How Many Counties Are Technically Included In The Hudson Valley?

There can be a lot of debate about living within New York state. Based on different experiences, some residents may claim that they reside in specific parts of the state while others may refer to it as something else.

There was also a time that New York state towns and cities went by different names as they do names. New Paltz, NY was once referred to as Old Paltz while Rhinebeck, NY was named Kipsbergen in the past.

A question that continues to seem unanswered by New York state residents comes back to the exact spot of where upstate New York actually begins. Based on personal experiences, almost everyone has a different opinion and answer to that question.

Where Does Upstate New York Start?

A poll was taken on WRRV's social media accounts, asking users "Where does upstate New York start"?

There were over 79 comments with different responses from almost every user. While I believe that upstate New York starts above Albany, NY other residents claimed,

"north of Poughkeepsie where the Metro-North Railroad‘s Hudson line ends"

 

"When your driving and you start to see the mountains, trees,farms that's upstate"

 

"I think we are mid Hudson valley…but upstate…is above Catskill"

As we can all agree to possibly continue to disagree about this topic, we can find evidence from maps explaining how many counties are technically included in the Hudson Valley area to prove our personal points.

How Many Counties Are Technically Included In The Hudson Valley?

Depending on sources and where the information is coming from, 10 counties can be included in the Hudson Valley regions.

According to Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area, they shared,

"The Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area includes the counties of Albany, Rensselaer, Columbia, Greene, Ulster, Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Westchester, and Rockland and the Village of Waterford in Saratoga County."

Additional sources from Hudson Valley Tourism show how many counties they include in tourism.

"Hudson Valley Tourism is a 10-county cooperative officially designated by I LOVE NY to promote tourism to the Hudson Valley Region. Member counties are: Albany, Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Orange, Putnam, Rensselaer, Rockland, Ulster, and Westchester. "

 

SEE MORE: Town Vs. Village Vs. Hamlet: What's The Difference In New York State?

Is Sullivan County, NY Included In The Hudson Valley?

Sullivan County, NY is the home to the 1969 Woodstock Music Festival in Bethel, NY , Crystal Connection in Wurtsboro along with Resorts World Casino in Monticello, NY. I consider these locations to be in the Hudson Valley.

The map from the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area didn't include Sullivan County, NY on it.

Mid Hudson Valley Community Profiles included Sullivan County, NY on their map of the Hudson Valley. The Hudson Valley Region Council also shared Sullivan County, NY on their map of the area as well.

While residents may continue to have their opinions about where upstate New York starts, if Sullivan County, NY is included in the Hudson Valley, it appears that multiple sources have shown how many counties exist in the Hudson Valley. Whether residents agree that there are 10 counties in the Hudson Valley, it would be a total of 11 if we included Sullivan County, NY.

Tell us what you believe to be true, below.