Coopers Beach in Southampton named No. 1 beach in America

Long Island’s coast just beat out Hawaii, Florida and the Carolinas — again.

Southampton’s Coopers Beach has been crowned the best beach in the United States by Dr. Beach, the renowned annual ranking of top American shorelines led by coastal expert Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman.

A professor and director of the Laboratory for Coastal Research at Florida International University, Leatherman has rolled out his list of “America’s Best Beaches” each Memorial Day weekend since 1991.

His rankings, which take into account environmental quality, safety and amenities, are a summer kickoff tradition covered widely across national media outlets.

This year, Coopers Beach claimed the top spot thanks to its “expansive white sand, rolling sand dunes and overall pristine setting,” Leatherman said.

The beach’s natural beauty — coupled with the sweeping views of stately mansions that line the oceanfront — made it stand out even among heavy hitters in Hawaii and Florida.

Coopers Beach was not the only South Fork beach to crack the Dr. Beach’s top five. Coming in at No. 5 was Main Beach in East Hampton.

Hawaii’s legendary shores did make a solid showing claiming four of the top 10 slots, while Florida has two beaches on the list.

Coopers Beach has long been a favorite for both locals and summer visitors, praised for its calm waters, soft sand and overall serenity despite being just a short distance from downtown Southampton Village.

The beach is no stranger to accolades. It was No. 2 on Dr. Beach’s list last year.

_{Top photo: Coopers Beach in Southampton (AP Photo/Pamela Hassell).}