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| Poughkeepsie, New York | |
  Poughkeepsie, New York
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | New York |
| County | Dutchess |
| Area | |
| - Total | 31.2 sq mi (80.8 km²) |
| - Land | 28.8 sq mi (74.5 km²) |
| - Water | 2.4 sq mi (6.3 km²) |
| Elevation | 230 ft (70 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Total | 42,777 |
| - Density | 1,487.5/sq mi (574.3/km²) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP codes | 12601-12604 |
| Area code(s) | 845 |
| FIPS code | 36-59652 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0979393 |
Poughkeepsie is a town in Dutchess County, New York, United States. The population was 42,777 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from the native term, "Uppu-qui-ipis-in," which means "reed-covered hut by the water."
The area includes a large IBM campus noted for its ongoing development and manufacturing of IBM mainframes.
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History
The town was first settled around 1780 and was part of the Schuyler Patent of 1788. The Town of Poughkeepsie was established in 1788 as part of a general organization of towns in the county. In 1854, part of the western section of the town, already an independent village, became the City of Poughkeepsie. At least two National Historic Landmarks are located in the town: the Vassar College Observatory and Main Building (Vassar College).
Education
Vassar College, Dutchess Community College and Marist College are located in the Town of Poughkeepsie.
Our Lady of Lourdes High School is a private, co-educational, Catholic high school located at a former IBM site on Boardman Road.
Poughkeepsie Day School is an independent, co-educational, day school for students from pre-kindergarten (3 years) through grade 12, located at another former IBM site on Boardman Road.
Oakwood Friends School [1] is a private, co-educational middle school and high school located near the western end of State Route 113 (Spackenkill Road).
Spackenkill High School is a co-educational public high school located on Spackenkill Road, part of the Spackenkill Union Free School District. Their school mascot is the Spackenkill Spartan. Due to its proximity to IBM, the majority of the students are direct descendants of "IBMers".
There are several school districts in the immediate area, such as Poughkeepsie City; The Town itself has Arlington, Spackenkill, and parts of Wappingers and Hyde Park's districts. The first Arlington High School was in Poughkeepsie before being moved to the more rural Lagrangeville, New York.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 31.2 square miles (80.8 km²), of which, 28.8 square miles (74.5 km²) of it is land and 2.4 square miles (6.3 km²) of it (7.79%) is water.
The town borders the Hudson River, which marks the boundary of Ulster County. The Town of Poughkeepsie borders the City of Poughkeepsie and is on the western side of Dutchess County. US Route 9, US Route 44 and NY State Route 55 pass through the town. Substantial traffic on these and other highways makes the local court a bit busier.
Demographics
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 42,777 people, 14,605 households, and 10,121 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,487.5 people per square mile (574.3/km²). There were 15,132 housing units at an average density of 526.2/sq mi (203.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 83.01% White, 8.07% Black or African American, 0.14% Native American, 5.13% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.62% from other races, and 2.00% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.27% of the population. These groups enrich the area's biocultural diversity, as is manifested in the neighborhoods and local ethnic markets[2].
There were 14,605 households out of which 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.8% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.7% were non-families. 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.10.
In the town the population was spread out with 22.6% under the age of 18, 16.9% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 91.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $55,327, and the median income for a family was $65,258. Males had a median income of $46,701 versus $31,005 for females. The per capita income for the town was $23,589. About 3.3% of families and 5.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.6% of those under age 18 and 5.0% of those age 65 or over.
Communities and locations in or near the Town of Poughkeepsie
- Arlington -- A suburb of the City of Poughkeepsie that is located in the town in an area east of the city line. The Arlington Central School District takes it name from the area.
- Barnegat -- A location in the southwest part of the town.
- Colonial Heights -- A hamlet west of Rochdale.
- Clark Heights -- A location at the northeast town line.
- Crown Heights -- A hamlet on the westside of the Town of Poughkeepsie.
- Fairview -- A community in the northern part of the town that borders the northern city line of City of Poughkeepsie.
- Macdonnell Heights -- A hamlet southwest of Rochdale.
- New Hamburg -- A small hamlet along the Hudson River that is home of a popular marina and a busy Metro-North train station. Adjacent to Wappingers Falls, the hamlet is the southwestern most point in the town.
- Poughkeepsie -- The Town of Poughkeepsie wraps around the City of Poughkeepsie in a crescent shape.
- Red Oaks Mill - A suburb of the Town of Poughkeepsie, located southeast of the city. The area borders Spackenkill on the east and centers on the intersection of Vassar Road (Dutchess County 77), Spackenkill Road (New York State Route 113) and New Hackensack Road (New York State Route 376). A small, residential side street also feeds into the intersection.
- Rochdale -- A hamlet by the east town line, sandwiched between Arlington and Pleasant Valley.
- Rudco -- Once a small parcel of farmland before World War II, it was purchased in 1942 by IBM to expand upon.
- Spackenkill -- Located in the town and occupying the area south of the city line. The Spackenkill Union Free School District takes its name from the area. An IBM plant is also located in this community, and many of its employees live in Spackenkill.
- Wappingers Falls -- A small part of the Village of Wappingers Falls is in the southern part of the town.
- Van Keurens -- This land is mostly taken over by the Clinton Point Quarry owned by Tilcon, Inc.
References
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ Flad, Harvey. 2005. A digital tour of Poughkeepsie. Poughkeepsie, NY : Vassar College.
External links
- Official Town website
- Poughkeepsie Public Library District
- Town information
- Poughkeepsie-New Yorker article about the acquiring of Rudco by IBM
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