Mattituck, New York facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mattituck, New York
Hamlet and census-designated place
Mattituck Inlet
Mattituck, New York Location in New York
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Suffolk
Town	Southold
Area
• Total	12.10 sq mi (31.35 km2)
• Land	8.98 sq mi (23.26 km2)
• Water	3.12 sq mi (8.09 km2)
Elevation	13 ft (4 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	4,322
• Density	481.24/sq mi (185.80/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Code	11952
Area code(s)	631
FIPS code	36-46140
GNIS feature ID	0956678

Mattituck is a small community in Suffolk County, New York. It is known as a hamlet and a census-designated place (CDP). This means it's a small area that isn't officially a town or city, but the government counts its population separately. In 2023, about 4,584 people lived there. Mattituck is part of the Town of Southold.

History of Mattituck

Mattituck's name likely comes from an Algonquian word meaning "Great Creek." The Algonquian people were Native Americans who lived in this area long ago.

Mattituck Creek and Inlet

Mattituck Creek is a waterway that has been made deeper (dredged) so that boats can use it easily. The Mattituck Inlet is the entrance to this creek from Long Island Sound. Many people use this waterway for fun boat trips.

Mattituck Inlet is special because it's one of only two harbors on the north side of Long Island, east of Port Jefferson.

There's also James Creek, which connects to Peconic Bay. Mattituck Inlet and James Creek are very close, only about 500 yards apart. Some people thought about connecting them with a canal to make a shortcut between the Peconic Bay and Long Island Sound. However, this idea was stopped because people worried it could harm the environment. The inlet is also thought to cause coastal erosion, which is when land along the coast wears away.

Early Settlers

The first people to live in the Mattituck area were the Corchaug Indians. They sold land to Theophilus Eaton, who was the governor of New Haven, Connecticut. Later, English colonists settled here.

The open fields (meadowlands) in Mattituck were shared by everyone in Southold starting in 1640. The Town of Southold was officially created in 1658. The wooded areas were also shared until 1661, when they were divided among individual landowners.

Revolutionary War and Traditions

During the Revolutionary War, British soldiers occupied Mattituck. Governor Tryon, a British official, even visited the area.

Today, Mattituck is famous for its annual Strawberry Festival. This fun event usually happens every year on Father's Day weekend. Mattituck is also in the middle of the Long Island Wine Region, which has over 40 vineyards.

Geography of Mattituck

Mattituck covers a total area of about 24.2 square kilometers (about 9.3 square miles). Most of this area, about 23.3 square kilometers (9 square miles), is land. The rest, about 0.9 square kilometers (0.3 square miles), is water.

People of Mattituck

In 2020, about 4,322 people lived in Mattituck. This community had 2,527 households, with 1,963 of them being families. The population density was about 485.7 people per square mile.

Community Makeup

Most people living in Mattituck are White (96.62%). There are also smaller percentages of African American (1.17%), Asian (0.52%), and Native American (0.02%) residents. About 2.55% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.

Many households (31.9%) had children under 18 living with them. Most households (62.4%) were married couples living together. About 21.8% of all households were made up of people living alone.

Age and Income

The population in Mattituck is spread out across different age groups. About 23.2% of residents were under 18 years old. About 19.1% were 65 years or older. The average age in Mattituck was 42 years old.

The average income for a household in Mattituck was $55,353. For families, the average income was $63,370. A small number of families (4.5%) and individuals (5.6%) lived below the poverty line.

Local Schools

Students from Mattituck, Cutchogue, and Laurel attend schools in the Mattituck-Cutchogue Union Free School District. The sports teams from these schools are known as the Tuckers.

Notable People from Mattituck

• James Aldrich (1810–1866) – A poet and journalist born in Mattituck.
• Caroline M. Bell (1874–1970) – An impressionist painter who lived in Mattituck and had an art school.
• William Lynch, Jr. (1941–2013) – Born in Mattituck, he became a Deputy Mayor of New York City and a political strategist.
• John Bunyan Reeve (1831–1916) – A minister and professor born in Mattituck. He helped start the Theology department at Howard University.
• Greg Sacks (1952–) – A professional NASCAR race car driver.
• Cory Stearns (1985–) – A main dancer with the American Ballet Theatre.
• Josephine Silone Yates (1852–1912) – Born in Mattituck, she was the first African American woman to lead a college science department at Lincoln University.

See also

In Spanish: Mattituck para niños