Mineola, New York facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mineola Miniolagamika ("Pleasant Village")
Village County seat of Nassau County
Incorporated Village of Mineola
Mineola Village Hall and Community Center on July 12, 2022.
Location in Nassau County and the state of New York
Mineola Location in Long Island Show map of Long Island Mineola Location in New York Show map of New York
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Nassau County
Town	North Hempstead Hempstead
Incorporated	1906
Named for	Algonquin Chief Miniolagamika
Area
• Total	1.85 sq mi (4.79 km2)
• Land	1.85 sq mi (4.79 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	108 ft (33 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	20,800
• Density	11,237.17/sq mi (4,338.39/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Code	11501
Area codes	516, 363
FIPS code	36-47636
GNIS feature ID	0957391

Mineola is a small community called a village in New York, located on Long Island. It is also the county seat of Nassau County. This means it's where the main government offices for the county are located. In 2020, about 20,800 people lived here.

The name "Mineola" comes from an Algonquin Chief named Miniolagamika. His name meant "pleasant village."

The official name is the Incorporated Village of Mineola. Most of Mineola is in the Town of North Hempstead. A small part of its southern edge is in the Town of Hempstead. A road called Old Country Road runs along the village's southern border.

The Mineola Post Office serves a wider area, including parts of Garden City. Many offices for Nassau County are found in both Mineola and Garden City.

Discovering Mineola's Past

Early Days and Naming Mineola

The central, flat, and grassy area of Long Island was once known as "Hempstead Plains." Over time, different communities started to grow there. One of these places was first called "Hempstead Branch" before it became "Mineola."

Long Island was first claimed by Henry Hudson for the Dutch in 1609. In the 1700s, Dutch and English settlers began clearing land to farm on the Hempstead Plains. In 1858, this land was named after an Algonquin Indian Chief, Miniolagamika, which means "Pleasant Village." Later, the name was shortened to "Mineola."

Becoming the County Seat

From the late 1700s until the 1870s, the area was the county seat for Queens County. This was in a section known as Clowesville, just outside what is now Mineola. In 1898, the western part of Queens became a borough of New York City. Then, in 1899, Nassau County was created from the part of Queens that did not join New York City.

In November 1898, voters chose Mineola to be the county seat for the new Nassau County. It won against other towns like Hicksville and Hempstead. The Garden City Company, started in 1893, gave four acres of land for the county buildings. This land was just south of the Mineola train station.

Mineola officially became the County Seat on July 13, 1900. Governor Theodore Roosevelt helped lay the first stone for the Nassau County Court House. Many important people attended a celebration on the land.

Mineola became a legally recognized village in 1906. It was run by a president. The land where the county buildings stood was not part of the village itself. Even though these buildings have a Mineola mailing address, they are actually in the Village of Garden City. Garden City was formed later, in 1919.

Healthcare and Aviation History

Winthrop-University Hospital was founded in 1896 as Nassau Hospital. It was Long Island's first hospital that wasn't run by the government. In its first year, it helped 91 patients and performed 27 operations. The original hospital building was built in 1900. It was renamed Winthrop in the 1980s. Today, it is a well-known hospital.

The British airship R-34 landed in Mineola in 1919.

Mineola was also important for many famous pilots. The Aero Club of America chose the area because of its flat plains. Glenn Curtiss became famous in July 1909 with a flight that lasted over 23 minutes and covered 15 miles. He also made some of America's first public flights.

Pilots like the Wright Brothers, Igor Sikorsky, and Charles Lindbergh spent time in Mineola. They used the flat grasslands and good winds for their flights.

On May 20, 1927, at 7:52 a.m., Charles Lindbergh began his historic flight from nearby Roosevelt Field. About 33 hours later, he landed in Paris. He was the first person to fly alone across the Atlantic Ocean from the United States.

Village Life and Growth

Main Street was once the main business area and a popular meeting spot. The general store sold many everyday items like hardware, toys, and food. The small post office grew as Mineola's population increased. It moved several times before finding its permanent home on 1st Street and Main Street.

The Mineola Post Office

Mineola's first theater, Allen's Hall, showed early movies. Other theaters, like the grand Century Opera House, soon followed. Most theaters had morning and evening shows. They often had a live pianist who played music to match the movie.

Over the years, Jericho Turnpike became the main commercial street. Farmland was sold, and new homes and offices were built. Mineola has continued to grow and develop. In 2006, Mineola celebrated its 100th anniversary.

Mineola's Location

Mineola is located at 40°44′50″N 73°38′17″W / 40.747188°N 73.638088°W / 40.747188; -73.638088.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village covers about 1.9 square miles (4.9 square kilometers) of land.

Mineola borders several other villages. These include Garden City, Old Westbury, East Williston, and Williston Park. It also borders communities called hamlets, such as Herricks, Garden City Park, and Carle Place.

Population and People

What the Census Shows

Korean and Portuguese churches, Mineola

The census helps us understand the population. In 2010, there were 18,799 people living in Mineola. There were 7,473 households, which are groups of people living together.

About 27% of households had children under 18. Many households (53.2%) were married couples. The average household had 2.57 people.

The population was spread out by age. About 20.2% were under 18 years old. About 15.7% were 65 years or older. The average age in the village was 38 years.

Economy and Businesses

Dover Publications, a company that publishes books, has its main office in Mineola.

Education Opportunities

Public Schools

Mineola is mostly served by the Mineola Union Free School District. This means most children living in the village go to public schools in this district.

However, smaller parts of Mineola are in other school districts. These include the East Williston UFSD, Carle Place UFSD, and the Garden City UFSD. So, depending on where they live, children might attend schools in one of these four districts.

Mineola Middle School in 2018

Private Schools

Chaminade High School is a private Catholic school for boys. It is also located within Mineola.

How Mineola Works: Infrastructure

Getting Around: Transportation

Roads

Several important roads pass through Mineola. Jericho Turnpike (NY 25) goes through the village. Hillside Avenue (NY 25B) forms part of its northern border. Old Country Road also runs through Mineola and forms its border with Garden City.

The historic Long Island Motor Parkway also used to pass through the village. Other major roads include Mineola Boulevard, Roslyn Road, and Willis Avenue.

Train Service

The Mineola train station is part of the Long Island Rail Road. It serves trains on the Oyster Bay, Ronkonkoma, and Port Jefferson Branch lines. Some trains on the Montauk Branch also stop here.

Bus Service

An n24 bus at the Mineola Intermodal Center in 2017

Mineola has a major bus hub called the Mineola Intermodal Center. This center includes the train station and a Nassau Inter-County Express (NICE) bus station. It's one of the main bus centers in Nassau County.

Buses serving Mineola include:

• n15: (Rush Hours Only) Mineola to Long Beach
• n22: Jamaica to Hicksville via Hillside Avenue & Prospect Avenue
• n22X: Jamaica to Roosevelt Field Mall
• n23: Mineola to Manorhaven
• n24: Jamaica to Hicksville via Jericho Turnpike & Old Country Road
• n40: Mineola to Freeport

Other bus routes, like the n27 and n40x, also serve Mineola but do not stop at the Intermodal Center.

Essential Services: Utilities

Natural Gas

National Grid USA provides natural gas to homes and businesses in Mineola that are connected to gas lines.

Electricity

PSEG Long Island supplies electricity to all homes and businesses within Mineola.

Sewage System

Mineola has its own sanitary sewer system. This system collects wastewater from the village. It then flows into Nassau County's system, where it is treated at special sewage treatment plants. The village's sewer system is about 70 miles (110 km) long.

Water Supply

The Village of Mineola owns and manages its own water system. This system provides water to the entire village.

Famous People from Mineola

Many interesting people have connections to Mineola:

• Lenny Bruce (1925–1966), a comedian
• Jean Butler (born 1971), a master of Irish Dance and choreographer, known for Riverdance
• Kenneth Chenault (born 1951), former CEO of American Express
• Emmy Clarke (born 1991), actress from the TV show Monk
• Brian Dennehy (1938-2020), an actor
• Jack Emmer, a very successful college lacrosse coach
• Louis V. Gerstner, Jr., former chairman of IBM, born and raised in Mineola
• Kevin James (born 1965), actor and comedian, star of The King of Queens
• Elliot G. Jaspin (born 1946), a Pulitzer Prize winner for investigative reporting
• James Patrick Kelly (born 1951), a Hugo Award-winning author
• Diane Macedo (born 1982), a news anchor for ABC News
• Jackie Martling (born 1948), comedian and writer
• Carlos Mendes (born 1980), a professional soccer player
• Bill Owens, former Congressman, raised in Mineola
• Garrett Pilon (born 1998), an NHL player
• Kim Richards (born 1964), a child actress
• Lauren Scala (born 1982), a TV correspondent
• Robert B. Silvers (1929-2017), editor of The New York Review of Books
• Frances Townsend (born 1961), US Homeland Security Adviser
• Timothy Treadwell (1957-2003), a bear enthusiast
• John Valentin (born 1967), a former MLB player
• Tiffany Vollmer (born 1973), a voice actress
• Chris Weidman (born 1984), a UFC Middleweight Champion

See also

In Spanish: Mineola (Nueva York) para niños