Location

East Hampton Town is the easternmost town on Long Island (Suffolk County, New York State). It encompasses a land area of 70 square miles on Long Island's south fork and has almost 70 miles of waterfront on 3 sides. The Town is bordered by the Town of Southampton to the west, the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, and Gardiner's Bay to the north.

Brief History

The original land, purchased from the Montauket Indians, covered about 30,000 acres. The first settlement within the present jurisdiction of the Town was made by Lion Gardiner on his privately-owned Gardiners Island in 1639, but organized settlement did not take place until 1648. The original name of the Town was Maidstone and fourteen years later became known as East Hampton. Whaling, fishing, farming and cattle-raising were the basis of the settlers' early economy.

Attractions

Present day East Hampton provides many artistic, cultural and historic points of interest including the Montauk Indian Museum, Old Hook Mill (built in 1806 and later restored), Deep Hollow Ranch (the oldest cattle ranch in America), Guild Hall (home of the John Drew Theater), among many others. The Atlantic Ocean, the bays and the harbors remain the Town's prime attractions, providing swimming, boating and fishing for summer visitors and year-round residents alike.

Demographics

The Town's year round population as measured in the 2020 census was 28,385 (visit the U.S. Census website for current information). In fiscal year 2021, the town had over 300 full-time employees and a seasonal summer staff of approximately 200. The town's employees include 66 full time uniformed police officers covering the approximately 70 square miles within the Town's borders. The Town of East Hampton is the largest single employer throughout the Town. In 2020, the Town's total assessed value in actual dollars was over $35 billion or about $500,000,000 per square mile.