Ulster County is a

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

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 so ...

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

. It is situated along the

Hudson River The Hudson River, historically the North River, is a river that flows from north to south largely through eastern New York (state), New York state. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains at Henderson Lake (New York), Henderson Lake in the ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 181,851. The

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

Kingston Kingston may refer to: Places * List of places called Kingston, including the six most populated: ** Kingston, Jamaica ** Kingston upon Hull, England ** City of Kingston, Victoria, Australia ** Kingston, Ontario, Canada ** Kingston upon Thames, ...

. The county is named after the Irish

province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

Ulster Ulster (; or ; or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional or historic provinces of Ireland, Irish provinces. It is made up of nine Counties of Ireland, counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kingdom); t ...

. The county is part of the

Hudson Valley The Hudson Valley or Hudson River Valley comprises the valley of the Hudson River and its adjacent communities in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. The region stretches from the Capital District (New York), Capital District includi ...

region of the state.

History

Founding and formation

When part of the

New Netherland New Netherland () was a colony of the Dutch Republic located on the East Coast of what is now the United States. The claimed territories extended from the Delmarva Peninsula to Cape Cod. Settlements were established in what became the states ...

colony, Dutch traders first called the area of present-day Ulster County "Esopus", a name borrowed for convenience from a locality on the opposite side of the Hudson. "Esopus" meant "land of flowing water and high banks," or "small brook." There is also a town named Esopus located within Ulster County. The local

Lenape The Lenape (, , ; ), also called the Lenni Lenape and Delaware people, are an Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands, who live in the United States and Canada. The Lenape's historica ...

indigenous people called themselves Waranawanka, but soon came to be known to the Dutch as the "Esopus Indians" because they were encountered around the settlement known as Esopus. In 1652, Thomas Chambers, a freeholder from the

Manor of Rensselaerswyck Rensselaerswyck was a Dutch colonial patroonship and later an England, English Proprietary colony, manor owned by the Van Rensselaer (family), van Rensselaer family located in the present-day Capital District, New York, Capital District of New Yor ...

, purchased land at Esopus. He and several others actually settled and began farming by June 1653. The settlements grew into the village of Wiltwijck, which the English later named

. In 1683, the Duke of York created 12 counties in his province, one of which was Ulster County, named after Prince James, Duke of York (later King

James II of England James II and VII (14 October 1633 – 16 September 1701) was King of England and Monarchy of Ireland, Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII from the death of his elder brother, Charles II of England, Charles II, on 6 February 1 ...

) whose subsidiary titles included

Earl of Ulster The title of Earl of Ulster has been created six times in the Peerage of Ireland and twice in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. Since 1928, the title has been held by the Duke of Gloucester and is used as a courtesy title by the Duke's el ...

. Its boundaries at that time included the present Sullivan County and parts of the present

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic states, South Atlantic regions of the United States. It borders Maryland to its south and west, Pennsylvania to its north, New Jersey ...

Orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower ** Orange juice *Orange (colour), the color of an orange fruit, occurs between red and yellow in the vi ...

, and Greene counties. In 1777, the first state capital of the independent New York State was established at Kingston. The official records of Ulster County were removed to safety to a stone house in Kerhonkson when it became evident that the British would burn Kingston. In 1797, parts of Otsego and Ulster counties were split off to create Delaware County. In 1798, Ulster County's southernmost towns were moved into Orange County to compensate Orange for breaking away its southernmost part to form

Rockland County Rockland County is the southernmost county on the west side of the Hudson River in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the county's population is 338,329, making it the state's ...

. In 1800, portions of Albany and Ulster counties were split off to create Greene County. In 1809, Sullivan County was split off from Ulster County.

Civil War

During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

, volunteers were recruited from the county and formed the majority of the following regiments: *

80th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment The 80th New York Infantry Regiment, originally designated the 20th New York State Militia Regiment, "Ulster Guard", was an infantry regiment of the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service On the return of the 20th New York State Mil ...

* 120th New York Volunteer Infantry * 156th New York Volunteer Infantry Other regiments with at least one company from the county included: * 1st Battalion New York Volunteer Sharpshooters * 1st New York Volunteer Engineer Regiment * 7th Regiment New York Volunteer Cavalry * 7th New York Veteran Infantry Regiment *15th Regiment New York Volunteer Cavalry * 20th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment *25th Regiment New York Volunteer Cavalry * 25th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment * 56th New York Volunteer Infantry *

65th New York Volunteer Infantry The 65th New York Infantry Regiment (or 1st United States Chasseurs) was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The regiment wore distinctive chasseur styled uniforms. Its members were recruited primarily from New ...

* 71st New York Infantry * 102nd New York Volunteer Infantry * 132nd New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment * 168th New York Volunteer Infantry * 176th New York Volunteer Infantry * 178th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment *192nd New York Volunteer Infantry

Twentieth century

The

Lake Mohonk Mountain House The Mohonk Mountain House, also known as Lake Mohonk Mountain House, is a resort hotel located south of the Catskill Mountains on the crest of the Shawangunk Ridge, New York. The property lies at the junction of the towns of New Paltz, New York, ...

Shawangunk Ridge The Shawangunk Ridge , also known as the Shawangunk Mountains or The Gunks, is a ridge of bedrock in Ulster County, Sullivan County and Orange County in the state of New York, extending from the northernmost point of the border with New Jers ...

was designated a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...

in 1986.

Geography

Lake Minnewaska Minnewaska State Park Preserve

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, 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 U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, the county has an area of , of which is land and (3.1%) is water. Ulster County is in southeastern New York State, south of Albany, immediately west of the

. Much of it is within the

Catskill Mountains The Catskill Mountains, also known as the Catskills, are a physiographic province and subrange of the larger Appalachian Mountains, located in southeastern New York. As a cultural and geographic region, the Catskills are generally defined a ...

and the

. Ulster County has

Minnewaska State Park Preserve The Minnewaska State Park Preserve is a preserve located on the Shawangunk Ridge in Ulster County, New York on US 44/ NY 55, west of New York State Route 299. The park, which features scenic overlooks of the nearby Catskill Mountains, is pr ...

Mohonk Preserve The Mohonk Preserve is a nature preserve in the Shawangunk Ridge, north of New York City in Ulster County, New York. The preserve has over of cliffs, forests, fields, ponds and streams, with over of carriage roads and of trails for hiking, ...

, Sundown State Park, VerNooykill State Forest, Witches Hole State Forest, and Shawangunk Ridge State Forest. The Sam's Point section of Minnewaska includes rare dwarf pine trees and Verkeerder Kill falls. The county's highest point is Slide Mountain, at approximately above sea level. The lowest point is sea level along the Hudson River.

Adjacent counties

* Greene County — north * Columbia County — northeast *

Dutchess County Dutchess County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 295,911. The county seat is the city of Poughkeepsie. The county was created in 1683, one of New York's first twelve counties, and later org ...

— southeast * Orange County — south * Sullivan County — southwest * Delaware County — northwest

National protected area

* Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge

Demographics

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, the county had 181,440 people, 67,499 households, and 43,536 families. The population density was . There were 77,656 housing units at an average density of . The county's racial makeup, as of 2008, was 83.2%

white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 6.50%

black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.3% Native American, 1.7% Asian, 0.03%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, 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 th ...

, 2.15% from other races, and 1.70% from two or more races. 7.6% of the population were

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race. 19.2% were of

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

, 16.8% Irish, 15.5%

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

, 6.8% English, and 4.7% American ancestry according to Census 2000. 90.3% spoke English, 4.5%

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

, 1.2%

, and 1.0%

as their first language. There were 67,499 households, of which 30.70% had children under age 18 living with them, 49.20% were married couples living together, 10.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.50% were non-families. Of all households, 27.90% were made up of individuals, and 10.20% 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 3.03. 23.50% of the county's population was under age 18, 8.70% was from age 18 to 24, 29.70% was from age 25 to 44, 24.70% was from age 45 to 64, and 13.30% was age 65 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.60 males. The county's median household income was $42,551, and the median family income was $51,708. Males had a median income of $36,808 versus $27,086 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the county was $20,846. About 7.20% of families and 11.40% 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 13.00% of those under age 18 and 8.70% of those age 65 or over.

2020 Census

As of the 2020 census the population of Ulster County is 181,851. The population density was . The county's racial makeup, as of 2020, was 75.16%

non-Hispanic white Non-Hispanic Whites, also referred to as White Anglo Americans or Non-Latino Whites, are White Americans who are classified by the United States census as "White" and not of Hispanic or Latino origin. According to annual estimates from the Unit ...

, 5.8%

, 0.2% Native American, 2.1% Asian, 0.02%

, 5.4% from other races or from two or more races. 11.61% of the population were

or Latino of any race

Government and politics

For most of the 20th century, Ulster County voted for the Republican nominees for president. Republicans regularly got over 60% of the vote, the high point coming when

Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was the 34th president of the United States, serving from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, he was Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionar ...

won 76% in

1956 Events January * January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan after 57 years. * January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian Missionary, missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, E ...

. The Democratic nominee won only in

1912 This year is notable for Sinking of the Titanic, the sinking of the ''Titanic'', which occurred on April 15. In Albania, this leap year runs with only 353 days as the country achieved switching from the Julian to Gregorian Calendar by skippin ...

, when

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), also known as Teddy or T.R., was the 26th president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909. Roosevelt previously was involved in New York (state), New York politics, incl ...

and his Progressive Party split the Republican vote and gave a plurality to

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was the 28th president of the United States, serving from 1913 to 1921. He was the only History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democrat to serve as president during the Prog ...

, and in

1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 – In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patria ...

, when

Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), also known as LBJ, was the 36th president of the United States, serving from 1963 to 1969. He became president after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, under whom he had served a ...

won every county in New York and carried Ulster County by 19.8 percentage points. More recently, Ulster County has voted Democratic. In

1992 1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General. * January 6 ** The Republ ...

1996 1996 was designated as: * International Year for the Eradication of Poverty Events January * January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...

, and

2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...

, the party won a plurality, due to strong showings from third parties. In

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician, and diplomat who served as the 68th United States secretary of state from 2013 to 2017 in the Presidency of Barack Obama#Administration, administration of Barac ...

defeated

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...

, 54%–43%; in

2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

defeated

John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American statesman and United States Navy, naval officer who represented the Arizona, state of Arizona in United States Congress, Congress for over 35 years, first as ...

, 61%–37%; in

2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...

, Obama defeated

Mitt Romney Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American businessman and retired politician. He served as a United States Senate, United States senator from Utah from 2019 to 2025 and as the 70th governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 ...

, 60%–37%; in

2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, lawyer and diplomat. She was the 67th United States secretary of state in the administration of Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, a U.S. senator represent ...

defeated

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

, 52%–41%; in

2020 The year 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 even ...

Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...

defeated Trump, 60%–39%; and in

2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...

Kamala Harris Kamala Devi Harris ( ; born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 49th vice president of the United States from 2021 to 2025 under President Joe Biden. She is the first female, first African American, and ...

defeated Trump, 58%–40%. As of 2025, Ulster County is divided between 2

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

districts. The more populated eastern half of the county is in

New York's 18th congressional district New York's 18th congressional district is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in New York (state), New York’s Hudson Valley that contains some of the northern suburbs and exurbs of New York City. It is cur ...

, represented by

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 (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

Pat Ryan. The less populated western half of the county is in

New York's 19th congressional district New York's 19th congressional district is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives located in New York (state), New York’s Catskill Mountains, Catskills, Hudson Valley, greater Capital District (New York), Capit ...

, represented by

Josh Riley Joshua Paul Riley (born January 21, 1981) is an American politician and lawyer who has served as the U.S. Representative for New York's 19th congressional district since 2025. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously worked as a policy ...

. Ulster County had no U.S. representative after Antonio Delgado resigned on May 25, 2022, to become

lieutenant governor of New York The lieutenant governor of New York is a Constitution of New York, constitutional office in the executive branch of the Government of the State of New York. It is the second highest-ranking official in state government. The lieutenant governo ...

. Ryan won a special election on August 23 against

Marc Molinaro Marcus James Molinaro ( ; born October 8, 1975) is an American politician who served as the United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative for New York's 19th congressional district from 2023 to 2025. A member of the Republican Party ...

, and was sworn in on September 13. Ryan ran in the 18th congressional district in the 2022 general election after redistricting put most of Ulster County in that district. Ryan was narrowly reelected against New York Assembly member Colin Schmitt. Molinaro ran in the 19th district and narrowly defeated Riley, before narrowly losing to Riley in a rematch in

County government

For a long time, Ulster County had a county-scale version of a council-manager government, with the county legislature hiring a county administrator to handle executive functions. The chair of the legislature had a great deal of power and was accountable only to the voters of their district. The only countywide elected officials were the

county clerk A clerk is a white-collar worker who conducts record keeping as well as general office tasks, or a worker who performs similar sales-related tasks in a retail environment. The responsibilities of clerical workers commonly include record keepin ...

district attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, county prosecutor, state attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or solicitor is the chief prosecutor or chief law enforcement officer represen ...

, and

sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland, the , which is common ...

. In 2006, voters approved the first-ever county

charter A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the ...

, changing to an elected executive branch. Two years later, Michael P. Hein, the last appointed county administrator, became Ulster's first elected county executive. In early 2019, Hein resigned to accept Governor

Andrew Cuomo Andrew Mark Cuomo ( , ; born December 6, 1957) is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 56th governor of New York from 2011 until his resignation in 2021. A member of the Democratic Party and son of former governor Mario Cuomo, ...

's appointment as commissioner of the state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance. Deputy County Executive Adele Reiter succeeded him as acting county executive until a special election was held in April 2019. On April 30, 2019, Democrat Patrick K. Ryan was elected in a special election by a margin of 74%-26%. He was sworn in as Ulster County's second County Executive on June 7, 2019. On September 9, 2022, Ryan stepped down as county executive after winning election to the

, and Johanna Contreras was sworn in as an acting county executive. Democrat Jen Metzger, a former New York State Senator, defeated Republican Jim Quigley in the 2022 election to replace Ryan. For the election, 14-year-old Hudson Rowan designed the Ulster County "I Voted" sticker, which went viral for its weird design. Metzger took office in 2023. Legislative authority is vested in the County Legislature, which consists of 23 members elected from individual districts, as directed by a county charter reapportionment mandate starting in late 2010.Ulster reapportionment panel to revamp Legislature
. DailyFreeman.com. Retrieved on August 9, 2013. Of the members of the 2024-2025 County Legislature, 14 are part of the Democratic Caucus (all 14 are affiliated with the Democratic Party), and 9 are part of the Republican Caucus (all 9 are affiliated with the Republican Party).

Recreation

Ulster County contains a large part of

Catskill Park The Catskill Park is in the Catskill Mountains in the U.S. state of New York. It consists of of land inside a Blue Line in four counties: Delaware, Greene, Sullivan, and Ulster. As of 2005, or 41 percent of the land within, is owned by ...

and the Catskill Forest Preserve. The former

Delaware and Hudson Canal The Delaware and Hudson Canal was the first venture of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company, which would later build the Delaware and Hudson Railway. Between 1828 and 1899, the canal's barges carried anthracite coal from the mines of northeast ...

brought

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

coal to Kingston on the Hudson. Former Orleans band member

John Hall John Hall may refer to: Academics * John Hall (NYU President) (fl. c. 1890), American academic * John A. Hall (born 1949), sociology professor at McGill University, Montreal * John F. Hall (1951–2023), professor of classics at Brigham Young Univ ...

served in the Ulster County legislature before moving to the 19th Congressional District to run for Congress. Ulster County has continued to be a popular vacation destination for many decades. The county is home to many outdoor landscapes, including the

, the

, Minnewaska State Park,

Shawangunk Mountains Shawangunk ( ) may refer to: In New York *Shawangunk, New York, a town in Ulster County * Shawangunk Correctional Facility, in Ulster County * Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge, in Ulster County * Shawangunk Kill, a tributary of the Wa ...

, Bear Hill Preserve, and the

. Each offers various recreation opportunities, including hiking, bicycling, skiing, horseback riding, kayaking, rock climbing, hunting and fishing. The county also includes more than of rail trails along the

Hudson Valley Rail Trail The Hudson Valley Rail Trail is a paved east–west rail trail in the Lloyd, New York, town of Lloyd in Ulster County, New York, Ulster County, New York (state), New York, stretching from the Hudson River through the Highland, Ulster County, New ...

, Wallkill Valley Rail Trail, and O&W Rail Trail. The Walkway Over the Hudson, the world's longest pedestrian and bicycle bridge which spans the Hudson River, is connected within Ulster County trails. Ulster County has also played a role in some significant moments in U.S. history. The Senate House State Historic Site in

Kingston, New York Kingston is the only Administrative divisions of New York#City, city in, and the county seat of, Ulster County, New York, United States. It is north of New York City and south of Albany, New York, Albany. The city's metropolitan area is grou ...

, is where, in early 1777, American colonists met to ratify the

New York Constitution The Constitution of the State of New York establishes the structure of the government of the State of New York, and enumerates the basic rights of the citizens of New York. Like most state constitutions in the United States, New York's constituti ...

. The Ulster County Fair has been held in New Paltz for many years and is promoted as "The Best Six Days of Summer". County-run recreation areas include the Ulster County Pool in New Paltz and the Ulster Landing Park in Saugerties. Since 2016, Kingston Stockade FC, a

semi-professional Semi-professional sports are sports in which athletes are not participating on a full-time basis, but still receive some payment. Semi-professionals are not amateur because they receive regular payment from their team, but generally at a cons ...

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

team that plays in the

National Premier Soccer League The National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) is an American men's association football, soccer league. The league is officially affiliated to the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) and has automatic qualification for the U.S. Open Cup. ...

(NPSL), has been based in Kingston and plays its home matches at Dietz Stadium. Also since 2015, the Saugerties Stallions, a collegiate summer baseball league team that plays in the

Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League The Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League (PGCBL) is a 16-team collegiate summer baseball league founded in 2010. As of 2022, all teams are within the state of New York. All players in the league must have NCAA eligibility remaining in order ...

(PGCBL), have been based in Saugerties and play their home games at Cantine Field. The Stallions won the 2021 PGCBL Championship.

Transportation

Public transportation in Ulster County is provided by Trailways of New York to and from New York City and Albany, and along Routes 28 and 32, by Ulster County Area Transit on major state and U.S. road corridors in the county. As of 2025, there is no rail service in Ulster County. However, there are several stations nearby, including Rhinecliff station , Poughkeepsie station, Beacon station, and Port Jervis station.

Major roadways

The

New York State Thruway The New York State Thruway (officially the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway and colloquially "the Thruway") is a system of controlled-access toll roads spanning within the U.S. state of New York. It is operated by the New York State Thruway ...

( I-87) runs north–south through the county, carrying traffic between

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

and Albany and its surroundings. NY 55,

NY 52 New York State Route 52 (NY 52) is a state highway in the southeastern part of the state. It generally runs from west to east through five counties, beginning at the New York–Pennsylvania border, Pennsylvania state line in the Dela ...

, and NY 28 are all major east–west highways that run through the county, and

US 209 U.S. Route 209 (US 209) is a long U.S. Highway in the states of Pennsylvania and New York (state), New York. Although the route is a spur of U.S. Route 9, US 9, US 209 never intersects US 9, coming within five miles of ...

, US 9W, and

NY 32 New York State Route 32 (NY 32) is a north–south state highway that extends for through the Hudson Valley and Capital District, New York, Capital District regions of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It is a two-lane s ...

are major north–south highways. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Communities

City

(county seat)

Towns

* Denning * Esopus *

Gardiner Gardiner may refer to: Places Settlements ;Canada * Gardiner, Ontario ;United States * Gardiner, Maine * Gardiner, Montana * Gardiner (town), New York ** Gardiner (CDP), New York * Gardiner, Oregon * Gardiner, Washington * West Gardiner, ...

* Hardenburgh * Hurley *

* Lloyd * Marbletown *

Marlborough Marlborough or the Marlborough may refer to: Places Australia * Marlborough, Queensland * Principality of Marlborough, a short-lived micronation in 1993 * Marlborough Highway, Tasmania; Malborough was an historic name for the place at the sou ...

* New Paltz *

Olive The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'' ("European olive"), is a species of Subtropics, subtropical evergreen tree in the Family (biology), family Oleaceae. Originating in Anatolia, Asia Minor, it is abundant throughout the Mediterranean ...

* Plattekill * Rochester * Rosendale * Saugerties * Shandaken * Shawangunk *

* Wawarsing *

Woodstock The Woodstock Music and Art Fair, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival held from August 15 to 18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, southwest of the town of Woodstock, New York, Woodstock. Billed as "a ...

Villages

* Ellenville * New Paltz * Saugerties

Census-designated places

Accord Accord may refer to: Businesses and products * Honda Accord, a car manufactured by the Honda Motor Company * Accord (cigarette), a brand of Rothmans, Benson & Hedges * Accord (company), a former public services provider in south England * Accord ...

* Clintondale * Cragsmoor * East Kingston *

* Glasco * High Falls *

Highland Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally, ''upland'' refers to a range of hills, typically from up to , while ''highland'' is usually reserved for range ...

* Hillside * Hurley * Kerhonkson * Lake Katrine * Lincoln Park, New York, Lincoln Park * Malden, New York, Malden-on-Hudson * Marlboro, New York, Marlboro * Milton, Ulster County, New York, Milton * Napanoch, New York, Napanoch * Phoenicia, New York, Phoenicia * Pine Hill, New York, Pine Hill * Plattekill (CDP), New York, Plattekill * Port Ewen, New York, Port Ewen * Rifton, New York, Rifton * Rosendale (CDP), New York, Rosendale * Ruby, New York, Ruby * Saugerties South, New York, Saugerties South * Shokan, New York, Shokan * Stone Ridge, New York, Stone Ridge * Tillson, New York, Tillson * Walker Valley, New York, Walker Valley * Wallkill, Ulster County, New York, Wallkill * Watchtower, New York, Watchtower * West Hurley, New York, West Hurley * Woodstock (CDP), New York, Woodstock * Zena, New York, Zena

Hamlets

* Bearsville, New York, Bearsville * Big Indian, New York, Big Indian * Bloomington, New York, Bloomington * Boiceville, New York, Boiceville * Brown's Station, New York, Brown's Station * Centerville, Ulster County, New York, Centerville * Chichester, New York, Chichester * Cottekill, New York, Cottekill * Kaatsbaan, New York, Kaatsbaan * Krumville, New York, Krumville * Lew Beach, New York, Lew Beach * Modena, New York, Modena * Mount Pleasant, Ulster County, New York, Mt. Pleasant * Mount Tremper, New York, Mt. Tremper * Olivebridge, New York, Olivebridge * Oliverea, New York, Oliverea * Palentown, New York, Palentown * Samsonville, New York, Samsonville * Seager, New York, Seager * Shady, New York, Shady * Spring Glen, New York, Spring Glen * Sundown, New York, Sundown * Tabasco, New York, Tabasco * West Park, New York, West Park * West Saugerties, New York, West Saugerties * West Shokan, New York, West Shokan * Willow, New York, Willow

Education

School districts include:
Text list
/ref> * Ellenville Central School District * Fallsburg Central School District * Highland Central School District * Kingston City School District * Livingston Manor Central School District * Margaretville Central School District * Marlboro Central School District * New Paltz Central School District * Onteora Central School District * Pine Bush Central School District * Rondout Valley Central School District * Saugerties Central School District * Tri-Valley Central School District * Valley Central School District (Montgomery) * Wallkill Central School District The State University of New York at New Paltz is located in New Paltz.

Notes

References

;Bibliography * * * * * * *

External links

Ulster County web site

Ulster County Alive

Guide to the Ulster County Collection, 1666-1893
{{coord, 41.89, -74.26, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-NY_source:UScensus1990 Ulster County, New York, Catskills Hudson Valley Counties in the New York metropolitan area 1683 establishments in the Province of New York Populated places established in 1683

History

Founding and formation

Civil War

Twentieth century

Geography

Adjacent counties

National protected area

Demographics

2020 Census

Government and politics

County government

Recreation

Transportation

Major roadways

Communities

City

Towns

Villages

Census-designated places

Hamlets

Education

See also

Notes

References

External links