Hamilton County, New York facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hamilton County
|
|||
|---|---|---|---|
Hamilton County Courthouse in Lake Pleasant
|
|||
|
|||
Location within the U.S. state of New York
|
|||
 New York's location within the U.S. |
|||
| Country |  United States |
||
| State |  New York |
||
| Founded | 1816 | ||
| Named for | Alexander Hamilton | ||
| Seat | Lake Pleasant | ||
| Largest CDP | Long Lake | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 1,808 sq mi (4,680 km2) | ||
| • Land | 1,717 sq mi (4,450 km2) | ||
| • Water | 90 sq mi (200 km2) 5.0% | ||
| Population
(2020)
|
|||
| • Total | 5,107 | ||
| • Density | 3.0/sq mi (1.2/km2) | ||
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) | ||
| Congressional district | 21st | ||
Hamilton County is a special place in New York. It's a county known for its beautiful nature. In 2020, only 5,107 people lived here. This makes it the county with the fewest people in all of New York! It's also the least crowded county east of the Mississippi River.
Hamilton County is almost as big as the state of Delaware. Its main town, or county seat, is Lake Pleasant. The county was officially created in 1816. It is part of the "North Country" area of New York.
This county is almost entirely inside the Adirondack Park. This means that new buildings are limited to protect the wild nature. You won't find any permanent traffic lights here. Also, many parts of the county do not have cell phone service. It's a great place to disconnect and enjoy the outdoors!
Contents
What's in a Name?
Hamilton County is named after Alexander Hamilton. He was a very important person in American history. He helped write the United States Constitution in 1787. Later, he became the first Secretary of the Treasury for the United States.
A Look Back in Time
Hamilton County was formed on April 12, 1816. It was created from a large part of Montgomery County. At first, not many people lived here. So, Montgomery County managed it until 1838. Hamilton County became fully organized and ready for self-government by 1847.
Over the years, the county's borders changed a little. In 1860, a small piece of land from Fulton County was added. In 1915, some land was swapped with Essex County. This gave Hamilton County its current size of about 1,830 square miles.
The original county seat was a place called Sageville. Today, Sageville is part of Lake Pleasant.
Exploring the Geography
Hamilton County is New York's third-largest county by land area. It is located in the north-central part of the state. The county is completely within the Adirondack Park. Most of its land is protected parkland.
The area has many mountains, rivers, and lakes. It is especially famous for its beautiful lakes. Indian Lake and Long Lake are well-known for being long and narrow. Other important lakes include Piseco Lake, Raquette Lake, and Lake Pleasant. Some notable mountains are Snowy Mountain and Panther Mountain.
Neighboring Counties
- Franklin County - north
- Essex County - northeast
- Warren County - east
- Saratoga County - southeast
- Fulton County - south
- Herkimer County - west
- St. Lawrence County - northwest
Who Lives Here?
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1820 | 1,251 | — | |
| 1830 | 1,325 | 5.9% | |
| 1840 | 1,907 | 43.9% | |
| 1850 | 2,188 | 14.7% | |
| 1860 | 3,024 | 38.2% | |
| 1870 | 2,960 | −2.1% | |
| 1880 | 3,923 | 32.5% | |
| 1890 | 4,762 | 21.4% | |
| 1900 | 4,947 | 3.9% | |
| 1910 | 4,373 | −11.6% | |
| 1920 | 3,970 | −9.2% | |
| 1930 | 3,929 | −1.0% | |
| 1940 | 4,188 | 6.6% | |
| 1950 | 4,105 | −2.0% | |
| 1960 | 4,267 | 3.9% | |
| 1970 | 4,714 | 10.5% | |
| 1980 | 5,034 | 6.8% | |
| 1990 | 5,279 | 4.9% | |
| 2000 | 5,379 | 1.9% | |
| 2010 | 4,836 | −10.1% | |
| 2020 | 5,107 | 5.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2020 |
|||
As of 2020, Hamilton County had 5,107 residents. This makes it the least populated county in New York. The population density is about 3 people per square mile. This is also the lowest in New York State. Most people living here are White. A small percentage are Black, Native American, Asian, or from other backgrounds. About 2% of the population is Hispanic or Latino.
Getting Around
Airports
You can find a few small public airports in Hamilton County:
- Piseco Airport (K09) in Piseco
- Long Lake Helms Seaplane Base (NY9) in Long Lake
- Long Lake Sagamore Seaplane Base (K03) also in Long Lake
Roads
Several New York State Routes pass through Hamilton County:
NY-8
NY-10
NY-28
NY-28N
NY-30
Local Communities
Larger Settlements
| # | Location | Population | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Long Lake | 547 | CDP |
| 2 | Speculator | 324 | Village |
| - | Wells | N/A | CDP |
Towns
- Arietta
- Benson
- Hope
- Indian Lake
- Inlet
- Lake Pleasant
- Long Lake
- Morehouse
- Wells
Villages
Other Hamlets
- Arietta
- Benson
- Blue Mountain Lake
- Higgins Bay
- Hoffmeister
- Hope
- Hope Falls
- Indian Lake
- Inlet
- Lake Pleasant (county seat)
- Piseco
- Raquette Lake
- Upper Benson
Former Hamlet
- Sabattis (once called Long Lake West)
Education
Students in Hamilton County attend schools in several different districts:
- Dolgeville Central School District
- Indian Lake Central School District
- Inlet Common School District
- Lake Pleasant Central School District
- Long Lake Central School District
- Northville Central School District
- Piseco Common School District
- Poland Central School District
- Raquette Lake Union Free School District
- Wells Central School District
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Hamilton (Nueva York) para niños
