Massapequa, New York facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Massapequa, New York
Hamlet and census-designated place
All-American Hamburger Drive-In in Massapequa
Nickname(s):  Pequa; Matzah Pizza
Location in Nassau County and the state of New York
Massapequa, New York Location in Long Island Show map of Long Island Massapequa, New York Location in New York Show map of New York
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Nassau
Town	Oyster Bay
Area
• Total	3.99 sq mi (10.34 km2)
• Land	3.56 sq mi (9.22 km2)
• Water	0.43 sq mi (1.12 km2)
Elevation	26 ft (8 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	21,355
• Density	6,000.28/sq mi (2,316.90/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP Code	11758
Area codes	516, 363
FIPS code	36-45986
GNIS feature ID	0956651

Massapequa is a community located in Nassau County, New York, on Long Island. It's known as a hamlet and a census-designated place, which means it's a community that is counted for the census but isn't officially a city or town. In 2020, about 21,355 people lived there.

History of Massapequa

The name Massapequa comes from an old language and means “great water land.” This makes sense because the area is close to the water.

The first people to live here were the Massapequa People. They were a group of Native Americans who spoke the Algonquian language. They were one of the "13 tribes of Long Island." At first, many Massapequa People were friendly with the European settlers. However, around 1658, some merchants from the Town of Oyster Bay tricked Chief Tackapausha into selling land. He tried to fix this misunderstanding, but he was not successful.

By 1670, about 35 years after Europeans first settled in the area, only a few Native Americans remained on Long Island.

During World War II, Massapequa had about 3,000 people. Most of them worked in farming or at nearby factories that made aircraft.

In 1953, the last parts of an old fort belonging to the Massapequa People were covered up by a company building new homes. This site was important for history and archeology.

Geography and Climate

Massapequa is about 4 square miles (10.34 square kilometers) in total. Most of this area is land, but about 9% is water.

Sometimes, Massapequa and other nearby places with "Massapequa" in their names are called "the Massapequas" all together.

Weather in Massapequa

U.S. Census map of Massapequa

Massapequa has a climate similar to other places near the coast in the northeastern United States. Summers are warm and humid, and winters are cold. The Atlantic Ocean helps keep the weather from getting too hot in summer. It brings cool breezes in the afternoons. This also means there are fewer severe thunderstorms. However, strong storms can happen, especially when they come from the mainland.

In winter, temperatures are often warmer than places further inland. This means that sometimes snowstorms inland might fall as rain in Massapequa. Still, it snows every winter. Sometimes, big storms called Nor'easters can bring a lot of snow, like 1 to 2 feet (30–60 cm), and very strong winds. On average, Massapequa gets about 28 inches of snow each winter.

On August 25, 2006, a small tornado hit Massapequa.

On October 29, 2012, Hurricane Sandy caused a lot of damage in Massapequa. Areas south of Merrick Road were especially affected by rising floodwaters. Schools were closed for many days or weeks. Many homes lost power for weeks because power lines were knocked down. Hundreds of houses were badly damaged by the floods and needed a lot of repairs.

People of Massapequa

House in Massapequa, 1934

In 2000, there were 22,652 people living in Massapequa. Most people (about 97%) were White. There were also people of Asian, African American, and other backgrounds. About 2.59% of the people were Hispanic or Latino.

Massapequa has many people from Italian and Jewish backgrounds. Because of this, some people jokingly call the town "matzah pizza".

In 2000, about 38% of households had children under 18 living with them. Most households (73.4%) were married couples. The average household had about 3 people.

The median age in Massapequa was 41 years old in 2007. This means half the people were older than 41 and half were younger. About 25.6% of the population was under 18 years old.

The median income for a household in Massapequa was $107,181. This means half the households earned more than this amount, and half earned less.

Education in Massapequa

Massapequa High School

In the past, students from Massapequa went to schools in nearby towns. Even after the Massapequa Union Free School District (MSD) was created, there wasn't a high school in Massapequa for a while. Students often went to high schools in places like Amityville, Freeport, or Baldwin.

The MSD built its first modern school building in the mid-1920s. It was called "Massapequa Avenue School." After Massapequa High School was built in 1955, the original school was renamed "Fairfield School."

Today, the MSD has 6 elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school.

Here are the active schools in Massapequa:

• Massapequa High School: Opened in 1955, and its first class graduated in 1956. It teaches students in grades 10-12.
• Massapequa High School - Ames Campus: Renamed in 1977, this campus teaches students in grade 9.
• Berner Middle School: Renamed in 1977, it teaches students in grades 6-8.
• Birch Lane Elementary School: Opened in 1956, it teaches students in grades K-5.
• East Lake Elementary School: Opened in 1955, it teaches students in grades K-5.
• Fairfield Elementary School: Opened in 1925, it teaches students in grades K-5.
• Lockhart Elementary School: Opened in 1957, it teaches students in grades K-5.
• McKenna Elementary School: Renamed in 1977, it teaches students in grades K-5.
• Unqua Elementary School: Opened in 1952, it teaches students in grades K-5.

Transportation

Massapequa has a train station on the Long Island Rail Road's Babylon Branch. This train line helps people travel to and from the area.

Several NICE bus routes also serve Massapequa, providing local public transportation.

Famous People from Massapequa

See also

In Spanish: Massapequa para niños