Best beaches of 2024: Coopers Beach in Southhampton ranked 2nd on Dr. Beach list

Best beaches

Travel + Leisure has named the 25 best beaches in the United States. Two beaches in New York City, one in New Jersey, and one in Connecticut made the cut.

LONG ISLAND - Scientist Stephen Leatherman, also known as Dr. Beach, has come out with his annual list of the top 10 US beaches of 2024, and two from Long Island made the list!

Coopers Beach in Southhampton was ranked second, while Main Beach in East Hampton was ranked sixth.

Leatherman has 50 criteria he uses for the rankings, including sand softness, water temperature and riptides.

Coopers Beach

"Coopers Beach is located on the south shore of Long Island, New York, shielded from the cold Labrador currents in the beautiful village of Southampton," the website reads. "As the first "Gold Coast" in the country, Coopers Beach is hundreds of yards wide, made of grainy white quartz sand."

Coopers Beach in Southampton, N.Y. is pictured. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens, File)

"The beach is backed by large sand dunes covered by American beach grass interspersed with large and extravagant mansions. Some of the best beach access in the Hamptons exists on Coopers Beach, and a snack bar serving lunch and drinks can be found here as well."

Coopers Beach ranked 3rd on the 2023 list.

Main Beach

"Main Beach provides the perfect blend of nature and built environment," the website said. "Wealthy summertime residents flock to the beaches protected by a conservation easement that dates back over 300 years."

People visit East Hampton Main Beach during Memorial Day weekend. (Photo by Astrid Riecken/Getty Images)

"Main Beach is a great place for star-spotting as many actors and actresses frequently visit this beach for its peaceful, countryside setting in a small village. The big, wide sandy beach composed of grainy quartz grains has towering sand dunes and beautiful clean and clear blue water. The best way to get around this beach is bicycling in order to avoid parking."