Suffolk County is preparing for ‘Hurricane Earl’, a Category 4 storm, that is likely to have a tropical storm impact on our area. Depending upon the anticipated severity of a storm, the county may close certain parks and open shelters for residents. Note: Shelters are opened based on the nature, severity of an emergency and the number of residents impacted.  For the latest storm information and county updates, click here.

Founded in 1683, Suffolk County was named for the county of Suffolk in England, the origin of our earliest settlers. Ours is the easternmost county in the New York Metropolitan area and all of New York State. Suffolk County occupies two-thirds of the land on Long Island, which juts about 120 miles into the Atlantic Ocean. Suffolk covers roughly 1,000 square miles of territory and is 86 miles long and 26 miles wide at its widest point.

The weather is temperate, clean water is abundant, and the soil is so good that Suffolk is the leading agricultural county in New York State. That Suffolk is still number one in farming, even with the development that has taken place, is a tribute to thoughtful planning, along with the excellent soil, favorable weather conditions, and the work of dedicated farmers in this region.

Over the past millennium, there has been a procession of Indians, explorers, pirates and colonists to the area, as well as whalers, railroad men, summer residents and commuters. Of course, homeowners, farmers and fisherman have been a mainstay of Suffolk, a cosmopolitan mixture of 1,300,000 people and a region whose population is still growing

Suffolk County History