Essex County, New York facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Essex County
County
Lake Placid, in Essex County
Flag Seal
Location within the U.S. state of New York
New York's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	New York
Founded	1799
Named for	Essex
Seat	Elizabethtown
Largest CDP	Ticonderoga
Area
• Total	1,916 sq mi (4,960 km2)
• Land	1,794 sq mi (4,650 km2)
• Water	122 sq mi (320 km2)  6.4%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	37,381
• Density	20.8/sq mi (8.0/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	21st

Essex County is a county in the state of New York, USA. In 2020, about 37,381 people lived here. The main town where the county government is located is Elizabethtown.

The county got its name from Essex, an old county in England. Essex County is special because it's one of only two counties that are completely inside the Adirondack Park. The other is Hamilton County. This area is part of the "North Country" region of New York state.

History of Essex County

When New York state first created counties in 1683, the land that is now Essex County was part of a huge area called Albany County. This county was so big it even included parts of what is now Vermont!

Over time, this very large Albany County was made smaller. In 1772, it was split into three parts. One of these new parts was called Charlotte County.

John Brown's Farm is a historic place in Essex County.

In 1784, Charlotte County was renamed Washington County. This was done to honor George Washington, who was a famous general in the American Revolutionary War and later became the first President of the United States.

Later, in 1788, a new county called Clinton County was created from Washington County. This new Clinton County was also quite large.

Finally, in 1799, Essex County was formed when it was separated from Clinton County.

Geography and Nature

Essex County, NY. This map is from 1858.

Essex County covers a total area of about 1,916 square miles. Most of this (1,794 square miles) is land, and about 122 square miles (6.4%) is water. This makes it the second-largest county in New York by land area. It's the third-largest by total area.

You can find Essex County in the northeastern part of New York state. It sits right next to Vermont, with Lake Champlain forming part of its eastern border. Lake Champlain is also the border between New York and Vermont.

The highest natural point in New York state is Mount Marcy. It stands tall at 5,344 feet (1,629 meters) and is located right here in Essex County, in the town of Keene. The Ausable River also forms part of the county's northern border.

Population Information

2020 Census Results

The 2020 census showed that 37,381 people lived in Essex County. Here's a look at the different groups of people living there:

Education in Essex County

Essex County has many schools for students of all ages.

K-12 Schools

Here are some of the school districts that serve students from kindergarten through 12th grade:

Private Schools

There are also several private schools in the county:

• Mountain Lake Academy
• North Country School
• Northwood School
• St. Agnes School
• St. Mary's School

Higher Education

For students who want to continue their education after high school, Essex County has:

• North Country Community College

Getting Around: Transportation

Harris Lake in Newcomb is a beautiful spot in Essex County.

Essex County offers several ways to travel, including airports, buses, and trains.

Airports

There are a few public airports in the county that small planes can use:

• Lake Placid Airport (LKP) in Lake Placid
• Marcy Field (1I1) in Keene
• Schroon Lake Airport (4B7) in Schroon Lake
• Ticonderoga Municipal Airport (4B6) in Ticonderoga

Bus Services

Essex County Public Transportation runs several bus routes. These buses are designed to be easy for everyone to use. You can often wave down a bus or ask to be dropped off almost anywhere along its route. For a small fee, you can even ask for a slight change in the route if you give notice ahead of time. Bus fares are usually very low.

Bus Routes

• The Champlain North route goes from Elizabethtown north to places like Wadhams, Whallonsburg, Essex, Willsboro, and Keeseville. In Keeseville, you can switch to buses that go into Clinton County.
• The Champlain South route travels from Elizabethtown south to Westport, Mineville, Witherbee, Port Henry, Crown Point, and Ticonderoga. This route partly follows New York State Route 9N. At Westport station, you can catch the Amtrak train called the Adirondack, which goes to New York City and Montreal.
• The Mountain Valley Shuttle goes from Elizabethtown west to Keene, Jay, Au Sable, Wilmington, and Lake Placid. You can connect to Clinton County buses in Au Sable.
• The Cascade Express route operates from Elizabethtown west to Keene, North Elba, Lake Placid, and Saranac Lake.
• The Lake Placid XPRSS route stays within the village of Lake Placid. This bus is free to ride and helps tourists get around.

Train Services

Amtrak's Adirondack train travels through Essex County once a day in each direction. It goes between New York City and Montreal. The train stops at stations in Ticonderoga, Port Henry, Westport, and Port Kent (which is a seasonal stop). Amtrak also offers bus connections from Lake Placid to the Westport train station.

Communities in Essex County

Essex County has many different towns, villages, and hamlets.

Larger Settlements

Here are some of the bigger communities in Essex County, based on their population:

† - County Seat (where the county government is)

‡ - Not completely in Essex County

Towns

Essex County is made up of these towns:

Hamlets

Some smaller communities, called hamlets, include:

• Bloomingdale
• North Pole
• Olmstedville
• Port Kent
• Ray Brook
• Wadhams

Villages

Essex County has one official village:

• Lake Placid

Notable People from Essex County

Many interesting people have connections to Essex County:

• John Brown (1800–1859) was an important person who worked to end slavery. He owned a farm in North Elba. His sons, John Jr., Watson, and Owen, also lived there when they were young.
• Sophie Clarke (born 1989) won the TV show Survivor: South Pacific. She is from Willsboro.
• Vincent Colyer (1825–1888) was a talented artist and a kind person who helped formerly enslaved people and Native Americans. He was born in Bloomingdale.
• Francis Donnelly (1903–1980) from Olmstedville served as a town official for 46 years. At the time of his death, he was the longest-serving elected town official in the United States.
• Carlton Foster (1826–1901) was a lumberman and politician in Wisconsin. He was also the mayor of Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
• Elizabeth Woolridge Grant (born 1985), known as the singer Lana Del Rey, grew up in Lake Placid.
• Inez Milholland (1886–1916) was a leader in the movement for women's right to vote. She is buried in Lewis Cemetery. Her family had a summer home in Westport, which is now the Meadowmount School of Music.
• Solomon Northup (1808 – about 1863) was born a free man in Minerva. In 1841, he was taken against his will and forced to work as a slave. After gaining his freedom in 1853, he wrote a book about his experiences. He became well-known and spoke out against slavery. His story inspired the 2013 movie 12 Years a Slave.
• Johnny Podres (1932–2008) was a famous baseball pitcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers. He was named the Most Valuable Player of the 1955 World Series. He was born in Witherbee.
• Tom Tyler was a silent film star from Mineville.
• Eli Winch (1848–1938) was born in Wilmington. He was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly and a manufacturer.

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Essex (Nueva York) para niños