Welcome to Dutchess County, NY

About Dutchess County

Located in the U.S. state of New York, in the state's Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley. As of the 2000 census, the population was 280,150. However, recent population estimates completed by the United States Census Bureau for the 12-month period ending July 1 (2006) are at 295,146 residents. It is part of the New York metropolitan area. The county seat is Poughkeepsie. The county was named in honor of Mary of Modena, Duchess of York, second wife of the future King James II.

Towns in Dutchess County, NY:

Poughkeepsie Amenia Arlington Beacon Beekman Clinton Dover Plains East Fishkill Fishkill  Hopewell Junction Hyde Park  Milan Myers Corner  Pawling Pine Plains       History In 1683, the Provice of New York established its first twelve counties. Dutchess County was one of them. Its boundaries at that time included the present Putnam County, and a small portion of the present Columbia County (the towns of Clermont and Germantown). Until 1713, Dutchess was administered by Ulster County. In 1812, Putnam County was detached from Dutchess. Geography

Pleasant Valley Poughkeepsie Millbrook Millerton Red Oaks Mill Red Hook Rhinebeck Tivoli Salt Point Spackenkill Staatsburg  Stanford Union Vale  Wappingers Falls Washington

Dutchess County is located in eastern New York State, between the Hudson River on its west and the New York-Connecticut border on its east, about halfway between the cities of Albany and New York.

The terrain of the county is mostly hilly, especially in the Hudson Highlands in the southwestern corner and the Taconic Mountains to the northeast. Some areas nearer the river are flatter.

The highest point in the county is the summit of Brace Mountain, in the Taconics, at 704 m (2,311 feet) above sea level. The lowest point is sea level, along the Hudson.

Transportation

Highways

• Interstate 84 traverses the county in an east-west route cutting through the southern quadrant of the county. It is the only interstate highway in the county.
• US 9, the Taconic State Parkway, and NY 22 are the main north-south roads in the county.
• US 44, NY 55 and NY 199 are the other main east-west roads in the county

Railroads

Amtrak has stations in Rhinecliff, a small hamlet in the Town of Rhinebeck, and Poughkeepsie, with both stations being served by Empire Services trains as well as other trains that run along the line . The latter station is the terminus of the Hudson Line of the Metro-North Railroad. The Hudson Line also has station stops in New Hamburg (Wappingers Falls) and Beacon.

The Harlem Line, on the eastern side of the county, has station stops in Pawling, Wingdale, Dover Plains and two stops in Wassaic (one along the Tenmile River and the other the namesake terminus of that line).

Buses

Public transportation in Dutchess County is handled by the Dutchess County Department of Mass Transit, branded publicly as the LOOP system. Outside of the urbanized area of the county, most services limited. The City of Poughkeepsie operates its own limited system as well. Privately run lines connect Poughkeepsie to New Paltz and Beacon to Newburgh.

In terms of intercity buses, Adirondack Trailways into Poughkeepsie is the only such service in the county that links to the Greyhound Lines network. Couch USA also operates some service through Poughkeepsie and the southern part of the county. The last time service ran outside that area was in the late-1990s when Peter Pan/Bonanza ran service to New York City in the eastern part of the county.

Air

The Dutchess County Airport, located in the town of Wappinger, is a general aviation facility which once had commercial service. The closest commercial airport, Stewart International Airport, is located across the Hudson River in Newburgh. However, the poor selection of service at that airport leads many people to instead fly out of Albany, Hartford, Newark or either of New York City's airports, John F. Kennedy International or LaGuardia Airport. However, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has plans to make Stewart the New York Metropolitan Area's fourth major airport.