Queens spans 109 square miles across western Long Island, making it New York City's largest borough by area. With 2.4 million residents, it ranks as the nation's most ethnically diverse urban area, where over 160 languages echo through neighborhoods from Astoria to Far Rockaway. The borough's topography ranges from the Jamaica Bay wetlands in the south to higher ground in the north, with Long Island Sound defining the northern boundary. Humid continental climate brings cold winters averaging around 35°F and hot summers reaching the mid-80s. JFK and LaGuardia airports dominate significant portions of the borough's footprint.
