Chester, Orange County, New York facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chester, New York
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Town hall
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Location in Orange County and the state of New York.
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 Chester, New York
Location in New York
Chester, New York
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | New York |
| County | Orange |
| Settled | 1721 |
| Established | 1845 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Town council |
| Area | |
| • Total | 25.20 sq mi (65.27 km2) |
| • Land | 25.05 sq mi (64.88 km2) |
| • Water | 0.15 sq mi (0.39 km2) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 12,646 |
| • Density | 476.83/sq mi (184.11/km2) |
| FIPS code | 36-071-15308 |
| Website | www.chester-ny.gov |
Chester is a town located in Orange County, New York, United States. In 2020, about 12,646 people lived there. Chester also has a smaller area inside it called a village, which is also named Chester.
Did you know that Chester is famous for being the place where Philadelphia-style cream cheese was first made?
Contents
History of Chester
People from Europe first started settling in the Chester area in the 1700s.
The town's early economy was mostly about dairy products, especially milk. This became very important after the Erie Railroad was finished in 1841. The railroad ran right through Chester. A local farmer named Phil Gregory started shipping a lot of milk to New York City. His business grew so much that he was sending 300,000 quarts of milk every day! This helped the Erie Railroad earn a lot of money.
Geography of Chester
Chester covers a total area of about 25.2 square miles (65.4 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 25.05 square miles (64.88 square kilometers), is land. Only a small part, about 0.15 square miles (0.39 square kilometers), is water.
Major roads like NY-17 and US-6 pass through the northern part of Chester. Another important road, NY-94, crosses NY-17 just south of Chester village.
Chester's Population
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 1,641 | — | |
| 1860 | 1,849 | 12.7% | |
| 1870 | 2,113 | 14.3% | |
| 1880 | 2,229 | 5.5% | |
| 1890 | 2,112 | −5.2% | |
| 1900 | 2,186 | 3.5% | |
| 1910 | 2,061 | −5.7% | |
| 1920 | 1,803 | −12.5% | |
| 1930 | 2,164 | 20.0% | |
| 1940 | 2,776 | 28.3% | |
| 1950 | 2,878 | 3.7% | |
| 1960 | 3,494 | 21.4% | |
| 1970 | 4,767 | 36.4% | |
| 1980 | 6,850 | 43.7% | |
| 1990 | 9,138 | 33.4% | |
| 2000 | 12,140 | 32.9% | |
| 2010 | 11,981 | −1.3% | |
| 2020 | 12,646 | 5.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 2020 | |||
In 2017, there were 12,140 people living in Chester. The town had 3,848 households, with many of them being families.
About 27.4% of the people in Chester were under 18 years old. Around 33.8% were between 25 and 44 years old. The average age in Chester was 37 years.
Most of the people in Chester were White (76.7%). There were also people who identified as Black (9.8%), Asian (4.3%), Native American (0.5%), or from two or more races (3.2%). About 10.14% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
Places in Chester
Here are some of the communities and interesting spots you can find in the Town of Chester:
- Camp Monroe – This is a Jewish sleep-away summer camp that started in 1941. It's located near the border with the town of Monroe.
- Chester Village – This is the main village within the town, located on NY-94.
- East Chester – A small community, or hamlet, found southeast of Chester village.
- Greycourt – This was once a very important spot for railroads, with a big intersection and station on the Erie Main Line.
- Glenmere Lake – A reservoir, which is a large artificial lake used for water storage, located at the western edge of the town.
- Goose Pond Mountain State Park – A beautiful state park located southeast of Chester village, great for outdoor activities.
- Lake Hill Farms – A neighborhood with about 175 homes, first built in 1973. It's in the southwestern part of the town.
- Sugar Loaf – This is the oldest community in Chester, even older than the town itself, dating back to 1738. It's also known for being the home of a famous harness-racing horse named Hambletonian 10.
- Surrey Meadows – A neighborhood developed in the late 1960s, located north of Chester village. The elementary school is in this area.
- Walton Park – A community that sits right on the border between the towns of Chester and Monroe.
Education in Chester
Students in the Town of Chester attend schools in several different school districts. These include the Chester Union Free School District, Monroe-Woodbury Central School District, Wallkill Central School District, and Florida Union Free School District.
