Long Island is a densely populated island in southeastern New York State, extending eastward into the Atlantic Ocean. Geographically, Long Island comprises four counties: Kings (Brooklyn), Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk. Kings and Queens counties form the western portion of the island and are boroughs of New York City, while Nassau and Suffolk counties occupy the central and eastern portions.
Long Island extends about from New York Harbor eastward into the Atlantic Ocean and reaches a maximum width of about . It has a total area of approximately . The island was shaped largely by glacial processes during the Pleistocene, including the formation of terminal moraines and outwash plains.
Long Island is divided among four counties. Kings County, also known as Brooklyn, and Queens County occupy the western portion of the island and are two of the five boroughs of New York City. Nassau County occupies the central portion, while Suffolk County occupies most of the eastern portion. In common usage, the term Long Island often refers specifically to Nassau and Suffolk counties, excluding Brooklyn and Queens because they are part of New York City; geographically, however, Brooklyn and Queens are located on Long Island.
Long Island is separated from Manhattan Island and the Bronx by the East River tidal estuary in the western part of the island. North of the island is Long Island Sound, across which lie Westchester County, New York, and the state of Connecticut. Across the Block Island Sound to the northeast is the state of Rhode Island. Block Island, which is part of Rhode Island, and numerous smaller islands extend farther into the Atlantic Ocean. To the southwest, Long Island, at Brooklyn, is separated from Staten Island and the state of New Jersey by Upper New York Bay, The Narrows, and Lower New York Bay.
Long Island's southern coast is bordered by a series of barrier beaches and islands separated from the main island by bays and lagoons. Fire Island is the longest of the barrier islands along the south shore and is separated from Long Island by Great South Bay. Other barrier beaches include those associated with Jones Beach Island and Long Beach Barrier Island.
As of July 1, 2025, the four counties comprising Long Island had an estimated combined population of 7,957,174. Kings County had an estimated population of 2,653,963; Queens County, 2,358,182; Nassau County, 1,398,939; and Suffolk County, 1,546,090. The 2020 United States census counted 8,063,232 residents across the four counties.
Long Island is the most populous island in any U.S. state or territory and one of the most populous islands in the world. Its population is concentrated heavily in the western portion, particularly in Brooklyn and Queens, while population density decreases toward eastern Suffolk County. Western Long Island is highly urbanized, while eastern Long Island contains suburban, agricultural, and undeveloped areas.
Long Island is culturally and ethnically diverse, encompassing densely populated urban neighborhoods, suburban communities, agricultural areas, and coastal communities. Housing costs and the availability of housing have been significant issues in Nassau and Suffolk counties as well as in New York City's Long Island boroughs.
As of 2024, Kings, Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk counties collectively had a gross domestic product of approximately US$558 billion. Economic activity on Long Island includes health care, education, professional and technical services, finance, manufacturing, retail, construction, transportation, and biotechnology. Biotechnology and scientific research play a significant role in the regional economy, with major research and educational institutions including Brookhaven National Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Stony Brook University, New York Institute of Technology, the Zucker School of Medicine, and the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research.
The New York metropolitan area is served by several major airports located on Long Island. John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport are located in Queens, while Long Island MacArthur Airport is located in Suffolk County. The region is also served by major air traffic control facilities, including New York TRACON and New York ARTCC.
Long Island has numerous bridges and tunnels connecting its communities with New York City's other boroughs and with the mainland. Ferries connect communities in Suffolk County with locations across Long Island Sound, including Connecticut, and with other points around the region.
The Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) is the largest and busiest commuter railroad in the United States and the oldest continuously operating commuter railroad in North America. The railroad operates 11 branches and serves more than 120 stations, connecting communities across Long Island with Penn Station and Grand Central Madison in Manhattan.
The Nassau–Suffolk labor market, which covers Nassau and Suffolk counties, had an unemployment rate of 4.0% in August 2026.
History Early history
As the last Ice Age waned with Wisconsin glaciation, early Paleo-Indians ventured into the evolving landscapes of present-day Long Island, marking a significant environmental shift and laying the groundwork for the region's rich ecosystems. The nomadic hunter-gatherers, equipped with stone tools, navigated the newly emerging landscapes, hunting large game and gathering from the abundant natural resources.
After the Paleo-Indian period, the Archaic Period marked a broadening of subsistence strategies. The inhabitants of Long Island diversified their diet, exploiting the rich marine and terrestrial environments. The main source of protein came from the sea, consisting of fish and shellfish, with oysters being of particular importance. Deer and other wild game and various plant foods also became part of their regular diet. The archaeological record also reveals a shift towards a more settled lifestyle, with small bands forming seasonal settlements.
The Indigenous peoples in the Early and Middle Woodland period began developing horticulture as well as more efficient strategies for hunting and gathering. They established year-round settlements. Pottery emerged as a widespread technological innovation during this era, serving not only practical storage and cooking purposes but also functioning as a medium for cultural expression. The stylistic variations in pottery across different sites on Long Island suggest a rich diversity of cultural identities and the exchange of ideas among various groups. Additionally, this period was marked by participation in trade networks with other Northeastern Indigenous communities.
During the Late Woodland Period, there was a noticeable intensification of agriculture, with maize becoming a staple crop alongside beans and squash. This agricultural advancement supported larger populations and led to the establishment of more permanent villages characterized by substantial dwellings, mostly wigwams and longhouses. The increased reliance on farming did not eliminate hunting and gathering, which continued to play a crucial role in the subsistence economy.
The Long Island natives lived in villages of differing sizes, and their governing style, because of a lack of evidence, can only be guessed. However, anthropological models suggest that the leaders did not have overarching authority over the rest of the village. Rather, the leaders often sought advice from the elders. The early settlers of Long Island were likely tied by kinship and did not identify themselves as distinct tribes. These tribes were designated by the Europeans as a method of identifying borders. However, there seem to be two overlapping but different cultures. Western Long Island natives probably spoke the Delaware-Munsee dialect. The eastern group's language is less well-founded, but it is most likely related to the southern New England Algonquian dialect. The kinship system likely kept Long Island natives together with clans in present-day New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.
Giovanni da Verrazzano was the first European to record an encounter with the Lenape people, after entering what is now New York Bay in 1524; however, it is unclear whether he encountered Native Americans from Long Island.
17th century
In 1609, the English navigator Henry Hudson explored the harbor and purportedly landed at present-day Coney Island. Dutch explorer Adriaen Block followed in 1615 and is credited as the first European to determine that both Manhattan and Long Island are islands.
The first recorded encounters between the Algonquian peoples of Long Island and Europeans occurred with the arrival of explorers in the early 17th century, first contacted by Henry Hudson and his crew. These interactions were initially characterized by curiosity and tentative exchanges, but conflicts later emerged between them. Despite this, mutually beneficial trade ensued, with the Algonquian trading fur for clothing, metal, guns, and alcohol.
The Dutch, recognizing the value of New England's fur market, forged long-term alliances with the Algonquians in 1613, ushering in permanent settlements. By 1621, the Dutch West India Company established itself in the Northeast. The Dutch West India Company established a foothold in the Northeast, initiating a lucrative trade in wampum—beads of significant cultural and economic importance to Native tribes across the Northeast. The wampum was primarily made by Long Island Native Americans. The Dutch would thus engage in a triangular trade: purchasing large quantities of wampum from Long Island, exchanging wampum for fur with inland tribes, and shipping the fur back to Europe. This triangular trade created peace amongst the Europeans and the Native Americans for decades.
In 1636, Charles I of England, a Stuart, rewarded Scottish courtier, diplomat, and colonial governor William Alexander's service to the Crown by creating him Lord Alexander of Tullibody and Viscount of Stirling. On April 22 of that year, Charles told the Plymouth Colony, which had laid claim to Long Island but had not settled it, to cede it to Alexander. When his agent James Farret arrived in New Amsterdam in 1637 to present his claim of English sovereignty, he was arrested and imprisoned in Holland, but later escaped from prison.
The Pequot War, a struggle between the Pequot tribe of Connecticut, who exerted control over eastern Long Island, and the English New England Colonies, reshaped alliances and power dynamics in the region. The defeat of the Pequots left a void in eastern Long Island's political landscape, who were historically under the influence of the Connecticut Pequots for trade and protection. Indigenous leaders such as Uncas and Ninigret, alongside the New England Colonies, vied to fill this vacuum, with the colonists eventually prevailing over their Indigenous rivals. In 1639, Lion Gardiner secured the first purchase of eastern Long Island land, an islet off of present-day East Hampton.
The period between 1636 and 1648 marked a time of land acquisition in Long Island by Dutch and English colonists. The Dutch occupied a small portion of western Long Island while the English settled on the eastern side, buying land from any sachems who were willing to sell to them. The perspectives on these land purchases likely varied significantly between Native Americans and Europeans. Europeans viewed land transactions as opportunities for exclusive ownership and permanent settlement, while the Algonquian peoples viewed the transaction as temporary and communal. Additionally, the Native Americans' governance style of weak leadership and undefined hunting grounds, did not align with the Europeans' need for strict boundaries. This confusion resulted in conflict and boundary disputes for many years after.