Clinton 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 north-easternmost corner of the

state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

of New York, 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 thirtee ...

. 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 of ...

, 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 st ...

is the city of

Plattsburgh Plattsburgh ( moh, Tsi ietsénhtha) is a city in, and the seat of, Clinton County, New York, United States, situated on the north-western shore of Lake Champlain. The population was 19,841 at the 2020 census. The population of the surrounding ...

. 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 c ...

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 North ...

and to the west of the

State State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

Vermont Vermont () is a 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 to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...

. 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 has ...

, 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 t ...

. He had been a

Founding Father The following list of national founding figures is a record, by country, of people who were credited with establishing a state. National founders are typically those who played an influential role in setting up the systems of governance, (i.e. ...

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 th ...

, 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 The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...

. 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 Saranac River ( moh, Tsi ietsénhtha) is an river in the U.S. state of New York. In its upper reaches is a region of mostly flat water and lakes. The river has more than three dozen source lakes and ponds north of Upper Saranac Lake; the highes ...

flows easterly through the central part of the county, discharging into Lake Champlain at

, 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 ...

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 Y ...

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 Grand Isle County is a county in the U.S. state of Vermont. As of the 2020 census, the population was 7,293, making it Vermont's second-least populous county. Its shire town ( county seat) is North Hero. The county was created in 1802 and org ...

— east *

Chittenden County, Vermont Chittenden County () is the most populous county in the U.S. state of Vermont. As of the 2020 census, its population was 168,323. The county seat is Vermont's most populous municipality, the city of Burlington. The county has over a quarte ...

— southeast * Essex County — south * Franklin County — west *

Le Haut-Richelieu Regional County Municipality, Quebec Le Haut-Richelieu Regional County Municipality ''(Upper Richelieu)'' is a regional county municipality in the Montérégie region in southwestern Quebec, Canada. Its seat is in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu. It is named for the Richelieu River which ...

— north *

Le Haut-Saint-Laurent Regional County Municipality, Quebec Le Haut-Saint-Laurent ''(Upper Saint Lawrence)'' is a regional county municipality in southwestern Quebec, Canada, in the Montérégie region. Its seat is in Huntingdon and it is named for the Saint Lawrence River which forms its western and nort ...

— north *

Les Jardins-de-Napierville Regional County Municipality, Quebec Les Jardins-de-Napierville ''(English: The Gardens of Napierville)'' is a regional county municipality ''(French: Municipalité régionale de comté (MRC))'' in southwestern Quebec, Canada in the Montérégie region. Founded on January 1, 1982. It ...

— north

Protected areas

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

(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 Flat Rock State Forest is a New York State Department of Environmental Conservation New York State Forests, state forest property located in Altona (town), New York, Altona, New York (state), New York. It is home to a Sandstone Pavement Barrens. Th ...

* 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 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 ...

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, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

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 terms ...

(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 (United States), Democratic Party, he was the 54th governor of New York from 2007 until his resignation in 2008. Spitzer was b ...

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 Cu ...

, 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, and ...

and

Kirsten Gillibrand Kirsten Elizabeth Gillibrand (; ; born December 9, 1966) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the junior United States senator from New York since 2009. A member of the Democratic Party, she served as member of the U.S. House of ...

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 India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-larges ...

to replace John McHugh, who resigned to serve as the Obama Administration's Secretary of the Army. The special election received nationwide attention due to Hoffman, a third-party candidate and

Tea Party A tea party is a social gathering event held in the afternoon. For centuries, many societies have cherished drinking tea with a company at noon. Tea parties are considered for formal business meetings, social celebrations or just as an afternoon ...

favorite, polling higher than the Republican nominee, Dede Scozzafava, which ultimately led to her dropping out of the race and supporting Owens. It had not elected a Democrat to the

State Senate A state legislature in the United States is the legislative body of any of the 50 U.S. states. The formal name varies from state to state. In 27 states, the legislature is simply called the ''Legislature'' or the ''State Legislature'', whil ...

or State Assembly 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 vo ...

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 ce ...

, 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 RosenberPopul ...

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 on ...

, 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 ...

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 Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 1.10% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

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

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, 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 Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

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 Fren ...

, 12.5% American, 11.8% Irish, 7.6% English and 5.5% German 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 ...

. 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 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 t ...

, 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 Clinton Correctional Facility is a New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision maximum security state prison for men located in the Village of Dannemora, New York. The prison is sometimes colloquially referred to as Dannem ...

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

* US-2 * US-9 * US-11 *

NY-3 NY-3 may refer to: * Consolidated NY-3, an aircraft * New York's 3rd congressional district * New York State Route 3 New York State Route 3 (NY 3) is a major east–west state highway in New York, in the United States, that connects cen ...

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

Airports

Plattsburgh International Airport Plattsburgh International Airport is a county public-use airport located three nautical miles (6 km) south of the central business district of the city of Plattsburgh, within the Town of Plattsburgh in Clinton County, New York, Unit ...

(PBG) –

* Clinton County Airport (PLB) – Plattsburgh *

Rouses Point Seaplane Base Rouses Point Seaplane Base is a public use seaplane base located on the Richelieu River in Rouses Point, a village in Clinton County, New York, United States. Facilities and aircraft Rouses Point Seaplane Base resides at elevation of 95 feet ...

(K21) –

Rouses Point Rouses Point is a village (New York), village in Clinton County, New York, Clinton County, New York (state), New York, United States, along the 45th parallel north, 45th parallel. The population was 2,209 at the 2010 census. The village is named ...

Rail

Amtrak's Adirondack Train travels through the county, connecting

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

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

and

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 Beekmantown is a town in Clinton County, New York, United States. The population was 5,545 at the 2010 census. The town name is that of William Beekman, an original landowner. It is on the eastern border of the county, just north of Plattsburgh ...

* Black Brook * Champlain * 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 = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

* Saranac * Schuyler Falls

Hamlets

* Churubusco * 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. It ...

* 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