Herkimer County, New York facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Herkimer County
County
Herkimer County Courthouse
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	1791
Named for	Nicholas Herkimer
Seat	Herkimer
Largest town	German Flatts
Area
• Total	1,458 sq mi (3,780 km2)
• Land	1,411 sq mi (3,650 km2)
• Water	46 sq mi (120 km2)  3.2%
Population  (2020)
• Total	60,139
• Density	42.6/sq mi (16.4/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	21st

Herkimer County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 60,139. Its county seat is Herkimer. The county was created in 1791 north of the Mohawk River out of part of Montgomery County. It is named after General Nicholas Herkimer, who died from battle wounds in 1777 after taking part in the Battle of Oriskany during the Revolutionary War. The county is part of the Mohawk Valley region of the state.

Herkimer County is part of the Utica–Rome Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

General Nicholas Herkimer, commander at the Battle of Oriskany in 1777 and namesake of Herkimer County

In 1791, Herkimer County was created as one of three counties split off from Montgomery (the other two being Otsego and Tioga counties) as New York State was developed after the American Revolutionary War. Its area was much larger than the present county, however, and was reduced subsequently as more counties were organized.

Part of Herkimer County was included in the Macomb's Purchase of 1791, during the wide-scale sale of public lands after the state forced Iroquois tribes allied with the British during the war to cede their territory. Suddenly the state was selling 5 million acres (20,000 km²) of land in upstate, central and western New York.

In 1794, Onondaga County was split off from Herkimer County. This county was larger than the current Onondaga County, and included the present Cayuga, Cortland, and part of Oswego counties.

In 1798, portions of Herkimer and Tioga counties were taken to form Chenango County.

Another part of Herkimer was split off to form Oneida County. It was then larger than the current Oneida County, including the present Jefferson, Lewis, and part of Oswego counties.

In 1802, parts of Herkimer, Clinton and Montgomery counties were combined to form the new St. Lawrence County.

The rural economy was first based on general agriculture and then wheat, but after the opening of the Erie Canal, Herkimer farmers found that they could not compete with grain farmers to the west. By the mid-19th century, they had begun to specialize in dairy farming and created a cheese industry that supplied the New York City market, among others.

During the American Civil War, Herkimer contributed five companies to the 34th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment, leading to the unit's nickname "The Herkimer Regiment".

The Herkimer County Jail, constructed in 1834, was used to hold the murderer Chester Gillette before his trial at the Herkimer County Courthouse. The jail is now disused, except for tours by the Herkimer County Historical Society.

The Herkimer County shootings took place in 2013, killing five people.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,458 square miles (3,780 km²), of which 1,411 square miles (3,650 km²) is land and 46 square miles (120 km²) (3.2%) is water.

Adjacent counties

• St. Lawrence County - north
• Hamilton County - northeast
• Fulton County - east
• Montgomery County - southeast
• Otsego County - south
• Oneida County - west
• Lewis County - northwest

Herkimer County is in central New York State, northwest of Albany, and east of Syracuse. The northern part of the county is in the Adirondack Park. The Mohawk River flows across the southern part of the county. Herkimer County is larger than the State of Rhode Island

Demographics

Herkimer County Treasurer's Office, 108 Court Street in Herkimer

2020 Census

Economy

Unusually clear, doubly terminated quartz crystals called Herkimer diamonds can be found, and are named, for Herkimer County.

Ilion was home to the original factory of the Remington Arms Company until it was closed in March of 2024.

Education

Herkimer County Community College is located in the Village of Herkimer.

School districts include:

Transportation

Airport

The following public use airport is located in the county:

• Frankfort-Highland Airport (6B4) – Frankfort

Rail

Passenger rail service by Amtrak is available at Utica, nearby to the west of the county. Up to the latter 1950s, New York Central Railroad trains such as the North Shore Limited (New York-Chicago) made stops at Little Falls. Until 1965, the New York Central operated passenger trains through Thendara in the upper part of the county.

Roads

Interstate 90, as part of the New York State Thruway, runs east–west through the lower part of the county, as does New York State Route 5. State Route 28 runs north–south through the county.

Communities

Larger settlements

Towns

Hamlets

• Beaver River
• Jordanville
• Newville

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Herkimer para niños