right|thumb|The proposed Peconic County flag showed the two forks at the east end of Long Island separated by Peconic Bay. The star on the north represents Southold. The stars on the South Fork represent Southampton and East Hampton. Riverhead is at the fork mouth and Shelter Island is between the forks.
thumb|right|A map showing the proposed location of Peconic County.
Peconic County () is a proposed new county on Long Island in the U.S. state of New York that would secede the five easternmost towns of Suffolk County: East Hampton, Riverhead, Shelter Island, Southampton and Southold, plus the Shinnecock Indian Reservation.
It derives its name from Peconic Bay which is the dividing body of water separating the North and South forks of Long Island.
History
Peconic County has been discussed since the 1960s – ever since Suffolk County moved its offices from the official county seat in Riverhead west to Hauppauge, New York, in more densely populated western Suffolk County. Due to the region's small population, contributing just 2 of the Legislature's 18 members, the region was often overlooked by county officials, and were deemed "municipal orphans." Deciding that they would more efficiently run local courts, jails, and health services, municipal leaders began to seek the creation of a new county, tentatively called Peconic County.
In 2015, New York State Assemblyman Fred Thiele championed Peconic separatism, and was dubbed the “Patron Saint of Peconic County” seeking to revive the movement after Silver was arrested during a corruption scandal.
Ideology
Peconic County separatism is almost entirely supported by members of the Republican party, especially as Democrats have a long-standing policy of pursuing the merger of counties. If the proposed secession were to occur, the surviving Suffolk County would have a land area of and an adjusted 2020 census population of 1,364,793 inhabitants. It would be left with a population density of 933.51/km (2,417.78/mi<sup>2</sup>). As can be seen, the western part of Suffolk has more than five times the population density of its eastern neighbor.
Places within the proposed county
See also
- Adirondack County - another proposed county in New York