Dix Hills, NY — Crash Data, Roads, History & Law
Dix Hills is an unincorporated hamlet in the Town of Huntington, Suffolk County, New York, with 26,180 residents at the 2020 Census. Federal crash records show 27 fatal crashes that killed 27 people within its boundaries from 2010 through 2024 — 7 of them on foot. Long Island Expressway (I-495) accounted for more of those deaths (5) than any other road. Residents who commute travel an average of 36.8 minutes each way.
Long Island Town Fact Book · Updated · Sources & method
Dix Hills at a glance
- Status
- Hamlet (unincorporated; census-designated place)
- Town
- Huntington
- County
- Suffolk County
- Population (2020 Census)
- 26,180[C]
- Housing units (2020)
- 8,315
- Land area
- 15.75 sq mi
- Density
- 1,662 people per sq mi
- Average commute
- 36.8 minutes[B]
- Traffic deaths, 2010–2024
- 27[A]
- ZIP Code
- 11746
- Founded / settled
- The land was purchased from Dick Pechagan by the Town of Huntington in 1700, according to the Dix Hills-Melville Historical Association; the surrounding Town of Huntington dates its own founding to 1653[1][9]
- Legal status
- Unincorporated hamlet of the Town of Huntington, tabulated by the Census Bureau as the Dix Hills CDP[9]
- Name
- Named for Dick Pechagan, a Secatogue man who farmed the area and sold it to the Town in 1700[1]
- School district
- Half Hollow Hills Central School District, headquartered at 525 Half Hollow Road, Dix Hills[7]
- National Register landmark
- The John Coltrane Home on Candlewood Path, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007 and named a National Trust 'National Treasure' in 2018[2]
- Main roads
- NY 231 (Deer Park Avenue), the Long Island Expressway (I-495), the Northern State Parkway[10]
- Census geography
- Dix Hills CDP · GEOID 3620687 · GNIS 2389409
- Coordinates
- 40.8033°N, 73.3375°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:Named for Dick Pechagan, said by the Dix Hills-Melville Historical Association to have been a Secatogue man who had a wigwam and farmed the area around 1689 and to have sold it to the Town of Huntington in 1700; the name was simplified over time from 'Dick's' to 'Dix'[1]
Fatal crashes in Dix Hills, 2010–2024
From January 1, 2010 through December 31, 2024, 27 people died in 27 crashes on public roads inside Dix Hills, according to the federal Fatality Analysis Reporting System.[A] Pedestrians account for 7 of those deaths (26%). The deadliest year was 2013, with 4 deaths.
- Fatal crashes
- 27
- People killed
- 27
- Pedestrians
- 7
- Bicyclists
- 1
- Motorcyclists
- 4
- Vehicle occupants
- 15
2024 figures come from NHTSA's Annual Report File and may be revised.
View the chart as a table
| Year | Fatal crashes | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 1 | 1 |
| 2011 | 2 | 2 |
| 2012 | 3 | 3 |
| 2013 | 4 | 4 |
| 2014 | 1 | 1 |
| 2015 | 3 | 3 |
| 2016 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | 1 | 1 |
| 2018 | 2 | 2 |
| 2019 | 1 | 1 |
| 2020 | 3 | 3 |
| 2021 | 2 | 2 |
| 2022 | 3 | 3 |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 | 1 |
Roads where people died
| Road | Crashes | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| Long Island Expressway (I-495) | 5 | 5 |
| Northern State Parkway | 4 | 4 |
| Vanderbilt Pkwy (CR 67) | 3 | 3 |
| Deer Park Rd (CR 35) | 2 | 2 |
| Straight Path | 2 | 2 |
| Commack Rd | 2 | 2 |
| Deer Park Avenue (NY 231) | 2 | 2 |
| County Route 66 | 2 | 2 |
Road names as recorded by police and normalised to common Long Island names.
When and where
- Of the 27 crashes with a recorded time, 12 happened between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m., 6 between 4 and 8 p.m., 4 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., and 5 between 6 and 10 a.m.
- 44% happened in darkness.
- 9 of the 27 deaths were on expressways or parkways; 18 were on arterials and local streets.
- In at least 6 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 16 fatal crashes in Dix Hills since then:
- County roads 6 (38%)
- State highways 5 (31%)
- Town roads 5 (31%)
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: 6.9 traffic deaths per 100,000 residents per year, against 9.1 for Suffolk 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| * | 3 p.m. | Vanderbilt Pkwy (CR 67) at Village Hill Dr | 1 | Pedestrian | daylight |
| 7 a.m. | Northern State Parkway | 1 | Vehicle occupant | daylight | |
| 9 p.m. | Deer Park Rd (CR 35) at Old Country Road | 1 | Pedestrian | dark | |
| 5 p.m. | Vanderbilt Pkwy | 1 | Vehicle occupant | daylight | |
| 12 p.m. | Deer Park Rd | 1 | Motorcyclist | daylight | |
| 10 p.m. | Long Island Expressway (I-495) | 1 | Vehicle occupant | dark | |
| 7 p.m. | Northern State Parkway | 1 | Vehicle occupant | daylight | |
| 9 a.m. | Northern State Parkway | 1 | Vehicle occupant | daylight | |
| 10 p.m. | Straight Path at Clarendon St | 1 | Pedestrian | dark | |
| 6 p.m. | Long Island Expressway (I-495) | 1 | Motorcyclist | daylight | |
| 10 p.m. | Straight Path at Heather Ct | 1 | Pedestrian | dark | |
| 11 p.m. | Commack Rd at Long Island Expressway (I-495) | 1 | Vehicle occupant | dark | |
| 5 p.m. | Commack Rd at N Service Rd | 1 | Vehicle occupant | daylight | |
| 7 a.m. | County Route 4 | 1 | Vehicle occupant | daylight | |
| 3 p.m. | 1049 Commack Rd at Polo St | 1 | Vehicle occupant | daylight |
FARS contains no names or personal identifiers. * 2024 records are preliminary. Download all 27 records (CSV) · How this was compiled
Recent Dix Hills Incident Reports
Dix Hills Man, 86, Killed After Subaru Leaves Burrs Lane, Strikes Tree
Dix Hills Man, 86, Killed After Subaru Leaves Burrs Lane, Strikes Tree. September 6, 2026.
Six-Vehicle Crash on Westbound LIE Near Exit 51 in Dix Hills Injures Three
Three people were taken to area hospitals with minor injuries after a six-vehicle crash on the westbound Long Island Expressway near Exit 51 in Dix Hills on the morning of August 24, 2026.
Six-Car Pileup on LIE Westbound Near Exit 51 in Dix Hills Sends Three to Hospital
Six vehicles collided on the westbound Long Island Expressway near Exit 51 in Dix Hills on Monday morning, August 24, 2026, according to News 12 Long Island.
Huntington Man, 54, Dies After Medical Episode and Crash on Dix Hills Road
A 54-year-old Huntington man dies after a medical episode and crash on Dix Hills Road. August 20, 2026.
Westbury Woman, 38, Seriously Injured as Honda Overturns off LIE in Dix Hills
Westbury Woman, 38, Seriously Injured as Honda Overturns off LIE in Dix Hills. June 27, 2026.
Woman, 38, Seriously Injured After Honda Overturns off LIE Near Exit 52 in Dix Hills
Updated continuously from 511NY, NYSP, NCPD, and SCPD feeds — all Long Island reports.
All reported crashes in the Town of Huntington, 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 Dix Hills is for the Town of Huntington, which contains it. Police reported 19,356 crashes there from 2021 through 2024 — about 13.2 a day. 5,246 (27.1%) injured someone and 50 were fatal. [D]
| 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4,760 | 4,567 | 5,042 | 4,987 | 19,356 |
- Injury crashes
- 5,246
- Fatal crashes
- 50
- Struck a pedestrian
- 187
- Struck a bicyclist
- 117
- Struck a deer
- 136
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 Dix Hills gets to work
Dix Hills commuters travel an average of 36.8 minutes each way, 5.7 minutes longer than the Suffolk County average (the national average is 26.4 minutes). About 64.9% of workers drive alone, and 5.1% ride the railroad. [B]
| Measure | Dix Hills | Suffolk County | New York State | United States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average one-way commute | 36.8 min ±4.4 | 31.1 min | 32.6 min | 26.4 min |
| Commute 60 minutes or longer | 17% ±2.1 | 14.1% | 16.8% | 8.6% |
| Commute under 15 minutes | 12.6% ±1.9 | 22.8% | 20.5% | 26% |
| Drive alone | 64.9% ±4.2 | 72.1% | 48.8% | 68.8% |
| Carpool | 5.6% ±1.4 | 7.5% | 6.3% | 8.5% |
| Commuter rail (LIRR) | 5.1% ±1.1 | 3.2% | 1.8% | 0.3% |
| Bus | 1% ±0.8 † | 0.6% | 5.1% | 1.5% |
| Walk | 1.1% ±0.7 † | 1.4% | 5.6% | 2.4% |
| Work from home | 18.8% ±3 | 12% | 14.9% | 15.1% |
| Leave home before 6 a.m. | 10.1% ±4.2 | 12% | 10.6% | 14.4% |
| Households with no vehicle | 1.7% ±1.2 † | 5.1% | 29.2% | 8.4% |
| Households with three or more vehicles | 37% ±3.4 | 28.8% | 11.8% | 21.9% |
Survey estimates for 12,441 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 Dix Hills
- Dix Hills is said to take its name from Dick Pechagan, a Secatogue man who farmed the land before selling it to the Town of Huntington in 1700.[1]
- John Coltrane composed his album A Love Supreme inside his Dix Hills home on Candlewood Path, which he and his wife Alice bought in 1964.[2]
- The Coltrane Home, threatened with demolition, was placed on the National Trust for Historic Preservation's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places list in 2011 before being named a National Treasure in 2018.[2]
- William K. Vanderbilt Jr.'s Long Island Motor Parkway, which ran through the Dix Hills area beginning in 1908, was closed in 1938 and sold to New York State for $80,000 in back taxes.[3]
History
Dix Hills is an unincorporated hamlet of the Town of Huntington. The Dix Hills-Melville Historical Association attributes the hamlet's name to Dick Pechagan, whom it identifies as likely a Secatogue man who had a wigwam and farmed the area around 1689 before selling it to the Town of Huntington in 1700; the association states the name was simplified over time from "Dick's" to "Dix."[1] No independently citable date for the hamlet's first English settlement beyond that 1700 purchase was found; the surrounding Town of Huntington dates its own founding to the 1653 First Purchase.[1][9]
Dix Hills is best known today for its association with jazz musicians John and Alice Coltrane, who bought a property on Candlewood Path in 1964; John Coltrane lived there until his death in 1967, and it was in that house that he composed the album A Love Supreme, with Alice continuing to live and record there until 1973.[2] The property, threatened with demolition in the early 2000s, was placed on the National Trust for Historic Preservation's list of the 11 Most Endangered Historic Places in 2011 and named a National Trust National Treasure in 2018; restoration efforts continue toward establishing a museum and music-education center there.[2]
How the roads got here
New York's Department of Transportation lists NY 231 (Deer Park Avenue) as running from Babylon through Deer Park and Dix Hills to a junction with the Northern State Parkway.[10] The Long Island Expressway (I-495) runs along the hamlet's southern edge, and the Northern State Parkway crosses its northern section; both are described by NYSDOT's own reference-route table as maintained not by the Department of Transportation itself but by the state's Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, the same agency responsible for other Robert Moses-era Long Island parkways, under Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Law Section 13.03.[10] Before those state roads existed, William K. Vanderbilt Jr.'s privately built Long Island Motor Parkway — an early limited-access toll road the Dix Hills-Melville Historical Association's timeline calls "America's very first expressway" — ran through the hamlet's then-rural interior after opening in 1908; it hosted the Vanderbilt Cup auto races through 1910, became known in the 1920s as an unpoliced "Rumrunner's Road," and was closed and sold to New York State for $80,000 in back taxes in 1938.[3]
Government, courts and policing
Dix Hills has no government, police department or court of its own. The Suffolk County Police Department's 2nd Precinct, which states it "proudly serves the residents of the Town of Huntington," patrols the hamlet.[8] Public schools are provided by the Half Hollow Hills Central School District, whose administrative headquarters, the Fran Greenspan Administration Center, sits at 525 Half Hollow Road in Dix Hills itself; the district also serves neighboring Melville.[7]
Landmarks and listed places
- John Coltrane Home, 247 Candlewood Path — National Register of Historic Places, listed June 29, 2007; National Trust for Historic Preservation 'National Treasure,' 2018; National Trust '11 Most Endangered Historic Places,' 2011[2]
Dix Hills timeline
- Pechagan settlement. Dick Pechagan, likely a Secatogue man, is said to have had a wigwam and farmed the area that became Dix Hills.[1]
- Land sold to Huntington. Pechagan sold the area to the Town of Huntington.[1]
- Motor Parkway opens. William K. Vanderbilt Jr.'s Long Island Motor Parkway opened, running through the Town of Huntington's interior including the Dix Hills area, and hosted the Vanderbilt Cup auto races through 1910.[3]
- Motor Parkway closes. The Motor Parkway was closed and sold to New York State for back taxes.[3]
- Coltranes buy Candlewood Path home. Jazz musicians John and Alice Coltrane bought the Candlewood Path property.[2]
- John Coltrane's death. John Coltrane died; Alice Coltrane remained in the house until 1973.[2]
- Endangered listing. The National Trust for Historic Preservation placed the Coltrane Home on its list of the 11 Most Endangered Historic Places.[2]
- National Treasure designation. The National Trust designated the Coltrane Home a National Treasure.[2]
Major roads in Dix Hills
| Road | Route | Maintained by | In Dix Hills |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deer Park Avenue [10] | NY 231 | New York State | runs through the hamlet's eastern side to the Northern State Parkway |
| Long Island Expressway [10] | I-495 | New York State | runs along the hamlet's southern edge |
| Northern State Parkway [10] | unsigned reference route NY 908G | New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation | crosses the hamlet's northern section |
Emergency Resources
Hospitals
- Huntington Hospital (Northwell Health) — 270 Park Avenue, Huntington, NY 11743 — (631) 351-2000 (Level III adult trauma center on the state Department of Health list.)
- St. Catherine of Siena Hospital (Catholic Health) — 50 Route 25A, Smithtown, NY 11787 — (631) 862-3000
Police
- Suffolk County Police Department, 2nd Precinct — 1071 Park Avenue, Huntington, NY 11743 — (631) 852-6000 (Patrols Dix Hills; there is no Dix Hills-specific police force. Emergencies: 911.)
Courts
- Suffolk County District Court — 400 Carleton Ave, Central Islip, NY 11722 | (631) 853-7500
- Huntington Town Justice Court — 100 Main St, Huntington, NY 11743 | (631) 351-3078
- Suffolk County Supreme Court — 1 Court St, Riverhead, NY 11901 | (631) 852-2332
Local Driver Services in Dix Hills
Practical resources for Dix Hills drivers — tire shops, gas prices, and live traffic conditions.
Safety Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do after a car accident in Dix Hills, NY?
Call 911 immediately. SCPD's 2nd Precinct will respond. Document the scene with photos, collect witness information, and exchange insurance details with all involved parties. File a formal police report and notify your insurer under New York's no-fault law.
Which roads are most dangerous in Dix Hills?
The LIE through Dix Hills at Exit 49 (Route 110) and Exit 51 (Deer Park Avenue) sees frequent high-speed collisions. Deer Park Avenue carries heavy commercial traffic and is a persistent high-crash corridor. The Northern State Parkway through the hamlet has limited sight distances on some curves that contribute to single-vehicle accidents.
Where is the nearest hospital to Dix Hills?
Huntington Hospital in Huntington is the closest major emergency facility, approximately fifteen minutes north of central Dix Hills. St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center in Smithtown provides additional emergency capacity. For major trauma, Stony Brook University Hospital is accessible via the LIE.
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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] Dix Hills-Melville Historical Association. History (timeline) (2026). Historical society.
- [2] Dix Hills-Melville Historical Association. The Coltrane Home (2026). Historical society.
- [3] Dix Hills-Melville Historical Association. Long Island Motor Parkway (2026). Historical society.
- [7] Half Hollow Hills Central School District. Half Hollow Hills Central School District (home page) (2026). Government record.
- [8] Suffolk County Police Department. Second Precinct (2026). Government record.
- [9] Town of Huntington (via Internet Archive Wayback Machine, capture of 2013-03-24). Town History (archived Town of Huntington history page) (2013). Government record.
- [10] New York State Department of Transportation, Office of Traffic Safety & Mobility. Official Description of Highway Touring Routes... in New York State (NY 231, I-495 and parkway-ownership entries) (2017). Government record.
- [14] Suffolk County Police Department. Contact Us (precinct address list) (2026). Government record.
- [15] New York State Department of Health. New York State Trauma Centers (n.d.). Government record.
- [16] Northwell Health. Huntington Hospital (2026). Institution.
- [17] Catholic Health. St. Catherine of Siena Hospital (2026). Institution.
Sources opened and checked September 17, 2026.