Amsterdam is a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

in Montgomery County, New York, United States. The population was 5,566 at the 2010 census. The town is named after

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...

, the capital of the Netherlands. The town is adjacent to and borders the

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

on three sides. The town is on the county's northeastern border. The

Erie Canal The Erie Canal is a historic canal in upstate New York that runs east-west between the Hudson River and Lake Erie. Completed in 1825, the canal was the first navigable waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, vastly reducing t ...

passes along the southern border of the town.

History

The region was controlled by the powerful

Iroquois The Iroquois ( or ), officially the Haudenosaunee ( meaning "people of the longhouse"), are an Iroquoian-speaking confederacy of First Nations peoples in northeast North America/ Turtle Island. They were known during the colonial years to ...

Confederation's member tribe, the

Mohawk Mohawk may refer to: Related to Native Americans * Mohawk people, an indigenous people of North America (Canada and New York) *Mohawk language, the language spoken by the Mohawk people * Mohawk hairstyle, from a hairstyle once thought to have been ...

, prior to the entry of Europeans into the area. The town was first settled around 1715, but most settlement did not take place until Sir William Johnson established his first seat of power in the region at

Fort Johnson Fort Johnson was a U.S. Army post built on bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River in modern-day Warsaw, Illinois, during the War of 1812. The fort was established in September 1814 by Major Zachary Taylor, future 12th President of the United Sta ...

(earlier known as Mount Johnson), prior to founding the city of Johnstown. The town was formed in 1793 from part of the town of Caughnawaga. The village of Amsterdam was incorporated in 1838 in the south part of the town. As the village grew toward becoming the city of Amsterdam, it took in more territory inside the town. The town of

Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...

(also in

Fulton County Fulton County is the name of eight counties in the United States of America. Most are named for Robert Fulton, inventor of the first practical steamboat: *Fulton County, Arkansas, named after Governor William Savin Fulton *Fulton County, Georgia *F ...

) was removed in 1838. In 1865, the population of Amsterdam was 5,135. The Hurricana Stock Farm and Samuel and Johanna Jones Farm are listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the town has a total area of , of which is land and (2.14%) is water. The northern town line is the border of

. The southern town boundary is defined by the

Mohawk River The Mohawk River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed October 3, 2011 river in the U.S. state of New York. It is the largest tributary of the Hudson River. The Mohawk f ...

. The eastern town line is at the border of both

Saratoga County Saratoga County is a county in the U.S. state of New York, and is the fastest-growing county in Upstate New York. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the county's population was enumerated at 235,509, representing a 7.2% increase from the 2010 popul ...

and Schenectady County.

New York State Route 5 New York State Route 5 (NY 5) is a state highway that extends for across the state of New York in the United States. It begins at the Pennsylvania state line in the Chautauqua County town of Ripley and passes through Buffalo, Syr ...

and

New York State Route 67 New York State Route 67 (NY 67) is an east–west state highway in eastern New York in the United States. The western terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 5 in the town of St. Johnsville. Its eastern terminus is at ...

are east–west highways, partly conjoined near the Mohawk River. Both highways intersect north–south New York State Route 30 in the City of Amsterdam.

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2010, there were 5,520 people, 2,243 households, and 1,531 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was 196.1 people per square mile (75.7/km²). There were 2,374 housing units at an average density of 80.0 per square mile (30.9/km²). The

racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

of the town was 94.77% White, 0.69% Black or African-American, 0.10% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 3.36% from other races, and 0.84% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.32% of the population. There were 2,243 households, out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.3% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.7% were non-families. 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.91. In the town, the population was spread out, with 20.2% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 26.3% from 45 to 64, and 22.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.5 males. The median income for a household in the town was $37,097, and the median income for a family was $46,667. Males had a median income of $34,476 versus $23,533 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the town was $19,099. About 5.1% of families and 7.0% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 4.8% of those under age 18 and 8.6% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations

* Chuctenunda Creek – A tributary of the Mohawk River, flowing through Amsterdam city. *Church Corners – A hamlet near the western town line on NY-67. * Cranesville – A hamlet east of Amsterdam city on NY-5 by the Mohawk River. The community is named after early settler David Crane. *Crescent Park – A hamlet northeast of Amsterdam city. * Evas Kill – A stream emptying into the Mohawk River, named after Evas van Alstyne, killed by natives in that location. *

– The Village of Fort Johnson is located west of Amsterdam city on NY-5. * Hagaman – The Village of Hagaman is northeast of Amsterdam city and was formerly called "Hagamans Mills" and located on the Chuctenunda Creek. *Harrower – A hamlet northeast of Amsterdam city. *Harrower Pond – A wide part of the Chuctanunda Creek. *Manny Corners – A hamlet northeast of Amsterdam city. Rockton, N

*Rockton – A hamlet on the northern edge of Amsterdam city. * Tribes Hill – A hamlet at the western town line on NY-5 and former meeting place of the local natives. *Wallins Corners – A hamlet north of the City of Amsterdam.

References

External links

Town Of Amsterdam

{{authority control Towns in Montgomery County, New York Populated places on the Mohawk River