Nassau County, New York facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nassau County
County
County of Nassau
Hempstead House, part of Sands Point Preserve, on Nassau County's Gold Coast, home to some of the world's most expensive real estate
Flag Seal
Location within the U.S. state of New York
New York's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	New York
Founded	1899
Named for	House of Nassau
Seat	Mineola
Largest town	Hempstead
Area
• Total	453 sq mi (1,170 km2)
• Land	285 sq mi (740 km2)
• Water	169 sq mi (440 km2)  37%
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,395,774
• Density	4,897.45/sq mi (1,890.92/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Area code	516, 363
Congressional districts	2nd, 3rd, 4th
Population is 2020 official census

Manhasset Bay, shown on a map from 1917

Nassau County is a suburban area located on Long Island, just east of New York City. It borders the Long Island Sound to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the south. In 2020, Nassau County had a population of 1,395,774 people. This makes it the sixth-most populated county in New York State.

The county's main office is in Mineola. The biggest and most populated town is Hempstead. Nassau County is west of Suffolk County and east of New York City's Queens borough. It is a very busy part of the New York metropolitan area. Many people travel from Nassau County to New York City for work.

Nassau County has two cities. It also has three towns. There are 64 villages and over 60 hamlets too. The county has its own police and fire services. It also has elected leaders and lawmakers.

Nassau County is known for being one of the wealthiest counties in the U.S. A 2012 Forbes article said it was the most expensive county in the country. The average home price in Nassau County is around $800,000. The Gold Coast area has some of the most expensive homes in the world.

Students from Nassau County high schools often win big science awards. They do well in events like the International Science and Engineering Fair. Many top schools in the U.S. are also found here. Important science and medical research centers are in Nassau County. These include Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research. Nassau County is a major center for advanced medical care. In June 2024, eight cricket games for the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup were played in East Meadow.

The Name of Nassau County

The name "Nassau County" comes from an old name for Long Island. Long Island was once called Nassau. This name honored the Dutch royal family, the House of Nassau. King William III of England was part of this family. The family itself was named after the German town of Nassau. The county's colors, orange and blue, also come from the House of Orange-Nassau.

People thought about other names for the county. Some ideas were "Bryant" or "Norfolk." But "Nassau" was chosen because it had been Long Island's name before. It was the most popular choice when the new county was suggested in 1875.

A Brief History of Nassau County

The land that is now Nassau County was once the eastern part of Queens County. Queens County was one of the first twelve counties in New York, formed in 1683. This area was divided into two towns: Hempstead and Oyster Bay. In 1784, the northern part of Hempstead became the new Town of North Hempstead.

Nassau County was officially formed in 1899. This happened after the western part of Queens became a borough of New York City in 1898. The three eastern towns then left Queens County to form their own new county.

When the first European settlers arrived, Native American groups lived here. These included the Marsapeque, Matinecoc, and Sacatogue. Dutch settlers lived in the western part of Long Island. English settlers from Connecticut lived in the eastern part. For a while, Long Island was split between the Dutch and the English.

In 1664, all of Long Island became part of the English Province of New York. By 1700, most of the land had been bought from the Native Americans. During the American Revolution, the British tore down the courthouse in Jamaica. They used the materials to build army barracks.

After the American Revolutionary War in 1784, the Town of Hempstead was split. This happened because people in the north supported the Patriots. People in the south were mostly Loyalists. A new courthouse was built in the new Town of North Hempstead. It was near what is now Mineola.

Mineola Station of the Long Island Rail Road

The Long Island Rail Road reached Hicksville in 1837. By 1850, the population of the western towns of Queens was larger than the eastern towns. This led to discussions about separating the eastern towns.

In 1898, the western part of Queens County joined the City of Greater New York. This left the eastern part of Queens County outside the new city. These areas included all of North Hempstead, all of Oyster Bay, and most of Hempstead. The Rockaway Peninsula became part of New York City.

In 1899, the New York State Legislature approved the creation of Nassau County. The three towns officially separated from Queens County. Voters chose Mineola as the county seat. The Garden City Company donated land for the county buildings. These buildings are now in Garden City.

The Long Island Expressway at Hicksville, New York

In 1917, Glen Cove became a city. This made it separate from the Town of Oyster Bay. In 1922, Long Beach also became a city. These are the only two cities in Nassau County.

From the early 1900s, many farms on the North Shore became large estates for rich New Yorkers. This area became known as the "Gold Coast." It was the setting for F. Scott Fitzgerald's famous novel The Great Gatsby. President Theodore Roosevelt had a summer home here called Sagamore Hill. In 1908, William Kissam Vanderbilt built the Long Island Motor Parkway. This was one of the first highways in the world with no intersections. It was also used for car races.

Nassau County's flat land was perfect for aviation. Many important flights started here. Military pilots trained at places like Mitchel Air Force Base. Charles Lindbergh took off from Roosevelt Field in 1927 for his first non-stop flight across the Atlantic Ocean. Grumman built many planes for World War II and later helped with the Apollo Space program.

The United Nations Security Council was in Nassau County from 1946 to 1951. Meetings were held at the Sperry Gyroscope building in Lake Success. It was here that the Security Council decided to send forces to the Korean Peninsula in 1950.

After World War II, many people moved to Nassau County from New York City. They wanted a more suburban life. This caused a huge population increase. In 1947, William Levitt built his first planned community in Levittown. In the 1930s, Robert Moses created parks like Jones Beach State Park. Later, the focus was on making it easier for commuters to travel.

In 1994, a judge ruled that the Nassau County Board of Supervisors was unconstitutional. A new 19-member legislature was formed. In the 1990s, Nassau County faced money problems. The county raised taxes to avoid state control. In 2011, a New York State board took control of Nassau County's finances. This was because the county could not balance its budget.

Geography and Climate

Nighttime aerial view of Nassau County, looking west-northwest. Hempstead is in the center.

An aerial photo of the North Shore of Nassau County, looking west.

Nassau County covers about 453 square miles. About 285 square miles are land, and 168 square miles (37%) are water.

The county is bordered by the Long Island Sound to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It is just east of Queens, New York City. Nassau County is divided into two cities and three towns. These towns contain 64 villages and many hamlets. Connecticut is across the Long Island Sound to the north.

Nassau County has a climate like other coastal areas in the Northeastern United States. Summers are warm and humid, and winters are cool and wet. The Atlantic Ocean brings cool breezes in summer. This helps keep temperatures down and reduces strong thunderstorms. Nassau County gets a good amount of sunshine each year.

Neighboring Counties

Nassau County shares borders with these counties:

• Fairfield County, Connecticut – north (across the water)
• Queens County – west
• Suffolk County – east
• Westchester County – northwest (across the water)
• Bronx County— northwest (across the water)

Getting Around Nassau County

In 2017, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo approved a plan to add a third railroad track. This track is for the Long Island Rail Road between Floral Park and Hicksville. This project costs almost $2 billion. It will help more people travel by train between New York City and Long Island.

The main highways that go east and west in Nassau County are the Long Island Expressway, Northern State Parkway, and Southern State Parkway. Other important roads include Northern Boulevard and Jericho Turnpike. The main highways that go north and south are the Meadowbrook State Parkway and Wantagh State Parkway.

Nassau County also has a public bus system called NICE. It runs bus routes throughout the county and into Queens and Suffolk counties. Some bus lines run 24 hours a day.

Protected Natural Areas

• Oyster Bay National Wildlife Refuge
• Sagamore Hill National Historic Site
• Lido Beach Wildlife Management Area (part of the Long Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex)

People and Culture

Nassau County's population was 1,395,774 in 2020. In 2010, about 23.3% of the people were under 18 years old. About 18.7% were 62 years or older. The average age was 41.1 years.

In 2019, the average household income in Nassau County was $116,100. Only about 5.6% of the population lived below the poverty line.

Nassau County is a diverse place. In 2019, about 58.2% of the people were non-Hispanic white. About 11.3% were Black or African American, and 10.3% were Asian. The Hispanic and Latin American population made up 17.5% of the people.

H Mart in Jericho, a busy Asian grocery store

There are many different groups of people living in Nassau County. In 2011, about 230,000 Jewish people lived here. Italian Americans also make up a large part of the population. Many people have roots from Italy, Ireland, Germany, India, and Poland.

Recently, a "Little India" community has grown in Hicksville. It is similar to other Indian communities in Queens. Many Chinese immigrants have also moved to Nassau County. The Long Island Koreatown is also growing eastward into Nassau County.

The Reconstructionist Synagogue of the North Shore in Plandome, one of many Jewish synagogues in Nassau County

Law Enforcement

The Nassau County Police Department provides most police services. However, the cities of Glen Cove and Long Beach have their own police forces. Some villages also have their own police departments. These smaller police forces use special county police services, like the police academy. The county police investigate all homicides in Nassau County.

The New York State Police patrol state parkways. State parks are patrolled by the New York State Park Police. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police patrol Long Island Rail Road areas. The Nassau County Sheriff's Department handles jail services and court orders.

A Nassau County Auxiliary Police car

The Nassau County Auxiliary Police are volunteers who help the county police. They patrol neighborhoods and help with traffic control at events. They complete a long training course and can make arrests for crimes they see.

Fire Departments

Nassau County has 71 independent volunteer or combination paid/volunteer fire departments. These departments are organized into 9 groups called battalions. The Nassau County Fire Commission helps support all these departments.

Education in Nassau County

Education is very important in Nassau County. There are 58 public school districts. These districts often have the same names as a city, hamlet, or village. However, their boundaries are set separately. Some of Nassau County's school districts are among the best in the country. These include the Jericho Union Free School District and Great Neck Public Schools.

Colleges and Universities

Nassau County is home to several colleges and universities:

• United States Service Academy
  • United States Merchant Marine Academy – Kings Point
• State University of New York
  • Nassau Community College – Garden City
  • SUNY Old Westbury – Old Westbury
• Private

Academic Quad at the New York Institute of Technology's Old Westbury campus

• • Adelphi University – Garden City
  • Five Towns College – Dix Hills
  • Hofstra University – Hempstead
    • Zucker School of Medicine
    • Maurice A. Deane School of Law
  • LIU Post – Brookville
  • Molloy University – Rockville Centre
  • New York Institute of Technology – Old Westbury
    • New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine
  • Webb Institute – Glen Cove

Sports and Recreation

The golf course at Bethpage State Park

Horse racing at Belmont Park

Nassau County is home to the New York Islanders, a professional hockey team. They played at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum for many years. In 2021, the team moved to a new arena, UBS Arena, near Belmont Park in Elmont.

The Brooklyn Nets, a professional basketball team, also played in Nassau County in the past. They were known as the New York Nets back then. The New York Cosmos (2010), a soccer team, play at James M. Shuart Stadium at Hofstra University. The New York Lizards, a lacrosse team, also play there.

Belmont Park in Elmont is a famous place for horse racing. It hosts the Belmont Stakes every year. This is one of the biggest horse races in the country. Nassau County also has many famous and historic golf courses. The U.S. Open golf tournament has been held here five times.

In June 2024, Nassau County hosted eight cricket matches for the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup. These games were played at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow. This event brought a lot of money to the county. It also left lasting improvements for future cricket tournaments.

Communities of Nassau County

Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale (top), and UBS Arena in Elmont (below)

Nassau County is made up of different types of communities. Here are the cities, towns, and some of the villages and hamlets.

Cities

• Glen Cove
• Long Beach

Towns

• Hempstead
• North Hempstead
• Oyster Bay

Villages

Census-Designated Places (Hamlets)

County Symbols

• County bird: Osprey
• County flower: Birdsfoot Violet (Viola pedata)

Famous People from Nassau County

Many well-known people have lived in or come from Nassau County. Here are just a few:

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Nassau (Nueva York) para niños