Orange County, New York facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Orange County
County
Island Pond in Harriman State Park, near the Village of Harriman.
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	November 1, 1683; 341 years ago (1683-11-01)
Named for	William III of Orange
Seat	Goshen
Largest town	Palm Tree
Area
• Total	840 sq mi (2,200 km2)
• Land	812 sq mi (2,100 km2)
• Water	27 sq mi (70 km2)  3.2%
Population  (2020)
• Total	401,310
• Estimate  (2023)	407,470
• Density	477.8/sq mi (184.5/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Area code	845
Congressional district	18th

Orange County is a county in New York. It is located in the southeastern part of the state. In 2020, about 401,310 people lived here. The main town, or county seat, is Goshen.

Orange County was first created in 1683. Its current borders were set in 1798. The county is part of the beautiful Hudson Valley region. It is also part of the larger New York metropolitan area. In 2010, the center of New York State's population was in Orange County. This spot was about 3 miles west of Westbrookville.

History of Orange County

Orange County was officially started on November 1, 1683. At that time, the Province of New York was divided into twelve counties. Each county was named to honor a member of the British royal family. Orange County was named after the Prince of Orange, who later became King William III of England.

When it was first created, Orange County only included the southern part of its current area. This also included all of what is now Rockland County. The northern part of today's Orange County, beyond Moodna Creek, was then part of Ulster County.

At that time, only a few Dutch settlers lived in what is now Rockland County. The area of modern Orange County was home to the native Munsee people. Because it had so few people, the first Orange County was not fully independent. It was managed by New York County.

The first European settlers arrived in the area of the present-day county in 1685. They were about 25 families from Scotland. They settled in the Hudson Highlands where Moodna Creek meets the Hudson River. This place is now called New Windsor.

In 1709, a group of German Palatine refugees settled in Newburgh. They were Protestants who had suffered during wars in Germany. Queen Anne's government helped nearly 3,000 of them travel from England. Many settled along the Hudson River. A group of Dutch and English settlers came to Goshen in 1712. More immigrants came from Ireland.

In 1798, after the American Revolutionary War, Orange County's borders changed. Its southern part was used to create the new Rockland County. In return, an area north of Moodna Creek was added from Ulster County. This change meant the county government had to reorganize. The original county seat was in Orangetown, which was now in Rockland County. So, Goshen and Newburgh shared the government duties. Goshen had been the center for the northern part of Orange County. Newburgh was important for the area from Ulster County. The county court was set up in 1801. It wasn't until 1970 that Goshen became the only county seat.

The borders of many southern towns were not fully decided until the 1800s. This was due to a disagreement between New York and New Jersey.

Geography and Nature

Downtown Newburgh, on the shoreline of the Hudson River.

Orange County covers about 839 square miles. Most of this is land (812 square miles), and 27 square miles (3.2%) is water.

The county is in southeastern New York State. It is just north of the New Jersey border. To its west is the Hudson River, and to its east is the Delaware River. It is northwest of New York City. Orange County shares borders with several New York counties: Dutchess, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester. It also borders Passaic and Sussex counties in New Jersey. Plus, it borders Pike County in Pennsylvania.

Orange County is special because it is the only county in New York State that touches both the Hudson and Delaware Rivers.

The Great Appalachian Valley ends in Orange County. The western part of the county has the Shawangunk Ridge. The area near the Rockland County border, within Harriman and Bear Mountain state parks, is part of the Hudson Highlands. The land in between is the valley of the Wallkill River. In the southern part of the county, the Wallkill valley opens into a wide area called the Black Dirt Region. This area is known for its very fertile soil.

The highest point in the county is Schunemunk Mountain, which is 1,664 feet above sea level. The lowest point is sea level along the Hudson River.

Protected Natural Areas

• Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River (part)
• Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Neighboring Counties

• Ulster County – north
• Dutchess County – northeast
• Putnam County - east
• Rockland County – southeast
• Passaic County, New Jersey - southeast
• Sussex County, New Jersey - south
• Pike County, Pennsylvania – southwest
• Sullivan County – northwest

Population and People

In 2010, there were 372,813 people living in Orange County. The population density was about 444 people per square mile. About 77.2% of the people were White, 10.2% Black or African American, and 2.4% Asian. About 18% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

In 2018, the county had about 381,951 residents. About 63.5% were non-Hispanic white. About 12.95% were Black or African American. About 21.0% were Hispanic or Latino. In 2018, about 24.4% of residents spoke a language other than English at home.

The average household income from 2014-2018 was $76,716. About 11.5% of the county's people were below the poverty line in 2018.

Orange County has been one of the fastest-growing areas near New York City.

2020 Census Data

Getting Around Orange County

Short Line Bus provides most local and commuter bus service.

Orange County has its own airport, Stewart International Airport. It is located near Newburgh, New York. Airlines like American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Allegiant Air, and JetBlue Airways use this airport.

For ground travel, Transit Orange provides bus services. Other companies like Leprechaun Lines, Monsey Trails, NJ Transit, and Short Line Bus also offer transportation. The Metro-North Railroad's Port Jervis Line also serves the county.

Main Roads

Major highways in Orange County include Interstate 84, Interstate 87, and State Route 17. State Route 17 will become Interstate 86 in the future. The Palisades Interstate Parkway is also a key road. Other important roads are U.S. Route 6, U.S. Route 9W, and U.S. Route 209.

There are two bridges over the Hudson River in Orange County. These are the Bear Mountain Bridge and the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge.

Sports and Recreation

Delano-Hitch Stadium in Newburgh has hosted many baseball teams since 1926.

High School Sports

High schools in Orange County compete in Section 9 of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association. This includes schools from Dutchess, Ulster, and Sullivan counties.

College Sports

The Army Black Knights from the United States Military Academy in West Point have 24 different sports teams. These teams compete in NCAA Division I. Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh has 15 teams in NCAA Division III. The Orange County Community College Colts in Middletown compete in the National Junior College Athletic Association.

Motorsports

The Orange County Fair Speedway hosts weekly car races. It also features the Super DIRTcar Series, monster trucks, and demolition derbies. There is also a dirt bike track.

Communities in Orange County

Expansion in Kiryas Joel, driven by the rapidly growing Orthodox Jewish population.

Orange County has several types of communities:

Cities

• Middletown
• Newburgh
• Port Jervis

Towns

Villages

Census-Designated Places

Hamlets

Education in Orange County

School Districts

Orange County has many school districts, including:

• Chester Union Free School District
• Cornwall Central School District
• Eldred Central School District
• Florida Union Free School District
• Goshen Central School District
• Greenwood Lake Union Free School District
• Haverstraw-Stony Point Central School District (North Rockland)
• Highland Falls Central School District
• Kiryas Joel Village Union Free School District (Palm Tree)
• Marlboro Central School District
• Enlarged City School District of Middletown
• Minisink Valley Central School District
• Monroe-Woodbury Central School District
• Newburgh Enlarged City School District
• Pine Bush Central School District
• Port Jervis City School District
• Suffern Central School District
• Tuxedo Union Free School District
• Valley Central School District (Montgomery)
• Wallkill Central School District
• Warwick Valley Central School District
• Washingtonville Central School District

Private High Schools

• John S. Burke Catholic High School (Goshen)
• Storm King School (Cornwall)
• United States Military Academy Preparatory School (West Point)

Colleges and Universities

• Fei Tian College (Middletown and Dragon Springs)
• Mount Saint Mary College (Newburgh)
• SUNY Orange/Orange County Community College (Middletown)
• Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine (Middletown)
• United States Military Academy (West Point)

Fun Places to Visit

Orange County has many interesting places to see:

• The United States Military Academy at West Point.
• Brotherhood Winery in Washingtonville, which is America's oldest continuously running winery.
• The birthplace of William H. Seward in Florida. Seward was a U.S. Secretary of State.
• Museum Village in Monroe, which looks like an 18th-century colonial town.
• The Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame in Goshen.
• The Bull Stone House, built in 1722, is a historic home still used by the Bull family.
• The Paramount Theatre (Middletown, New York) in Middletown, an Art Deco style theater built in 1930.
• Thrall Library/Middletown station (Erie Railroad), a train station built in 1896 and later turned into a public library.

There are also three state parks: Goosepond Mountain State Park, Harriman State Park, and Sterling Forest State Park. The Sugarloaf arts community has the Lyceum Center theatre.

For shopping, you can visit the Galleria at Crystal Run in Wallkill or Woodbury Common Premium Outlets in Monroe. The Orange County Fair in Wallkill is a big summer event that started in 1808. Newburgh was once home to Orange County Choppers, a custom motorcycle shop featured on the TV show American Chopper.

Notable People from Orange County

Many famous people have lived in or are from Orange County:

• Juan (Jan) Rodriguez, an early interpreter and sailor in the New York area.
• George Washington, who lived in Newburgh from 1782 to 1783 during the end of the American Revolutionary War.
• William H. Seward, a U.S. Secretary of State and former New York Governor, was born and raised in Florida, NY.
• Stephen Crane, who wrote part of The Red Badge of Courage in Port Jervis.
• Emily Post, a famous author, lived in Tuxedo Park.
• Geraldine Ferraro, a U.S. Congresswoman and 1984 U.S. vice-presidential candidate, was born in Newburgh.
• Jimmy Sturr, an 18-time Grammy-winning polka band leader from Florida, NY.
• Martin Dempsey, a U.S. Army General and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
• General David Petraeus, a retired four-star general and former Director of the C.I.A.
• Frank Shorter, an Olympic gold medalist in marathon running, was raised in Middletown.
• Armand Assante, an Emmy Award-winning actor, grew up in Cornwall.
• Andy Grammer, a pop musician, was raised in Chester.
• Mel Gibson, the actor, attended elementary school in Washingtonville.
• Denzel Washington, the Academy Award-winning actor, attended Oakland Military Academy in New Windsor.
• Whoopi Goldberg and Robert De Niro, both Academy Award-winning actors, have owned homes in Tuxedo Park.
• Cyndi Lauper, the 1980s pop singer, spent summers in Tuxedo Park.
• Paul Teutul Sr. and Paul Teutul Jr., reality TV stars from American Chopper.
• Derek Jeter, the famous New York Yankees baseball player, owned a castle in Warwick.
• Stefanie Dolson, a WNBA player and Olympic gold medalist.

Orange County in Movies and TV

Orange County, New York, has been a filming location for many movies and TV shows. Since 2018, 27 films and 16 TV shows have used the area. For example, the movie Lake George (2025) used the county's scenic views. The Whale (2022) had important scenes filmed in Newburgh. The Pale Blue Eye (2022), a Netflix movie with Christian Bale, filmed in New Windsor.

The Hallmark movie One December Night (2021) featured the towns of Goshen and Newburgh. Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman (2019) filmed scenes in Tuxedo and Washingtonville. For television, HBO’s The White House Plumbers (2023) filmed at the Karpeles Manuscript Library in Newburgh.

Images for kids

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  Goshen (Historic Trotter Track)

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  Woodbury Common Premium Outlets

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  Bull Stone House sits on 100 acres in Hamptonburgh, New York. Built in 1722.

See also

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