The Town of East Hampton is a town located in southeastern Suffolk County, New York at the eastern end of the South Shore of Long Island. It is the easternmost town in the state of New York. As of the United States 2000 Census, the CDP had a total population of 19,719.
The town includes the village of East Hampton, as well as the four unincorporated hamlets of Montauk, Amagansett, Wainscott, and Springs.
It is home to the largest privately owned island in the United States and largest fishing fleet in the state of New York.
Surrounded by water on three sides, natural attributes of the town (marked by eight state parks and numerous county, town, municipal and Nature Conservancy areas) have contributed to its reputation as a "Playground of the Rich" where seemingly anybody with major money in the New York City has an estate in the town. Two First Ladies spent their childhoods in the town and President Clinton spent his summer vacations there. Jackson Pollock created his most famous paintings in the town.
Its strategic location on the entrance to Long Island Sound and New York City shipping channels has resulted in military incidents in the town from the 1600s to World War II.