Cold Spring Harbor is in Suffolk County on the North Shore of Long Island. As of the United States 2000 census, the population was 4,975. According to the United States Census Bureau, the Cold Spring Harbor has a total area of 3.9 square miles. Cold Spring Harbor was originally named Cold Spring because of the naturally cold freshwater springs that flowed, and still flow in the area. Today it is primarily a bedroom community of New York City and is home to many educational and cultural organizations: The Cold Spring Harbor Whaling Museum, The Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery and Aquarium, Dolan DNA Learning Center, the Uplands Farm Sanctuary, and a gallery run by the Society for the Preservation of Long Island Antiquities. The school district is among the best in the country ranked at 71st as of 2008.