Fair Harbor is a hamlet located near the western end of Fire Island. It is a part of the Town of Islip on Long Island, New York. The community was first founded in the late 1800s.Fair Harbor, like most other Fire Island communities, is mainly a summer community, though a few families choose to live there year-round. Children of the year-round families attend the Fire Island School District in Corneille Estates until grade 6 at which point they are bussed to public or parochial schools in Bay Shore or Islip for grades 7–12. The neighboring communities of Dunewood and Lonelyville, to the east have no stores or services so they rely on many of Fair Harbor's services, such as the Fire Department and EMS and Fair Harbor's one grocery store, hardware emporium, liquor store and restaurant. The population in the summer swells to about 1,500.CommunityFair Harbor is a seasonal beach community. Many of the homes have been passed down from generation to generation. Most houses were built in the 1970s, but few of the homes date back to the 1940s. The town has a strong summer rental market, with most houses renting for the entire summer season or by the month. During the off-season there is limited car access to Fire Island while during the summer there is no car access and the town can only be reached by ferry or private boat. Biking and walking are the main modes of transportation. Fair Harbor falls under the police jurisdiction of Suffolk County Marine Bureau and is protected by its own volunteer fire department, the Fair Harbor Fire Department, founded in 1931. During the summer months lifeguards are stationed on both the bay beach and ocean beach.
