Riverhead is a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

in Suffolk County,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, United States, on the north shore of

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...

. Since 1727, Riverhead has been the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

of Suffolk County, though most county offices are in Hauppauge. As of the 2020 census, the population was 35,902. The town rests on the mouth of the

Peconic River The Peconic River is a river within Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk County on Long Island, New York (state), New York.hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...

of Riverhead lies within it, and is the town's principal economic center. The town is 166 miles (267 km) southwest of

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

via the Orient Point-New London Ferry, and is 76 miles (123 km) northeast of

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. In the beginning of the 20th century, the town saw an influx of Polish immigrants. This led to the creation of Polish Town, a section of the Town and County seat where the popular Polish Town Fair is held annually. Riverhead is the agricultural apex of Long Island, with 20,000 of the 35,000 acres of the island's farmland located within the town. The town is also home to four separate beaches which are open year round. Iron Pier, Wading River, and Reeves Beach each offer boating access for residents and visitors alike.

History

European colonists purchased the "Southold land" from the local Algonquian-speaking Native Americans and

Shinnecock Indian Nation The Shinnecock Indian Nation is a federally recognized tribe of historically Algonquian peoples, Algonquian-speaking Native Americans in the United States, Native Americans based at the eastern end of Long Island, New York. This tribe is headq ...

in 1649. An additional portion was purchased from Col. William Smith and divided among settlers in 1742. The town of Riverhead was created in 1792 as part of new jurisdictions after the

American Revolution The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...

. The New York State Legislature divided it from the town of Southold,

, which lies to the north and east. Riverhead was separated at the behest of its inhabitants, who "represented to the Legislature that their town is so long that it is very inconvenient for them eople of western regions of Southoldto attend at town meetings, and also to transact the other necessary business of the said town, and have prayed that the same may be divided into two towns". The poor western sections of Southold, with no harbor and little commerce, were thus divided. On March 13, 1792, the Legislature passed a bill splitting off this section under the name River Head. The new enclave's first town meeting was scheduled to be held April 3, 1792.Ross, Peter
''River Head: A History of Long Island: From its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time''
(Lewis Publishing: New York, 1902) River Head was named the

of Suffolk County (called a "county town" at the time), and its name was later combined as Riverhead. By 1902, its approximate population was 2,500.

Geography

Riverhead is bounded by

Long Island Sound Long Island Sound is a sound (geography), marine sound and tidal estuary of the Atlantic Ocean. It lies predominantly between the U.S. state of Connecticut to the north and Long Island in New York (state), New York to the south. From west to east, ...

to the north, Southold to the east,

Southampton Southampton is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. It is located approximately southwest of London, west of Portsmouth, and southeast of Salisbury. Southampton had a population of 253, ...

to the southeast, and Brookhaven to the southwest and west. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the town has a total area of , of which is land and (66.53%) is water. The town is partly on the North Fork of the county. The eastern terminus of the

Long Island Expressway Long may refer to: Measurement * Long, characteristic of something of great duration * Long, characteristic of something of great length * Longitude (abbreviation: long.), a geographic coordinate * Longa (music), note value in early music mens ...

is in Riverhead.

Climate

Long Island has one of the northernmost

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

s (

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

''Cfa'') in the United States. The National Weather Service numbers are from the Research Farm near Long Island Sound.

Demographics

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 13,506 people and 15,424 households residing in the town. The population density was . As of the

of 2000, There were 10,749 households, out of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.0% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.2% were non-families. 26.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.01. As of the

of 2010, in the town the population was spread out, with 20.4% under the age of 18, 2.2% from 18 to 20, 6.1% from 20 to 24, 10.5% from 25 to 34, 20.6% from 35 to 49, 21.8% from 49 to 64, and 19.4% who were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 99.0 males. As of the

of 2000, the median income for a household in the town was $52,195, and the median income for a family was $60,939. Males had a median income of $40,855 versus $32,288 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $24,647. About 15.8% of families and 17.9% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 20.7% of those under age 18 and 7.4% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

* Francis Brill (1836–1913), farmer and member of the

New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Ass ...

* Danny Burawa (born 1988), major league baseball pitcher. * Joseph McCrum Belford (August 5, 1852 - May 3, 1917) - Born in Mifflintown, Pennsylvania. Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from New York- 1st. District, 1897 - 1899 *

Ed Danowski Edward Frank Danowski (September 30, 1911 – February 1, 1997) was an American football player and coach. He played quarterback and Halfback (American football), halfback in the National Football League (NFL) with the New York Giants from 1934 ...

(September 30, 1911 - February 1, 1997) - Quarterback and Halfback in the NFL, Played for the New York Giants, 1934-1938, 1941. Quarterbacked Giants when they won the 1934 & 1938 NFL Championship Games. * Gen. Edmund Fanning (April 24, 1739 - February 28, 1818) -

Loyalist Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cr ...

and Lieutenant-Governor of Nova Scotia, 1783-1786 * Garfield M. Langhorn (September 10, 1948 - January 15, 1969) -

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...

recipient for his actions in the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...

. * John S. Marcy (March 23, 1830 - May 3, 1885) - member of the

, 1872-1873 * Scott Merserau (April 8, 1965) - Defensive end with the New York Jets, 1987-1993. * Otis Grey Pike (August 31, 1921 - January 20, 2014) - Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from New York - 1st. District, 1961 - 1979 * Anne C. Richard (born 1960) - Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration, 2012-2017. * Kate C. Woodhull (1842–1926) and Hannah C. Woodhull - American missionaries in Fuzhou, China, 1884–1912 * Alexander M. Zaleski (June 24, 1906 - May 16, 1975) - Roman Catholic Bishop of Lansing, 1965-1975.

Government and politics

Riverhead has a town council government. There is an elected Town Supervisor who is elected by the entire town, and four "at large" Town Council seats. The Town Supervisor term is for two years and four years for council seats. From 1956 to 1975, the Town Council consisted of the Town Supervisor, two Town Council members and two Justices of the Peace. Prior to 1956, the Town Council consisted of the Town Supervisor and four Justices of the Peace. As of 2016, there is a 12 year term limit for Town Council members and the Town Supervisor. The Town Supervisor term of office is for two years. Members of the board cannot serve 12 consecutive years. That means that they could take a break after serving their 12 years and then run for office once again.

Media

The Riverhead

newspaper A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as poli ...

''Riverhead News-Review'', dates back to 1950, when the Harry Lee Publishing Co. Inc, publishers of ''The County Review'' (1903–1950), purchased ''The Riverhead News'' (1868–1950) and consolidated the two newspapers as ''The News-Review''. Times/Review Newspapers Corp. purchased ''The News-Review'' and ''The Suffolk Times'', based in Greenport, in 1977. The news website RiverheadLOCAL began publication in 2010. It is owned by East End Local Media Corp., an independent company based in Riverhead.

Communities and locations

Hamlets (unincorporated)

* Aquebogue * Baiting Hollow * Calverton ''(small part in the Town of Brookhaven)'' * Jamesport *

Laurel Laurel may refer to: Plants * Lauraceae, the laurel family * Laurel (plant), including a list of trees and plants known as laurel People * Laurel (given name), people with the given name * Laurel (surname), people with the surname * Laurel (mus ...

''(mostly in the Town of Southold)'' * Manorville ''(mostly in Brookhaven)'' * Northville * Riverhead (hamlet) * Wading River ''(small part in Brookhaven)''

Other communities

* Centerville * Polishtown * Reeves Park * Roanoke * South Jamesport * Sweyze

State parks

* Hallock State Park Preserve * Wildwood State Park * Indian Island County Park

Transportation

Railroad lines

The

Long Island Rail Road The Long Island Rail Road , or LIRR, is a Rail transport, railroad in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, stretching from Manhattan to the eastern tip of Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk County on Long Islan ...

's Main Line is the sole line within the Town of Riverhead. The only active station is Riverhead, which is also used as the western terminus of the Railroad Museum of Long Island.

Bus service

The Town of Riverhead is served primarily by

Suffolk County Transit Suffolk County Transit is the provider of bus services in Suffolk County, New York, on Long Island and is an agency of the Suffolk County government. It was founded in 1980 as a county-run oversight and funding agency for a group of private con ...

and Hampton Jitney bus routes.

Major roads

* Interstate 495 –

New York State Route 25A New York State Route 25A (NY 25A) is a state highway on Long Island in New York (state), New York, United States. It serves as the main east–west route for most of the North Shore (Long Island), North Shore of Long Island, running ...

–

Stony Brook University Stony Brook University (SBU), officially the State University of New York at Stony Brook, is a public university, public research university in Stony Brook, New York, United States, on Long Island. Along with the University at Buffalo, it is on ...

New York State Route 25 New York State Route 25 (NY 25) is an east–west state highway in downstate New York in the United States. The route extends along the central parts and North Shore (Long Island), North Shore of Long Island for just over from east ...

–

, Orient Point * Suffolk County 58

County Route 58 (Suffolk County, New York) A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) ''Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denotin ...

County Route 105 (Suffolk County, New York) *Sound Avenue

Airports

The town of Riverhead contains a minor private-use airport known as the Calverton Executive Airpark, originally the Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant, Calverton.

Footnotes

References

Town of Riverhead
official site

External links

Riverhead Central School District

Taussig, Charles William, ''The Book of Radio'' (1922), Chapter XXI "The World's Greatest Radio Station", pp. 312–327
{{authority control Riverhead (town), New York, County seats in New York (state) Towns on Long Island Towns in Suffolk County, New York Towns in New York (state) Towns in the New York metropolitan area Populated coastal places in New York (state)