North Country (New York)


The North Country of Upstate New York is the northernmost region of the U.S. state of New York. It is bordered by Lake Champlain to the east and further east to the adjacent state of Vermont and the New England region; the Adirondack Mountains / Adirondack Park and the Upper Capital District with the state capital of Albany to the south; the Mohawk Valley region of New York to the southwest; the Canadian-American international border to the north; and Lake Ontario, and the Saint Lawrence River / Saint Lawrence Seaway, and beyond the waters again to Ontario / Canada to the west. A mostly rural forested area, the North Country includes seven counties of the 62 in New York state. Fort Drum, a United States Army base, is also located in the North Country region in Jefferson County, near Watertown, as is the adjacent Adirondack Park of 6.1 million acres, established 1892 as the oldest state park in the nation, and preserved / operated by the Adirondack Park Agency and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. As of 2024, the population of the region was 420,311.
File:Boldtcastle.jpg|thumb|500px|The Thousand Islands constitute an archipelago within the Saint Lawrence River to the north. Boldt Castle, on Heart Island, is seen at center.
The term "North Country" was first widely popularized within New York by the 1900 novel Eben Holden by Irving Bacheller.

Economy

From a report on the North Country from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the North Country made up 1.5% of the total population of New York State in 2023 and its population declined 3.9% over 10 years prior. The region contributed.83% to New York State's total GDP. Job growth experienced a 3.2% decline over 5 years prior to 2023 in part due to steep declines in the region's manufacturing sector. Key local job sectors include education, government, healthcare, agriculture, retail, tourism, manufacturing, and timber. Unemployment rates have disproportionately been higher in the region compared to New York state overall since the 1990s, though it has been steadily declining.

Counties

According to the Empire State Development Corporation in the state capital of Albany, New York, the North Country encompasses the following seven counties:
  • Clinton
  • Essex
  • Franklin
  • Hamilton
  • Jefferson
  • Lewis
  • St. Lawrence
However, according to another interest group of the Adirondack North Country Association, the North Country consists of a larger designated area of 14 counties; with those listed above and also the following further south and west:
  • Fulton
  • Herkimer
  • Oneida
  • Oswego
  • Saratoga
  • Warren
  • Washington
These are all counties in which part of Adirondack State Park resides.
Herb Hallas summarizes both views: