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New York Counties

There are 62 counties in the State of New York. The first twelve counties in New York were created immediately after the British annexation of the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam, although two of these counties have since been abolished. The most recent county formation in New York was in 1912, when Bronx County was created from the portions of New York City that had been annexed from Westchester County. New York's counties are named for a variety of Native American words, British provinces, cities, and royalty, early American statesmen and generals, and state politicians.

Greene County, New York

Greene County History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education

County Seat: Catskill
Year Organized: 1800
Square Miles: 648

Court House:

Main Bridge Streets
County Courthouse
Catskill, NY 12414-0467

Etymology - Origin of County Name

in honor of General Nathaniel Greene, considered by many as the greatest soldier of the Revolutionary War, next to George Washington

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick Facts

History

Greene County, on the west side of the Hudson river, was taken from Ulster and Albany counties in 1800; greatest length 42 miles; greatest breadth on the Hudson 28 miles; centrally distant from New York 130, and from Albany 35 miles. The surface is everywhere hilly, and the larger portion mountainous. The Cattskill mountains, after following the southern boundary of the county in an easterly direction to the southeast angle, turn north and northwest, and pass nearly through the centre of the county into Schoharie. The general elevation of this range is from 2,000 to 2,500 feet above the adjacent country; while many of the peaks are elevated from 3,000 to 3,800 feet above the level of the Hudson. Round rJ70p has an elevation of 3.718 feet, High Peak 3,804, and Pine Orchard 3,000 feet. The whole southwestern part of the county is hilly and mountainous, yet it affords a fine soil for pastures, with some arable land. The northeastern and eastern parts of the county are less hilly, and have many valleys, rich and extensive. Much attention is paid to agriculture, and more leather is manufactured in this than in any other county in the state. The county was originally settled by the Dutch. A large proportion, however, of the present inhabitants are of New England descent, and are noted for morality and industry. The county is divided into 11 towns. (Historical Collections of the State of New York, Past and Present, John Barber, Clark Albien & Co., 1851)

From the shores of the Hudson River westward to and including the northern range of the Catskill Mountains, Greene County maintains its semi-rural status among the counties of the State of New York. Blessed with superb scenic beauty and a low density of population – no cities – it continues to attract a wide mix of ethnic backgrounds. Major highways, including the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway, provide the means of rapid transportation via the automobile and truck. Full History at NYSAC

Geography

Greene County is located in southeast central New York State, just west of the Hudson River and south of Albany.

The northern and eastern regions are mostly low-lying plains adjacent to the Hudson; the southern and western areas rise sharply into the Catskill Mountains. The Catskill Park takes up much of the south central region.

The highest elevation is Hunter Mountain, at approximately 4,040 feet (1,232 m) above sea level; the lowest is sea level along the Hudson.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 658 square miles (1,705 km²), of which, 648 square miles (1,678 km²) of it is land and 10 square miles (27 km²) of it (1.58%) is water.

Greene County is part of the 20th Congressional District of New York in the U.S. House of Representatives and it is represented by Kirsten Gillibrand.

Neighboring Counties:

Albany County, New York - north
Rensselaer County, New York - northeast
Columbia County, New York - east
Ulster County, New York - southwest
Delaware County, New York - west
Schoharie County, New York - northwest

Cities and Towns:

- Ashland	town
- Athens	village	Incorporated Area
- Cairo	town
- Catskill (County Seat)	village	Incorporated Area
- Coxsackie	village	Incorporated Area
- Durham	town
- Greenville	town
- Halcott	town
- Hunter	village	Incorporated Area
- Jewett	town
- Lexington	town
- New Baltimore	town
- Prattsville	town
- Tannersville	village	Incorporated Area
- Windham	town

County Resources:

Enter County Resources and Information Here

County Resource Guide

Counties: US Map

The history of our nation can be seen as a prolonged struggle to define the relative roles and powers of our governments: federal, state, and local. And the names we've given our counties, our most locally based jurisdictions, reflects the "characteristic features of our country!"

But age, size and colorful names of our counties isn't the only reason to explore counties' role in American history, or the history of county government itself. In fact, the story of county government reflects the larger meanings of American history.

Today's counties are the most flexible, locally responsive and creative governments in the US. They are the most diverse, varying in size, population, geography, and governmental structure. In their politics and policies, they express a 1990's political slogan "Think globally, act locally."

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