Suffolk County is a predominantly suburban county located on Long Island, the easternmost county in the United States. Spanning 86 miles (138 km) long and 26 miles (42 km) wide, Suffolk County is the largest geographically of the four Long Island counties and the second largest of New York State's 62 counties. With more than 1,000 miles of coastline, Suffolk County is home to a variety of recreational areas, including Fire Island National Shore, Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge, and Robert Moses, Connetquot River, and Montauk Point State Parks. Suffolk County is part of the 10th Judicial District of the Unified Judicial System of the State of New York.
It is home to Alfonse M. D'Amato U. S. Courthouse and several higher education institutions, such as State University of New York at Stony Brook and Suffolk County Community College.
The county also includes Brookhaven National Laboratory and Poospatuck and Shinnecock Indian Reservations. Suffolk County has a long maritime history with several outer barrier beaches and hundreds of square miles of waterways. It is home to 15 of its 26 original lighthouses still standing, making it the county with the most lighthouses in the United States. The inlets along the north and east coasts include Smithtown and Gardiners bays, while a series of barrier islands and beaches along the south coast (in particular Fire Island) enclose bodies of water such as Great South and Shinnecock Bays.
The western part of Suffolk County was originally called Suffolk County, while the eastern part was called Peconic County. This area includes Robins Island, an island in Peconic Bay between North and South East Suffolk County. After the dissolution of the Long Island State Police in 1980, all state highways in Suffolk County became the responsibility of Troop L of the New York State Police, headquartered at Republic Airport. Suffolk County is located at the convergence of climatic zones that include humid continental (Dfa) and humid subtropical (Cfa), which are closely bordered by an oceanic climate (Cfb). Police services in five western cities (Babylon, Huntington, Islip, Smithtown and Brookhaven) are mainly provided by the Suffolk County Police Department.
Some cities also employ Bay Area Agents and other local marine patrols who are sworn armed police officers with full arrest powers. The Sheriff's Office is responsible for protecting all county properties, such as county government office buildings, as well as Suffolk County Community College campuses. The traditional family farms and wineries of Suffolk County's rural East End make it the largest agricultural county in New York State. Long Island Rail Road, Hampton Jitney and Hampton Luxury Liner connect Suffolk County to New York City. QuickFacts provides statistics for all states and counties, and for cities and towns with a population of 5,000 or more. As an expert on urbanization trends in America, I have been asked to provide my perspective on whether or not Suffolk County can be considered an urban area. To answer this question accurately requires an understanding of what constitutes an urban area as well as an examination of Suffolk County's characteristics. Urban areas are typically characterized by high population density, a diverse range of economic activities, a variety of cultural attractions, and a high level of infrastructure development.
While Suffolk County does have some characteristics that could be considered urban - such as its proximity to New York City - it does not meet all criteria for an urban area. Suffolk County has a population density that is lower than most urban areas in America. It also has a relatively low level of infrastructure development compared to other urban areas in America. Additionally, while there are some cultural attractions in Suffolk County - such as its lighthouses - it does not have the same level of cultural diversity that is typically found in urban areas. In conclusion, while Suffolk County does have some characteristics that could be considered urban - such as its proximity to New York City - it does not meet all criteria for an urban area. Therefore, it cannot be considered an urban area.
