Tupper Lake (village), New York facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tupper Lake, New York
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Raquette Pond
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 Tupper Lake, New York
Location in New York
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| Country | United States |
| State | New York |
| County | Franklin County |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.14 sq mi (5.53 km2) |
| • Land | 2.09 sq mi (5.42 km2) |
| • Water | 0.04 sq mi (0.11 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,545 ft (471 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 3,282 |
| • Density | 1,569.58/sq mi (605.94/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
12986
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| Area code(s) | 518 |
| FIPS code | 36-75671 |
| GNIS feature ID | 977539 |
Tupper Lake is a small village in Franklin County, New York, United States. In 2020, about 3,282 people lived there. The village is inside the beautiful Adirondack Park. It is located west of Lake Placid. Tupper Lake, along with nearby Saranac Lake, are often called the Tri-Lakes region.
The village of Tupper Lake is part of the larger town of Tupper Lake. This town was called Altamont until 2004. Both the town and the village are in the southwestern part of Franklin County. The village gets its name from the large 11,000-acre Tupper Lake, which is about two miles south.
You can find The Wild Center here, a large natural history museum. It covers about 54,000 square feet and sits on a 31-acre campus. The Adirondack Sky Center & Observatory is also in the northern part of the town.
Contents
History of Tupper Lake
Early Settlement and Growth
People started settling in the area around 1844. The village grew a lot during a time when lumber production was very important. It grew even more after it got a railroad service. In its early days, the village had two main parts: Tupper Lake itself and Faust. For a while, Tupper Lake was known as the top lumber producer in New York State.
The Great Fire of 1899
In 1899, a huge fire swept through the village. It burned down more than 169 buildings. Two-thirds of these were homes. The modern village you see today grew from the ashes of this fire. Because of the fire, Tupper Lake was rebuilt with modern features sooner than many other villages. It even had its own department store and a synagogue. The busy railway yards, used for the lumber trade, made it a central spot for nearby Adirondack communities.
Railroad Connections
Railroad service first came to Tupper Lake in 1892. The Mohawk and Malone Railway connected Herkimer, NY, to Tupper Lake. This line continued to Malone, Montreal, and Lake Placid. After a long break from 1981 to 2021, the Adirondack Railroad started tourist passenger service again. In late spring 2023, regular passenger service began between Utica and Tupper Lake. Tupper Lake is now the northern end of this 108-mile route.
Geography of Tupper Lake
The village of Tupper Lake is located in the middle of the town of Tupper Lake. It sits on the east shore of Raquette Pond. This pond is the northern end of the larger Tupper Lake water body. The village has a total area of about 2.1 square miles (5.5 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small part being water.
Roads and Rivers
Two important roads, New York State Route 3 and New York State Route 30, meet in the village. Route 3 goes west about 94 miles to Watertown. Route 30 goes south about 120 miles to Amsterdam on the Mohawk River. East of Tupper Lake, these two roads run together for a bit. Then, Route 30 turns north towards Malone, which is 58 miles away. Route 3 continues east for 21 miles to Saranac Lake.
The Raquette River flows along the south side of the village. It then enters Tupper Lake and Raquette Pond. The river continues northwest out of the Adirondacks. It passes through Potsdam and eventually joins the St. Lawrence River near Massena.
Population of Tupper Lake
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1910 | 3,067 | — | |
| 1920 | 2,508 | −18.2% | |
| 1930 | 5,271 | 110.2% | |
| 1940 | 5,451 | 3.4% | |
| 1950 | 5,441 | −0.2% | |
| 1960 | 5,200 | −4.4% | |
| 1970 | 4,854 | −6.7% | |
| 1980 | 4,478 | −7.7% | |
| 1990 | 4,087 | −8.7% | |
| 2000 | 3,935 | −3.7% | |
| 2010 | 3,667 | −6.8% | |
| 2020 | 3,282 | −10.5% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2000, there were 3,935 people living in Tupper Lake. They lived in 1,684 households, with 988 of these being families. The population density was about 2,213 people per square mile.
About 31.2% of households had children under 18 living with them. About 40.1% were married couples. In the village, 26.5% of the people were under 18. About 17.1% were 65 years old or older. The average age was 36 years.
The average income for a household in the village was $31,654. For families, the average income was $40,152. About 11.7% of the population lived below the poverty line. This included 14.0% of those under 18.
School and Mascot
Tupper Lake High School is the local school. Their sports teams are called the Lumberjacks and Ladyjacks. The mascot is a bearded Lumberjack wearing a red and black flannel shirt and black pants with suspenders, holding an axe. The school colors are red and black.
Climate in Tupper Lake
Tupper Lake has a Humid continental climate. This means it has warm summers and cold, snowy winters. Most summer days are comfortable, but sometimes it can get hot and humid. The highest temperature ever recorded was 98°F (36.7°C).
Winters are very cold. The average lowest temperature in winter is about -27.4°F (-33°C). The coldest temperature ever recorded was -40°F (-40°C). Sometimes, strong winds make it feel even colder. Tupper Lake gets a lot of snow, usually between 100 and 125 inches (254 to 318 cm) each year.
| Climate data for Tupper Lake Sunmount, New York, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1899-2020: 1680ft (512m) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 63 (17) |
67 (19) |
83 (28) |
86 (30) |
92 (33) |
97 (36) |
98 (37) |
98 (37) |
95 (35) |
85 (29) |
78 (26) |
65 (18) |
98 (37) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 47 (8) |
49 (9) |
58 (14) |
72 (22) |
82 (28) |
87 (31) |
87 (31) |
86 (30) |
84 (29) |
74 (23) |
62 (17) |
49 (9) |
89 (32) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 25.3 (−3.7) |
28.6 (−1.9) |
36.5 (2.5) |
50.2 (10.1) |
64.6 (18.1) |
72.9 (22.7) |
77.4 (25.2) |
75.9 (24.4) |
69.1 (20.6) |
55.1 (12.8) |
42.1 (5.6) |
31.1 (−0.5) |
52.4 (11.3) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 14.7 (−9.6) |
16.8 (−8.4) |
25.3 (−3.7) |
39.3 (4.1) |
52.6 (11.4) |
61.3 (16.3) |
65.9 (18.8) |
64.4 (18.0) |
57.1 (13.9) |
45.1 (7.3) |
33.4 (0.8) |
22.2 (−5.4) |
41.5 (5.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 4.1 (−15.5) |
5.1 (−14.9) |
14.1 (−9.9) |
28.3 (−2.1) |
40.6 (4.8) |
49.7 (9.8) |
54.4 (12.4) |
52.9 (11.6) |
45.1 (7.3) |
35.2 (1.8) |
24.8 (−4.0) |
13.2 (−10.4) |
30.6 (−0.8) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −22 (−30) |
−18 (−28) |
−10 (−23) |
12 (−11) |
25 (−4) |
34 (1) |
41 (5) |
39 (4) |
30 (−1) |
20 (−7) |
6 (−14) |
−14 (−26) |
−26 (−32) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −38 (−39) |
−40 (−40) |
−33 (−36) |
−8 (−22) |
9 (−13) |
23 (−5) |
30 (−1) |
30 (−1) |
19 (−7) |
8 (−13) |
−16 (−27) |
−38 (−39) |
−40 (−40) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.25 (83) |
2.65 (67) |
3.11 (79) |
3.79 (96) |
3.77 (96) |
4.55 (116) |
4.32 (110) |
4.16 (106) |
3.86 (98) |
4.41 (112) |
3.66 (93) |
3.52 (89) |
45.05 (1,145) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 23.3 (59) |
24.0 (61) |
17.7 (45) |
4.1 (10) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
trace | 1.3 (3.3) |
7.4 (19) |
21.3 (54) |
99.2 (251.55) |
| Source 1: NOAA | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: XMACIS (snowfall, temp records & monthly max/mins) | |||||||||||||
Ecology and Nature
Tupper Lake is in an area with lots of Hardwood trees and Spruce trees. This type of nature is called Northern Hardwoods/Spruce. The area is in plant hardiness zone 4a. This means it can get very cold, with average low temperatures around -27.4°F (-33°C).
In spring, flowers usually bloom around May 11. In the fall, the leaves on the trees change color. This beautiful fall color usually looks its best around October 2.
Transportation in Tupper Lake
Railroad Travel
In the past, passenger trains ran through Tupper Lake to places like Lake Placid and Montreal. Since spring 2023, the Adirondack Railroad has started running passenger trains again. Tupper Lake is now the end of the line for trains coming from Utica, New York.
Main Roads
The village is served by two main roads:
- New York Route 3
- New York Route 30
Education in Tupper Lake
The schools in Tupper Lake are part of the Tupper Lake Central School District.
See also
In Spanish: Tupper Lake (villa) para niños
