Dutchess County
County
Main Mall Row, Poughkeepsie
Flag Seal
Location within the U.S. state of New York
New York's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 41°46′N 73°45′W / 41.76°N 73.75°W / 41.76; -73.75
Country	United States
State	New York
Founded	November 1, 1683; 340 years ago (1683-11-01)[A][B]
Named for	Mary of Modena, Duchess of York
Seat	Poughkeepsie
Largest city	Poughkeepsie
Government
• Executive	Sue Serino (R)
Area
• Total	825 sq mi (2,140 km2)
• Land	796 sq mi (2,060 km2)
• Water	30 sq mi (80 km2)
Population  (2020)
• Total	295,911[1]
• Estimate  (2021)	297,112
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Area code	845, 518, 838
Congressional districts	17th, 18th
Website	www.co.dutchess.ny.us

Dutchess County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 295,911.^[4] The county seat is the city of Poughkeepsie.^[5] The county was created in 1683, one of New York's first twelve counties,^[A] and later organized in 1713.^[B][6] The county is part of the Hudson Valley region of the state.

Dutchess County is part of the Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area,^[7] which belongs to the larger New York–Newark–Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined Statistical Area.

History

Before Anglo-Dutch settlement, what is today Dutchess County was a leading center for the indigenous Wappinger peoples. They had their council-fire at what is now Fishkill Hook,^[8] and had settlements throughout the area.

On November 1, 1683, the Province of New York established its first twelve counties, including Dutchess.^[A] 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, Duchess of York; dutchess is an archaic spelling of the word duchess.^[9][10]

The Province of New York and the Connecticut Colony negotiated an agreement on November 28, 1683, establishing their border as 20 miles (32 km) east of the Hudson River, north to Massachusetts. The 61,660 acres (249.5 km²) east of the Byram River making up the Connecticut Panhandle were granted to Connecticut, in recognition of the wishes of the residents. In exchange, Rye was granted to New York, along with a 1.81-mile (2.91 km) 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 eastern half of the stub of land in northeast Dutchess County containing Rudd Pond and Taconic State Park is the northernmost extension of The Oblong.^[11]

Until 1713, Dutchess was administered by Ulster County. 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.^[12]

The Patents

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Fourteen royal land patents 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 Hudson River shoreline in the original county, with three - Rombouts, the Great Nine Partners, and Philipse Patents - 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.

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 and in the areas that are now Poughkeepsie and Rhinebeck.^[13]

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.^[14] Coles Mills was settled by Elisha Cole from Cape Cod in 1747 at the outlet of Barrett Pond into the West Branch of the Croton River. ^[15]

20th century

Franklin D. Roosevelt lived in his family home in Hyde Park, overlooking the Hudson River. His family's home is now the Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site, managed by the National Park Service.

Prior to the 1960s, Dutchess County was primarily agricultural. Since then the southwestern part (from Poughkeepsie southward and from the Taconic State Parkway westward) of the county has developed into a largely residential area, suburban 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.^[16]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 825 square miles (2,140 km²), of which 796 square miles (2,060 km²) is land and 30 square miles (78 km²) (3.6%) is water.^[17]

Dutchess County is located in southeastern New York State, between the Hudson River on its west and the New York–Connecticut border on its east, about halfway between the cities of Albany and New York City. It contains two cities: Beacon and Poughkeepsie. Depending on precise location within the county, road travel distance to New York City ranges between 58 and 110 miles (93 and 177 km).

The terrain of the county is mostly hilly, especially in the Hudson Highlands in the southwestern corner and the Taconic Mountains to the northeast. Some areas nearer the river are flatter.

The highest point in the county is the summit of Brace Mountain, 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 1,290-foot (390 m) point along the state line in Pawling.

Wappinger Creek, at 41.7 mi (67.1 km) from its source at Thompson Pond in Pine Plains to where it drains into the Hudson at New Hamburg, is the longest stream in the county. Its 211-square-mile (550 km²) watershed is likewise the largest in the county. To its south is the 193-square-mile (500 km²) watershed of Dutchess County's second-longest stream, 33.5 mi (53.9 km) Fishkill Creek, part of which spills over into Putnam County. Within that watershed are the county's third-longest stream, Sprout Creek, and its largest, deepest and highest lakes: Whaley (252 acres (102 ha)), in the town of Pawling; Sylvan (143 ft (44 m)) in the town of Beekman and Beacon Reservoir, in the town of Fishkill, at 1,285 ft (392 m) 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 and thus part of the New York City water supply system. On the east, in the Oblong, streams drain into the Housatonic River in adjacent Connecticut.

A border nearly one-half mile (800 m) long exists with Berkshire County, Massachusetts, in the extreme northern end of the county.

Adjacent counties

• Columbia County – north
• Berkshire County, Massachusetts – northeast
• Litchfield County, Connecticut – east
• Fairfield County, Connecticut – southeast
• Putnam County – south
• Orange County – southwest
• Ulster County – west

National protected areas

• Appalachian Trail, 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
• Great Thicket National Wildlife Refuge, one of six discontiguous parcels in Dover
• Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site
• Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site

State, county, and town parks

Privately protected open space

• Mary Flagler Cary Arboretum
• Ferncliff Forest
• Innisfree Garden
• Pawling Nature Preserve
• Poets' Walk Park
• Thompson Pond and neighboring Stissing Mountain

Demographics

2020 census

2000 census

As of the census^[23] of 2000, there were 280,150 people, 99,536 households, and 69,177 families residing in the county. The population density was 350 inhabitants per square mile (140/km²). There were 106,103 housing units at an average density of 132 units 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. 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.^[24]

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.^[25]

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 for the county was $23,940. About 5.0% of families and 7.5% of the population were below the poverty line, 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%).^[26]

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.^[27] The Charter form of Government went in to effect in 1968 given the favorable outcome of a 1967 special election dedicated to the question.^[28] From 1713 until 1967, the County Government had been managed by a Board of Supervisors, made up of the locally elected leaders.^[29]