The Incorporated Village of East Hills is located primarily within the Town of North Hempstead, spare for a small section of its northeastern corner located within the Town of Oyster Bay.
In 1643, John Carman and Robert Fordham sailed across the Long Island Sound from Stamford, Connecticut and purchased the land that is now occupied by the Towns of Hempstead and North Hempstead from the Native Americans.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref> This land included what is now East Hills.<ref name=":0" />
For a long time, much of what now is East Hills was home to a few wealthy families.<ref name=":0" /> In 1898, Clarence and Katherine Mackay settled in present-day East Hills and would eventually commission Stanford White to design their mansion, Harbor Hill.<ref name=":0" /> In 1924, the Prince of Wales, who later abdicated the throne of England to marry Mrs. Simpson, was entertained at the Mackay estate. Aviation pioneer Charles A. Lindbergh rested at the Mackay estate in 1927 after returning to the United States following his historic solo flight to Paris, France.<ref name=":0" />
The Village of East Hills was incorporated on June 24, 1931, and its first election was held a couple weeks later on July 8 in barns at the Mackay estate.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":81" /> Reasons for incorporating included the desire by many locals to be excluded from paying taxes for sanitary sewer systems, highways, etc., the desire to not be part of the Roslyn Sewer District and to keep businesses out, and to maintain local control through municipal home rule powers.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":8">Template:Cite web</ref> Many of the proposals opposed by the locals were proposed when Roslyn first wanted to incorporate, as early plans called for that village's proposed boundaries to include what would become East Hills.<ref name=":8" /> As such, the residents decided to incorporate East Hills as a separate village.<ref name=":8" />
Mr. Willets was elected as Mayor and John Mackay, Stephen Willets, Ellen A. Hennessy, and Catherine Hechler were elected as the Village Trustees.<ref name=":0" /> Charles Hechler, the husband of Mrs. Hechler, was appointed as the Village Clerk.<ref name=":0" />
The name of East Hills was chosen based on its geography and location.<ref name=":81">Template:Cite book</ref> The "East" reflects the village's geographic location adjacent to and east of Roslyn, and the "Hills" reflects the hilly geography of the village.<ref name=":81" />
The post-war era ushered in a huge population boom and suburbanization throughout the United States, which led to the construction of many new developments in the Village of East Hills. One of these developments, Strathmore, was developed by Levitt & Sons in the late 1940s.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref> Another large-scale development built during this time, the Country Estates subdivision, was developed by Country Estates, Incorporated over Clarence Mackay's former estate.<ref name=":2">Template:Cite news</ref> Prior to building the Country Estates in East Hills, the firm developed the Flower Hill Country Estates development in nearby Flower Hill.<ref name=":2" /> A third notable development, Norgate, was developed by Gustav A. Mezger and the Homeguard Realty Corporation.<ref name=":1" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Additionally, in order for the Roslyn Union Free School District to adequately serve the influx of families, the Moore & Hutchins-designed East Hills Elementary School was opened between the Canterbury Woods and Fairfield Park developments in 1953.<ref name=":1" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On Labor Day 2006, the Park at East Hills opened on the land previously occupied by the Roslyn Air National Guard Station.<ref name=":7">Template:Cite web</ref> It has a pool, nature walks, senior facilities, and tennis, pickleball, and basketball courts. The construction of the park was financed through the sale of bonds; carrying and operating costs are paid through taxes.<ref name=":7" />
The village gained territory from the adjacent Incorporated Village of Brookville between the 1960 census and the 1970 census; this small area is the portion of the village within the Town of Oyster Bay.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":02">Template:Cite book</ref>
The portions of the village on Harbor Hill, the former site of Clarence Mackay's eponymous estate, are among the highest areas in Nassau County and on Long Island, as a whole.
Additionally, the Harbor Hill Moraine is named for this hill, due to it being one of the terminal moraine's most prominent and well-known topographic and geographical features.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
As of the census of 2010, there were 6,955 people residing in the village.<ref name="GR2" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The racial makeup of the village was 89.85% White, 0.95% African American, 7.40% Asian, 0.49% from other races, and 1.31% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.24% of the population.
As of the census of 2000, there were 6,842 people, 2,245 households, and 2,029 families residing in the village.<ref name="GR2">Template:Cite web</ref> The population density was Template:Convert. There were 2,275 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the village was 92.94% White, 0.8% African American, 0.01% Native American, 4.82% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.57% from other races, and 0.83% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.48% of the population.
There were 2,245 households, out of which 46.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 84.4% were married couples living together, 4.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 9.6% were non-families. 8.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.04 and the average family size was 3.2.
In the village, the population was spread out, with 29.9% under the age of 18, 3.9% from 18 to 24, 23.2% from 25 to 44, 28.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.6 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $149,726, and the median income for a family was $159,316. Males had a median income of $100,000 versus $52,115 for females. The per capita income for the village was $59,297. About 1.5% of families and 1.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.1% of those under age 18 and 3.0% of those age 65 or over.
As of March 2024, the Mayor of East Hills is Michael R. Koblenz.<ref name=":3">Template:Cite web</ref> Koblenz has held this position since 1995, and as of 2022 has an annual salary of $60,000.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He previously lived in nearby Flower Hill and served as one of its Village Trustees in the 1980s.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Also as of March 2024, the Deputy Mayor of East Hills is Emmanuel Zuckerman, and the Village Trustees of East Hills are Brian Meyerson, Clara Pomerantz, Stacey Siegel, and Emmanuel Zuckerman.<ref name=":3" />
East Hills is located within Nassau County's 18th Legislative district, which as of March 2024 is represented in the Nassau County Legislature by Samantha Goetz (R–Oyster Bay).<ref name=":6" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Additionally, the recreation areas at the East Hills and Harbor Hill elementary schools, Roslyn Middle School, St. Mary's Parochial School, and some portions of the recreation areas at Roslyn High School, are located within the village, as well as a few landscaped traffic islands.<ref name=":6" />
East Hills is primarily within the boundaries of (and is thus served by) the Roslyn Union Free School District.<ref name=":6">Template:Cite web</ref> However, some of the southeastern portions of the village are served by the East Williston Union Free School District and the small portion within the Town of Oyster Bay is served by the Jericho Union Free School District.<ref name=":6" /> As such, children who live in East Hills and attend public schools will go to school in one of these three districts depending on where they live within the village.<ref name=":6" />
East Hills is primarily within the boundaries of (and is thus served by) Roslyn's library district.<ref name=":6" /> However, some of the southeastern portions of the village are served by the Shelter Rock Library District and the Westbury Library District, and the small portion within the Town of Oyster Bay is served by the Jericho Library District.<ref name=":6" />
Other major roads which are located within (or pass through) the Village of East Hills include Chestnut Drive, Glen Cove Road, Harbor Hill Road, Locust Lane, Old Powerhouse Road, Old Westbury Road, Red Ground Road, Roslyn Road, and Round Hill Road.<ref name=":6" />
While there are no Long Island Rail Road stations located within the village limits, the Oyster Bay Branch does form portions of the Roslyn–East Hills border.<ref name=":6" />
The nearest station to the village is the Roslyn station on the Oyster Bay Branch, located in the adjacent, unincorporated hamlet of Roslyn Heights.<ref name=":6" />
East Hills is served by the n20H and n27 bus routes, which are operated by Nassau Inter-County Express (NICE).<ref name=":6" /> The n20H travels along the village's northern border via Northern Boulevard.<ref name=":13">Template:Cite web</ref> The n27 travels through the heart of the village along Harbor Hill Road – as well as along Glen Cove Road.<ref name=":6" />
National Grid provides natural gas to homes and businesses that are hooked up to natural gas lines in the Village of East Hills.<ref name=":38">Template:Cite web</ref>
Most places in East Hills are not connected to a sanitary sewer system – although there were failed plans in the 1970s to create a sewer district for much of northwestern Nassau County, which would have included East Hills in the second phase of the $122 million (1972 USD) project.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> As such, the majority of homes and businesses in East Hills rely on cesspools and septic systems.<ref name=":6" />
The few properties in East Hills which are connected to sanitary sewers are connected to the Nassau County Sewage District's sanitary sewage network, via its East Hills Interceptor line.<ref name=":6" />
Additionally, some portions of the Northern State Parkway within the village are within the northern extremes of the Albertson Water District.<ref name=":6" />
Despite the fact that the Mackay family's Stanford White-designed mansion was demolished prior to the construction of the Country Estates subdivision, a number of remaining buildings from the former Harbor Hill estate still stand –three of which were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991:<ref name="nris">Template:NRISref</ref>
