Riverhead is a town in Suffolk County, New York, United States, on the north shore of Long Island. Since 1727, the hamlet of the same name within the town has been the county seat 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, from which it derives its name. The smaller hamlet of Riverhead lies within it, and is the town's principal economic center. The town is 166 miles (267 km) southwest of Boston via the Orient Point-New London Ferry, and is 76 miles (123 km) northeast of New York City.

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.

River Head was named the county seat 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.

The town is partly on the North Fork of the county. The eastern terminus of the Long Island Expressway is in Riverhead.

Climate

Long Island has one of the northernmost humid subtropical climates (Köppen Cfa) in the United States. The National Weather Service numbers are from the Research Farm near Long Island Sound.

Demographics

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

As of the census

Media

The Riverhead newspaper 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>(small part in the Town of Brookhaven)</small>
  • Jamesport
  • Laurel <small>(mostly in the Town of Southold)</small>
  • Manorville <small>(mostly in Brookhaven)</small>
  • Northville
  • Riverhead (hamlet)
  • Wading River <small>(small part in Brookhaven)</small>

Other communities

  • Centerville
  • Polishtown<!--actually a section of Riverhead-->
  • 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'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 and Hampton Jitney bus routes.

Major roads

  • 24px Interstate 495 &ndash; New York
  • 24px New York State Route 25A <!-- runs east and west across the Brookhaven-Riverhead Town Line into Wading River and then turns to the southeast to end in Calverton at NY 25.--> &ndash; Stony Brook University
  • 24px New York State Route 25 &ndash; New York, Orient Point
  • 24px County Route 58 (Suffolk County, New York)
  • 24px County Route 105 (Suffolk County, New York)
  • Sound Avenue<!--was a former segment of New York State Route 25A, which is unmarked, but still serves as an important thoroughfare from Wading River along the north shore into Mattituck, across the Riverhead-Southold Town Line.-->

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.

See also

  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Riverhead (town), New York

Footnotes

References

  • Town of Riverhead official site
  • [https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/riverheadtownsuffolkcountynewyork]
  • Riverhead Central School District
  • Taussig, Charles William, The Book of Radio (1922), Chapter XXI "The World's Greatest Radio Station", pp. 312–327