Dutchess County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 295,911. The

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

is the city of

Poughkeepsie Poughkeepsie ( ), officially the City of Poughkeepsie, separate from the Town of Poughkeepsie around it) is a city in the U.S. state of New York. It is the county seat of Dutchess County, with a 2020 census population of 31,577. Poughkeepsi ...

. The county was created in 1683, one of New York's first twelve counties, and later organized in 1713. It is located in the Mid-Hudson Region of the

Hudson Valley The Hudson Valley (also known as the Hudson River Valley) comprises the valley of the Hudson River and its adjacent communities in the U.S. state of New York. The region stretches from the Capital District including Albany and Troy south to ...

, north of

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. Dutchess County is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown Metropolitan Statistical Area, which belongs to the larger New York–Newark–Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined Statistical Area.

History

Harlem Valley view from Appalachian Trail, Pawling, NY

Before Anglo-

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

settlement, what is today Dutchess County was a leading center for the indigenous

Wappinger The Wappinger () were an Eastern Algonquian Munsee-speaking Native American people from what is now southern New York and western Connecticut. At the time of first contact in the 17th century they were primarily based in what is now Dutches ...

peoples. They had their council-fire at what is now

Fishkill Hook East Fishkill is a town on the southern border of Dutchess County, New York, United States. The population was 29,707 at the 2020 census. The town was once the eastern portion of the town of Fishkill. Hudson Valley Research Park is located in t ...

, and had settlements throughout the area. On November 1, 1683, the

Province of New York The Province of New York (1664–1776) was a British proprietary colony and later royal colony on the northeast coast of North America. As one of the Middle Colonies, New York achieved independence and worked with the others to found the Uni ...

established its first twelve counties, including Dutchess. 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). The county was named for

Mary of Modena Mary of Modena ( it, Maria Beatrice Eleonora Anna Margherita Isabella d'Este; ) was Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland as the second wife of James II and VII. A devout Roman Catholic, Mary married the widower James, who was then the young ...

Duchess of York Duchess of York is the principal Courtesy titles in the United Kingdom, courtesy title held by the wife of the duke of York. Three of the eleven dukes of York either did not marry or had already assumed the throne prior to marriage, whilst two of ...

; ' is an archaic spelling of the word ''

duchess Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ranked ...

''.

The Province of New York and the

Connecticut Colony The ''Connecticut Colony'' or ''Colony of Connecticut'', originally known as the Connecticut River Colony or simply the River Colony, was an English colony in New England which later became Connecticut. It was organized on March 3, 1636 as a settl ...

negotiated an agreement on November 28, 1683, establishing their border as east of the

Hudson River The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between N ...

, north to

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

. The east of the

Byram River The Byram River is a river approximately in length,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 1, 2011 in southeast New York and southwestern Connecticut in the United States ...

making up the

Connecticut Panhandle The Connecticut panhandle is the southwestern appendage of Connecticut, where it abuts New York State. It is contained entirely in Fairfield County and includes all of Greenwich, Stamford, New Canaan, and Darien, as well as parts of Norwalk ...

were granted to Connecticut, in recognition of the wishes of the residents. In exchange, Rye was granted to New York, along with a wide strip of land running north from Ridgefield to Massachusetts alongside the New York counties of Westchester, Putnam then Dutchess, known as "

The Oblong The Connecticut panhandle is the southwestern appendage of Connecticut, where it abuts New York State. It is contained entirely in Fairfield County and includes all of Greenwich, Stamford, New Canaan, and Darien, as well as parts of Norwalk ...

". The eastern half of the stub of land in northeast Dutchess County containing Rudd Pond and

Taconic State Park Taconic State Park is located in Columbia and Dutchess County, New York abutting Massachusetts and Connecticut within the Taconic Mountains. The state park is located off New York State Route 344 south of Interstate 90 and north of New York City. I ...

is the northernmost extension of The Oblong. Until 1713, Dutchess was administered by

Ulster County Ulster County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. It is situated along the Hudson River. As of the 2020 census, the population was 181,851. The county seat is Kingston. The county is named after the Irish province of Ulster. History ...

. On October 23, 1713, Queen Anne gave permission for Dutchess County to elect its own officers from among their own population, including a supervisor, tax collector, tax assessor and treasurer. In 2013, Dutchess County celebrated its 300th anniversary of democracy based upon a legislative resolution sponsored by County Legislator Michael Kelsey from Salt Point. In 1812, Putnam County was detached from Dutchess.

The Patents

Map of Philipse Patent (showing the Oblong and Gore)

Fourteen royal

land patent A land patent is a form of letters patent assigning official ownership of a particular tract of land that has gone through various legally-prescribed processes like surveying and documentation, followed by the letter's signing, sealing, and publi ...

s were granted between 1685 and 1706 covering the entirety of the original footprint of Dutchess County (which until 1812 included today's Putnam County). The first ten, granted between 1685 and 1697, covered almost all of

shoreline in the original county, with three -

Rombouts Rombouts is a surname of Flemish-Dutch origin, meaning "son of Rombout". People with this name include * Adriaen Rombouts (c. 1640 – in or after 1670), Flemish genre painter active in Brussels * Cataryna Rombouts Brett (1687–1764), New York ...

, the Great Nine Partners, and

Philipse Patent The Philipse Patent was a British royal patent for a large tract of land on the east bank of the Hudson River about 50 miles north of New York City. It was purchased in 1697 by Adolphus Philipse, a wealthy landowner of Dutch descent in the Provin ...

s - extending significantly inland. The eleventh, and smallest, Cuyler, 1697, was the first to contain solely inland territory, just in from the Hudson. The twelfth, and next smallest, Fauconnier, in 1705, completed the Hudson River shoreline. The last two, Beekman, 1705, and the Little Nine Partners, 1706, laid claim to the remaining interior lands. # 1685 Rombout (Beacon/Fishkill Area) # 1686 Minnisinck (Sanders & Harmense) # 1686

Kip Kip, KIP or kips may refer to: Athletics * Kip (artistic gymnastics), a basic skill on the women's uneven bars * Kip (trampolining), a coaching skill used in trampolining * Kip-up, an acrobatic manoeuvre used in martial arts and gymnastics People ...

# 1688

Schuyler Schuyler may refer to: Places United States * Schuyler County, Illinois * Schuyler County, Missouri * Schuyler, Nebraska, a city * Schuyler County, New York * Schuyler, New York, a town * Schuyler Island, Lake Champlain, New York * Schuyler C ...

(Poughkeepsie) # 1688

(Red Hook) # 1688 Ærtsen-Roosa-Elton # 1696 Pawling-Staats # 1697 Rhinebeck # 1697 (Great) Nine Partners # 1697 Philipse # 1697 Cuyler # 1705 Fauconnier # 1705 Beekman (Back Lots) # 1706 (Little) Nine Partners

Early settlement

From 1683 to 1715, most of the settlers in Dutchess County were Dutch. Many of these moved in from Albany and Ulster counties. They settled along the

Fishkill Creek Fishkill Creek (also Fish Kill, from the Dutch ''vis kille'', for "fish creek") is a tributary of the Hudson River in Dutchess County, New York, United States. At U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data ...

and in the areas that are now

and Rhinebeck. From 1715 to 1730, most of the new settlers in Dutchess county were Germans. From 1730 until 1775, New Englanders were the primary new settlers in Dutchess County.

20th century

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

lived in his family home in

Hyde Park Hyde Park may refer to: Places England * Hyde Park, London, a Royal Park in Central London * Hyde Park, Leeds, an inner-city area of north-west Leeds * Hyde Park, Sheffield, district of Sheffield * Hyde Park, in Hyde, Greater Manchester Austra ...

, overlooking the Hudson River. His family's home is now the

Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site The Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site preserves the Springwood estate in Hyde Park, New York. Springwood was the birthplace, lifelong home, and burial place of the 32nd president of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt. Th ...

, managed by the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propertie ...

. Prior to the 1960s, Dutchess County was primarily agricultural. Since then the southwestern part (from Poughkeepsie southward and from the

Taconic State Parkway The Taconic State Parkway (often called the Taconic or the TSP and known administratively as New York State Route 987G or NY 987G) is a Parkways in New York State, parkway between Kensico Dam and Chatham (town), New York, Chatham, the ...

westward) of the county has developed into a largely residential area,

suburban A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separate ...

in character, with many of its residents commuting to jobs in New York City and Westchester County. The northern and eastern regions of the county remain rural with large farmlands but at the same time developed residences used during the summer and or on weekends by people living in the New York City urban area.

Geography

According to the

U.S. 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 county has a total area of , of which is land and (3.6%) is water. Dutchess County is located in southeastern New York State, between the

on its west and the

–

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

border on its east, about halfway between the cities of Albany and New York City. It contains two cities:

Beacon A beacon is an intentionally conspicuous device designed to attract attention to a specific location. A common example is the lighthouse, which draws attention to a fixed point that can be used to navigate around obstacles or into port. More mode ...

and

. Depending on precise location within the county, road travel distance to New York City ranges between and . The terrain of the county is mostly hilly, especially in the

Hudson Highlands The Hudson Highlands are mountains on both sides of the Hudson River in New York state lying primarily in Putnam County on its east bank and Orange County on its west. They continue somewhat to the south in Westchester County and Rockland County ...

in the southwestern corner and the

Taconic Mountains The Taconic Mountains or Taconic Range () are a range of the Appalachian Mountains, running along the eastern border of New York State and adjacent New England from northwest Connecticut to western Massachusetts, north to central western Vermont. ...

to the northeast. Some areas nearer the river are flatter. Brace Mountain summit cairn

The highest point in the county is the summit of

Brace Mountain Brace Mountain is the peak of a ridge in the southern Taconic Mountains, near the tripoint of the U.S. states of New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts. Its main summit is located in New York; it is the highest point in that state's Dutchess ...

, in the Taconics, at 2,311 feet (704 m) above sea level. The lowest point is sea level, along the Hudson River. The highest point of neighboring Fairfield County, Connecticut, is a point along the state line in Pawling.

Wappinger Creek Wappinger Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed October 3, 2011 creek which runs from Thompson Pond to the Hudson River at New Hamburg in Dutchess County, New York, ...

, at from its source at

Thompson Pond Thompson Pond in Pine Plains, New York is a 15,000-year-old glacial kettle pond at the foot of Stissing Mountain. It is the source of Wappinger Creek, a tributary of the Hudson River that drains much of Dutchess County. The pond and mountain ...

in Pine Plains to where it drains into the Hudson at New Hamburg, is the longest stream in the county. Its watershed is likewise the largest in the county. To its south is the watershed of Dutchess County's second-longest stream,

, part of which spills over into Putnam County. Within that watershed are the county's third-longest stream,

Sprout Creek Sprout Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed October 3, 2011 creek located entirely within Dutchess County, New York, United States. It is the largest tributary of F ...

, and its largest, deepest and highest lakes:

Whaley Whaley is a small village in Derbyshire, England, located one mile from Whaley Thorns, 1½ miles from Elmton, 1½ miles from Langwith and 2½ miles from Bolsover. The village has a garage and a former watermill, now a home, of which the lar ...

(), in the town of Pawling;

Sylvan Sylvan or Sylvans (from the Latin ''silva'': "forest, woods") may refer to: Places United States * Sylvan, Illinois, a former settlement * Sylvan, Wisconsin, a town ** Sylvan (community), Wisconsin, an unincorporated area in the town * Sylvan ...

() in the town of Beekman and

Beacon Reservoir Beacon Reservoir supplies water to the city of Beacon, in Dutchess County, New York, United States. It is located at 1,285 feet (392 m) above sea level in a hollow between Beacon Mountain and Scofield Ridge, in the neighboring Town of Fishkill, ...

, in the town of Fishkill, at respectively. Other, smaller tributaries of the Hudson such as the Saw Kill drain the northwestern portion of the county. The southeastern fringe of Dutchess is part of the upper

Croton River watershed ''This page is about the Croton River watershed, a hydrological feature. For the component of the New York City water supply system with a similar name, see'' Croton Watershed The Croton River watershed is the drainage basin of the Croton River ...

and thus part of the

New York City water supply system A combination of aqueducts, reservoirs, and tunnels supplies fresh water to New York City. With three major water systems ( Croton, Catskill, and Delaware) stretching up to away from the city, its water supply system is one of the most extens ...

. On the east, in the Oblong, streams drain into the

Housatonic River The Housatonic River ( ) is a river, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed April 1, 2011 in western Massachusetts and western Connecticut in the United S ...

in adjacent Connecticut. A border nearly one-half mile (800 m) long exists with

Berkshire County, Massachusetts Berkshire County (pronounced ) is a county on the western edge of the U.S. state of Massachusetts. As of the 2020 census, the population was 129,026. Its largest city and traditional county seat is Pittsfield. The county was founded in ...

, in the extreme northern end of the county.

Adjacent counties

* Columbia County – north *

– northeast *

Litchfield County, Connecticut Litchfield County is in northwestern Connecticut. As of the 2020 census, the population was 185,186. The county was named after Lichfield, in England. Litchfield County has the lowest population density of any county in Connecticut and is the ...

– east *

Fairfield County, Connecticut Fairfield County is a County (United States), county in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is the List of counties in Connecticut, most populous county in the state and was also its fastest-growing from 2010 to 2020. A ...

– southeast * Putnam County – south *

Orange County Orange County most commonly refers to: *Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area Orange County may also refer to: U.S. counties *Orange County, Florida, containing Orlando *Orange County, Indiana *Orange County, New ...

– southwest *

– west

National protected areas

Appalachian Trail The Appalachian Trail (also called the A.T.), is a hiking trail in the Eastern United States, extending almost between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine, and passing through 14 states.Gailey, Chris (2006)"Appalachian Tr ...

, crosses county from Putnam County line in East Fishkill to Connecticut state line near Wingdale; corridor is partly on federally protected land. *

Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site was established by the U.S. Congress to commemorate the life and accomplishments of Eleanor Roosevelt. Once part of the larger Roosevelt family estate in Hyde Park, New York, today the property includes th ...

Great Thicket National Wildlife Refuge Great may refer to: Descriptions or measurements * Great, a relative measurement in physical space, see Size * Greatness, being divine, majestic, superior, majestic, or transcendent People * List of people known as "the Great" *Artel Great (born ...

, one of six discontiguous parcels in Dover *

Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site is a historic house museum in Hyde Park, New York. It became a National Historic Landmark in 1940. It is owned and operated by the National Park Service. The property, historically known as Hyde Park, wa ...

State, county, and town parks

* Bowdoin County Park *

Fahnestock State Park Clarence Fahnestock Memorial State Park, also known as Fahnestock State Park, is a state park located in Putnam County, New York, Putnam and Dutchess County, New York, Dutchess counties, New York (state), New York. The park has hiking trails, a be ...

(shared with Putnam County) *

Hudson Highlands State Park Hudson Highlands State Park is a non-contiguous state park in the U.S. state of New York, located on the east side of the Hudson River. The park runs from Peekskill in Westchester County, through Putnam County, to Beacon in Dutchess County, in ...

(shared with Putnam and Westchester counties) * Stratt Town Park * Wilcox County Park * Tymor Forest *

Beekman Rec Beekman is a Dutch language, Dutch toponymic surname, literally translating as "creek man". Variant forms are ''Beeckman'' and ''Beekmans''. The Estonian poet Vladimir Beekman's family originally carried the name ''Peekmann''. People with the surnam ...

* East Fishkill Rec *

James Baird State Park James Baird State Park is a state park in Dutchess County, New York, United States. The park is located in the northern part of the Town of LaGrange, east of City of Poughkeepsie. History The park is named after James Baird (engineer and ...

Poughkeepsie Bridge The Walkway over the Hudson (also known as the Poughkeepsie Bridge, Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge, Poughkeepsie–Highland Railroad Bridge, and High Bridge) is a steel cantilever bridge spanning the Hudson River between Poughkeepsie, New York, ...

(Walkway over the Hudson) *

Dover Stone Church Dover () is a town and major ferry port in Kent, South East England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies south-east of Canterbury and east of Maidston ...

Carnwath Farms Historic Site & Park Carnwath Farms Historic Site & Park is a 99.7 acre estate turned town park in the Town of Wappinger, Dutchess County, New York, United States. The park includes the 1850 Carnwath Manor, an 1873 carriage house, a 1927 cottage, Frances Reese Cultu ...

Roosevelt Farm Lane Roosevelt may refer to: *Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919), 26th U.S. president *Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945), 32nd U.S. president Businesses and organisations * Roosevelt Hotel (disambiguation) * Roosevelt & Son, a merchant bank * Roosevel ...

Stony Kill Farm Stony Kill Farm Environmental Education Center is located on NY 9D in the Town of Fishkill, New York, United States. It is a 1,000+ acre (3 km2) working farm owned and operated by the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) as ...

Mills Mills is the plural form of mill, but may also refer to: As a name *Mills (surname), a common family name of English or Gaelic origin * Mills (given name) *Mills, a fictional British secret agent in a trilogy by writer Manning O'Brine Places Unit ...

– Norrie State Park *

Staatsburgh State Historic Site The Staatsburgh State Historic Site preserves a Beaux-Arts mansion designed by McKim, Mead, and White and the home's surrounding landscape in the hamlet of Staatsburg, Dutchess County, New York, United States. The historic site is located with ...

* Tivoli Bays Unique Area

Privately protected open space

Mary Flagler Cary Arboretum The Mary Flagler Cary Arboretum (1,924 acres; 7.7 km²) is a nonprofit arboretum located on U.S. Route 44 near Millbrook, New York. It is operated by the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, and open to the public without an admission fee. Th ...

* Ferncliff Forest *

Innisfree Garden Innisfree Garden is an American nonprofit public garden influenced by Chinese style in Millbrook, New York. The garden was established between 1930 and 1960 as the private garden of Walter and Marion Beck, inspired by scroll paintings of th ...

Pawling Nature Preserve The Pawling Nature Reserve is located in the northern section of the Town of Pawling, New York, United States. It is a area located along the top of Hammersby Ridge, near Quaker Lake owned and managed by The Nature Conservancy. Acquired in 1958 ...

* Poets' Walk Park *

and neighboring Stissing Mountain

Demographics

2020 census

2000 census

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 2000, there were 280,150 people, 99,536 households, and 69,177 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 106,103 housing units at an average density of 132 per square mile (51/km²). 22.0% of the population was of Italian, 16.9% Irish, 11.3% German and 6.7% English ancestry according to

Census 2000 The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 cen ...

. 88.3% spoke English and 4.8% spoke Spanish. Based on the Census Ancestry tallies, including people who listed more than one ancestry, Italians were the largest group in Dutchess County with 60,645. Irish came in a very close second at 59,991. In third place were the 44,915 Germans who barely exceeded the 44,078 people not in the 105 specifically delineated ancestry groups. There were 99,536 households, out of which 34.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.5% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.5% were non-families. 24.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.16. As of Q4 2021, the median home value in Dutchess County was $365,199, an increase of 13.8% from the prior year. In the county, the age distribution of the population shows 25.1% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.2 males. The median income for a household in the county was $53,086, and the median income for a family was $63,254. Males had a median income of $45,576 versus $30,706 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 county was $23,940. About 5.0% of families and 7.5% 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 8.5% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over. The decrease in population between 1810 and 1820 was due to the separation of Putnam County from Dutchess in 1812.

Racial demographics

As of 2017, the residents of Dutchess County were reported as the following: American Indian and Alaska Native (0.04%), Asian (4%), Black or African American (8.5%), Hispanic or Latino (12.5%), Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander (0.016%), Some Other Race (0.35%), Two or More Races (3%), White (71%). Dutchess County Racial Demographics Chart

Government

Dutchess County has a Charter Government with a County Executive and directly elected legislature of 25 members, each elected from a single member district. The Charter form of Government went in to effect in 1968 given the favorable outcome of a 1967 special election dedicated to the question. From 1713 until 1967, the County Government had been managed by a Board of Supervisors, made up of the locally elected leaders.

Elections

The composition of the County Legislature is 16 Republicans, 8 Democrats and 1 Conservative for the 2021–2023 term. County elections occur in odd-numbered years. Historically, Dutchess County, like most of the lower Hudson, was classic "Yankee

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

" territory. Between 1884 and 2004, the Republican presidential candidate carried Dutchess County in 28 out of 30 elections (1964 and 1996 being exceptions). As a measure of how Republican the county was during this time, Hyde Park resident Franklin D. Roosevelt lost Dutchess County (but won New York) during his four successful bids for president. The Republican edge narrowed significantly in the 1990s, with

George H. W. Bush George Herbert Walker BushSince around 2000, he has been usually called George H. W. Bush, Bush Senior, Bush 41 or Bush the Elder to distinguish him from his eldest son, George W. Bush, who served as the 43rd president from 2001 to 2009; pr ...

going from 61 percent of the county's vote in 1988 to only 40.5 percent in 1992, although that likely was affected by the presence of

Ross Perot Henry Ross Perot (; June 27, 1930 – July 9, 2019) was an American business magnate, billionaire, politician and philanthropist. He was the founder and chief executive officer of Electronic Data Systems and Perot Systems. He ran an inde ...

on the ballot as a third-party candidate. In 2008,

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

became only the third

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

to carry the county since 1884, and the first to win a majority since

Lyndon Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...

in 1964. It has gone for the Democratic candidate in four consecutive elections (2008, 2012, 2016, and

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...

). Dutchess County is split between two congressional districts. The more populated southern portion is in the New York's 18th congressional district, 18th district, represented by Democrat Sean Patrick Maloney. The northern portion is in the New York's 19th congressional district, 19th district, represented by Democrat Pat Ryan (politician), Pat Ryan. These are considered "swing" districts nationally, with Cook Partisan Voting Index ratings of R+1 and R+2, respectively, as of 2019.

Law enforcement

The Cities of Beacon and Poughkeepsie; Towns of Fishkill, Hyde Park, Pine Plains, Poughkeepsie, Rhinebeck, Red Hook, and East Fishkill; and Villages of Millerton, Wappingers Falls, Millbrook, have their own Police departments. The remainder of the county is patrolled by the Dutchess County Sheriff's Office and New York State Police. The New York State Police Troop K headquarters is located in Millbrook.

Communities

N.B.: Cities, Towns and Villages are official political designations.

Cities

(county seat)

Towns

* Amenia (town), New York, Amenia * Beekman * Clinton, Dutchess County, New York, Clinton * Dover, New York, Dover * East Fishkill, New York, East Fishkill * Fishkill (town), New York, Fishkill *

* La Grange, New York, La Grange * Milan, New York, Milan * North East, New York, North East * Pawling (town), New York, Pawling * Pine Plains (town), New York, Pine Plains * Pleasant Valley (town), New York, Pleasant Valley * Poughkeepsie (town), New York, Poughkeepsie * Red Hook, New York, Red Hook * Rhinebeck * Stanford, New York, Stanford * Union Vale, New York, Union Vale * Wappinger, New York, Wappinger * Washington, New York, Washington

Villages

* Fishkill, New York, Fishkill * Millbrook, New York, Millbrook * Millerton, New York, Millerton * Pawling (village), New York, Pawling * Red Hook (village), New York, Red Hook * Rhinebeck (village), New York, Rhinebeck * Tivoli, New York, Tivoli * Wappingers Falls, New York, Wappingers Falls

Census-designated places

* Amenia (CDP), New York, Amenia * Arlington, New York, Arlington * Bard College, New York (CDP), Bard College * Barrytown, New York, Barrytown * Brinckerhoff, New York, Brinckerhoff * Chelsea Cove, New York, Chelsea Cove * Crown Heights, New York, Crown Heights * Dover Plains, New York, Dover Plains * Fairview, Dutchess County, New York, Fairview * Freedom Plains, New York, Freedom Plains * Haviland, New York, Haviland * Hillside Lake, New York, Hillside Lake * Hopewell Junction, New York, Hopewell Junction * Hyde Park (CDP), New York, Hyde Park * MacDonnell Heights, New York, MacDonnell Heights * Marist College, New York (CDP), Marist College * Merritt Park, New York, Merritt Park * Myers Corner, New York, Myers Corner * New Hackensack, New York, New Hackensack * New Hamburg * Pine Plains (CDP), New York, Pine Plains * Pleasant Valley (CDP), New York, Pleasant Valley * Red Oaks Mill, New York, Red Oaks Mill * Rhinecliff, New York, Rhinecliff * Salt Point, New York, Salt Point * Shorehaven, New York, Shorehaven * Spackenkill, New York, Spackenkill * Staatsburg, New York, Staatsburg * Titusville, New York, Titusville * Upper Red Hook, New York, Upper Red Hook * Vassar College, New York (CDP), Vassar College * Wassaic, New York, Wassaic * Wingdale, New York, Wingdale

Hamlets

* Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, Annandale-on-Hudson * Arthursburg, New York, Arthursburg * Attlebury, New York, Attlebury * Bangall, New York, Bangall * Barnegat, New york, Barnegat * Castle Point, New York, Castle Point * De Witt Mills, New York, De Witt Mills * Fishkill Plains, New York, Fishkill Plains * Glenham, New York, Glenham * Gretna, New York, Gretna * Holmes, New York, Holmes * Hopewell Junction, New York, Hopewell Junction * Hortontown, New York, Hortontown * Hughsonville, New York, Hughsonville * Johnsontown, Dutchess County, New York, Johnsontown * Knapps Corner, New York, Knapps Corner * Lithgow, New York, Lithgow * Lomala, New York, Lomala * Mabbettsville * McIntyre, New York, McIntyre * Millbrook, New York, Millbrook * Norrie Heights, New York, Norrie Heights * Pecksville, New York, Pecksville * Pleasant Plains, Dutchess County, New York, Pleasant Plains * Poughquag, New York, Poughquag * Quaker Hill, New York, Quaker Hill * Rudco, New York, Rudco * Shenandoah, New York, Shenandoah * Shekomeko, New York, Shekomeko * Staatsburg, New York, Staatsburg * Stanfordville, New York, Stanfordville * Stissing, New York, Stissing * Stormville, New York, Stormville * Swartwoutville * Van Keurens, New York, Van Keurens * Verbank, New York, Verbank * Wiccopee, New York, Wiccopee * Willow Brook, New York, Willow Brook

Education

Public school districts

* Arlington Central School District * Beacon City School District * Dover Union Free School District * Hyde Park Central School District * Millbrook Central School District * Pawling Central School District * Pine Plains Central School District * Poughkeepsie City School District * Red Hook Central School District * Rhinebeck Central School District * Spackenkill Union Free School District * Wappingers Central School District * Webutuck Central School District * Dutchess County BOCES

Private schools

* Dutchess Day School * Hawk Meadow Montessori School * Holy Trinity School (Poughkeepsie), Holy Trinity School * Millbrook School * Oakwood Friends School * Our Lady of Lourdes High School * Poughkeepsie Day School * Randolph School * St. Denis-St. Columba School * St. Martin de Porres School * St. Mary School - Fishkill * Trinity-Pawling School * Tabernacle Christian Academy * Upton Lake Christian School

Higher education

* Bard College (Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, Annandale-on-Hudson) * Culinary Institute of America Hyde Park campus of the Culinary Institute of America, main campus (

) * Dutchess Community College (Poughkeepsie (town), New York, Poughkeepsie) * Marist College (Poughkeepsie (town), New York, Poughkeepsie) * Vassar College (

)

Transportation

Roads

* Interstate 84 in New York, Interstate 84 traverses the county in an east–west route cutting through the southwestern quadrant of the county before entering Putnam County. It is the only interstate highway in the county. * U.S. Route 9 in New York, US 9, the

(the only other limited-access road in the county besides I-84, although it still has some at-grade intersections), and New York State Route 22, NY 22 are the main north–south roads in the county. For much of its length the Taconic is paralleled by New York State Route 82, NY 82. New York State Route 9G, NY 9G leaves US 9 in Poughkeepsie and parallels it north to the Columbia County line. * U.S. Route 44 in New York, US 44, New York State Route 52, NY 52, New York State Route 55, NY 55, and New York State Route 199, NY 199 are the other primary east–west roads in the county. New York State Route 52, NY 52 enters the county concurrent with I-84, leaves it at Fishkill but then follows it into Putnam County.

Crossings

Three spans cross the Hudson River, linking Dutchess with Orange County, New York, Orange, Ulster County, New York, Ulster, and Greene County, New York, Greene Counties: * The Newburgh-Beacon Bridge carries Interstate 84 and NY 52 between Fishkill/Beacon and Newburgh (Orange County). The westbound span opened in 1963 and the eastbound span opened in 1980. * The Mid-Hudson Bridge carries US 44 and NY 55 between Poughkeepsie and Highland (Lloyd, New York, Town of Lloyd, Ulster County) * The Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge carries NY 199 between Rhinebeck and Kingston (Ulster County)

Railroads

Harlem Valley-Wingdale station from grade crossing

The Metro-North railroad provides a critical link to New York City for Dutchess County's commuting population. The Hudson Line (Metro-North), Hudson Line and Amtrak run concurrently along the Hudson River, on the western edge of the county. The Hudson Line has stops at Breakneck Ridge station, Breakneck Ridge, Beacon station, Beacon, and New Hamburg (Metro-North station), New Hamburg (a hamlet of the town of Poughkeepsie) before the Hudson Line terminates at Poughkeepsie station, Poughkeepsie. The tracks continue north of that point as Amtrak, with Poughkeepsie and Rhinecliff-Kingston (Amtrak station), Rhinecliff (a small hamlet in the Town of Rhinebeck) being stops along Amtrak's Empire Service (Amtrak), Empire Service. The Harlem Line, on the eastern side of the county, has station stops in Pawling (Metro-North station), Pawling, along the Appalachian Trail station, Appalachian Trail, Harlem Valley – Wingdale (Metro-North station), Wingdale, Dover Plains (Metro-North station), Dover Plains, and two stops in Wassaic, New York, Wassaic (one along the Tenmile River (Metro-North station), Tenmile River and the other the Wassaic (Metro-North station), namesake terminus of that line).

Buses and ferries

Public transportation in Dutchess County is handled by Dutchess County Public Transit, commonly called "the LOOP." Outside of the urbanized area of the county, most service is limited. Privately run lines connect Poughkeepsie to New Paltz (village), New York, New Paltz and Beacon to Newburgh. Leprechaun Lines and Short Line (bus company), Short Line Bus also operate some service through Poughkeepsie, Rhinebeck, and the southern part of the county. NY Waterway operates the Newburgh–Beacon Ferry, which is located at the Beacon train station.

Air

General aviation facilities are located at Hudson Valley Regional Airport (formerly Dutchess County Airport), located in Wappinger, New York, Wappinger and Sky Park Airport in Red Hook, New York. General commercial passenger service is provided by New York Stewart International Airport, which is located across the Hudson River in Newburgh, New York, Newburgh. Mid-Hudson Bridge night NY1

Culture

Fun at the Dutchess County Fair August 21, 2012

Dutchess County holds an annual county fair. The County Chamber of Commerce holds an annual hot air balloon launch typically in the first week of July. The main launch sites are along the Hudson River. As many as 20 balloons participate in the event. The Dutchess County Historical Society was formed in 1914 and is active in the preservation of a large collection at the 18th century Clinton House (Poughkeepsie, New York), Clinton House. The Society has published a yearbook since 1914 and presents up to four awards of merit in the field of Dutchess County history each year.

Media

Dutchess County has no locally based television stations. Its only news radio format station is WKIP (AM) of Poughkeepsie. WRHV is an NPR affiliated broadcasting out of Poughkeepsie. The country music format station, WRWB-FM, broadcasting across the Hudson River, can be reached in much of the county. ''Poughkeepsie Journal'' is published in that city. ''Vassar Miscellany News,'' associated with Vassar College, is published weekly. Also published in the county is the ''Beacon Free Press''/''Southern Dutchess News.''

Health

The county is home to Northern Dutchess Hospital in Rhinebeck. MidHudson Regional Hospital (formerly St. Francis) and Vassar Brothers Medical Center are both in Poughkeepsie. The Castle Point Veterans Health Administration is in Wappinger. On March 11, 2020, the county's first case of COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19 was confirmed. As of June 2021, there had been 29,483 cases and 445 deaths. There are under 100 active cases and 56.8% of residents received at least one vaccine dose.

Sports

The Hudson Valley Renegades are a minor league baseball team affiliated with the New York Yankees. The team is a member of the High-A East, and play at Dutchess Stadium in Fishkill, New York, Fishkill. The Hudson Valley Bears were one of four founding members of the Eastern Professional Hockey League (2008), Eastern Professional Hockey League (EPHL). They played their home games at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie. The Hudson Valley Hawks was a team in the former National Professional Basketball League (2007-), National Professional Basketball League. The team's home court was at Beacon High School, in

Notes

References

External links

Dutchess County official webpage

* {{Authority control Dutchess County, New York, Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown metropolitan area Counties in the New York metropolitan area 1713 establishments in the Province of New York Populated places established in 1713