Peconic County, New York facts for kids
Peconic County is a name for a new county that people have suggested creating in New York. It would be located on the eastern part of Long Island. This new county would break away from Suffolk County.
The idea is for Peconic County to include five towns: East Hampton, Riverhead, Shelter Island, Southampton, and Southold. It would also include the Shinnecock Indian Reservation.
The name "Peconic" comes from Peconic Bay. This bay is a large body of water that separates the northern and southern parts of eastern Long Island.
Why Create a New County?
People have been talking about creating Peconic County for over 50 years. The main reason is that the eastern part of Suffolk County is very different from the western part.
The western part of Suffolk County is mostly made up of communities where people live and then travel to New York City for work. These are often called "bedroom communities."
However, the eastern part, known as the "East End," is more rural. It has a lot of open spaces and is known for its upscale homes. People living there want to keep its natural and quiet character.
The idea for a new county became stronger after Suffolk County moved its main offices. The offices moved from Riverhead (in the east) to Hauppauge (in the west). This made people in the East End feel like their needs were not being heard.
Voting for Change
In 1997, people in the East End voted on whether they wanted to break away and form their own county. A large number of voters, 71 percent, said yes. This vote was "nonbinding," which means it showed what people wanted, but it wasn't a final decision.
For a new county to be created, the New York State Assembly (which makes laws for New York State) would need to approve it. So far, they have not approved the plan. Some people thought the Assembly was worried that if they allowed Peconic County to form, other areas might want to break away too. For example, Staten Island might want to leave New York City.
The movement to create Peconic County has not been very active in recent years.
Size and Population
If Peconic County were to be created, it would cover a large area. The five towns and the Shinnecock Reservation together have a land area of about 900.58 square kilometers (347.72 square miles). This is about 38 percent of Suffolk County's total land.
In 2020, about 161,127 people lived in this proposed area. This is about 10.5 percent of Suffolk County's total population. This means that the western part of Suffolk County has many more people living in a smaller space. The western part is much more crowded, with over five times more people per square mile than the proposed Peconic County area.
Places in Peconic County
The proposed Peconic County would include several towns, villages, and other communities.
- Towns
* East Hampton * Riverhead * Shelter Island * Southampton * Southold
- Villages
* Dering Harbor * East Hampton * Greenport * North Haven * Quogue * Sag Harbor * Sagaponack * Southampton * Westhampton Beach * West Hampton Dunes
- Indian Reservation
