Halesite is part of the New York metropolitan area, located in northwestern Suffolk County. It is named after Nathan Hale, a captain in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War who was captured at a tavern in Halesite. There is a rock with a tribute to him at the intersection of Mill Dam Road and New York Avenue. The population was 2,582 at the 2000 census. According to the United States Census Bureau Halesite has a total area of one square mile.