Hempstead

Hempstead is an administrative township in Nassau County on Long Island, covering roughly three hundred and ten square kilometers and including twenty-two incorporated villages and thirty-eight hamlets. The township borders the Atlantic Ocean to the south and forms one of the largest continuous settlement areas in the region.

English settlers from New Haven founded the settlement in 1644 after negotiating with Lenape representatives for land acquisition. The township developed over the centuries into one of the most populated administrative units in the United States.

The town maintains a diverse population composition reflected in its 2020 census data, with significant representation from various ethnic and racial communities.

Long Island Rail Road stations connect the townships to Manhattan, with travel time varying by station. Nassau Inter-County Express regional buses run within the township and to neighboring administrative units.

With nearly eight hundred thousand residents, this township is the most populated of its administrative type in the entire United States. The population density resembles that of a major city rather than a rural administrative unit.

Location: Nassau County

Shares border with: North Hempstead, Oyster Bay

Website: https://hempsteadny.gov

GPS coordinates: 40.70472,-73.61722

Latest update: December 14, 2025 22:38