Peconic County, New York

Peconic County (/pəˈkɒnɪk/) is a proposed new county on Long Island in New York that would secede the five easternmost towns of Suffolk County: East Hampton, Riverhead, Shelter Island, Southampton and Southold, plus the Shinnecock Indian Reservation.

The proposed Peconic County flag showed the two forks at the east end of Long Island separated by Peconic Bay. The star on the north represents Southold. The stars on the South Fork represent Southampton and East Hampton. Riverhead is at the fork mouth and Shelter Island is between the forks.

A map showing the proposed location of Peconic County.

It derives its name from Peconic Bay which is the dividing body of water separating the North and South forks of Long Island.

Peconic County has been discussed for more than 50 years – ever since Suffolk County moved its offices from the official county seat in Riverhead 32 miles west to Hauppauge, New York, in more densely populated western Suffolk County.[1]

The big drive for the county was a difference in character between western Suffolk County which is predominantly a New York City bedroom community while the east end (or "East End") is dominated by home owners who want to preserve the area's more rural and upscale character.

In 1997, 71 percent of the east end voters approved a nonbinding resolution to secede. However, the New York State Assembly has never approved the enabling legislation. East End newspapers speculated that the Assembly was afraid that it would encourage a wave of secessions in the state including Staten Island seceding from New York City[2] and perhaps even causing the division of upstate and downstate New York.

The secession movement has not been active in recent years.