Yaphank

Yaphank, New York
Hamlet and census-designated place
The historic Swezey-Avey House on the southeast bank of Upper Yaphank Lake
U.S. Census map
Yaphank Location within the state of New York
Coordinates: 40°50′7″N 72°55′45″W / 40.83528°N 72.92917°W / 40.83528; -72.92917Coordinates: 40°50′7″N 72°55′45″W / 40.83528°N 72.92917°W / 40.83528; -72.92917
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Suffolk
Area
• Total	13.8 sq mi (35.7 km2)
• Land	13.7 sq mi (35.4 km2)
• Water	0.1 sq mi (0.3 km2)
Elevation	43 ft (13 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	5,945
• Density	430/sq mi (170/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC−05:00)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC−04:00)
ZIP code	11980
Area code(s)	631
FIPS code	36-83426
GNIS feature ID	0971807

Yaphank (/ˈjæpeɪŋk/) is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 5,945 at the time of the 2010 census.

Yaphank is located in the south part of the Town of Brookhaven. It is served by the Longwood Central School District, except for extreme southwestern Yaphank, which is served by the South Country Central School District.

Captain Robert Robinson came to Yaphank and built his Dutch Colonial house with the building dated at 1726. He was then granted permission to dam the Carmans River to build a mill across the street from his house. The construction of this mill in 1739 was considered the founding date of the Hamlet of Yaphank.

In the mid 18th century, a man named John Homan built two mills along the Carmans River, which runs directly through the center of the town. These two mills inspired the first name for the town: Millville. The translator/author Mary Louise Booth was born in Millville in 1831. In 1846 a post office was opened in the town, but because there were thirteen other towns named "Millville" in New York state at the time, the town was renamed "Yaphank", from the local Native American word Yamphanke, meaning "bank of a river".