Port Washington, New York

Port Washington is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) on the Cow Neck Peninsula in the Town of North Hempstead, in Nassau County, on the North Shore of Long Island, in New York, United States. The hamlet is the anchor community of the Greater Port Washington area. The population was 16,753 at the time of the 2020 census.

History

What is now Port Washington was originally inhabited by the Matinecock Native Americans. European colonists – namely, Dutchmen and Englishmen – settled in the area in 1644, after they purchased land from the Matinecocks. Many of these settlers in modern-day Port Washington and across Cow Neck established farms or large colonial estates.

In the 1870s, Port Washington became an important sand-mining town; it had the largest sandbank east of the Mississippi River and easy barge access to Manhattan. Some 140 million cubic yards of local sand were used for concrete for skyscrapers in New York City (including the Empire State and Chrysler buildings), in addition to the New York City Subway. In 1998, the sand mines were redeveloped as Harbor Links – a golf course for North Hempstead residents.

In 1895, a group of Port Washington residents lobbied for the Long Island Rail Road to be extend what is now the Port Washington Branch from Great Neck to its present terminus in Port Washington; this request came after the failure of an 1882 attempt to extend the line from Great Neck to Roslyn. The LIRR agreed to build an extension to Port Washington, and the extended line – including the Manhasset and Port Washington stations – subsequently opened on June 23, 1898. The arrival of rail service in Port Washington spurred rapid development in the community. These trolleys operated until 1920, when the company collapsed. This facility would become a major destination in Port Washington over the ensuing years and decades.

By 1910, the northern portions of the peninsula – including Sands Point, Mott's Point, and Barker's Point – sought to incorporate as villages and thereby split from the rest of Port Washington. Citing concerns over the effects which these developments would have on the rest of the Greater Port Washington area's taxpayers, a movement to incorporate Port Washington proper as the Incorporated Village of Port Washington was born, with a vote on the incorporation taking place in 1912. However, this proposal – like later proposals to incorporate the community – was unsuccessful, and the movement was highly contentious. In the 1912 referendum vote on the matter, the measure to incorporate Port Washington as a village was defeated by nine votes, and local Democratic Party leaders in the community had fiercely rallied against the incorporation plans.

In 1912, Main Street – the main east–west thoroughfare through downtown Port Washington – was renamed accordingly from Flower Hill Avenue, its former name.

In 1916, the Town of North Hempstead proposed erecting a vehicular bridge across Hempstead Harbor, between Bar Beach in Port Washington and Shore Road in Glenwood Landing, citing traffic demand. While this bridge would never be built, one further south – the William Cullen Bryant Viaduct – opened several years later as part of a separate but similar project, in January 1950. 1916 also saw the creation of Sunset Park and the erection of the Port Washington Water Pollution Control District's first treatment plant, which was located within the park.

As Port Washington continued to grow in the early 20th century, the need arose for improved law enforcement services in the community. This led to the establishment of the Port Washington Police District – as of 2025 the only special district police department in New York state – in 1921. This ferry – operated by the Port Washington–New Rochelle Ferry Co., Inc. – would run until 1939, when the Bronx–Whitestone Bridge opened further to the west and rendered the service obsolete, partially due to a lack of sufficient business.

In the late 1930s, prior to the opening of the Marine Air Terminal at LaGuardia Airport, Port Washington and Manorhaven were home to Pan American World Airways' New York base for their Yankee Clipper Boeing B-314 flying boats; the waters of Manhasset Bay were ideal for flying boat operations. Common destinations served included London, Southampton (UK), the Azores, and Bermuda. Both occupants of the Cessna were killed, and all 33 occupants onboard the Pan Am flight survived; the Constellation performed an emergency landing at nearby Mitchel Field. It is named in honor of Paul D. Schreiber, who served as the Port Washington Union Free School District's superintendent from 1920 to 1953.

In June 1967, the John Philip Sousa Memorial Bandshell – one of the community's primary performing arts venues – was formally dedicated in Sunset Park. It is named after – and was built as a memorial to – American composer and longtime Port Washington resident John Philip Sousa, who lived in what would eventually become the Village of Sands Point. It subsequently turned it and the adjacent, Town-owned park – Bar Beach Town Park – into a single, larger, park facility, known as North Hempstead Beach Park.

Etymology

Port Washington's name is a tribute to George Washington – an American Revolutionary War general and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, who served as the first President of the United States between 1789 and 1797.

Furthermore, Port Washington is located on the Cow Neck Peninsula.

Topography

Like the rest of Long Island's North Shore, Port Washington is situated on a terminal moraine, known as the Harbor Hill Moraine. This moraine was formed by glaciers during the Wisconsin Glacial Episode, and is named for Harbor Hill in Roslyn; Harbor Hill is the highest geographic point in Nassau County.

Climate

Overview

Port Washington has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa), bordering on a hot-summer humid continental climate (Dfa).

Plant zone

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Port Washington is located within hardiness zone 7b.

Greater Port Washington area

The Greater Port Washington area is home to four incorporated villages in their entirety, in addition to the hamlet of Port Washington:

Baxter Estates
Manorhaven
Port Washington North
Sands Point

Additionally, the Greater Port Washington area also includes part of the Incorporated Village of Flower Hill (which is split between the Greater Manhasset, Greater Port Washington, and Greater Roslyn areas), as well as a small part of the Village of Plandome Manor (which is split between the Greater Manhasset and Port Washington areas).

Economy

thumb|The Hilton Garden Inn in Port Washington in 2022

There are numerous small stores in Port Washington with 6 shopping centers, 4 strip malls and an industrial complex on the east side of Port Washington next to Hempstead Harbor, off West Shore Road. Entertainment One, NPD Group, Pall, and Systemax, as well as a Hilton Garden Inn are located in that industrial complex.

Business improvement district

The entire hamlet is located within the Greater Port Washington Business Improvement District's boundaries.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Port Washington had a population of 16,753. The median age was 44.7 years. 24.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 22.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 92.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.1 males.

100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 5,925 households in Port Washington, of which 37.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 62.5% were married-couple households, 10.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 23.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 21.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

Representation in higher government

Nassau County representation

Port Washington is in the Nassau County Legislature's 11th legislative district, which as of January 2025 is represented by Delia DiRiggi-Whitton (D–Glen Cove).

New York State representation

New York State Senate

Port Washington is in New York's 7th State Senate district, which as of January 2025 is represented by Jack M. Martins (R–Old Westbury).

New York State Assembly

Port Washington is in New York's 16th State Assembly district, which as of January 2025 is represented by Daniel J. Norber (R–Great Neck).

Federal representation

United States Congress

Port Washington is in New York's 3rd congressional district, which as of January 2025 is represented in the United States Congress by Thomas R. Suozzi (D–Glen Cove).

United States Senate

Like the rest of New York, Port Washington is represented in the United States Senate by Charles E. Schumer (D) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D).

Politics

In the 2024 U.S. presidential election, the majority of Port Washington voters voted for Kamala D. Harris (D). Harris carried the hamlet by roughly 66% of the hamlet's vote, while Donald J. Trump (R) received approximately 33% of the remaining votes.

Harbor Links
North Hempstead Aerodrome
North Hempstead Beach Park
Sand Miner's Monument
Sunset Park
Town Dock Park
North Shore Yacht Club
Port Washington Yacht Club

The former Knickerbocker Yacht Club was also in the hamlet, along Manhasset Bay.

Education

School district

thumb|[[Paul D. Schreiber Senior High School|Paul D. Schreiber High School in 2025]]

Port Washington is within the boundaries of (and is thus served by) the Port Washington Union Free School District. Additionally, a small portion of the hamlet's southeastern corner is within the boundaries of the Roslyn Union Free School District. However, there are no homes in that area of the hamlet, and thus, all students in the hamlet who attend public schools go to Port Washington's schools.

Library district

Port Washington is located within the boundaries of the Port Washington Library District, which is served by the Port Washington Public Library, located in the Village of Baxter Estates. Other major roads within the hamlet include Harbor Road, Mackey Avenue, Main Street, Murray Avenue, North Plandome Road, Radcliff Avenue, Sandy Hollow Road, South Bayles Avenue, West Shore Road/Beacon Hill Road, and Willowdale Avenue.

Bus

thumb|A [[Mineola Intermodal Center|Mineola-bound n23 bus on Main Street within the hamlet in 2025]]

The n23 bus, which is operated by Nassau Inter-County Express and runs from Manorhaven to the Mineola Intermodal Center in Mineola, serves Port Washington, running along Main Street and Port Washington Boulevard.

Additionally, NICE's Port Washington Shuttle provides local rush-hour service in the hamlet and throughout the Greater Port Washington area – as well as providing service to the Village of Roslyn, which is slightly southeast of Port Washington.

Utilities

Natural gas

National Grid USA provides natural gas to homes and businesses that are hooked up to natural gas lines in Port Washington.

Power

PSEG Long Island provides power to all homes and businesses within Port Washington, on behalf of the Long Island Power Authority.

Sewage

Port Washington is within the boundaries of (and is thus served by) the Port Washington Water Pollution Control District, which operates the sanitary sewer system serving the hamlet.

Police

The Port Washington Police District provides police protection for the heavy majority of the hamlet, with the exception being the portion of the hamlet located within the Roslyn Union Free School District's boundaries, which is served by the Sixth Precinct of the Nassau County Police Department.

Landmarks

The Thomas Dodge Homestead, Main Street School, and the Monfort Cemetery are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

thumb|The [[Main Street School (now the Landmark on Main Street Community Center) in 2025]]

Notable people

Sebastian Arcelus (born 1976) – Actor
Eric Bloom (born 1944) – Musician
Bob Carroll (1918–1994) – Singer and actor; lived on Glen Lane
John Cassavetes (1929–1989) – Actor and filmmaker
Evelyn Danzig (1902–1996) – Concert pianist and composer
William Dumpson (1930–2014) – played in the Negro leagues and for the Harlem Globetrotters
John Fasano (1961–2014) – Screenwriter and director
William H. Folwell (1924–2022) – American Episcopal prelate
Peter Fornatale – Disc jockey, radio personality, and author
Fontaine Fox (1884–1964) – American cartoonist and illustrator
Lucy Fradkin (born 1953) – Visual artist
Howard Gould (1871–1959) – Financier
Bob Griffin (born 1950) – American-Israeli basketball player and English literature professor.
Hartford N. Gunn, Jr. – Founding President of PBS; son of North Hempstead Town Supervisor Hartford N. Gunn, Sr.
Lazlo Halasz (1905–2001) – Conductor; lived at 3 Leeds Drive
William Randolph Hearst (1863–1951) – Publisher
William S. Hults Jr. (1906–1999) – Politician and New York State Department of Motor Vehicles commissioner; lived on Lowell Road
Craig M. Johnson (born 1971) – Former New York State senator
Martin W. Littleton (1873–1934) – Congressman for the area in the United States House of Representatives between 1911 and 1913.
Jimmy McPartland (1907–1991) – Jazz cornetist and husband to Mariann McPartland; lived on Essex Court
LuEsther Mertz (1905–1991) – Businesswoman and philanthropist
Evelyn Mulry Moore (1942–2012) – Wheelchair athlete
Kelly Moran – Musician; grew up in Port Washington
Don Orehek (1928–2022) – Freelance cartoonist; lived on Revere Road
Nancy Overton (1926–2009) – Singer
Susan Quittmeyer (born 1953) – Opera singer
Anthony Scaramucci (born 1964) – Founder of SkyBridge Capital; former White House Communications Director to President Donald Trump
Richard Shindell (born 1960) – Singer-songwriter; grew up in Port Washington
Richard Sonnenfeldt (1923–2009) – Engineer, executive, author, and the United States' chief interpreter for prosecutors during the Nuremberg Trials
Sean Spicer (born 1971) – 30th White House Press Secretary
Jean Swain (1923–2000) – Singer
Jon "Stugotz" Weiner (born 1972) – Co-host of The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Jeanine Tesori (born 1961) – Composer and musical arranger; grew up in Port Washington
George Vecsey (born 1939) – Sports columnist for The New York Times
Jordan Walker (born 1999) – professional basketball player
Mark Wood – Rock violinist
Burt Young (1940–2023) – Actor best known for appearing in Rocky and its sequels

In popular culture

Over the years, scenes for various shows and movies have been filmed within the hamlet. These include scenes for Miracle on 34th Street (1947), Meet the Parents (2000), and Louder than Bombs (2015).

References

External links

Port Washington Chamber of Commerce
Port Washington Public Library
Port Washington Performing Arts Archive