Port Washington is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) on the Cow Neck Peninsula in the Town of North Hempstead, in Nassau County, on the North Shore of Long Island, in New York. The hamlet is the anchor community of the Greater Port Washington area. The population was 16,753 at the time of the 2020 census.

Much of the Port Washington area was settled by colonists in 1644, after they purchased land from the people of the Matinecock Nation.

In the 1870s, Port Washington became an important sand-mining town; it had the largest sandbank east of the Mississippi and easy barge access to Manhattan. Some 140 million cubic yards of local sand were used for concrete for skyscrapers in New York City (including the Empire State and Chrysler buildings), in addition to the New York City Subway. In 1998, the sand mines were redeveloped as Harbor Links – a golf course for North Hempstead residents.

In 1930, Port Washington tried to incorporate itself as a city, which would have had the same boundaries as the Port Washington Union Free School District – excluding Sands Point, which had already incorporated itself as a village several years prior. This plan ultimately failed when the bill was killed after Baxter Estates, Flower Hill, and Manorhaven incorporated themselves as villages in order to retain home rule over their respective areas.

In the late 1930s, prior to the opening of the Marine Air Terminal at LaGuardia Airport, Port Washington was Pan-American World Airways' New York base for their Yankee Clipper Boeing B-314 flying boats; the waters of Manhasset Bay were ideal for flying boat operations. Common destinations served included London, Southampton (UK), the Azores, and Bermuda.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 5.6 square miles (15 km), of which 4.2 square miles (11 km) is land and 1.4 square miles (3.6 km), or 25.22%, is water.

The hamlet is bordered on two sides with bodies of water: Manhasset Bay on its western side and Hempstead Harbor on its eastern side.

Port Washington is on the Cow Neck Peninsula.

Two enclaves exist above the northern portions of the main, contiguous part of the hamlet.

Port Washington has a hot-summer humid continental climate (Dfa), bordering on a humid subtropical climate (Cfa). Average monthly temperatures in the central CDP range from 31.8 °F in January to 75.3 °F in July.

The hardiness zone is 7b, except on the north-to-south ridge where it is 7a.

The Greater Port Washington area is home to four incorporated villages in their entirety, in addition to the hamlet of Port Washington:

• Baxter Estates
• Manorhaven
• Port Washington North
• Sands Point

Additionally, the Greater Port Washington area also includes part of the Incorporated Village of Flower Hill (which is split between the Greater Manhasset, Greater Port Washington, and Greater Roslyn areas), as well as a small part of the Village of Plandome Manor (which is split between the Greater Manhasset and Port Washington areas).

There are numerous small stores in Port Washington with 6 shopping centers, 4 strip malls and an industrial complex on the east side of Port Washington next to Hempstead Harbor, off West Shore Road. Entertainment One, NPD Group, Pall, and Systemax, as well as a Hilton Garden Inn are located in that industrial complex.

The entire hamlet is within the Greater Port Washington Business Improvement District's boundaries.

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
2000	15,215		—
2010	15,846		4.1%
2020	16,753		5.7%
U.S. Decennial Census

As of the 2010 census, the population was 15,846. The racial makeup of the population was 82.2% White, 2.4% African American, 0.2% Native American, 8% Asian, 4.8% from other races, and 2.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 13.4% of the population. The median income for households in Port Washington, New York is $127,813, while the mean household income is $189,892.

As of the census of 2000, there were 15,215 people, 5,521 households, and 4,168 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 3,613.7 inhabitants per square mile (1,395.3/km). There were 5,662 housing units at an average density of 1,344.8 per square mile (519.2/km). The racial makeup of the CDP was 85.97% White, 2.81% African American, 0.11% Native American, 6.07% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 3.15% from other races, and 1.86% from two or more races.

There were 5,521 households, out of which 36.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.9% were married couples living together, and 24.5% were non-families. Of all households, 20.4% were made up of individuals, and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.15.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 25.3% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 26.4% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.5 males. The median income for a household in the CDP was $105,837 and the median income for a family was $122,646. Males had a median income of $91,024 versus $59,299 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $53,815. About 3.1% of families and 4.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.5% of those under age 18 and 5.0% of those age 65 or over.

Port Washington, an unincorporated area within the Town of North Hempstead, is directly governed by said Town. It is in North Hempstead Town Council's 6th district, which as of May 2024 is represented by Mariann Dalimonte (D–Port Washington).

Port Washington is in the Nassau County Legislature's 11th legislative district, which as of May 2024 is represented by Delia DiRiggi-Whitton (D–Glen Cove).

Port Washington is in New York's 7th State Senate district, which as of May 2024 is represented by Jack M. Martins (R–Old Westbury).

Port Washington is in New York's 16th State Assembly district, which as of May 2024 is represented by Gina L. Sillitti (D–Manorhaven).

Port Washington is in New York's 3rd congressional district, which as of May 2024 is represented in the United States Congress by Thomas R. Suozzi (D–Glen Cove).

Like the rest of New York, Port Washington is represented in the United States Senate by Charles Schumer (D) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D).

In the 2016 U.S. presidential election, the majority of Port Washington voters voted for Hillary Clinton (D).

There are several public parks in Port Washington. These include:

• Blumenfeld Family Park
• Harbor Links
• Merriman Park (Manhasset Bay Park District residents only)
• North Hempstead Aerodrome
• North Hempstead Beach Park
• Alvan Petrus Park
• Sand Miner's Monument
• Sunset Park
• Town Dock Park

A small portion of Port Washington is in a park district named the Manhasset Bay Park District. This special district, which is operated by the Town of North Hempstead, covers the hamlet's Manhasset Bay Estates subdivision, as well as a portion of the Plandome Country Club in the adjacent incorporated village, Plandome Manor.

The Manhasset Bay Park District is responsible for operating and maintaining Merriman Park, located on the former site of the Port Washington Union Free School District's Merriman School; the park is open exclusively to residents of the Manhasset Bay Park District.

• Manhasset Bay Yacht Club
• North Shore Yacht Club
• Port Washington Yacht Club

The former Knickerbocker Yacht Club was also in the hamlet.

Port Washington is within the boundaries of (and is thus served by) the Port Washington Union Free School District. Additionally, a small portion of the hamlet's southeastern corner is within the boundaries of the Roslyn Union Free School District. However, there are no homes in that area of the hamlet, and as such, all students in the hamlet who attend public schools go to Port Washington's schools.

In 2022, the Port Washington UFSD's high school, Paul D. Schreiber Senior High School, was ranked #733 nationally out of 17,843 schools and #77 in New York High Schools out of 1,212 schools.

Port Washington is in the Port Washington Library District.

One state road passes through and directly serves Port Washington: Port Washington Boulevard (NY 101). Other major roads within the hamlet include Harbor Road, Mackey Avenue, Main Street, Murray Avenue, North Plandome Road, Radcliff Avenue, Sandy Hollow Road, South Bayles Avenue, West Shore Road/Beacon Hill Road, and Willowdale Avenue.

Port Washington, in its entirety, is within the boundaries of (and is thus served by) the Town of North Hempstead's Port Washington Parking District – a special district. Several of the district's parking facilities are in the hamlet.

Port Washington is the terminus of the Port Washington Branch of the Long Island Rail Road, which opened for passengers in 1898.

The n23 bus, which is operated by Nassau Inter-County Express and runs from Manorhaven to the Mineola Intermodal Center in Mineola, serves Port Washington, running along Main Street and Port Washington Boulevard.

Additionally, NICE's Port Washington Shuttle provides local service in the hamlet and throughout the Greater Port Washington area, with limited service to the Village of Roslyn, which is slightly southeast of Port Washington.

National Grid USA provides natural gas to homes and businesses that are hooked up to natural gas lines in Port Washington.

PSEG Long Island provides power to all homes and businesses within Port Washington.

Port Washington is within the boundaries of (and is thus served by) the Port Washington Water Pollution Control District, which operates the sanitary sewer system serving the hamlet.

The Port Washington Water District provides water for the heavy majority of the hamlet, with the exception being the small portion of the hamlet located within the Roslyn Union Free School District's boundaries, which is instead served by the Roslyn Water District.

There are no hospitals in Port Washington. The nearest hospital is St. Francis Hospital in the Village of Flower Hill.

The heavy majority of Port Washington is within the boundaries of (and is thus served by) the Port Washington Fire District, with the exception being the portion of the hamlet located within the Roslyn Union Free School District's boundaries, which is within the boundaries of (and is thus served by) the Roslyn Fire District.

The Port Washington Police District provides police protection for the heavy majority of the hamlet, with the exception being the portion of the hamlet located within the Roslyn Union Free School District's boundaries, which is served by the Sixth Precinct of the Nassau County Police Department.

The Thomas Dodge Homestead, Main Street School, and the Monfort Cemetery are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

• Sebastian Arcelus (born 1976) – Actor.
• Eric Bloom (born 1944) – Musician
• Bob Carroll (1918–1994) – Singer and actor; lived on Glen Lane.
• John Cassavetes (1929–1989) – Actor and filmmaker.
• Evelyn Danzig (1902–1996) – Concert pianist and composer.
• John Fasano (1961–2014) – Screenwriter and director.
• William H. Folwell (1924–2022) – American Episcopal prelate.
• Fontaine Fox (1884–1964) – American cartoonist and illustrator.
• Lucy Fradkin (born 1953) – Visual artist.
• Howard Gould (1871–1959) – Financier.
• Bob Griffin (born 1950) – American-Israeli basketball player and English Literature professor.
• Lazlo Halasz (1905–2001) – Conductor; lived at 3 Leeds Drive.
• William Randolph Hearst (1863–1951) – Publisher.
• William S. Hults Jr. (1906–1999) – Politician and New York State Department of Motor Vehicles commissioner; lived on Lowell Road.
• Craig M. Johnson (born 1971) – Former New York State senator.
• Katie Lowes (born 1982) – Actress.
• Jimmy McPartland (1907–1991) – Jazz cornetist and husband to Mariann McPartland; lived on Essex Court.
• Margaret Marian McPartland (1918–2013) – English-born jazz pianist; lived on Essex Court.
• LuEsther Mertz (1905–1991) – Businesswoman and philanthropist.
• Evelyn Mulry Moore (1942–2012) – Wheelchair athlete.
• Kelly Moran – Musician; grew up in Port Washington.
• Don Orehek (1928–2022) – Freelance cartoonist; lived on Revere Road.
• Nancy Overton (1926–2009) – Singer.
• Susan Quittmeyer (born 1953) – Opera singer.
• Anthony Scaramucci (born 1964) – Founder of SkyBridge Capital; former White House Communications Director to President Donald Trump.
• Richard Shindell (born 1960) – Singer-songwriter; grew up in Port Washington.
• Richard Sonnenfeldt (1923–2009) – Engineer, executive, author, and the United States' chief interpreter for prosecutors during the Nuremberg Trials.
• Sean Spicer (born 1971) – 30th White House Press Secretary.
• Jean Swain (1923–2000) – Singer.
• Jon "Stugotz" Weiner (born 1972) – Co-host of The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz.
• Jeanine Tesori (born 1961) – Composer and musical arranger; grew up in Port Washington.
• George Vecsey (born 1939) – Sports columnist for The New York Times.
• Mark Wood – Rock violinist.
• Burt Young (1940–2023) – Actor best known for appearing in Rocky and its sequels.

• Port Washington Play Troupe
• Port Washington Parking District
• Port Washington Water Pollution Control District

• Port Washington Chamber of Commerce official website
• Port Washington Public Library
• Port Washington Performing Arts Archive