East Meadow is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in Nassau County (Long Island), New York, United States. East Meadow is an unincorporated area in the Town of Hempstead.Its name is derived from being the meadow of Hempstead Plains east of the Meadow Brook (originally a brook, now replaced by a parkway of the same name). Many residents commute to Manhattan, which is 30mi away.The population was 38,132 at the 2010 census. East Meadow's postal ZIP code is 11554, and its telephone area code is 516.HistoryIn 1655, two surveyors for Hempstead Town reported that the "east meadow" would be suitable for grazing. The area quickly became a grazing area for cattle and later, in the 18th century, for sheep. The sheep of the East Meadow, NY area provided the country with more than 50% of the United States' wool needs during that time.During the American Revolutionary War, East Meadow was occupied by British forces when they discovered the vast amounts of livestock herded there, and remained under their control until the end of the war. Two large farms existed in what is now East Meadow: the Barnum farm (Barnum Woods), and the Carman farm. It is rumored that President George Washington spent a night on the Barnum estate during a trip across Long Island in 1790. A toll booth was operated near the Carman homestead on the Hempstead Turnpike.