Founded in 1640, Southampton, officially the Town of Southampton, is a town in southeastern Suffolk County, partly on the South Fork of Long Island. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the town had a population of close to 70,000. The town has an area of 293.5 square miles of which 139.1 square miles is land and 154.3 square miles is water. Southampton is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the south, the Peconic Bay to the north, East Hampton to the east, and Brookhaven to the west. It also shares a small border with Riverhead to the northwest.
Southampton is included in a stretch of shoreline prominently known as The Hamptons. The Town contains seven incorporated villages and 16 unincorporated areas.
The Town of Southampton has one to two months averaging below freezing, six months above 50 °F (10 °C), and one to two months above 22 °C (72 °F).
Southampton, a coastal town on Long Island, is facing climate impacts like rising sea levels, more frequent severe storms, and increased coastal flooding, requiring adaptation and mitigation strategies. The Town of Southampton has outlined its goals for carbon emission reduction and is actively developing a Climate Action Plan.
The Town of Southampton has already begun to feel the effects of climate change, resulting primarily from increased carbon emissions from greenhouse gases. (GHG)). Severe storms, hotter summers, coastal flooding, rising water temperatures affecting marine life, and the quality of life in general are all more common occurrences.
In December 2013, The Town of Southampton adopted the Southampton 400+ Sustainability Element establishing a target of carbon neutrality by 2040 in the town. They recommitted in 2018.
