SafekipediaQueens
Adapted from Wikipedia · Discoverer experience
Queens is the largest borough by area in New York City and is coextensive with Queens County, located in the U.S. state of New York. It is situated near the western end of Long Island, bordered by Brooklyn and Nassau County, and shares maritime borders with Manhattan, The Bronx, Staten Island, and New Jersey. Queens is known for being the most linguistically diverse place in the world and one of the most ethnically diverse.
With a population of 2,405,464 as of the 2020 census, Queens is the second-most populous county in New York state and the second-most populous borough in New York City. If Queens were its own city, it would be the fourth most-populous in the U.S. after Los Angeles and Chicago. Approximately 47% of its residents are foreign-born.
Established in 1683, Queens was named after the English Queen and Portuguese royal princess Catherine of Braganza. It became a borough in 1898 during the consolidation of New York City, combining several towns including Long Island City, Newtown, Flushing, Jamaica, and parts of Hempstead.
Queens has a diverse economy and is home to two major airports: John F. Kennedy and LaGuardia. Notable landmarks include Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Citi Field where the New York Mets play, and the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center which hosts the U.S. Open tennis tournament. Areas like Flushing and Long Island City are experiencing significant changes due to urban development.
History
The Dutch were the first settlers in what is now Queens, establishing their first European settlement in the region as part of the colony of New Netherland. Early settlements began in 1635, with more towns like Maspeth and Vlissingen (now Flushing) added soon after. These areas were later taken over by the English in 1664 and renamed New York.
Queens played a small role in the American Revolution. After the Battle of Long Island, British forces occupied the area, using local buildings for barracks. In 1683, Queens County was one of the original counties of New York State. Over time, its borders changed with islands like Rikers Island being added or transferred. The area became a borough of New York City in 1898. The Long Island Rail Road was electrified between 1905 and 1908, and major bridges and subway tunnels opened around the same time, helping the population grow quickly in the 1920s. Two famous world fairs, in 1939 and 1964, were held in Queens.
Geography
Queens is located on the far western part of Long Island and includes a few smaller islands, many of which are in Jamaica Bay. This area is part of the Gateway National Recreation Area, one of the National Parks of New York Harbor. According to the United States Census Bureau, Queens has a total area of 178 square miles, of which 109 square miles is land and 70 square miles is water.
Brooklyn is just south and west of Queens. To the west and north is the East River, with Manhattan to the west and The Bronx to the north. Nassau County lies east of Queens on Long Island. The midsection of Queens is crossed by a glacial ridge created long ago by the Wisconsin Glacier. The Rockaway Peninsula, the southernmost part of Queens, sits between Jamaica Bay and the Atlantic Ocean and has beautiful beaches.
Neighborhoods
Main article: Neighborhoods of New York City
See also: List of Queens neighborhoods
Queens is made up of many different neighborhoods, each with its own special character. People in Queens often feel very connected to their neighborhood, more so than to the whole borough or city.
Some of the well-known neighborhoods include Flushing, which has a big Asian community with many Chinese, Korean, and South Asian people. Astoria, in the northwest part of Queens, is famous for its large Greek population, along with many Spanish Americans, Italians, and people from the Middle East and the Balkans. Other neighborhoods like Howard Beach and Middle Village have many Italian Americans, while Ozone Park and South Ozone Park are home to Italian, Hispanic, and Guyanese communities. Rockaway Beach has a large Irish American population, and Jackson Heights is known for its Hispanic, Asian, Tibetan, and South Asian residents. Each neighborhood brings its own unique culture and history to Queens, making the borough very diverse and interesting.
Demographics
Main article: Demographics of Queens
Queens is the largest of the five boroughs of New York City. In 2020, about 2.4 million people lived there. Queens is very diverse, with people from many different countries and backgrounds.
Many languages are spoken in Queens. Over half of the people living there speak a language other than English at home. Spanish, Chinese, and Bengali are some of the most common languages spoken besides English. This makes Queens one of the most linguistically diverse places in the world.
| Jurisdiction | Population | Land area | Density of population | GDP | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Borough | County | Census (2020) | square miles | square km | people/ sq. mile | people/ sq. km | billions (US$, 2024) 2 | |
Bronx | 1,472,654 | 42.2 | 109.2 | 34,920 | 13,482 | 58.323 | ||
Kings | 2,736,074 | 69.4 | 179.7 | 39,438 | 15,227 | 145.934 | ||
New York | 1,694,251 | 22.7 | 58.7 | 74,781 | 28,872 | 1,006.673 | ||
Queens | Queens | 2,405,464 | 108.7 | 281.6 | 22,125 | 8,542 | 143.131 | |
Richmond | 495,747 | 57.5 | 149.0 | 8,618 | 3,327 | 23.779 | ||
| 8,804,190 | 300.5 | 778.2 | 29,303 | 11,314 | 1,354.061 | |||
| 20,201,249 | 47,123.6 | 122,049.5 | 429 | 166 | 2,297.028 | |||
| Sources: and see individual borough articles. | ||||||||
| Racial composition | 2020 | 2010 | 1990 | 1970 | 1950 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White | 25.8% | 39.7% | 57.9% | 85.3% | 96.5% |
| —Non-Hispanic | 22.8% | 27.6% | 48.0% | n/a | n/a |
| Black or African American | 16.8% | 19.1% | 21.7% | 13.0% | 3.3% |
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) | 27.8% | 27.5% | 19.5% | 7.7% | n/a |
| Asian | 27.5% | 22.9% | 12.2% | 1.1% | 0.1% |
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| Language |
|---|
| Ages 5+ |
| % |
| Source → |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| English | non-English | Spanish | Chinese | Bengali | Korean | Tagalog | Russian | Haitian Creole | Polish | Italian | Greek | Arabic | Punjabi | Urdu | Hindi | French | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1,000,116 | 1,199,561 | 516,251 | 205,371 | 84,349 | 41,420 | 30,427 | 28,013 | 24,928 | 22,342 | 21,273 | 19,749 | 16,269 | 16,139 | 15,769 | 13,176 | 12,384 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 45.47% | 54.53% | 23.47% | 9.34% | 3.83% | 1.88% | 1.38% | 1.27% | 1.13% | 1.02% | 0.97% | 0.9% | 0.74% | 0.73% | 0.72% | 0.6% | 0.56% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
"2021 American Community Survey: LANGUAGE SPOKEN AT HOME"". United States Census Bureau. 2010.
CultureSee also: Culture of New York City, LGBT culture in New York City § Queens, Music of New York City, and List of people from Queens Queens has a rich and varied culture. It was an important center for punk rock, with famous bands like the Ramones starting there. Many well-known artists, such as Tony Bennett and Paul Simon, also lived in Queens. The area has strongly supported African American culture, with special theaters for African American artists. In the 1940s, famous jazz musicians like Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald lived in Queens. Today, Queens is also a key place for hip-hop, home to many famous rap artists. Queens has many museums and cultural places that show its diverse communities. These include the New York Hall of Science, the Noguchi Museum, and the Museum of the Moving Image. In 2015, a travel magazine named Queens one of the best places to visit in the United States because of its cultural and food variety. EconomySee also: Economy of New York City Queens has the second-largest economy of New York City's five boroughs, following Manhattan. It has many different types of jobs spread out among health care, retail, manufacturing, construction, transportation, and film and television production. This helps keep the economy strong and balanced. Queens is home to two major airports, JFK International Airport and LaGuardia Airport, which are very busy and important for jobs. Many businesses, both big and small, help make Queens a lively place to work and visit. SportsSee also: Sports in New York City Queens is the home of the New York Mets of Major League Baseball. The team was founded in 1962 and played in Shea Stadium in Flushing from 1964 until 2008. Today, they play in Citi Field, a large stadium in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park that opened in 2009. Queens also hosts the U.S. Open tennis tournament at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Arthur Ashe Stadium, located there, is the biggest tennis stadium in the world. Additionally, South Ozone Park is the home of Aqueduct Racetrack, where people can watch Thoroughbred horse races. GovernmentMain article: Government of New York City Queens is governed by the New York City Charter, which creates a strong mayor–council system. The city government handles many important services like schools, safety, parks, and water for everyone living in Queens. The Queens Library is managed by a group of 19 leaders chosen by the Mayor and the Borough President. The Borough President acts as a spokesperson for Queens since 1990, working with city leaders and state officials. Donovan Richards has been the Borough President since 2020. Most voters in Queens support the Democratic Party, and local politics often focus on issues like housing and education. Queens has its own courts and a District Attorney, currently Melinda Katz, who was elected in 2020. The area has 12 seats on the New York City Council and is split into 14 community districts, each with its own local group to help residents. As of 2024, five Democrats represent Queens in the United States House of Representatives. These representatives are Tom Suozzi, Gregory Meeks, Grace Meng, Nydia Velázquez, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, each covering different neighborhoods in Queens.
HousingQueens has many different types of homes, from tall apartment buildings in areas like Forest Hills, Jackson Heights, Flushing, Astoria, and Long Island City, to smaller homes in the eastern part of the borough. In 2022, there were 911,957 housing units, with many affordable rentals and co-operative housing created through the Mitchell–Lama Housing Program. Public housing is managed by the New York City Housing Authority. EducationSee also: Education in New York City and List of high schools in New York City § Queens Queens has many schools, both public and private. Public schools are run by the New York City Department of Education, the largest school system in the United States. Some well-known schools include Townsend Harris High School, which focuses on humanities, and the Queens High School for the Sciences at York College, which emphasizes science and math. Queens is also home to several colleges and universities. LaGuardia Community College is known for its diverse students from many countries. Queens College offers strong programs in the liberal arts and has over 16,000 students. Other schools include Queensborough Community College, St. John’s University, Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology, and York College. The Queens Public Library is one of the largest library systems in the United States, with branches all over the borough and collections in many languages. TransportationQueens has many ways to get around, making it easy for people to travel. Many households in Queens do not own cars, and the city has many options for getting around without one. Queens has many vehicles for hire, including ride-hail services like Uber and Lyft, traditional taxis, and other car services. There are also car-sharing programs like Zipcar and Citi Bike for renting bikes. The borough is home to two major airports: John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport, which handle many passengers each year. Public transportation in Queens is very good. The New York City Subway has many stations in Queens, connecting it to other parts of the city. The Long Island Rail Road also runs through Queens, offering train service to many areas. There are also many bus routes, including special express buses to Manhattan. Plans for new streetcars and ferry services are also in development to improve transportation even more.
Notable peopleSee also: Category:People from Queens, New York and List of people from New York City Many well-known people have grown up or lived in Queens. For example, Donald Trump, who became the 45th and later the 47th President of the United States, was born in Jamaica Hospital Medical Center and raised in Jamaica Estates. Former First Lady Nancy Reagan lived in Flushing as a child. Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President, lived at Sagamore Hill in Oyster Bay until it became part of Nassau County. Queens has been home to many musicians, including 50 Cent, Cyndi Lauper, LL Cool J, Nicki Minaj, and Tony Bennett. Actors such as Adrien Brody and Zoe Saldaña were also born or raised there. The borough has also produced famous athletes like basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and tennis player John McEnroe. In popular cultureQueens has been a popular setting for many stories and characters. Famous comic book heroes like Peter Parker / Spider-Man and Frank Castle/The Punisher from Marvel Comics are said to be from Queens. One well-known TV character, Archie Bunker from All in the Family, lived in a made-up street called 704 Hauser Street in Astoria. The sitcom The King of Queens takes place in Queens, with the main characters living in Rego Park. The movie Somewhere in Queens, starring Ray Romano, is also set there. The Cemetery BeltMain article: Rural Cemetery Act Queens is home to several large cemeteries, including St. Michaels, Luthern, Calvary, Cypress Hill, Mt. Olivet, and Mt. Zion. Together with some cemeteries in Brooklyn, these are called The Cemetery Belt. These peaceful places hold the remains of millions of people, with Calvary being the largest cemetery in the United States. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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