Ronkonkoma, New York
Ronkonkoma is a community of 18,709 people in Suffolk County, New York.
Why visit Ronkonkoma
Townapedia lists 8 museums and landmarks, 22 parks and trails, 62 places to eat, 11 places to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Spaceplex, Regal Ronkonkoma, Connetquot River State Park Preserve and Jacob Ockers House.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 83°F; January lows average 25°F, and about 32 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Ronkonkoma
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Ronkonkoma
Ronkonkoma is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) located within the Town of Islip, in Suffolk County, on Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 18,955 at the time of the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Ronkonkoma, New York (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Spaceplex
Monument and historic site · 4.0 mi
Indoor amusement park and arcade in New York, US
Museums and landmarks8
Connetquot River State Park Preserve
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.9 mi
State park in New York
Jacob Ockers House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.4 mi
Historic house in New York, United States
Islandia Veterans Memorial Triangle
Monument and historic site · 2.2 mi
Park and veterans memorial in Islandia, New York, United States
Historic Lake Towers Hotel
Monument and historic site · 2.0 mi
Ruins of the hotel's stairway and patio.
Parks, trails and playgrounds22
Connetquot River State Park Preserve
Hiking and trails · 2.4 mi
10 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes62
Gino's of Ronkonkoma
Restaurant · Pizza, Italian · 1.9 mi
214 Portion Road, Lake Ronkonkoma
Mo-Su 11:00-21:00
Maria's
Restaurant · Mexican · 2.6 mi
211 Smithtown Boulevard, Nesconset
Mo-Th 11:30-22:00; Fr 11:30-23:00; Sa 13:00-23:00; Su 13:00-22:00
Outback Steakhouse
Restaurant · American, Steak · 2.5 mi
325 Main Street, Holbrook
Mo-Sa 11:00-22:00; Su 11:00-21:00
Phayathai Restaurant
Restaurant · Thai · 2.4 mi
735 Hawkins Avenue, Lake Ronkonkoma
Mo-Th 11:30-20:30; Fr 11:30-21:30; Sa 12:00-21:30; Su 12:00-20:30
Red Lobster
Restaurant · Seafood · 1.4 mi
5010 Expressway Drive South, Lake Ronkonkoma
Mo-Th, Su 11:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-23:00
Redefine Meals
Restaurant · American, Italian, Mexican, Asian · 2.5 mi
781 Hawkins Avenue, Lake Grove
Mo-Su 08:00-22:00
The Corner Cafe
Restaurant · 2.6 mi
Restaurant, Burger , Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Sandwich , Brunch, Catering , Family Restaurant , American Food
204 Smithtown Blvd, Nesconset
Su-Tu 07:00-15:00; We-Sa 07:00-20:00
50 more on the map.
History
The name "Ronkonkoma" comes from the nearby Lake Ronkonkoma, which in turn comes from an Algonquian expression meaning "boundary fishing-lake", also earlier written as "Raconkumake" and "Raconkamuck."
Ronkonkoma was the terminus of the first road in the United States designed exclusively for automobiles, the Vanderbilt Motor Parkway, constructed by a consortium of investors called the Long Island Motor Parkway, Inc.; the consortium was led by William Kissam Vanderbilt II.
In May 1943, Long Island MacArthur Airport – located within the hamlet – was activated. The airport would begin serving scheduled commercial passenger flights in 1960, when Allegheny Airlines commenced service at MacArthur that year. The Town of Islip announced plans in 2025 to construct a new passenger terminal on the north side of the town-owned airport, adjacent – and connected – to the Ronkonkoma LIRR station.
In 1982, the Town of Islip Foreign Trade Zone – located adjacent to MacArthur Airport – opened. It is a magnet site for Foreign Trade Zone 52 and, as of 2026, is the only designated foreign trade zone on Long Island outside of New York City.
Since 1988, the community has been the end of electrification along the Long Island Rail Road's Main Line. The portion of the Main Line between the Hicksville and Ronkonkoma stations is known as the Ronkonkoma Branch.
From the History section of Ronkonkoma, New York on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay11
Hilton Garden Inn Islip/MacArthur Airport
Motel and hotel · 1.1 mi
3485 Veterans Memorial Highway, Ronkonkoma
Holiday Inn Long Island Islip Airport
Motel and hotel · 1.5 mi
3845 Veterans Memorial Highway, Ronkonkoma
Churches and places of worship15
First Congregational Church of New Village
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 4.0 mi
Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses
Church · Jehovahs Witness · 2.1 mi
607 Hawkins Avenue, Lake Ronkonkoma
Holy Cross Lutheran Church
Church · Lutheran · 1.5 mi
307 Hawkins Avenue, Lake Ronkonkoma
Lake Ronkonkoma United Methodist Church
Church · Methodist · 2.4 mi
792 Hawkins Avenue, Lake Grove
Saint Joseph's Church
Church · Catholic · 1.1 mi
45 Church Street, Lake Ronkonkoma
Suffolk Islamic Center
Place of worship · Muslim · 1.2 mi
232 Ronkonkoma Avenue, Lake Ronkonkoma
Shopping13
Gas and EV charging10
Schools, colleges and libraries49
Sachem High School - North Campus
School · 2.6 mi
212 Smith Road, Lake Ronkonkoma
Healthcare6
Map of Ronkonkoma
198 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39°F | 25°F | 3.7 in | 10.3 in |
| Feb | 41°F | 26°F | 3.3 in | 9.4 in |
| Mar | 48°F | 32°F | 4.5 in | 6.5 in |
| Apr | 58°F | 41°F | 4.1 in | 0.6 in |
| May | 68°F | 51°F | 3.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 77°F | 61°F | 4.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 83°F | 67°F | 3.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 81°F | 66°F | 4.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 75°F | 59°F | 3.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 64°F | 47°F | 4.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 54°F | 38°F | 3.4 in | 0.5 in |
| Dec | 44°F | 30°F | 4.7 in | 4.5 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Islip Li Macarthur Ap 72505 (1 mi away), 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
Long Island MacArthur Airport (ISP) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 1 miles away.
- Lake Ronkonkoma 2 mi north, about 3 min by car
- Holbrook 3 mi east, about 5 min by car
- Nesconset 3 mi northwest, about 5 min by car
- Central Islip 4 mi west, about 6 min by car
- Lake Grove 4 mi north, about 6 min by car
- Holtsville 4 mi east, about 7 min by car
- Hauppauge 5 mi west, about 8 min by car
- Centereach 5 mi northeast, about 8 min by car
- Farmingville 5 mi northeast, about 8 min by car
- Patchogue 6 mi southeast, about 10 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
- Lodge at Connetquot, Christine from L.I., CC BY-SA 4.0
- Jacob Ockers House, DanTD, CC BY-SA 3.0
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.