{ "name": "Wading River, New York", "url": "https://longislandtraffic.com/towns/suffolk/wading-river/", "updated": "2026-09-17", "publisher": "Long Island Traffic (https://longislandtraffic.com)", "methodology": "https://longislandtraffic.com/towns/methodology/", "reuse": "Quote with credit and a link to the page URL above. Underlying federal and state datasets are public records.", "geography": { "slug": "wading-river", "county": "suffolk", "censusName": "Wading River CDP", "geoType": "census-designated place", "legalStatus": "hamlet (unincorporated)", "geoid": "3677772", "gnisId": "2390442", "pop2020": 7731, "housingUnits2020": 3223, "landSqMi": 9.78, "waterSqMi": 2.73, "densityPerSqMi": 790, "internalPoint": [ 40.95386, -72.81701 ], "parentTown": "Riverhead town", "parentTownGeoid": "3610361984", "townShares": [ { "name": "Riverhead town", "share": 1 } ] }, "fatalCrashes2010to2024": { "period": "2010–2024", "crashes": 10, "deaths": 10, "pedestrianDeaths": 2, "bicyclistDeaths": 1, "motorcyclistDeaths": 1, "crashesWithDriverBac08": 0, "multiFatalityCrashes": 0, "onLimitedAccessHighways": { "crashes": 0, "deaths": 0 }, "deathsPer100kResidentsPerYear": 8.6, "byYear": [ { "year": 2010, "crashes": 1, "deaths": 1 }, { "year": 2011, "crashes": 1, "deaths": 1 }, { "year": 2012, "crashes": 2, "deaths": 2 }, { "year": 2013, "crashes": 1, "deaths": 1 }, { "year": 2014, "crashes": 1, "deaths": 1 }, { "year": 2015, "crashes": 0, "deaths": 0 }, { "year": 2016, "crashes": 1, "deaths": 1 }, { "year": 2017, "crashes": 0, "deaths": 0 }, { "year": 2018, "crashes": 0, "deaths": 0 }, { "year": 2019, "crashes": 0, "deaths": 0 }, { "year": 2020, "crashes": 1, "deaths": 1 }, { "year": 2021, "crashes": 1, "deaths": 1 }, { "year": 2022, "crashes": 1, "deaths": 1 }, { "year": 2023, "crashes": 0, "deaths": 0 }, { "year": 2024, "crashes": 0, "deaths": 0 } ], "byTimeOfDay": { "known": 10, "morning6to10": 2, "midday10to16": 5, "evening16to20": 2, "night20to6": 1 }, "darkShare": 0.2, "topRoads": [ { "name": "Northern Boulevard / Route 25A", "slug": "route-25a-north-shore", "crashes": 5, "deaths": 5 }, { "name": "Middle Country Road (NY 25)", "slug": "route-25-jericho-turnpike", "crashes": 4, "deaths": 4 }, { "name": "N Wading River Rd", "slug": null, "crashes": 1, "deaths": 1 } ], "roadOwnership": { "period": "2015–2024", "crashes": 4, "owners": [ { "owner": "State Highway Agency", "crashes": 4 } ] } }, "allReportedCrashes": { "years": [ "2021", "2022", "2023", "2024" ], "scope": "parent-town", "municipalityCode": "RIVERHEAD", "label": "Town of Riverhead", "total": 4994, "fatal": 23, "injury": 1381, "propertyDamageOnly": 3590, "byYear": { "2021": 1135, "2022": 1065, "2023": 1332, "2024": 1462 }, "pedestrian": 59, "bicyclist": 54, "deer": 351, "otherAnimal": 80 }, "commute": { "workers16plus": 4146, "commutersNotWorkingFromHome": 3440, "meanTravelMinutes": { "value": 32.7, "moe": 7.7, "lowReliability": false }, "pct60MinPlus": { "value": 11.6, "moe": 3.7, "lowReliability": false }, "pct90MinPlus": { "value": 4.6, "moe": 2.5, "lowReliability": true }, "pctUnder15Min": { "value": 3, "moe": 2.3, "lowReliability": true }, "pctDroveAlone": { "value": 70.1, "moe": 8.4, "lowReliability": false }, "pctCarpooled": { "value": 10.7, "moe": 4.7, "lowReliability": false }, "pctPublicTransit": { "value": 2.2, "moe": 1.9, "lowReliability": true }, "pctCommuterRail": { "value": 1.2, "moe": 1.3, "lowReliability": true }, "pctBus": { "value": 0, "moe": 0.5, "lowReliability": true }, "pctWalked": { "value": 0, "moe": 0.2, "lowReliability": true }, "pctBicycle": { "value": 0, "moe": 0.5, "lowReliability": true }, "pctWorkedFromHome": { "value": 17, "moe": 4.8, "lowReliability": false }, "pctLeaveBefore6am": { "value": 8.1, "moe": 4, "lowReliability": true }, "pctLeaveBefore7am": { "value": 17.6, "moe": 5.3, "lowReliability": false }, "households": 3126, "pctNoVehicle": { "value": 0.7, "moe": 1.1, "lowReliability": true }, "pctThreePlusVehicles": { "value": 32.7, "moe": 7.8, "lowReliability": false }, "medianHouseholdIncome": { "value": 136549, "moe": 10103 }, "medianAge": { "value": 46.7, "moe": 6.4 } }, "benchmarks": { "county": { "workers16plus": 766432, "commutersNotWorkingFromHome": 674118, "meanTravelMinutes": { "value": 31.1, "moe": 0.4, "lowReliability": false }, "pct60MinPlus": { "value": 14.1, "moe": 0.4, "lowReliability": false }, "pct90MinPlus": { "value": 6.5, "moe": 0.3, "lowReliability": false }, "pctUnder15Min": { "value": 22.8, "moe": 0.6, "lowReliability": false }, "pctDroveAlone": { "value": 72.1, "moe": 0.4, "lowReliability": false }, "pctCarpooled": { "value": 7.5, "moe": 0.3, "lowReliability": false }, "pctPublicTransit": { "value": 4.8, "moe": 0.2, "lowReliability": false }, "pctCommuterRail": { "value": 3.2, "moe": 0.2, "lowReliability": false }, "pctBus": { "value": 0.6, "moe": 0.1, "lowReliability": false }, "pctWalked": { "value": 1.4, "moe": 0.1, "lowReliability": false }, "pctBicycle": { "value": 0.2, "moe": 0, "lowReliability": false }, "pctWorkedFromHome": { "value": 12, "moe": 0.3, "lowReliability": false }, "pctLeaveBefore6am": { "value": 12, "moe": 0.4, "lowReliability": false }, "pctLeaveBefore7am": { "value": 30.2, "moe": 0.6, "lowReliability": false }, "households": 512565, "pctNoVehicle": { "value": 5.1, "moe": 0.2, "lowReliability": false }, "pctThreePlusVehicles": { "value": 28.8, "moe": 0.5, "lowReliability": false }, "medianHouseholdIncome": { "value": 130686, "moe": 1707 }, "medianAge": { "value": 41.7, "moe": 0.2 } }, "state": { "workers16plus": 9306567, "commutersNotWorkingFromHome": 7916632, "meanTravelMinutes": { "value": 32.6, "moe": 0.1, "lowReliability": false }, "pct60MinPlus": { "value": 16.8, "moe": 0.1, "lowReliability": false }, "pct90MinPlus": { "value": 5.3, "moe": 0.1, "lowReliability": false }, "pctUnder15Min": { "value": 20.5, "moe": 0.2, "lowReliability": false }, "pctDroveAlone": { "value": 48.8, "moe": 0.1, "lowReliability": false }, "pctCarpooled": { "value": 6.3, "moe": 0.1, "lowReliability": false }, "pctPublicTransit": { "value": 21.6, "moe": 0.1, "lowReliability": false }, "pctCommuterRail": { "value": 1.8, "moe": 0, "lowReliability": false }, "pctBus": { "value": 5.1, "moe": 0.1, "lowReliability": false }, "pctWalked": { "value": 5.6, "moe": 0.1, "lowReliability": false }, "pctBicycle": { "value": 0.8, "moe": 0, "lowReliability": false }, "pctWorkedFromHome": { "value": 14.9, "moe": 0.1, "lowReliability": false }, "pctLeaveBefore6am": { "value": 10.6, "moe": 0.1, "lowReliability": false }, "pctLeaveBefore7am": { "value": 26.3, "moe": 0.2, "lowReliability": false }, "households": 7722646, "pctNoVehicle": { "value": 29.2, "moe": 0.1, "lowReliability": false }, "pctThreePlusVehicles": { "value": 11.8, "moe": 0.1, "lowReliability": false }, "medianHouseholdIncome": { "value": 85974, "moe": 402 }, "medianAge": { "value": 39.8, "moe": 0.1 } }, "nation": { "workers16plus": 159114094, "commutersNotWorkingFromHome": 135071605, "meanTravelMinutes": { "value": 26.4, "moe": 0, "lowReliability": false }, "pct60MinPlus": { "value": 8.6, "moe": 0, "lowReliability": false }, "pct90MinPlus": { "value": 2.7, "moe": 0, "lowReliability": false }, "pctUnder15Min": { "value": 26, "moe": 0, "lowReliability": false }, "pctDroveAlone": { "value": 68.8, "moe": 0.1, "lowReliability": false }, "pctCarpooled": { "value": 8.5, "moe": 0, "lowReliability": false }, "pctPublicTransit": { "value": 3.2, "moe": 0, "lowReliability": false }, "pctCommuterRail": { "value": 0.3, "moe": 0, "lowReliability": false }, "pctBus": { "value": 1.5, "moe": 0, "lowReliability": false }, "pctWalked": { "value": 2.4, "moe": 0, "lowReliability": false }, "pctBicycle": { "value": 0.4, "moe": 0, "lowReliability": false }, "pctWorkedFromHome": { "value": 15.1, "moe": 0, "lowReliability": false }, "pctLeaveBefore6am": { "value": 14.4, "moe": 0, "lowReliability": false }, "pctLeaveBefore7am": { "value": 32.5, "moe": 0, "lowReliability": false }, "households": 129227496, "pctNoVehicle": { "value": 8.4, "moe": 0, "lowReliability": false }, "pctThreePlusVehicles": { "value": 21.9, "moe": 0, "lowReliability": false }, "medianHouseholdIncome": { "value": 80734, "moe": 166 }, "medianAge": { "value": 38.9, "moe": 0.1 } } }, "research": { "researchedAt": "2026-09-17", "identity": { "officialName": "Wading River", "placeType": "hamlet and census-designated place", "parentTown": "Town of Riverhead", "alsoIn": [], "formerNames": [], "nameOrigin": null, "founded": null, "incorporated": null, "gnisId": null, "wikidataId": null }, "quickFacts": [ { "label": "Legal status", "value": "Unincorporated hamlet, mainly within the Town of Riverhead", "src": [ 1 ] }, { "label": "Police", "value": "Town of Riverhead Police Department (the Town has its own department; it is not an SCPD-patrolled area)", "src": [ 2 ] }, { "label": "Court", "value": "Riverhead Town Justice Court, 210 Howell Avenue, Riverhead", "src": [ 3 ] }, { "label": "Prior-written-notice law", "value": "Town of Riverhead Code Chapter 109, § 109-2 (\"Civil Claims\") — written notice of a defect must be filed with the Town Clerk at least 15 calendar days before the claim arises", "src": [ 4 ] }, { "label": "Fire protection", "value": "Wading River Fire Department, 1503 North Country Road, Wading River, NY 11792", "src": [ 8 ] }, { "label": "State park", "value": "Wildwood State Park, 790 Hulse Landing Road — 600 acres of undeveloped hardwood forest on a bluff over Long Island Sound", "src": [ 1 ] }, { "label": "Nearest hospitals", "value": "Peconic Bay Medical Center, Riverhead (Level III adult trauma center); Mather Hospital, Port Jefferson", "src": [ 9, 10, 11 ] } ], "timeline": [], "sections": [ { "id": "history", "heading": "History", "paragraphs": [ "The hamlet's Sound-side bluffs are now largely preserved as Wildwood State Park, which the state parks system describes as \"600 acres of undeveloped hardwood forest terminating on the high bluff overlooking Long Island Sound,\" reached from Hulse Landing Road.[1]" ] }, { "id": "roads", "heading": "How the roads got here", "paragraphs": [ "NYSDOT's own statewide description of NY Route 25A traces it east from the Nassau County line through Roslyn, Huntington, Kings Park, Smithtown, Port Jefferson and Port Jefferson Station, then \"on Hallock Avenue, Rocky Point, on Parker Avenue (NY 25)\" — that is, the state's numbered touring route ends at its junction with NY 25 in the Rocky Point area.[5]", "Suffolk County's road inventory lists County Road 54 (Hulse Landing Road/Wildwood Road) running from Sound Avenue to North Wading River Road — the county highway that reaches Wildwood State Park.[6]", "NY Route 25 is a state highway, but NYSDOT's route description lists it running from Coram directly to Riverhead without naming Wading River or Calverton, indicating Route 25 passes to the south of Wading River hamlet (through the Calverton area) rather than through the hamlet center itself.[5]" ] }, { "id": "government", "heading": "Government, courts and policing", "paragraphs": [ "Wading River has no government of its own. For the part of the hamlet within the Town of Riverhead, the Town of Riverhead Police Department — the same town-wide department headquartered at 210 Howell Avenue that serves the rest of the town — is the police agency of record, not the Suffolk County Police Department; SCPD's own description of its Seventh Precinct states that precinct's territory runs only \"to the Riverhead and Southampton Town lines,\" i.e., up to, not into, the Town of Riverhead.[2][12] Traffic, criminal, parking, landlord-tenant, small-claims and civil matters from this part of the hamlet go to the Riverhead Town Justice Court at 210 Howell Avenue.[3]", "Like the rest of the Town of Riverhead, a civil suit over a defective town road, sidewalk or other town-owned condition in Wading River requires that written notice first be filed with the Town Clerk at least 15 calendar days before the incident, under TownCode Chapter 109, § 109-2.[4]", "Fire protection comes from the volunteer Wading River Fire Department, headquartered at 1503 North Country Road.[8]" ] } ], "legalCases": [], "landmarks": [ { "name": "Wildwood State Park", "designation": "New York State park, 600 acres on a bluff over Long Island Sound; entrance at 790 Hulse Landing Road", "src": [ 1 ] } ], "notableFacts": [ { "text": "Wildwood State Park in Wading River comprises 600 acres of undeveloped hardwood forest on a bluff over Long Island Sound.", "src": [ 1 ] }, { "text": "NYSDOT's own statewide list of touring routes traces NY Route 25A only as far east as its junction with NY Route 25 near Rocky Point — it does not separately number the road continuing east through Wading River.", "src": [ 5 ] }, { "text": "Suffolk County's road inventory does not list Sound Avenue or the road called \"Wading River-Manor Road\" among its numbered county roads, consistent with both being Town of Riverhead highways.", "src": [ 6 ] } ], "sources": [ { "id": 1, "title": "Wildwood State Park", "publisher": "New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation", "url": "https://parks.ny.gov/parks/wildwood/details.aspx", "year": "2026", "type": "government" }, { "id": 2, "title": "Police Department", "publisher": "Town of Riverhead", "url": "https://www.townofriverheadny.gov/191/Police-Department", "year": "2026", "type": "government" }, { "id": 3, "title": "Justice Court", "publisher": "Town of Riverhead", "url": "https://www.townofriverheadny.gov/194/Justice-Court", "year": "2026", "type": "government" }, { "id": 4, "title": "Chapter 109, Civil Claims — Code of the Town of Riverhead", "publisher": "Town of Riverhead / General Code (ecode360)", "url": "https://ecode360.com/6251500", "year": "2026", "type": "government" }, { "id": 5, "title": "Official Description of Highway Touring Routes, Bicycle Touring Routes, Scenic Byways, & Commemorative/Memorial Designations in New York State", "publisher": "New York State Department of Transportation", "url": "https://www.dot.ny.gov/divisions/operating/oom/transportation-systems/repository/2017%20tour-bk.pdf", "year": "2017", "type": "government" }, { "id": 6, "title": "Suffolk County Roads List", "publisher": "Suffolk County Department of Public Works", "url": "https://suffolkcountyny.gov/Portals/0/formsdocs/publicworks/PDF/Suffolk%20County%20Roads%20List.pdf", "year": "n.d.", "type": "government" }, { "id": 8, "title": "Wading River Fire Department (home page)", "publisher": "Wading River Fire Department", "url": "https://www.wadingriverfd.org/", "year": "2026", "type": "government" }, { "id": 9, "title": "New York State Trauma Centers", "publisher": "New York State Department of Health", "url": "https://www.health.ny.gov/professionals/ems/state_trauma/trauma2.htm", "year": "n.d.", "type": "government" }, { "id": 10, "title": "Contact us — Peconic Bay Medical Center", "publisher": "Northwell Health", "url": "https://pbmc.northwell.edu/contact-us", "year": "2026", "type": "reference" }, { "id": 11, "title": "Mather Hospital (home page)", "publisher": "Northwell Health / Mather Hospital", "url": "https://www.matherhospital.org/", "year": "2026", "type": "reference" }, { "id": 12, "title": "Seventh Precinct", "publisher": "Suffolk County Police Department", "url": "https://www.suffolkpd.org/Precincts-and-Specialized-Units/Precincts/Seventh-Precinct", "year": "2026", "type": "government" } ] }, "dataSources": { "census2020": { "name": "U.S. Census Bureau, TIGERweb — 2020 Census tabulation geography (POP100, HU100, AREALAND)", "url": "https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/tigerWMS_Census2020/MapServer", "retrieved": "2026-09-17" }, "acs": { "name": "U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, tables B08303, B08013, B08301, B08302, B08201, B19013, B01002", "url": "https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/", "period": "2020–2024", "retrieved": "2026-09-17", "note": "Survey estimates with 90% margins of error. lowReliability = coefficient of variation above 30%." }, "fars": { "name": "National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2010–2024 national files", "url": "https://www.nhtsa.gov/file-downloads?p=nhtsa/downloads/FARS/", "retrieved": "2026-09-17", "preliminaryYears": [ 2024 ], "note": "Crashes on public trafficways in which a person died within 30 days. No personal identifiers. Placed by reported coordinates into 2020 Census boundaries." }, "nys": { "name": "New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Motor Vehicle Crashes — Case Information: Four Year Window", "url": "https://data.ny.gov/Transportation/Motor-Vehicle-Crashes-Case-Information-Four-Year-W/e8ky-4vqe", "period": "2021–2024", "retrieved": "2026-09-17", "note": "Police-reported crashes coded to a town, city or village by the reporting agency. Hamlets are not coded; hamlet pages show the parent town." } } }