North Country (New York)

TheNorth Countryis the northernmost region of theU.S. stateofNew York,bordered byLake Champlainto the east, theAdirondack Mountainsand the UpperCapital Districtto the south, theMohawk Valley regionto the southwest, theCanadian borderto the north, andLake Ontarioand theSaint Lawrence Seawayto the west.A mostly rural area, the North Country includes seven counties.Fort Drum,aU.S. Armybase, is also located in the North Country, as is theAdirondack Park.As of 2024, the population of the region was 420,311.

TheThousand Islandsconstitute anarchipelagowithin theSaint Lawrence River.Boldt Castle,onHeart Island,is seen at center.

The term "North Country" was first widely popularized within New York by the 1900 novelEben HoldenbyIrving Bacheller.

Counties

Map showing the northern and westernmost parts of the North Country

According to theEmpire State Development Corporation,the North Country encompasses the following seven counties:

• Clinton County
• Essex County
• Franklin County
• Hamilton County
• Jefferson County
• Lewis County
• St. Lawrence County

However, according to theAdirondack North Country Association,the North Country consists of 14 counties; those listed above and the following:

• Fulton County
• Herkimer County
• Oneida County
• Oswego County
• Saratoga County
• Warren County
• Washington County

These are all counties in which part ofAdirondack State Parkresides.

Herb Hallas summarizes both views:

The state-sanctioned North Country extends from the eastern shore of Lake Ontario to the western edge of Lake Champlain, and from the Canadian border on the north to the southern boundary of Hamilton County. As such, it is much larger and more stable than either of the traditionalist North Countries. The state-sanctioned North Country consists of Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, St. Lawrence, Jefferson and Lewis Counties. The New York State Department of Labor, the New York State Regional Development Council, and the Empire State Development Agency serve people who live in the state-sanctioned North Country. The contemporary North Country takes in the largest area of all the North Countries. It extends from the Canadian border on the north to the Erie Canal on the south, and from the shores of Lake Ontario in the west to the edge of Lake Champlain in the east. The contemporary North Country includes all of the Adirondack Park, 14 counties, 14 cities, 255 towns and almost 40 percent of the state’s geographic area. The Adirondack North Country Association, an economic development organization that also promotes tourism, serves people living in the contemporary North Country, as doesNorth Country Public Radio.

See also

• Adirondack Park
• Ausable Chasm
• Fort Drum
• Thousand Islands
• Upstate New York
• Lake George

External links

• North Countrytravel guide from Wikivoyage
• Development Authority of the North Country website,aNew York state public benefit corporation
• Hudson River-Black River Regulating District website,aNew York state public benefit corporation