Farmingdale, New York

History

The first European settler in the area was Thomas Powell, who arrived in 1687. On October 18, 1695, he purchased a 15 sqmi tract of land from three Native American tribes. This is known as the Bethpage Purchase and includes what is now Farmingdale – in addition to Bethpage, Melville, North Massapequa, Old Bethpage, Plainedge, and Plainview. One of two houses he erected in the area (built c. 1738) still stands on Merritts Road within Farmingdale.

In the 1830s, anticipating construction of the Long Island Rail Road, land developer Ambrose George purchased a large tract of land between a community then known as Bethpage (now Old Bethpage) and an area in Suffolk County known as Hardscrabble. (The location marked Bethpage is near Merritts Road, just north of the Bethpage Turnpike. An unbounded area further east in Suffolk County is marked Hardscrabble. The map is dated 1842 with a question mark. Neither Farmingdale nor Hicksville appears on the map. The Hicksville LIRR station opened in 1837, and its absence suggests an earlier date for the map. The LIRR also had taken a different route east of Hicksville, arriving in Farmingdale in 1841.) (The location marked Bethpage extends into Suffolk County. This is in accord with maps of the Bethpage Purchase of 1695. This map shows Hicksville, where the LIRR had a station in 1837, but the planned route east of there was changed.) He built a general store in the western part of this property which he named Farmingdale. When the LIRR started service to the area in October 1841, (Whether "late Bethpage" is meant to indicate a flag stop at the community near Merritts Road, or that the area near the Farmingdale LIRR station had lately been called Bethpage has not yet been determined.) it named its new station in the community as Farmingdale, on the line it was building to Greenport. Stagecoaches took people from the Farmingdale station to Islip, Babylon, Patchogue, Oyster Bay South, and West Neck (Huntington area). (Hardscrabble again appears in Suffolk County. Several maps in the 1840s mistakenly showed Farmingdale where Hardscrabble is on this map.)

In 1886 a fire department was organized, and in 1899, Mile-a-Minute Murphy rode a bicycle along the Long Island Rail Road's Central Branch through the Farmingdale area at a mile a minute. For many years, the town celebrated its birth with the annual Hardscrabble Fair, with music, food and games. It was normally held in May.

In 1904, Farmingdale incorporated as a village, after locals voted in favor of doing so through a referendum.

The Lenox Hills Country Club – an 18-hole private golf course designed by Devereux Emmet – was developed north of the community in 1923 and was owned and operated by Benjamin F. Yoakum. This golf course was purchased by the State of New York, was greatly expanded, and then re-opened as Bethpage State Park in 1932, with much of the golf design work carried out by golf architect A.W. Tillinghast, later inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. The 1920s-built Lenox Hills section and later, adjacent subdivisions – located between the Bethpage State Park golf courses and the Long Island Railroad trackage, encompassing rolling hills and a wide boulevard – are known as the more upscale part of Farmingdale Village.

About the time of World War II, the Farmingdale area became a locus for the aircraft industry, notably Republic Aviation Company, which was based at just east of the Village of Farmingdale at Republic Airport, located within the adjacent hamlet of East Farmingdale.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 1.1 sqmi, all land.

Between the 1990 Census and the 2000 census, the village gained territory.

The Lenox Hills section of the village is adjacent to Bethpage State Park. The rest of the municipality is within a fifteen-minute drive thereto.

Topography and drainage

The Village of Farmingdale is located on a flat outwash plain, and as such, the area's topography is largely flat.

Additionally, Farmingdale is split between the Massapequa Creek and Seaford Creek drainage areas, and is located within the larger Long Island Sound/Atlantic Ocean Watershed.

Climate

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Farmingdale has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Farmingdale was 102 F on July 6, 2010, and July 22, 2011, while the coldest temperature recorded was -1 F on January 4, 2014.

| Jan record high F = 71 | Feb record high F = 70 | Mar record high F = 82 | Apr record high F = 91 | May record high F = 93 | Jun record high F = 96 | Jul record high F = 102 | Aug record high F = 100 | Sep record high F = 94 | Oct record high F = 90 | Nov record high F = 79 | Dec record high F = 69 | Jan avg record high F = 58.5 | Feb avg record high F = 58.0 | Mar avg record high F = 67.1 | Apr avg record high F = 76.9 | May avg record high F = 84.9 | Jun avg record high F = 89.8 | Jul avg record high F = 94.5 | Aug avg record high F = 91.3 | Sep avg record high F = 87.0 | Oct avg record high F = 79.6 | Nov avg record high F = 68.5 | Dec avg record high F = 61.2 | year avg record high F = 95.5 | Jan avg record low F = 8.1 | Feb avg record low F = 11.3 | Mar avg record low F = 19.5 | Apr avg record low F = 30.8 | May avg record low F = 41.2 | Jun avg record low F = 50.7 | Jul avg record low F = 60.6 | Aug avg record low F = 58.3 | Sep avg record low F = 48.3 | Oct avg record low F = 34.9 | Nov avg record low F = 25.0 | Dec avg record low F = 18.7 | year avg record low F = 6.8 | Jan record low F = -1 | Feb record low F = 2 | Mar record low F = 9 | Apr record low F = 24 | May record low F = 34 | Jun record low F = 46 | Jul record low F = 53 | Aug record low F = 53 | Sep record low F = 41 | Oct record low F = 31 | Nov record low F = 14 | Dec record low F = 8 | Jan snow depth inch = | Feb snow depth inch = | Mar snow depth inch = | Apr snow depth inch = | May snow depth inch = | Jun snow depth inch = | Jul snow depth inch = | Aug snow depth inch = | Sep snow depth inch = | Oct snow depth inch = | Nov snow depth inch = | Dec snow depth inch = | year snow depth inch = |access-date = February 17, 2023 |access-date = February 17, 2023

Greater Farmingdale area

Farmingdale is also associated with several unincorporated areas outside the village limits, including South Farmingdale (also in the Town of Oyster Bay), and East Farmingdale (in the Town of Babylon, within Suffolk County). Many nearby places not within the village limits have Farmingdale as their postal address and the same 11735 ZIP code. Residents of East Farmingdale must use Farmingdale as their mailing address, while residents of South Farmingdale can use either Farmingdale or South Farmingdale. Bethpage State Park, which is mostly in Old Bethpage, also has a Farmingdale mailing address. Farmingdale Union Free School District (UFSD 22) includes parts of both Nassau County and Suffolk County and the southernmost part of Bethpage State Park, where the clubhouse is located. A road sign on Main Street in the south-east section of South Farmingdale (and over 1 mi from the Village of Farmingdale) welcomes travelers to Farmingdale. Farmingdale is also the name of the local Farmingdale Water District and Farmingdale Fire District, both of which also include areas outside the boundaries of the Village of Farmingdale. Farmingdale State College and Republic Airport are in East Farmingdale, both with Farmingdale mailing addresses.

Demographics

2010 Census

As of the 2010 census The population of the village was 88.2% White, 71.1% Non-Hispanic White, 2.6% African American, 0.4% Native American, 2.5% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 4.7% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 13.7% of the population.

2000 Census

At the 2000 census there were 8,399 people, 3,216 households, and 2,051 families in the village. The population density was 7,432.2 PD/sqmi. There were 3,289 housing units at an average density of 2,910.4 /sqmi. The racial makup of the village was 87.03% White, 1.61% African American, 0.12% Native American, 3.70% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 5.06% from other races, and 2.43% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.57%.

Of the 3,216 households 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.2% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.2% were non-families. 29.8% of households were one person and 11.5% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.19.

The age distribution was 21.2% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 35.2% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% 65 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.5 males.

The median household income was $58,411 and the median family income was $68,235. Males had a median income of $46,104 versus $36,021 for females. The per capita income for the village was $27,492. About 3.0% of families and 5.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.5% of those under age 18 and 13.0% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Village government

As of July 2023, the Mayor of Farmingdale is Ralph Ekstrand, the Deputy Mayor is William Barrett, and the Village Trustees are Cheryl Parisi, Walter Priestley, and Craig Rosasco.

Representation in higher government

County representation

The Village of Farmingdale is located entirely within Nassau County's 17th Legislative district, which as of July 2025 is represented in the Nassau County Legislature by Rose Marie Walker (D–Hicksville).

State representation

New York State Assembly

Farmingdale is located within New York's 15th State Assembly district, which as of July 2025 is represented by Jacob Ryan Blumencranz (R–Oyster Bay).

New York State Senate

Farmingdale is located entirely within New York's 5th State Senate district, which as of July 2025 is represented by Steven Rhoads (R–Bellmore).

Federal representation

United States Congress

Farmingdale is located entirely within New York's 3rd Congressional district, which as of July 2025 is represented in the United States Congress by Thomas R. Suozzi (D–Glen Cove).

United States Senate

As with the rest of New York, Farmingdale is represented in the United States Senate by Kirsten E. Gillibrand (D) and Charles E. Schumer (D).

Politics

In the 2024 U.S. presidential election, the majority of Farmingdale voters voted for Donald J. Trump (R).

Education

Schools

Farmingdale is served by the Farmingdale Union Free School District. The district includes Farmingdale High School, Howitt Middle School, Northside Elementary School, Woodward Parkway School, Albany Avenue Elementary School, and Saltzman East Memorial.

Furthermore, the Northside Elementary School and Howitt Middle School are both located within the village.

Library district

Farmingdale is located within the boundaries of the Farmingdale Library District, which is served by the Farmingdale Public Library.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Road

Two state roads are pass through (and thus directly serve) the Village of Farmingdale:

• [[File:NY-24.svg|24x24px]] Conklin Street (NY 24) – Runs through the heart of Farmingdale and its downtown, from west-to-east.
• [[File:NY-109.svg|24x24px]] Fulton Street (NY 109) – Runs along northwest-to-southeast through the southern portion of the village; roughly parallels the Long Island Rail Road's Central Branch.

Other major roads within the village include Bethpage Road, Clinton Street, Front Street, Main Street, Melville Road, Merritts Road, Secatogue Avenue, Staples Road, and Thomas Powell Boulevard.

Rail

The village is also the site of a transit-oriented development centered around the LIRR station.

Bus

The Village of Farmingdale is served by two Nassau Inter-County Express (NICE) routes: the n70 and n71.

Greenway

A Long Island Greenway is planned from Farmingdale to Montauk.

Utilities

Natural gas

National Grid USA provides natural gas to homes and businesses that are hooked up to natural gas lines in Farmingdale.

Power

PSEG Long Island provides power to all homes and businesses within Farmingdale.

Sewage

Farmingdale is located within the Nassau County Sewage District and is connected to its sanitary sewer network.

Water

The Village of Farmingdale operates its own municipal water supply system, which provides the entirety of the village with water.

Emergency services

Fire

The Village of Farmingdale features its own fire department, which provides the entire village with fire protection.

Police

Farmingdale is served by the Nassau County Police Department's 8th Precinct.

Notable people

• Barbara Stern Burstin, Holocaust scholar
• Gregory W. Carman, (1937–2020) US Congressman
• Ryan Cruthers, professional hockey player
• Canute Curtis, former American college (West Virginia) and professional football (Cincinnati Bengals) player
• Matt Danowski, professional lacrosse player
• Dan Domenech, theater actor
• William Gaddis, U.S. novelist
• Peter J. Ganci Jr. (1946–2001), Chief of Department of the New York City Fire Department; murdered in the September 11 terrorist attacks
• George Hincapie, professional bicycle racer
• Howard T. Hogan, New York State Supreme Court Justice
• Ze'ev Jabotinsky, leader of "Revisionist" Zionism; was buried in the New Montefiore Cemetery until reburial in Jerusalem in 1964
• Tom Kennedy, professional football player for the Detroit Lions
• Ed Kranepool, baseball player, lived in South Farmingdale for many years
• April Lawton, musician and artist, member of Ramatam
• Macseal, indie rock band
• SallyAnn Salsano, producer of MTV reality shows, including Jersey Shore, through her company 495 Productions (named for the interstate passing by the community)
• William T. Schwendler (1904–1978), executive vice president and chairman of the board, Grumman Corporation
• George F. Titterton (1904–1998), senior vice president, Grumman Corporation
• Al Weis, baseball player

References

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