History: The Town is located at the western end of Suffolk County adjacent to the Nassau-Suffolk County boundary. It is approximately 40 miles from Manhattan and 40 miles from Riverhead, the Suffolk County seat. The History of Huntington is closely associated with the early development of the American colonies. The community was originally settled in 1653, well within the lifetime of the earliest New England colonist. In the beginning, water-borne transportation gave life to the community. The natural harbors offered ready access to the farmlands of the Long Island interior. The harbor was the setting for the early Huntington community which became the focal point for the movement of agricultural products into the commerce of the colonies. Although agriculture was its mainstay and water-borne transportation its lifeline for two centuries, in later years the whaling industry and expanded manufacturing activity broadened the local economy and gave impetus to the expansion of the harbor communities of Cold Spring Harbor, Huntington, and Northport.
Waterfront: Huntington enjoys five harbors bordering the north shore of the Town: Cold Spring Harbor, Lloyd Harbor, Huntington, Centerport, and Northport harbors. With its coves and bays there are a total of nine beaches maintained by the Town. The Town has also put into operation three marinas for the use of residents. These facilities, along with boat ramps and municipal golf courses and park sites, provide active recreation for Town residents.
Villages: The Town encompasses approximately 93 square miles and has a population currently estimated at 203,264. There are four incorporated Villages in the Town: Northport, Asharoken, Lloyd Harbor, and Huntington Bay. In addition there are several prominent unincorporated areas in the Town including Cold Spring Harbor, Elwood, Huntington, Huntington Station, South Huntington, Melville, East Northport, Halesite, Dix Hills, Centerport, Greenlawn, and Fort Salonga.
Utilities: Water facilities are provided by the Suffolk County Water Authority and three Town water district plants, which are located in Dix Hills, Greenlawn, Huntington, and South Huntington. Electricity and natural gas are furnished by the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) and KeySpan. The Power Authority maintains electric generating facilities in the Northport section of the Town.
Schools: There are eight public school districts in Huntington, five of which are entirely within the Town. The other three serve portions of the Towns of Smithtown, Babylon, and Oyster Bay in addition to parts of Huntington.
Commuters: The Town is within easy commuting distance of New York City. The Long Island Rail Road, which has frequent schedules of trains, accommodates its commuters daily to New York City from the four stations in the Town.
Economic Development: In recent years the “110 Corridor,” an area generally bordering NYS Route 110 (N-S) and primarily in the Melville section of the Town, has developed into a major business area. A number of manufacturing units as well as sizable commercial entities have situated there. The Huntington Hilton, a 305 room hotel, and the Radisson Plaza, a 372 room hotel, are located in this area and provide various amenities and facilities for businesses in the surrounding area.