thumb|Common dolphins at Northwest Landing in Northwest Harbor
Northwest Harbor is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the Town of East Hampton, Suffolk County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, Northwest Harbor had a population of 4,637.
It is named for the bay on the South Fork of Long Island connecting Sag Harbor, Shelter Island and the town of East Hampton to Gardiners Bay and the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The bay derives its name from being northwest of East Hampton village. The name "Northwest Harbor" is applied to the Northwest Woods neighborhood (sometimes shortened to simply "Northwest") of the town of East Hampton. It is also applied to Northwest Landing at Northwest Creek (a saltwater outlet from the inlet to the harbor) which was the first port for East Hampton and which became a major whaling port in the late 17th and early 18th centuries until it was replaced by Sag Harbor two miles to the west of the landing, where the water was deeper. Ships of Sag Harbor must pass through Northwest Harbor at the Cedar Point Lighthouse in order to reach Gardiners Bay and the open ocean.
History
During the American Revolution it was the site of two conflicts, including the Meigs Raid, in which Americans burned Sag Harbor and captured 90 British soldiers, and an incident in which Isaac Van Scoy killed a British soldier with a pitchfork. The British were to conduct another raid during the War of 1812.
During the Great Hurricane of 1938, sand all but enclosed the harbor at its mouth at the Cedar Point Lighthouse, leaving only a narrow channel into Gardiners Bay.
In January 2007, Northwest Landing made national news in efforts to save several common dolphins that had swum up the creek.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of , of which is land and , or 9.81%, is water.thumb|left|Northwest Trail marker at Van Scoy-Edwards homestead
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Northwest Harbor had a population of 4,637. The median age was 49.5 years. 16.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 24.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 100.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 101.1 males age 18 and over.
91.8% of residents lived in urban areas, while 8.2% lived in rural areas.
There were 1,912 households in Northwest Harbor, of which 23.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 53.0% were married-couple households, 18.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 22.2% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 26.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 1,181 households, out of which 33.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.2% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.7% were non-families. 22.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.04.