Clinton County is a

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

in the north-easternmost corner of the state of

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 * '' ...

, in the United States and bordered by the Canadian province of

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirte ...

. As of the

2020 United States Census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to off ...

, the population was 79,843. Its

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 ...

is the city of Plattsburgh. The county lies just south of the

border Borders are usually defined as geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other subnational entities. Political borders ca ...

with the

Canadian province Within the geographical areas of Canada, the ten provinces and three territories are sub-national administrative divisions under the jurisdiction of the Canadian Constitution. In the 1867 Canadian Confederation, three provinces of British Nor ...

and to the west of the State of

Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provin ...

. The county is named for George Clinton, the first

Governor of New York The governor of New York is the head of government of the U.S. state of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor h ...

, who later was elected as

Vice President A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on ...

. He had been a Founding Father who represented New York in the

Continental Congress The Continental Congress was a series of legislative bodies, with some executive function, for thirteen of Britain's colonies in North America, and the newly declared United States just before, during, and after the American Revolutionary War. ...

. Clinton County comprises the Plattsburgh, New York Micropolitan statistical area.

History

George Clinton, governor of New York (portrait by Ezra Ames)

When counties were established in New York State in 1683, the present Clinton County was part of Albany County. This was an enormous county, including the northern part of New York State as well as all of the present state of

and, in theory, extending westward to the Pacific Ocean. This county was reduced in size on July 3, 1766, by the creation of

Cumberland County Cumberland County may refer to: Australia * Cumberland County, New South Wales * the former name of Cumberland Land District, Tasmania, Australia Canada *Cumberland County, Nova Scotia United Kingdom *Cumberland, historic county *Cumberla ...

, and further on March 16, 1770, by the creation of Gloucester County, both containing territory now in Vermont. On March 12, 1772, what was left of Albany County was split into three parts, one remaining under the name Albany County. One of the other pieces, Charlotte County, contained the eastern portion. In 1784, the name "Charlotte County" was changed to Washington County to honor

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...

, the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

General and later the first President of the United States of America. In 1788, Clinton County split off from Washington County. In 1799, Essex County split from Clinton County. In 1802, parts of Clinton, Herkimer, and Montgomery counties formed the new St. Lawrence County. In 1808, Franklin County split from Clinton County.

Geography

Clinton County lies at the northeast corner of New York state. Its northern border abuts the

. Its eastern border abuts the state of

(across Lake Champlain). The encompassing region is referred to as the ''Adirondack Coast''. The Saranac River flows easterly through the central part of the county, discharging into Lake Champlain at Plattsburgh, and the

Great Chazy River Chazy River is the name of two tributaries of Lake Champlain in Clinton County, New York in the United States. The more northerly river is the Great Chazy River, which empties into Lake Champlain at King Bay in the Town of Champlain. The more s ...

flows northeastward through the upper part of the county, discharging into Lake Champlain at Coopersville. The

Ausable River Au Sable or Ausable may refer to various places: Michigan * Au Sable Township, Iosco County, Michigan **Au Sable, Michigan, an unincorporated community in the above township * Au Sable Township, Roscommon County, Michigan New York *Au Sable, New ...

forms a large part of the southern county line.Clinton County NY - Google Maps (accessed 6 July 2019)
/ref> The county's highest point is Lyon Mountain, in the town of Dannemora, at 3,830' (1167m) ASL. According to the US Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (7.1%) is water.

Adjacent counties and municipalities

* Grand Isle County, Vermont — east * Chittenden County, Vermont — southeast * Essex County — south * Franklin County — west * Le Haut-Richelieu Regional County Municipality, Quebec — north * Le Haut-Saint-Laurent Regional County Municipality, Quebec — north * Les Jardins-de-Napierville Regional County Municipality, Quebec — north

Protected areas

Adirondack Park The Adirondack Park is a part of New York's Forest Preserve in northeastern New York, United States. The park was established in 1892 for “the free use of all the people for their health and pleasure”, and for watershed protection. The park ...

(part) * Ausable Marsh Wildlife Management Area * Cadyville State Forest * Chazy Fossil Reef National Natural Landmark (part) * Dannemora State Forest * Dunkin's Reserve State Forest * Flat Rock State Forest * Kings Bay Wildlife Management Area * Macomb State Forest * Miner Lake State Park * Monty's Bay Wildlife Management Area * Point au Roche State Park * Valcour Island ** Valcour Island Primitive Area

Lakes

* Chazy Lake * Fern Lake *

Lake Champlain , native_name_lang = , image = Champlainmap.svg , caption = Lake Champlain-River Richelieu watershed , image_bathymetry = , caption_bathymetry = , location = New York/ Vermont in the United States; and Quebec in Canada , coords = , type ...

(along east border) * Mead Reservoir * Military Pond * Miner Lake * Mud Pond * Newberry Pond * Patterson Reservoir * Silver Lake * Slush Pond * Taylor Pond * Union Falls Pond (part) * Upper Chateaugay Lake

Government and politics

Like much of the North Country region, Clinton County has historically been a Republican county. However, it has voted for Democratic candidates at the state and national level in recent times. Since 1996, it has voted for the Democratic candidate for president in every election. In the 2008 U.S. presidential election,

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 (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...

carried the county by a 22.9% margin over

John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American politician and United States Navy officer who served as a United States senator from Arizona from 1987 until his death in 2018. He previously served two te ...

(Obama won every municipality in the county), and won by a 26.9% margin over McCain statewide. In 2006, both

Eliot Spitzer Eliot Laurence Spitzer (born June 10, 1959) is an American politician and attorney. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the 54th governor of New York from 2007 until his resignation in 2008. Spitzer was born in New York City, attended P ...

and

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...

carried the county, winning 63% and 64% of vote, respectively. In 2010, Governor

Andrew Cuomo Andrew Mark Cuomo ( ; ; born December 6, 1957) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 56th governor of New York from 2011 to 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected to the same position that his father, Mario Cuo ...

, and Senators

Chuck Schumer Charles Ellis Schumer ( ; born November 23, 1950) is an American politician serving as Senate Majority Leader since January 20, 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, Schumer is in his fourth Senate term, having held his seat since 1999, an ...

and Kirsten Gillibrand won the county, each receiving more than 60% of the vote. Republicans still win most local races. The county's Congressional district did not elect a Democrat to Congress until 2009 when Bill Owens defeated

Doug Hoffman Douglas L. Hoffman (born 1953) is an American businessman, accountant and former congressional candidate. He was the Conservative Party candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2009 special election for New York's 23rd congressional ...

in the

special election A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, a bye-election in Ireland, a bypoll in India, or a Zimni election (Urdu: ضمنی انتخاب, supplementary election) in Pakistan, is an election used to f ...

to replace John McHugh, who resigned to serve as the

Obama Administration Barack Obama's tenure as the 44th president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 2009, and ended on January 20, 2017. A Democrat from Illinois, Obama took office following a decisive victory over Republican ...

Secretary of the Army The secretary of the Army (SA or SECARMY) is a senior civilian official within the United States Department of Defense, with statutory responsibility for all matters relating to the United States Army: manpower, personnel, reserve affairs, insta ...

. The special election received nationwide attention due to Hoffman, a third-party candidate and Tea Party favorite, polling higher than the Republican nominee,

Dede Scozzafava Dierdre Kathryn "Dede" Scozzafava ( ; born April 28, 1960) is an American politician in New York. She represented District 122 in the New York State Assembly from 1999 to 2010. Scozzafava held office as a member of the Republican Party, but la ...

, which ultimately led to her dropping out of the race and supporting Owens. It had not elected a Democrat to the State Senate or

State Assembly State Assembly is the name given to various legislatures, especially lower houses or full legislatures in states in federal systems of government. Channel Islands States Assembly is the name of the legislature of the Bailiwick of Jersey. The Bail ...

in over a half-century until Billy Jones was elected to the State Assembly in 2016. The Clinton County Legislature is the lawmaking body of the county. It consists of 10 members, each elected from

single member district A single-member district is an electoral district represented by a single officeholder. It contrasts with a multi-member district, which is represented by multiple officeholders. Single-member districts are also sometimes called single-winner vot ...

s. As of 2021, the County Legislature consists of five Republicans and four Democrats and a vacancy.

Demographics

2020 Census

2000 census

As of the

2000 United States Census 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 c ...

, there were 79,894 people, 29,423 households, and 19,272 families in the county. 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 RosenberPopu ...

was . There were 33,091 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 93.33%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 3.58%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.36% Native American, 0.67% Asian, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 1.10% from other races, and 0.93% from two or more races. 2.46% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race. 23.7% were of French, 15.0%

French Canadian French Canadians (referred to as Canadiens mainly before the twentieth century; french: Canadiens français, ; feminine form: , ), or Franco-Canadians (french: Franco-Canadiens), refers to either an ethnic group who trace their ancestry to Fre ...

, 12.5% American, 11.8% Irish, 7.6% English and 5.5% German ancestry according to Census 2000. 94.1% spoke English, 2.8% French and 1.7% Spanish as their first language. There were 29,423 households, out of which 32.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.00% 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 ...

living together, 10.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.50% were non-families. 26.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.98. The county population contained 23.00% under the age of 18, 12.40% from 18 to 24, 30.60% from 25 to 44, 22.10% from 45 to 64, and 11.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 104.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.60 males. The median household income was $37,028, and the median income for a family was $45,732. Males had a median income of $33,788 versus $25,520 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 $17,946. About 9.40% of families and 13.90% 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 ...

, including 15.30% of those under age 18 and 11.40% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The

State University of New York at Plattsburgh The State University of New York College at Plattsburgh (SUNY Plattsburgh) is a public college in Plattsburgh, New York. The college was founded in 1889 and officially opened in 1890. The college is part of the State University of New York (SUN ...

is located in the City of Plattsburgh. The county is also served by Clinton Community College, which is located in the Town of Plattsburgh.

Infrastructure

Clinton Correctional Facility, a maximum-security prison is located in the village of Dannemora.

Altona Correctional Facility Altona Correctional Facility is a medium security prison in New York in the United States. The prison is in the Town of Altona in Clinton County Clinton County may refer to: *Counties named for George Clinton, first and third Governor of New ...

is a medium-security prison in the town of Altona.

Transportation

Highways

* Interstate 87 - runs N-S, to the

Canada–United States border The border between Canada and the United States is the longest international border in the world. The terrestrial boundary (including boundaries in the Great Lakes, Atlantic, and Pacific coasts) is long. The land border has two sections: ...

* US-2 *

US-9 U.S. Route 9 (US 9) is a north–south United States highway in the states of Delaware, New Jersey, and New York in the Northeastern United States. It is one of only two U.S. Highways with a ferry connection (the Cape May–Lewes Ferry, betw ...

US-11 {{Infobox road , country=USA , type=US , route=11 , map={{maplink, frame=yes, plain=yes, frame-align=center, frame-width=290, frame-height=330, type=line, from=U.S. Route 11.map , map_custom=yes , map_notes=US 11 in red, US 11E in blue, US 11W in ...

* NY-3 * NY-9N * NY-22 * NY-22B * NY-190 * NY-191 * NY-374 * NY-442 * NY-456

Airports

* Plattsburgh International Airport (PBG) – Plattsburgh *

Clinton County Airport Clinton County Airport is a former county-owned public-use airport in Clinton County, New York, United States. It is located west of the central business district of the city of Plattsburgh. It served Plattsburgh and the western side of Lake C ...

(PLB) – Plattsburgh * Rouses Point Seaplane Base (K21) – Rouses Point

Rail

Amtrak's Adirondack Train travels through the county, connecting

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple- ...

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 ...

. Two trains a day (one north and one south) stop in the county in Plattsburgh and Rouses Point.

Mass-Transit

The Clinton County Public Transit runs bus routes that branch from Plattsburgh to towns in the county.Welcome to Clinton County Public Transit (accessed 6 July 2019)
/ref>

Communities

Larger Settlements

† - County Seat †† - Former Village ‡ - Not Wholly in this County

Towns

* Altona * Au Sable * Beekmantown * Black Brook *

Champlain Samuel de Champlain (; Fichier OrigineFor a detailed analysis of his baptismal record, see RitchThe baptism act does not contain information about the age of Samuel, neither his birth date nor his place of birth. – 25 December 1635) was a Fre ...

* Chazy * Clinton * Dannemora (town) * Ellenburg * Mooers *

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

* Plattsburgh * Saranac * Schuyler Falls

Hamlets

Churubusco Churubusco is a neighbourhood of Mexico City. Under the current territorial division of the Mexican Federal District, it is a part of the borough ''(delegación)'' of Coyoacán. It is centred on the former Franciscan monastery ''(ex convento de C ...

* Coopersville *

Swastika The swastika (卐 or 卍) is an ancient religious and cultural symbol, predominantly in various Eurasian, as well as some African and American cultures, now also widely recognized for its appropriation by the Nazi Party and by neo-Nazis. I ...

* Morrisonville

References

External links

Clinton County, NY webpage
*

Clinton County Historical Association Museum
{{authority control 1788 establishments in New York (state) Populated places established in 1788