South Fork, Suffolk County, New York

The Hamptons, roughly coterminous with the South Fork, are highlighted.

The South Fork of Suffolk County, New York, United States is a peninsula in the southeast part of the county on the South Shore of Long Island. The South Fork includes most of the Hamptons. The shorter, more northerly peninsula is known as the North Fork.

Geography

The South Fork is composed of all of the Town of East Hampton and a substantial part of the Town of Southampton. The body of water to the south is the Atlantic Ocean.

The South Fork and North Fork split at Riverhead, New York where the Peconic River empties into Peconic Bay. It has long been noted that Long Island resembles a fish with the forks forming a tail. The native name for this is Paumanok.

The South Fork and North Fork are separated by Great Peconic Bay, Little Peconic Bay, and Gardiners Bay. Between the two forks lie several islands, including Gardiners Island and Shelter Island.

The eastern end of the South Fork, Montauk Point State Park, is the easternmost point in the State of New York, and of Suffolk County. The eastern end of the North Fork is Orient Point, New York.

Transportation

The South Fork is most commonly reached by roadways from the west, but the Long Island Rail Road and Hampton Jitney provide service as far as Montauk. Ferry service from North Haven, near Sag Harbor, connects the South Fork to the North fork via Shelter Island, and to Connecticut.