Stakes, Hamlet Cup Tennis Tournament, and golf's U.S. Open, appeal to the staunchest outdoor and sports enthusiasts.

There are many routes to Long Island, from the seven bridges and 2 tunnels that unite the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens at the western end, to the three main east/west highways that connect to Nassau and Suffolk counties. The Northern State Parkway runs from Queens to Hauppauge, the Southern State Parkway from Brooklyn, through Queens (called the Belt Parkway in its westernmost section) to Oakdale, and The Long Island Expressway (also known as Interstate 495) goes from Manhattan to Riverhead. There are other major roads running east/west including Jericho Turnpike (Route 25) and Northern Boulevard (Route 25A)on the north shore and Sunrise Highway (Route 27) and Merrick Road (Montauk Highway) on the south shore.


For those who prefer not to drive, the Long Island Railroad, which is the country's largest commuter railroad, offers 740 passenger trains on a daily basis. It runs the length of the Nassau/Suffolk region and provides over 1,100 passenger cars and 701 miles of track. The LIRR operates three major east/west routes and serves over 250,000 passengers a day


There are about 2.65 million people who make Long Island their home. Nassau County has a population of about 1.29 million, while Suffolk County is home to 1.36 million people. The median age in Nassau County is 38.6, Suffolk County 35.5.

Nassau and Suffolk Counties are each governed by legislatures. Nassau has 19 districts of equal size, while Suffolk is divided into 18 legislative districts.

Nassau County contains two cities, three towns, and 64 villages, each with their own elected officials, including a mayor and a village board. Suffolk County is divided into ten towns, 31 villages and 128 hamlets. Every town elects a supervisor who functions as a chief executive officer and presides over town boards. Other elected officials include the town clerk, receiver of taxes and superintendent of highways.

For the protection of its citizens, Nassau County's eight precincts have 2,981 police officers. Suffolk County has seven precincts and 2,748 police officers. For the most part, Long Island has a volunteer firefighting force.

For the children of Long Island there are 125 public school districts with 29,901 teachers serving 416,093 students. There are also 255 private schools with 4,873 teachers servivce 53,629 students. The island is also home to 17 four year colleges and five professional institutions. Approximately 88.4 percent of high school students go on to higher education.

If you want to find out more about the schools, you'll find a breakdown by town for Nassau County Click Here, for Suffolk County Click Here
This is another great resource for school and library information. Check it out!



To learn much more about Long island and all it has to offer, visit Long Island Convention & Visitors Bureau

If you're thinking of making a move to Long Island, you'll want to get more information about the towns you're considering. The styles and prices of homes vary greatly by area, as does the terrain. Long Island has something for everyone, whether you're looking for that first home, a larger family home, a waterfront property, a condo or townhome, or a multimillion dollar estate.

Within the pages of this site, you have access to a great deal of data to help you make this all important decision. For a breakdown of towns,
Click Here
Another great resource for Long Island locations and attractions is L.I. Page of Pages


The last quarter of the twentieth century saw spectacular growth in size and importance of the wine making industry on Long Island. From its humble beginnings, with one small vineyard to its current world class status, Long Island's wine country is a great place to visit. You can tour the wineries and vineyards and sample award winning Merlots, Cabernets or Chardonnays, all the while enjoying the bucolic setting in which they lie. Experience the areas unspoiled beaches, farmland, historic fishing villages and woodlands. You'll want to come back time after time. For more information about our wine country, Click Here

Looking for a place to dine on Long Island? The choices are endless, from fine Italian cuisine, to the best of French food, to the freshest of seafood served in seaside restaurants. Your options are limited only by your imagination and willingness to travel. And, of course, we have all the pizza parlors, chinese restaurants and fast food emporiums that will delight the kids. For a comprehensive list of places to dine, by region,Click Here