Page Contents for Poughkeepsie, New York

Statistics & Facts

Location

History & History-related items

City Attractions

Government

Chamber of Commerce.

Organizations, Churches, and Sports.

Libraries.

Schools.

Miscellany

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Statistics & Facts

The New York state capital is Albany.
The population of Poughkeepsie is approximately 28,844 (1990), 32736 (2010).
The approximate number of families is 13,112 (1990), 12400 (2010).
The amount of land area in Poughkeepsie is 13.327 sq. kilometers.
The amount of land area in Poughkeepsie is 5 sq. miles.
The amount of surface water is 1.432 sq kilometers.
The distance from Poughkeepsie to Washington DC is 256 miles.
The distance to the New York state capital is 67 miles. (as the crow flies)
Poughkeepsie is positioned 41.69 degrees north of the equator and 73.92 degrees west of the prime meridian.

Location

in the Hudson River Valley of southeast New York State. Here is a location and map page for the area.
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Weather

seasonal. Here is a weather page for Poughkeepsie.
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History & History Related Items

The City of Poughkeepsie is the seat of Dutchess County and has a history spanning about 330 years.

The City of Poughkeepsie sits along the Hudson River about 80 miles north of the City of New York. It was settled around 1670 as a trading outpost. It was inhabited by the Dutch and English, and the name "Poughkeepsie" developed over time from several other Indian spellings. There was a spring located a short distance from the courthouse location where the local Indians gathered and wove their lodges from the cat-tails. This place was called "uppuqui" (oo-poo-kee) which means "lodge covered" plus "ipis" which means "little water" and finishing with "ing" which means "place." The total meaning being the reed-covered lodge by the Little water place. Uppuqui-ipis-ing evolved to Apokeepsing, then to Poughkeepsing and finally to Poughkeepsie.

Though the original town was immediately at the shore of the Hudson, today's City is centered about .75 mile uphill from the river front, at the corner of Main and Market Streets, this is the where the Dutchess County Courthouse sits, as well as the Civic Center built in the 1970s.

By the Eighteenth Century, Poughkeepsie was anglocized and made up of primarily English inhabitants and became just another town in the colonies by the time of the American Revolution. It was during that time that the City served as national capital very briefly when New York was under attack in the late 1700s. This is an honor that many towns shared at various times.

Through the Industrial Revolution, Poughkeepsie became a center of manufacturing and textiles. Several industries became institutions that lasted well into the Twentieth Century, such as Smith Brothers Cough Drops, several button factories, and numerous clothing companies like Bond Clothes.

Throughout the 1900's, Poughkeepsie had hard times and good times, fluctuating with the economy. During the 1980's, several large companies closed their doors and many of the factories also closed down bringing the city most difficult times. With the 1990s came a diversification of the City and region's employment opportunities. The high-tech industry of today has meant money for the City of Poughkeepsie, with several internet firms locating in Downtown Poughkeepsie, along with several consolidations of employees into Downtown from other firms.

Poughkeepsie enters the Twenty-first Century with a growing job market in many different professions, most all of them tertiary (services) in origin. The future seems more promising for the City and region than it has in the last several decades.

A history page for Poughkeepsie.

A page for Dutchess County History from the area Chamber of Commerce.

Historic sites in the Hudson Valley area.
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The founding of Poughkeepsie

1687

The incorporation of Poughkeepsie

1799 as a village, 1854 as a city

Attractions

Main Street and Downtown architecture, Clinton House Museum, Bardavon Theatre, Historic Post Office, Poughkeepsie Journal Building, Civic Center, Dutchess County Courthouse, Mount Carmel Italian District

A photo page with pictures from the past and at present.

Recreation in the Hudson Valley.

Enjoy the Hudson Valley - things to see and do in this area.
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Poughkeepsie City Government

City of Poughkeepsie
City Hall
62 Civic Center Plaza
P.O. Box 300
Poughkeepsie, New York 12602
Phone: 845-451-4200
Administrator: 845-451-4072

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Fire Department information page

Police Department information page

Poughkeepsie Chamber

Poughkeepsie Area Chamber of Commerce
1 Civic Center Plaze, Ste 400
Poughkeepsie, New York 12601
Phone: 845-454-1700
Fax: 845-454-1702
Email

Poughkeepsie Organizations

Poughkeepsie Area Chamber of Commerce
1 Civic Center Plaze, Ste 400
Poughkeepsie, New York 12601
Phone: 845-454-1700
Fax: 845-454-1702
Email

Poughkeepsie Libraries

Here is a library page for Poughkeepsie

Poughkeepsie Schools

Arlington Central School District
696 Dutchess Turnpike
Poughkeepsie, NY 12603
Phone: 845-486-4460
The district covers an area of approximately 114 square miles from east of the Hudson River and the City of Poughkeepsie.

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Poughkeepsie City School District Poughkeepsie City School District
11 College Avenue
Poughkeepsie, NY 12603
Telephone: (845) 451-4900
Fax: (845) 451-4955

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HIGHER EDUCATION

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Vassar College
124 Raymond Avenue
Poughkeepsie, N.Y. 12604
Phone: 845.437.7000

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Marist College
3399 North Road
Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
Phone: (845) 575-3000

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Duchess Community College Duchess Community College
53 Pendell Road
Poughkeepsie, New York 12601
Phone: 845-431-8000 Poughkeepsie

Miscellany

The population of Poughkeepsie was:
1960 - 40,000
1990 - 28,844