Port Washington, NY — Crash Data, Roads, History & Law

Port Washington is an unincorporated hamlet in the Town of North Hempstead, Nassau County, New York, with 16,753 residents at the 2020 Census. Federal crash records show 5 fatal crashes that killed 5 people within its boundaries from 2010 through 2024 — 2 of them on foot. W Shore Rd accounted for more of those deaths (2) than any other road. Residents who commute travel an average of 35.4 minutes each way.

Long Island Town Fact Book · Updated · Sources & method

Port Washington at a glance

Status
Hamlet (unincorporated; census-designated place)
Town
North Hempstead
County
Nassau County
Population (2020 Census)
16,753[C]
Housing units (2020)
6,269
Land area
4.2 sq mi (plus 1.45 sq mi of water)
Density
3,988 people per sq mi
Average commute
35.4 minutes[B]
Traffic deaths, 2010–2024
5[A]
ZIP Code
11050
Legal status
Unincorporated hamlet of the Town of North Hempstead, Nassau County, on the Cow Neck peninsula between Manhasset Bay and Hempstead Harbor[1]
Police
Port Washington Police District (independent special district, not NCPD), 500 Port Washington Boulevard; (516) 883-0500[1]
Main roads
Northern Boulevard (NY 25A, state) and Port Washington Boulevard (part of NY 101, state)[8][9]
Census geography
Port Washington CDP · GEOID 3659520 · GNIS 2389700
Coordinates
40.8274°N, 73.6800°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.

Fatal crashes in Port Washington, 2010–2024

From January 1, 2010 through December 31, 2024, 5 people died in 5 crashes on public roads inside Port Washington, according to the federal Fatality Analysis Reporting System.[A] Pedestrians account for 2 of those deaths (40%).

Fatal crashes
5
People killed
5
Pedestrians
2
Bicyclists
0
Motorcyclists
0
Vehicle occupants
3
Traffic deaths in Port Washington by year, 2010–2024
0 ’10 0 ’11 0 ’12 0 ’13 1 ’14 0 ’15 1 ’16 1 ’17 1 ’18 0 ’19 0 ’20 0 ’21 0 ’22 0 ’23 1 ’24

2024 figures come from NHTSA's Annual Report File and may be revised.

View the chart as a table
YearFatal crashesDeaths
201000
201100
201200
201300
201411
201500
201611
201711
201811
201900
202000
202100
202200
202300
202411

Roads where people died

RoadCrashesDeaths
W Shore Rd 2 2
N Plandome Rd 1 1
County Route 15 1 1
Main St 1 1

Road names as recorded by police and normalised to common Long Island names.

When and where

  • Of the 5 crashes with a recorded time, 2 happened between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m., 0 between 4 and 8 p.m., 2 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., and 1 between 6 and 10 a.m.
  • 40% happened in darkness.
  • 0 of the 5 deaths were on expressways or parkways; 5 were on arterials and local streets.
  • In at least 1 crash, 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 4 fatal crashes in Port Washington since then:

  • Town roads 3 (75%)
  • County roads 1 (25%)

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: 2 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.

Every fatal crash on record

DateTimeRoadDeathsWho diedLight
* 10 a.m. N Plandome Rd at Murray Ave 1 Pedestrian daylight
9 p.m. County Route 15 1 Vehicle occupant dark
7 a.m. W Shore Rd at Harbor Park Dr N 1 Vehicle occupant daylight
2 p.m. W Shore Rd 1 Vehicle occupant daylight
11 p.m. Main St at Bayles Ave 1 Pedestrian dark

FARS contains no names or personal identifiers. * 2024 records are preliminary. Download all 5 records (CSV) · How this was compiled

Recent Port Washington Incident Reports

Matthew Meyran of Port Washington Crashes SUV into Manorhaven Building, Charged with DWI on Shore Road

Port Washington Man, 66, Charged With DWI After SUV Crashes Into Manorhaven Building on Shore Road

A 66-year-old Port Washington man was charged with DWI after an SUV crashed into a building on Shore Road in Manorhaven. August 6, 2026.

Port Washington Man Arrested for Sexual Abuse Following Two Separate Incidents

Port Washington Man Arrested for Sexual Abuse Following Two Separate Incidents.

Updated continuously from 511NY, NYSP, NCPD, and SCPD feeds — all Long Island reports.

All reported crashes in the Town of North 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 Port Washington is for the Town of North Hempstead, which contains it. Police reported 16,765 crashes there from 2021 through 2024 — about 11.5 a day. 3,822 (22.8%) injured someone and 26 were fatal. [D]

Police-reported crashes, Town of North Hempstead
2021202220232024Total
3,2394,1654,7834,57816,765
Injury crashes
3,822
Fatal crashes
26
Struck a pedestrian
292
Struck a bicyclist
129
Struck a deer
10

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 Port Washington gets to work

Port Washington commuters travel an average of 35.4 minutes each way, 0.6 minutes shorter than the Nassau County average (the national average is 26.4 minutes). About 44.8% of workers drive alone, and 15% ride the railroad. [B]

Commuting and vehicle access, 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates)
Measure Port Washington Nassau County New York State United States
Average one-way commute 35.4 min ±6.5 36 min 32.6 min 26.4 min
Commute 60 minutes or longer 24.8% ±4.4 22.3% 16.8% 8.6%
Commute under 15 minutes 21.9% ±3.9 17.9% 20.5% 26%
Drive alone 44.8% ±3.3 60.7% 48.8% 68.8%
Carpool 3.1% ±1.4 7.3% 6.3% 8.5%
Commuter rail (LIRR) 15% ±3.2 7.1% 1.8% 0.3%
Bus 1.1% ±0.9 † 2.2% 5.1% 1.5%
Walk 2.1% ±1.1 † 2% 5.6% 2.4%
Work from home 29.4% ±3.8 15.6% 14.9% 15.1%
Leave home before 6 a.m. 7.5% ±2.8 10.8% 10.6% 14.4%
Households with no vehicle 6.4% ±2.1 6.8% 29.2% 8.4%
Households with three or more vehicles 16.3% ±3.4 23.3% 11.8% 21.9%

Survey estimates for 8,225 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 Port Washington

  • By some calculations, 90% of the concrete used to build New York City's sidewalks, skyscrapers, subway tunnels and building foundations came from Port Washington's sand mines.[10]
  • On July 9, 1937, a Pan American flying boat departed Port Washington and reached Ireland the same day an Imperial Airways flying boat arrived from Ireland — the first commercial survey flights across the North Atlantic.[6]
  • Pan American's Dixie Clipper left Port Washington on June 28, 1939, and landed in Lisbon the next day, completing the airline's first scheduled transatlantic passenger flight, with 22 passengers aboard.[7]
  • The Manhasset Viaduct that carried the Long Island Rail Road into Port Washington in 1898 was built by the Carnegie Steel Company and is, per the local historical society, still the highest train trestle on Long Island.[2]
  • Unlike its neighbors, Port Washington is patrolled by its own independent Port Washington Police District rather than the Nassau County Police Department.[4][13][14]
  • Voters approved retaining the Port Washington Police District by a vote of 4,086 to 2,221 in a special election on August 2, 1933.[4]

History

Port Washington sits on the Cow Neck peninsula, between Manhasset Bay and Hempstead Harbor, in the Town of North Hempstead.[1] The area was occupied by the British for seven years during the Revolutionary War, according to the Port Washington Public Library's local history program.[3]

From the 1870s to the 1980s, Port Washington's sandbanks were a major industrial center: the Port Washington Public Library's "Sand and City" archive describes a workforce of immigrant sandminers and scow captains who "transported raw materials to New York City and beyond," drawing workers from Italy, Ireland, Germany, Nova Scotia, Poland, Norway and Russia.[9][10] The Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society states that, "by some calculations, 90% of the concrete that built the sidewalks, the skyscrapers, the subway tunnels, [and] the building foundations of NYC came from" Port Washington sand, more than 100 million tons of it shipped by barge to Manhattan.[10]

In the late 1930s Port Washington's harbor was a base for transatlantic flying-boat travel. On July 9, 1937, piloted by Captain Harold E. Gray, a Pan American Sikorsky S-42B Clipper departed Port Washington and reached Foynes, Ireland, the first commercial survey flight across the North Atlantic; an Imperial Airways flying boat, the Caledonia, arrived at Port Washington from Foynes on the same date. A plaque commemorating the flights was erected at the Town Dock by the Wings Club in 1969.[6] Two years later, Pan American's Dixie Clipper — a Boeing B-314 captained by R. O. D. Sullivan, carrying 22 passengers — left Port Washington and, the next day, completed the airline's first scheduled transatlantic passenger flight, landing at Lisbon on June 29, 1939.[7]

How the roads got here

Northern Boulevard, forming Port Washington's southern edge, is New York State Route 25A.[8] Port Washington Boulevard, the hamlet's main north–south road, carries the state's NY 101 reference route, the same designation NYSDOT gives to Middle Neck Road four miles south in Great Neck; NYSDOT describes NY 101 as running from NY 25A in Flower Hill, "on Port Washington Boulevard and Middle Neck Road," north to Sands Point.[9]

The Long Island Rail Road reached Port Washington on June 23, 1898, when the line was extended from Great Neck; the extension required building the Manhasset Viaduct — built by the Carnegie Steel Company and, per the Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society, "still the highest train trestle on all of Long Island."[2] The Historical Society calls June 23, 1898 "easily the most pivotal date in the history of Port Washington," noting that the hamlet's business district began shifting toward the new rail station afterward.[2]

Law and legal history

Policing is unusual for an unincorporated area: rather than falling under a Nassau County Police Department precinct, Port Washington is served by its own Port Washington Police District, a special police district covering this part of the Town of North Hempstead. Its own history page states the department began operating January 1, 1922, following a bill introduced in the State Legislature to create the district; on August 2, 1933, voters of the Town of North Hempstead voted 4,086 to 2,221 in a special election to retain the district, and on May 28, 1934 Governor Herbert Lehman signed the law authorizing the Town Board to appoint three police commissioners for it.[4]

Government, courts and policing

Port Washington has no government of its own; local governance is the Town of North Hempstead's, headquartered at 220 Plandome Road in neighboring Manhasset.[12] Primary policing is by the Port Washington Police District, headquartered at 500 Port Washington Boulevard.[4] Neither of the two Nassau County Police Department precincts nearest Port Washington — the 6th Precinct (Manhasset) or the 3rd Precinct (Williston Park) — lists Port Washington among the communities it serves, consistent with the hamlet's independent police district.[13][14]

Railroad and transit

The LIRR's Port Washington Branch reached its eastern terminus at Port Washington on June 23, 1898, six years after wealthy residents began lobbying the railroad to extend service there from Great Neck.[2]

Landmarks and listed places

  • Plaque at Town Dock commemorating the July 9, 1937 transatlantic survey flights — Erected by the Wings Club, 1969; no register listing verified[6]

Port Washington timeline

  1. LIRR reaches Port Washington. The Long Island Rail Road's extension from Great Neck reached Port Washington, requiring construction of the Manhasset Viaduct.[2]
  2. Police department established. The Port Washington Police District's own history page dates the department's establishment to November 1921, with operations beginning January 1, 1922, following a bill introduced in the State Legislature; the department's home page separately describes its "modest beginnings" as 1904.[4][5]
  3. Police district retained by referendum. Voters of the Town of North Hempstead approved retaining the special police district, 4,086 to 2,221.[4]
  4. Police district confirmed by state law. Governor Herbert Lehman signed a bill authorizing the Town Board to appoint three police commissioners for the district.[4]
  5. Transatlantic survey flight. A Pan American Sikorsky S-42B flying boat departed Port Washington and reached Foynes, Ireland, the same day an Imperial Airways flying boat arrived at Port Washington from Foynes.[6]
  6. First scheduled transatlantic passenger flight. Pan American's Dixie Clipper, a Boeing B-314, left Port Washington for Lisbon, completing the airline's first transatlantic passenger flight the next day.[7]

Major roads in Port Washington

RoadRouteMaintained byIn Port Washington
Northern Boulevard [8] NY 25A New York State runs along the southern edge of the hamlet
Port Washington Boulevard [9] NY 101 (unsigned state reference route) New York State runs through

Emergency Resources

Hospitals

  • St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center (Catholic Health) — 100 Port Washington Boulevard, Roslyn, NY 11576 — (516) 562-6000

Police

  • Port Washington Police District — 500 Port Washington Boulevard, Port Washington, NY 11050 — (516) 883-0500 (Independent special police district, not a Nassau County Police Department precinct. Emergencies: 911.)

Courts

  • Nassau County District Court — 99 Main St, Hempstead, NY 11550 | (516) 572-2355
  • North Hempstead Town Justice Court — 220 Plandome Rd, Manhasset, NY 11030 | (516) 869-7607
  • Nassau County Supreme Court — 100 Supreme Court Dr, Mineola, NY 11501 | (516) 571-2904

Local Driver Services in Port Washington

Practical resources for Port Washington drivers — tire shops, gas prices, and live traffic conditions.

Tire Shops Best Tire Shops in Port Washington Top-rated by Google reviews Gas Prices Cheapest Gas in Port Washington Updated daily from station feeds Construction Active Long Island Construction Live work-zone directory Live Map Real-time Long Island Traffic Accidents, closures, and weather

Safety Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I do after a car accident in Port Washington, NY?

Call 911 immediately. The Port Washington Police District or NCPD will respond depending on the location. Document the scene with photos, gather witness information, and file a police report. New York's no-fault insurance law requires you to notify your own insurer promptly.

Which roads are most dangerous in Port Washington?

Port Washington Boulevard is the primary high-crash corridor, carrying most of the hamlet's north-south traffic through a mix of commercial and residential zones. Northern Boulevard along the hamlet's southern edge sees high-speed through traffic. Shore Road along Manhasset Bay is winding and has limited sight distances that create hazards in wet or icy conditions.

Where is the nearest hospital to Port Washington?

St. Francis Hospital on Port Washington Boulevard in Roslyn is the closest full-service hospital, approximately ten minutes from central Port Washington. North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset provides additional emergency and trauma services and is accessible via Northern Boulevard.

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Data: machine-readable fact sheet (JSON) · fatal-crash records (CSV) · methodology and limits

References

Datasets

  1. [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.
  2. [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%.
  3. [C] U.S. Census Bureau, TIGERweb — 2020 Census tabulation geography (POP100, HU100, AREALAND). Retrieved September 17, 2026.
  4. [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. [1] Port Washington Police District. Home page (2026). Government record.
  2. [2] Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society. Long Island Rail Road (2026). Historical society.
  3. [3] Port Washington Public Library. Cow Neck in the Revolution (2026). Library.
  4. [4] Port Washington Police District. PWPD History (2026). Government record.
  5. [5] Port Washington Police District. Home page (history teaser) (2026). Government record.
  6. [6] Port Washington Public Library, Local History Center. Plaque at Town Dock Commemorating 1st Commercial Flights Across Atlantic, July 9, 1939 [sic] (2009). Library.
  7. [7] Port Washington Public Library, Local History Center. John T. McCoy Painting of 1939 Dixie Clipper (2009). Library.
  8. [8] New York State Department of Transportation. Official Description of Highway Touring Routes ... in New York State (NY 25A) (2017). Government record.
  9. [9] New York State Department of Transportation. Official Description of Highway Touring Routes ... in New York State (NY 101) (2017). Government record.
  10. [10] Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society. Sand Mining (2026). Historical society.
  11. [12] Town of North Hempstead / General Code (eCode360). Chapter 26, Highways: Notice of Defect (2005). Government record.
  12. [13] Town of North Hempstead. Home page (2026). Government record.
  13. [14] Nassau County Police Department. About Sixth Precinct (2026). Government record.
  14. [15] Nassau County Police Department. About Third Precinct (2026). Government record.

Sources opened and checked September 17, 2026.