Why visit Orient
Townapedia lists 5 museums and landmarks, 5 parks and trails, 1 place to eat and 4 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Orient Long Beach Bar Light, Plum Gut Lighthouse, Orient Historic District and Orient Point Light.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 82°F; February lows average 25°F.
Weather in Orient
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Orient
Orient is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in Suffolk County, Long Island, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, Orient had a population of 999.
From the Wikipedia article Orient, New York (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do4
Orient Long Beach Bar Light
Lighthouse · 3.0 mi
Lighthouse in New York, United States
Plum Gut Lighthouse
Lighthouse · 3.8 mi
Lighthouse in New York, United States
Museums and landmarks5
Orient Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.6 mi
Historic district in New York, United States
Orient Point Light
Lighthouse · National Register of Historic Places · 2.9 mi
Lighthouse in New York, United States
Plum Island Light
Lighthouse · National Register of Historic Places · 3.8 mi
Lighthouse in New York, United States
Terry-Mulford House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Orient, New York, NRHP-listed in Suffolk County
Parks, trails and playgrounds5
Restaurants and cafes1
History
Orient is the easternmost town on Long Island's North Fork. It was originally named Poquatuck, after the name of the local Native American tribe that resided along the inland waterways, then named Oyster Ponds because of the nearby oyster beds.
Orient and East Marion were originally called Oysterponds because of the abundance of shellfish in the area. What is now Orient was known as Lower Neck, while East Marion was called Upper Neck. The communities separated in 1836 and East Marion was named for Revolutionary War Gen. Francis Marion, known as the Swamp Fox. "East" was tacked onto Marion because of an existing Marion upstate.
The name Orient was chosen to reflect that area's easternmost position on the North Fork. A later legend has it that when Oyster Bay, New York became famous during the presidency of Teddy Roosevelt, the name was changed to Orient to match the name of its most prominent land feature, Orient Point.
From the History section of Orient, New York on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship1
Shopping1
Schools, colleges and libraries3
Map of Orient
20 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39°F | 25°F | 3.5 in |
| Feb | 39°F | 25°F | 3.2 in |
| Mar | 46°F | 32°F | 4.2 in |
| Apr | 57°F | 42°F | 4.0 in |
| May | 65°F | 49°F | 3.5 in |
| Jun | 75°F | 60°F | 4.0 in |
| Jul | 82°F | 67°F | 3.3 in |
| Aug | 80°F | 67°F | 4.1 in |
| Sep | 74°F | 60°F | 4.5 in |
| Oct | 65°F | 50°F | 5.0 in |
| Nov | 54°F | 41°F | 3.8 in |
| Dec | 45°F | 32°F | 4.6 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Orient Pt Sp (1 mi away), rain and snow from Old Lyme 3.4 Ese, NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Suffolk County has had 25 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2024-10-21: Severe Storm And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2024-08-25: Severe Storm And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2023-03-15: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm (Snowstorm)
- 2021-09-05: Remnants Of Hurricane Ida (Hurricane)
- 2021-09-02: Remnants Of Hurricane Ida (Hurricane)
- 2021-08-22: Hurricane Henri (Hurricane)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
East Hampton Airport (HTO) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 12 miles away.
- East Marion 4 mi west, about 6 min by car
- Old Saybrook Center 11 mi northwest, about 17 min by car
- Niantic 12 mi north, about 20 min by car
- Saybrook Manor 12 mi northwest, about 19 min by car
- Westbrook Center 13 mi northwest, about 21 min by car
- East Hampton 14 mi south, about 22 min by car
- Bridgehampton 14 mi south, about 23 min by car
- New London 16 mi northeast, about 26 min by car
- Groton 16 mi northeast, about 26 min by car
- Waterford 16 mi northeast, about 25 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- OrientPointLightHouse, The original uploader was David Shankbone at English Wikipedia ., CC BY 2.5
- Peaken's Tavern, aka Terry-Mulford House, DanTD, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Oysterponds Historical Society-1, DanTD, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Plum Island Lighthouse, Hhoschton, CC BY-SA 3.0
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.