Staten Island

Staten Island
Eghquaons (Delaware)[1]
Staaten Eylandt (Dutch)[2]
Richmond County, New York
Flag of Staten Island
Official seal of Staten Island
Map
Interactive map outlining Staten Island
Location within the state of New York
Location within the state of New York
Coordinates: 40°34′19″N 74°8′49″W / 40.57194°N 74.14694°W / 40.57194; -74.14694
CountryUnited States
StateNew York
CountyRichmond (coterminous)
CityNew York
Settled1661
Named for
Government
 • TypeBorough
 • Borough presidentVito Fossella (R)
(Borough of Staten Island)
 • District AttorneyMichael McMahon (D)
(Richmond County)
Area
 • Total102.5 sq mi (265 km2)
 • Land58.5 sq mi (152 km2)
 • Water44 sq mi (110 km2)  43%
Dimensions
 • Length13.7 mi (22.0 km)
 • Width8.0 mi (12.9 km)
Highest elevation
400 ft (100 m)
Population
 (2020)[4]
 • Total495,747
 • Density8,618.3/sq mi (3,327.5/km2)
 • Demonym
Staten Islander[3]
GDP
 • TotalUS$17.539 billion (2022)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern Standard Time)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (Eastern Daylight Time)
ZIP Code prefix
103
Area code718/347/929, 917
Websitewww.statenislandusa.com

Staten Island (/ˈstætən/ STAT-ən) is the southernmost borough of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County and situated at the southern tip of the U.S. state of New York. The borough is separated from the adjacent state of New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull and from the rest of New York by New York Bay. With a population of 495,747 in the 2020 Census,[6] Staten Island is the least populated New York City borough but the third largest in land area at 58.5 sq mi (152 km2); it is also the least densely populated and most suburban borough in the city.

A home to the Lenape indigenous people, the island was settled by Dutch colonists in the 17th century. It was one of the 12 original counties of New York state. Staten Island was consolidated with New York City in 1898. It was formerly known as the Borough of Richmond until 1975, when its name was changed to Borough of Staten Island.[7] Staten Island has sometimes been called "the forgotten borough" by inhabitants who feel neglected by the city government.[8][9] It has also been referred to as the "borough of parks" due to its 12,300 acres of protected parkland and over 170 parks.[10][11][12][13]

The North Shore—especially the neighborhoods of St. George, Tompkinsville, Clifton, and Stapleton—is the island's most urban area. It contains the designated St. George Historic District and the St. Paul's Avenue-Stapleton Heights Historic District, which feature large Victorian houses. The East Shore is home to the 2+12-mile (4-kilometer) FDR Boardwalk, the world's fourth-longest boardwalk.[14] The South Shore, site of the 17th-century Dutch and French Huguenot settlement, developed rapidly beginning in the 1960s and 1970s and is now very suburban. The West Shore is the island's least populated and most industrial part.

Motor traffic can reach the borough from Brooklyn by the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge and from New Jersey by the Outerbridge Crossing, Goethals Bridge and Bayonne Bridge. Staten Island has Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) bus lines and an MTA rapid transit line, the Staten Island Railway, which runs from the ferry terminal at St. George to Tottenville. Staten Island is the only borough not connected to the New York City Subway system. The free Staten Island Ferry connects the borough to Manhattan across New York Harbor. It provides views of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and Lower Manhattan.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference deed was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference island was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Moynihan, Colin. "F.Y.I.", The New York Times, September 19, 1999. Retrieved December 17, 2019. "There are well-known names for inhabitants of four boroughs: Manhattanites, Brooklynites, Bronxites and Staten Islanders. But what are residents of Queens called?"
  4. ^ "2020 Census Demographic Data Map Viewer". US Census Bureau. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  5. ^ "Gross Domestic Product by County and Metropolitan Area, 2022" (PDF). Bureau of Economic Analysis.
  6. ^ "State and County QuickFacts – Richmond County (Staten Island Borough), New York". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  7. ^ "Timeline of Staten Island – 1900s – Present". New York Public Library. Archived from the original on January 13, 2006. Retrieved January 16, 2006.
  8. ^ Brown, Chip (January 30, 1994). "Escape From New York". The New York Times. Retrieved January 14, 2008. Given their status as residents of "the forgotten borough" – the sorry Cinderella sister in New York's dysfunctional family – maybe the giddiest aspect of all was the attention.
  9. ^ Buckley, Cara (October 7, 2007). "Bohemia by the Bay". The New York Times. Retrieved January 14, 2008. Even as New York's hip young things invade and colonize neighborhoods near, far and out of state, Staten Island has stayed stubbornly uncool. It remains the forgotten borough.
  10. ^ Editorial, Staten Island Advance (April 28, 2013). "The Borough of Parks: Inventory of protected Staten Island parkland keeps growing". silive. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
  11. ^ "Parks You Must Visit on Staten Island". NYC Parks. July 12, 2023. Archived from the original on December 26, 2022.
  12. ^ "The Greenest Borough". Freshkills Park. March 17, 2021. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
  13. ^ "Staten Island Parks - The Peopling of New York City". macaulay.cuny.edu. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
  14. ^ "South Beach & FDR Boardwalk of Staten Island, NYC". Si-web.com. Archived from the original on September 4, 2011. Retrieved January 11, 2012.