Baldwin, NY — Crash Data, Roads, History & Law
Baldwin is an unincorporated hamlet in the Town of Hempstead, Nassau County, New York, with 33,919 residents at the 2020 Census. Federal crash records show 18 fatal crashes that killed 18 people within its boundaries from 2010 through 2024 — 5 of them on foot. Grand Ave (CR 55) accounted for more of those deaths (4) than any other road. Residents who commute travel an average of 39.5 minutes each way.
Long Island Town Fact Book · Updated · Sources & method
Baldwin at a glance
- Status
- Hamlet (unincorporated; census-designated place)
- Town
- Hempstead
- County
- Nassau County
- Population (2020 Census)
- 33,919[C]
- Housing units (2020)
- 11,092
- Land area
- 4.11 sq mi (plus 0.6 sq mi of water)
- Density
- 8,245 people per sq mi
- Average commute
- 39.5 minutes[B]
- Traffic deaths, 2010–2024
- 18[A]
- ZIP Code
- 11510
- Legal status
- Unincorporated hamlet and census-designated place in the Town of Hempstead, Nassau County[2]
- Indigenous history
- The Baldwin Historical Society's own history states, "The Indians that occupied the Baldwin area were called the Merrick."[2]
- 1939 milestone
- "In 1939, Baldwin was the largest unincorporated village in all of New York State with over 4,000 homes and 119 apartments."[4]
- Police
- Nassau County Police Department, First Precinct — headquartered in Baldwin itself[7]
- Main state road
- NY 27 (Sunrise Highway), major east-west route through Baldwin since 1929[4]
- Census geography
- Baldwin CDP · GEOID 3604143 · GNIS 2389168
- Coordinates
- 40.6501°N, 73.6077°W
Hamlets in New York have no legal boundary or government of their own. Figures here use the Census Bureau's census-designated place, the standard statistical outline for the community; local usage of the name can be wider or narrower.
Name:The community was named for the Baldwin family, prominent local landowners and merchants; the Baldwin Historical Society's own history states "the members of the Baldwin family had done so much for Hick's Neck that the village was named Baldwinsville in their honor."[3]
Fatal crashes in Baldwin, 2010–2024
From January 1, 2010 through December 31, 2024, 18 people died in 18 crashes on public roads inside Baldwin, according to the federal Fatality Analysis Reporting System.[A] Pedestrians account for 5 of those deaths (28%). The deadliest year was 2017, with 4 deaths.
- Fatal crashes
- 18
- People killed
- 18
- Pedestrians
- 5
- Bicyclists
- 0
- Motorcyclists
- 5
- Vehicle occupants
- 8
2024 figures come from NHTSA's Annual Report File and may be revised.
View the chart as a table
| Year | Fatal crashes | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 0 | 0 |
| 2011 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 | 3 | 3 |
| 2013 | 2 | 2 |
| 2014 | 2 | 2 |
| 2015 | 2 | 2 |
| 2016 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | 4 | 4 |
| 2018 | 1 | 1 |
| 2019 | 1 | 1 |
| 2020 | 1 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 | 1 |
Roads where people died
| Road | Crashes | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Ave (CR 55) | 4 | 4 |
| Sunrise Highway (NY 27) | 4 | 4 |
| Merrick Road | 3 | 3 |
| Grand Terrace Ave | 1 | 1 |
| Atlantic Ave | 1 | 1 |
| County Route 55 | 1 | 1 |
| Southern State Parkway | 1 | 1 |
| Centennial Ave | 1 | 1 |
Road names as recorded by police and normalised to common Long Island names.
When and where
- Of the 18 crashes with a recorded time, 9 happened between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m., 1 between 4 and 8 p.m., 3 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., and 5 between 6 and 10 a.m.
- 50% happened in darkness.
- 1 of the 18 deaths were on expressways or parkways; 17 were on arterials and local streets.
- In at least 3 crashes, a driver had a reported blood-alcohol concentration of .08 or higher. This counts known test results only; NHTSA's official alcohol estimates, which impute untested drivers, are higher.
Who owns the roads where they happened (2015–2024)
FARS has recorded the owner of the roadway since 2015. Of the 11 fatal crashes in Baldwin since then:
- Town roads 5 (45%)
- County roads 3 (27%)
- State highways 3 (27%)
Ownership matters in New York because claims against a county, town, city or village generally require a notice of claim within 90 days (General Municipal Law § 50-e), while claims against the State are brought in the Court of Claims under Court of Claims Act § 10. This is general information, not legal advice.
Rate: 3.5 traffic deaths per 100,000 residents per year, against 5.8 for Nassau County. This is a resident-based rate, not a measure of how risky the roads are to drive: crashes are counted where they happen, not where the people involved live, so a small community crossed by a major highway shows a high rate.
The 15 most recent fatal crashes
| Date | Time | Road | Deaths | Who died | Light |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| * | 11 p.m. | Grand Terrace Ave | 1 | Vehicle occupant | dark |
| 5 a.m. | Grand Ave (CR 55) at E Carl Ave | 1 | Vehicle occupant | dawn | |
| 9 a.m. | Atlantic Ave | 1 | Vehicle occupant | daylight | |
| 9 p.m. | County Route 55 at Brooklyn Ave | 1 | Pedestrian | dark | |
| 10 p.m. | Grand Ave at Milburn Ave | 1 | Vehicle occupant | dark | |
| 2 a.m. | Southern State Parkway | 1 | Motorcyclist | dark | |
| 11 a.m. | Merrick Road at Milbury Ave | 1 | Vehicle occupant | daylight | |
| 9 p.m. | Sunrise Highway (NY 27) at Central Ave | 1 | Pedestrian | dark | |
| 1 a.m. | Merrick Road at Gale Ave | 1 | Vehicle occupant | dark | |
| 2 p.m. | Sunrise Highway (NY 27) at Central Ave | 1 | Motorcyclist | daylight | |
| 4 a.m. | Grand Ave at Kings Pkwy | 1 | Vehicle occupant | dark | |
| 8 p.m. | Sunrise Highway (NY 27) | 1 | Pedestrian | dark | |
| 7 a.m. | Centennial Ave | 1 | Motorcyclist | dawn | |
| 7 a.m. | Merrick Road at Lancaster Ave | 1 | Motorcyclist | daylight | |
| 6 p.m. | Grand Ave at Lorenz Ave | 1 | Pedestrian | dark |
FARS contains no names or personal identifiers. * 2024 records are preliminary. Download all 18 records (CSV) · How this was compiled
Recent Baldwin Incident Reports
Two Baldwin Residents Arrested After Late-Night Shooting Inside Home Injures Woman
The Nassau County Police Department's First Squad reports that Alfredo Gonzalez, 43, and Donna Perez, 47, both of Baldwin, were arrested following a shooting at a Baldwin residence late Tuesday night that left a 28-year-old woman with a graze wound to her leg. Source: Nassau County Police Department.
Brooklyn Man Arrested After Baldwin Elder Scam Attempt Nets $20,000 Withdrawal
Nassau County Police say a Brooklyn man has been charged with Attempted Grand Larceny after a 68-year-old Baldwin resident withdrew $20,000 from his bank following a computer pop-up scam on September 21, 2026. (Source: Nassau County Police Department via pdcn.org)
Nassau County Police Seek Missing Juvenile in Baldwin
Nassau County Police Seek Missing Juvenile in Baldwin. September 14, 2026.
Nassau County Police Seek Missing Juvenile From Baldwin
Nassau County Police Seek Missing Juvenile From Baldwin. September 6, 2026.
2027 Kia Crashes Into CVS on Grand Avenue in Baldwin, Building Declared Structurally Unsafe
Kia Strikes CVS on Grand Avenue in Baldwin; Building Deemed Structurally Unsafe
Kia Strikes CVS on Grand Avenue in Baldwin; Building Deemed Structurally Unsafe. September 3, 2026.
Updated continuously from 511NY, NYSP, NCPD, and SCPD feeds — all Long Island reports.
All reported crashes in the Town of Hempstead, 2021–2024
New York's crash file codes each crash to a town, city or village — never to a hamlet — so the finest official count that covers Baldwin is for the Town of Hempstead, which contains it. Police reported 68,511 crashes there from 2021 through 2024 — about 46.9 a day. 18,712 (27.3%) injured someone and 142 were fatal. [D]
| 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15,884 | 17,747 | 17,500 | 17,380 | 68,511 |
- Injury crashes
- 18,712
- Fatal crashes
- 142
- Struck a pedestrian
- 1,410
- Struck a bicyclist
- 742
- Struck a deer
- 5
Counts are crashes, not people. The municipality is entered by the reporting police agency, and coding is less consistent for small villages, so compare places with care.
How Baldwin gets to work
Baldwin commuters travel an average of 39.5 minutes each way, 3.5 minutes longer than the Nassau County average (the national average is 26.4 minutes). About 65.8% of workers drive alone, and 5.8% ride the railroad. [B]
| Measure | Baldwin | Nassau County | New York State | United States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average one-way commute | 39.5 min ±4.5 | 36 min | 32.6 min | 26.4 min |
| Commute 60 minutes or longer | 27.6% ±2.8 | 22.3% | 16.8% | 8.6% |
| Commute under 15 minutes | 9.9% ±1.6 | 17.9% | 20.5% | 26% |
| Drive alone | 65.8% ±3.5 | 60.7% | 48.8% | 68.8% |
| Carpool | 7.4% ±2.7 | 7.3% | 6.3% | 8.5% |
| Commuter rail (LIRR) | 5.8% ±1.5 | 7.1% | 1.8% | 0.3% |
| Bus | 2.1% ±0.9 | 2.2% | 5.1% | 1.5% |
| Walk | 1.6% ±1 † | 2% | 5.6% | 2.4% |
| Work from home | 10.8% ±2.5 | 15.6% | 14.9% | 15.1% |
| Leave home before 6 a.m. | 14.1% ±3.2 | 10.8% | 10.6% | 14.4% |
| Households with no vehicle | 5.5% ±1.7 | 6.8% | 29.2% | 8.4% |
| Households with three or more vehicles | 23.1% ±3.4 | 23.3% | 11.8% | 21.9% |
Survey estimates for 18,029 workers aged 16 and over; ± values are 90% margins of error. † Small sample — the margin of error is large relative to the estimate, so treat the figure as indicative only. Travel-time rows exclude people who work from home.
Notable facts about Baldwin
- Baldwin was called Hick's Neck as early as 1660, after settler John Hick, who had moved from Hempstead around 1654.[2]
- Brothers Albert and Arthur Heinrich, who lived near today's Plaza School in Baldwin, are believed to have built and flown the first successful all-American powered monoplane in 1910.[5]
- The Grumman Aircraft Corporation — later a builder of Navy fighters and NASA's Apollo Lunar Module — got its start in 1929 in a small former airplane factory on Brooklyn Avenue in Baldwin.[5]
- In 1939, Baldwin was, by its historical society's account, the largest unincorporated village in all of New York State, with more than 4,000 homes and 119 apartments.[4]
- Sunrise Highway did not become Baldwin's main east-west route until 1929; before that, weekend traffic jammed the older Merrick Road.[5]
- Nassau County Police's First Precinct, which patrols Baldwin, is itself headquartered inside Baldwin, at 900 Merrick Road.[7]
History
The Baldwin Historical Society's own account identifies "the Indians that occupied the Baldwin area" as "the Merrick," some of whom lived along Milburn Creek south of Merrick Road to the harbor.[2] English colonists had reached the area by the mid-17th century, and by 1660 the land between today's Parsonage Creek near Oceanside and Milburn Creek near Freeport was known as Hick's Neck, after settler John Hick, who had moved to Hempstead Town around 1654.[2]
In 1686 the town granted "mill rights" to John Pine, who dammed Milburn Creek near today's Milburn Avenue and Merrick Road to build a gristmill; the mill drew farmers to settle nearby and a community began.[2] During the Revolutionary War, British troops occupied the area for seven years, from the Continental Army's 1776 defeat at the Battle of Long Island until 1783, requisitioning fencing, firewood, crops and farm animals from local residents.[2]
By the mid-19th century the Baldwin family — including Elisha B. Baldwin, a clothing maker who served three terms as Queens County Clerk, and Francis B. Baldwin, a builder, horse and cattle breeder, one-term New York State Assemblyman and three-term Queens County Treasurer — had become prominent local landowners and benefactors; the historical society's history states plainly that "the members of the Baldwin family had done so much for Hick's Neck that the village was named Baldwinsville in their honor."[3] The U.S. Postal Service later shortened the name to Baldwins to avoid confusion with Baldwinsville in upstate New York; local usage settled on Baldwin.[1]
In 1910, brothers Albert and Arthur Heinrich, who lived near today's Plaza School, "are believed to have built the very first successful all-American powered monoplane" and flew it for the first time that year, later building improved aircraft.[5] Baldwin's population grew from about 5,000 in 1920 to about 12,000 by 1930.[5] By 1939, according to the historical society, Baldwin was "the largest unincorporated village in all of New York State with over 4,000 homes and 119 apartments," a distinction it held until Levittown's growth surpassed it around 1960.[4]
How the roads got here
The Baldwin Historical Society traces the hamlet's principal roads to colonial paths: "Hick's Neck Road ran from Hempstead Village to Pine's Mill and on to the harbor," and a branch road ran to Oceanside; frequent use gradually widened these into today's Milburn Avenue and Grand Avenue.[2] "The South Country Road, later a colonial post road, traveled just south of Pine's Mill. Today it is called Merrick Road."[2]
In 1929, "the new Sunrise Highway became the major east/west route through Baldwin. This solved some of the traffic problems of the old Merrick Road, which was often jammed with cars on weekends."[5] Sunrise Highway is New York State Route 27; NYSDOT's touring-route description carries NY 27 on Sunrise Highway through this stretch of Nassau County's South Shore.[6] That same year, 1929, a small aircraft company took over the old plane factory on Brooklyn Avenue and grew into the Grumman Aircraft Corporation, later a major Long Island aerospace employer.[5]
Government, courts and policing
As an unincorporated hamlet, Baldwin has no village government of its own; local governance runs through the Town of Hempstead.[2] The Town's own prior-written-notice requirement for street and sidewalk defects — recognized by New York's Appellate Division in litigation against the Town, e.g., Knapp v. Town of Hempstead, 130 A.D.3d 579 (2d Dep't 2015), and Maya v. Town of Hempstead, 127 A.D.3d 1146 (2d Dep't 2015) — bars suits over defective town-maintained streets, highways, bridges or sidewalks unless the Town received prior written notice of the specific defect and failed to act on it within a reasonable time.[9]
The Nassau County Police Department's First Precinct is itself headquartered in Baldwin, at 900 Merrick Road; the precinct's own page states it serves "the communities of Bellmore, N. Bellmore, East Meadow, Merrick, N. Merrick, Uniondale, Roosevelt, Baldwin, South Hempstead and Wantagh."[7] Criminal matters and smaller civil claims from Baldwin go to the Nassau County District Court, 99 Main Street, Hempstead, which "decide[s] civil suits involving claims up to $15,000, handle[s] misdemeanors and lesser offenses, and arraign[s] defendants accused of felonies."[11] Larger civil actions, including most personal-injury cases, go to Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola.[12]
Baldwin timeline
- Hick's Neck named. By 1660 the area was called Hick's Neck, after settler John Hick.[2]
- Pine's mill. The town granted "mill rights" to John Pine, who dammed Milburn Creek near today's Milburn Avenue and Merrick Road to build a gristmill, drawing farmers to settle nearby.[2]
- First all-American monoplane. Brothers Albert and Arthur Heinrich, who lived near today's Plaza School, "are believed to have built the very first successful all-American powered monoplane" and flew it that year.[5]
- Sunrise Highway opens through Baldwin. "In 1929, the new Sunrise Highway became the major east/west route through Baldwin," easing congestion on the old Merrick Road.[5]
- Grumman's start. A small aircraft company moved into "the old plane factory on Brooklyn Avenue for a short time, and later became a world leader in aircraft and aerospace development" — the Grumman Aircraft Corporation.[5]
- Largest unincorporated village in New York. Baldwin was, by the historical society's account, the largest unincorporated village in New York State, with over 4,000 homes and 119 apartments.[4]
Major roads in Baldwin
| Road | Route | Maintained by | In Baldwin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunrise Highway [6][5] | NY 27 | New York State | main east-west route through Baldwin since 1929 |
| Merrick Road [2] | — | unclear — a 2020s Wikipedia-sourced claim of 'Nassau County Route 27' could not be independently confirmed | runs through Baldwin's downtown, on the alignment of the colonial-era South Country Road/post road |
| Grand Avenue [2] | — | local (developed from the colonial Hick's Neck Road) | main north-south arterial through Baldwin's business district |
| Milburn Avenue [2] | — | local (developed from the colonial Hick's Neck Road) | local road near the historic Pine's Mill site |
Emergency Resources
Hospitals
- Mount Sinai South Nassau — One Healthy Way, Oceanside, NY 11572 — (516) 632-3000 (Nearest full-service hospital and emergency department.)
Police
- Nassau County Police Department, First Precinct — 900 Merrick Road, Baldwin, NY 11510 — (516) 573-6100 (The precinct station house is itself located in Baldwin. Emergencies: 911.)
Courts
- Nassau County District Court — 99 Main Street, Hempstead, NY 11550 — (516) 493-4200 (Civil claims up to $15,000, misdemeanors and lesser offenses, felony arraignments. Chief Clerk: (516) 493-4159.)
- Nassau County Supreme Court — 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 — (516) 493-3400 (Larger civil matters, including most personal-injury actions.)
Local Driver Services in Baldwin
Practical resources for Baldwin drivers — tire shops, gas prices, and live traffic conditions.
Safety Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do after a car accident in Baldwin, NY?
Move to safety and call 911 immediately, then document the scene with photos and exchange insurance and contact information with everyone involved. File a police report with NCPD and notify your insurer promptly. New York is a no-fault state, so your own PIP coverage pays initial medical costs regardless of fault, and you have just 30 days to file the NF-2 application.
Which roads are most dangerous in Baldwin?
Sunrise Highway and Merrick Road carry the heaviest traffic through Baldwin and account for most of the reported crashes we track. Grand Avenue at Sunrise Highway — the hamlet’s busiest junction, with heavy turning movements. Commercial driveways, signalized intersections, and turning movements along these corridors drive the local crash mix.
How current are these Baldwin accident reports?
Long Island Traffic adds new reports every 2–4 hours from 511NY, NYS Police Troop L, NCPD, and verified local news. Scroll up for the latest Baldwin and Nassau County incidents, and check the "Dangerous Roads" section for corridor-level breakdowns.
Do I need a lawyer after a Baldwin accident?
If you suffered serious injuries, significant property damage, or the other driver was uninsured, consulting a Nassau County personal injury attorney is strongly recommended. Many firms offer free consultations and work on contingency. See our free guides at /know-your-rights/car-accidents/ and /know-your-rights/insurance-claims/.
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Data: machine-readable fact sheet (JSON) · fatal-crash records (CSV) · methodology and limits
References
Datasets
- [A] National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2010–2024 national files. Retrieved September 17, 2026.Crashes on public trafficways in which a person died within 30 days. No personal identifiers. Placed by reported coordinates into 2020 Census boundaries.
- [B] U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, tables B08303, B08013, B08301, B08302, B08201, B19013, B01002. Retrieved September 17, 2026.Survey estimates with 90% margins of error. lowReliability = coefficient of variation above 30%.
- [C] U.S. Census Bureau, TIGERweb — 2020 Census tabulation geography (POP100, HU100, AREALAND). Retrieved September 17, 2026.
- [D] New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Motor Vehicle Crashes — Case Information: Four Year Window. Retrieved September 17, 2026.Police-reported crashes coded to a town, city or village by the reporting agency. Hamlets are not coded; hamlet pages show the parent town.
Sources for history, roads and law
- [1] N/A — not cited as a source of fact. Baldwin, New York (Wikipedia lead only — not cited for facts; used to identify the archived Baldwin Fire Department / Baldwin Historical Society pages actually cited below) (n.d.). Historical society.
- [2] Baldwin Historical Society (hosted by the Baldwin Fire Department, baldwinfd.com; archived by the Internet Archive). The Story of Baldwin: From Settlement to Revolution / The Birth of Baldwin (Baldwin Fire Department "Our Town" history) (n.d. (archive capture 2016)). Historical society.
- [3] Baldwin Historical Society (hosted by the Baldwin Fire Department, baldwinfd.com; archived by the Internet Archive). The Story of Baldwin (continued): the Baldwin family (n.d. (archive capture 2018)). Historical society.
- [4] Baldwin Historical Society (hosted by the Baldwin Fire Department, baldwinfd.com; archived by the Internet Archive). The Story of Baldwin (continued): growth, the 1930s and the largest unincorporated village (n.d. (archive capture 2011)). Historical society.
- [5] Baldwin Historical Society (hosted by the Baldwin Fire Department, baldwinfd.com; archived by the Internet Archive). The Story of Baldwin (continued): aviation, Sunrise Highway and Grumman (n.d. (archive capture 2011)). Historical society.
- [6] New York State Department of Transportation, Office of Traffic Safety & Mobility. Official Description of Highway Touring Routes, Bicycle Touring Routes, Scenic Byways, & Commemorative/Memorial Designations in New York State (2017). Government record.
- [7] Nassau County Police Department. NCPD First Precinct — About Precinct / NCPD Precincts (addresses and telephone numbers) (n.d.). Government record.
- [9] Caselaw Access Project, Harvard Law School Library. Knapp v. Town of Hempstead, 130 A.D.3d 579 (2d Dep't 2015) (2015). Court decision.
- [11] New York State Unified Court System. Nassau County District Court (2026). Court decision.
- [12] New York State Unified Court System. Nassau County Supreme Court (2026). Court decision.
- [13] Mount Sinai Health System. Mount Sinai South Nassau (location page) (2026). Institution.
Sources opened and checked September 17, 2026.