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Orange County, New York

Coordinates: 41°24′N 74°19′W / 41.40°N 74.31°W / 41.40; -74.31
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For other places named Orange County, see Orange County.

Orange County
County
Island Pond in Harriman State Park, near the Village of Harriman.
Island Pond in Harriman State Park, near the Village of Harriman.
Flag of Orange County
Flag
Official seal of Orange County
Seal
Map of New York highlighting Orange County
Location within the U.S. state of New York
Map of the United States highlighting New York
New York's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 41°24′N 74°19′W / 41.4°N 74.31°W / 41.4; -74.31
Country United States
State New York
FoundedNovember 1, 1683; 341 years ago (1683-11-01)[a]
Named forWilliam III of Orange
SeatGoshen
Largest townPalm Tree[2]
Government
 • County ExecutiveSteven M. Neuhaus (R)
Area
 • Total839 sq mi (2,170 km2)
 • Land812 sq mi (2,100 km2)
 • Water27 sq mi (70 km2)  3.2%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total401,310[1]
 • Estimate 
(2023)[3]
407,470
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Area code845
Congressional district18th
Websiteorangecountygov.com
Map
Interactive map of Orange County, New York

Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 401,310. The county seat is Goshen.[4] This county was first created in 1683 and reorganized with its present boundaries in 1798.[5] The county is part of the Hudson Valley region of the state.

Orange County is part of the Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh metropolitan statistical area,[6] which belongs to the larger New York–Newark–Bridgeport, NY–NJ–CT–PA Combined Statistical Area.

As of the 2010 census the center of population of the state of New York was located in Orange County, approximately 3 mi (4.8 km) west of the hamlet of Westbrookville.[7]

History

[edit]

Orange County was officially established on November 1, 1683 when the Province of New York was divided into twelve counties.[8] Each of these was named to honor a member of the British royal family, and Orange County took its name from the Prince of Orange,[9] who subsequently became King William III of England. As originally defined, Orange County included only the southern part of its present-day territory, plus all of present-day Rockland County further south. The northern part of the present-day county, beyond Moodna Creek, was then a part of neighboring Ulster County.

At that date, the only European inhabitants of the area were a handful of Dutch colonists in present-day Rockland County, and the area of modern Orange County was entirely occupied by the native Munsee people. Due to its relatively small population, the original Orange County was not fully independent and was administered by New York County.

The first European settlers in the area of the present-day county arrived in 1685. They were a party of around twenty-five families from Scotland, led by David Toshach, the Laird of Monzievaird, and his brother-in-law Major Patrick McGregor, a former officer of the French Army. They settled in the Hudson Highlands at the place where the Moodna Creek enters the Hudson River, now known as New Windsor. In 1709, a group of German Palatine refugees settled at Newburgh. They were Protestants from a part of Germany along the Rhine that had suffered during the religious wars. Queen Anne's government arranged for passage from England of nearly 3,000 Palatines in ten ships. Many were settled along the Hudson River in work camps on property belonging to Robert Livingston. In 1712, a 16-year-old indentured servant named Sarah Wells[10] from Manhattan led a small party of three Munsee men and three hired carpenters into the undeveloped interior of the county and created the first settlement in the Town of Goshen on the Otter Kill. She was falsely promised by her master Christopher Denne 100 acres bounty for taking on the dangerous mission to make a land claim for him. He never gave her the land. But, she did fall in love and married Irish immigrant William Bull there in 1718 and they had 12 children and built the Bull Stone House. In 1716, the first known Black woman resident was recorded in Orange County. Her name was Mercy[10]: 108  and she was enslaved by Christopher Denne at his settlement on the Otter Kill. Additional immigrants came from Ireland; they were of Scots and English descent who had been settled as planters there.

During the American Revolutionary War the county was divided into Loyalists, Patriots, and those who remained neutral. The local government supported the Revolution, or "The Cause." Some residents posed as Loyalists but were part of a secret spy network set up by Gen. George Washington. Capt. William Bull III[11] of the Town of Wallkill (which was then a part of Ulster County) served in the Continental Army with Gen. Washington in Spencer's Additional Continental Regiment. His cousin was revealed after the war to be part of Washington's spy ring. His brother Moses Bull raised 20 men from the Town of Wallkill to service with his brother. Capt. Bull was promoted twice for valor on the battlefield, once in the Battle of Monmouth where he was part of Lord Stirling's men who famously saved the day after Gen. Lee's retreat. Capt. Bull wintered at Valley Forge with several men from Orange County. Capt. Bull retired from the Army in 1781 and returned to the Town of Wallkill where he built Brick Castle. Hundreds of men from Orange County served in the local militia and many of them fought in the Battle of Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton. However, many residents remained loyal to King George III, include members of Capt. Bull's family. Many in the county were divided within families. Capt. Bull's uncle Thomas Bull was jailed for years in Goshen and then Fishkill for being a Loyalist. Resident Claudius Smith was a Loyalist marauder whose team robbed and terrorized citizens; he was hanged in Goshen in 1779 for allegedly robbing and killing Major Nathaniel Strong; two of his sons were also executed for similar crimes. Capt. Bull's cousin Peter Bull of Hamptonburgh served in the Orange County regiment and was charged with guarding the roads at night from Smith. The Mathews family of Blooming Grove were active Loyalists; Fletcher Mathews was a sympathizer and sometime associate of Smith,[12] and his brother David Mathews was Mayor of New York City during its British occupation for the entirety of the war.

In 1798, after the American Revolutionary War, the boundaries of Orange County changed. Its southern corner was used to create the new Rockland County, and in exchange, an area to the north of the Moodna Creek was added, which had previously been in Ulster County. This caused a reorganization of the local administration, as the original county seat had been fixed at Orangetown in 1703, but this was now in Rockland County. Duties were subsequently shared between Goshen, which had been the center of government for the northern part of Orange County, and Newburgh, which played a similar role in the area transferred from Ulster County. The county court was established in 1801. It was not until 1970 that Goshen was named as the sole county seat.

Due to a boundary dispute between New York and New Jersey, the boundaries of many of the southern towns of the county were not definitively established until the 19th century. [13]

Geography

[edit]
Downtown Newburgh, on the shoreline of the Hudson River.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 839 square miles (2,170 km2), of which 812 square miles (2,100 km2) is land and 27 square miles (70 km2) (3.2%) are water.[14]

Orange County is in southeastern New York State, directly north of the New Jersey-New York border, west of the Hudson River, east of the Delaware River and northwest of New York City. It borders the New York counties of Dutchess, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester, as well as Passaic and Sussex counties in New Jersey and Pike County in Pennsylvania.

Orange County is the only county which borders both the Hudson and Delaware Rivers, and is also the only county in the state to border both New Jersey (south) and Pennsylvania (west).

Orange County is where the Great Valley of the Appalachians finally opens up and ends. The western corner is set off by the Shawangunk Ridge. The area along the Rockland County border (within Harriman and Bear Mountain state parks) and south of Newburgh is part of the Hudson Highlands. The land in between is the valley of the Wallkill River. In the southern portion of the county the Wallkill valley expands into a wide glacial lake bed known as the Black Dirt Region for its fertility.

The highest point is Schunemunk Mountain, at 1,664 feet (507 m) above sea level. The lowest is sea level along the Hudson.

National protected areas

[edit]

Adjacent counties

[edit]

Demographics

[edit]
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
179018,492—
180029,35558.7%
181034,34717.0%
182041,21320.0%
183045,33610.0%
184050,73911.9%
185057,14512.6%
186063,81211.7%
187080,90226.8%
188088,2209.0%
189097,85910.9%
1900103,8596.1%
1910116,00111.7%
1920119,8443.3%
1930130,3838.8%
1940140,1137.5%
1950152,2558.7%
1960183,73420.7%
1970221,65720.6%
1980259,60317.1%
1990307,64718.5%
2000341,36711.0%
2010372,8139.2%
2020401,3107.6%
2023 (est.)407,4701.5%
U.S. Decennial Census[15]
1790-1960[16] 1900-1990[17]
1990-2000[18] 2010-2019[19]

2000–2010

[edit]

At the 2010 United States Census, there were 372,813 people living in the county. The population density was 444 inhabitants per square mile (171/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 77.2% White, 10.2% Black or African American, 0.5% Native American, 2.4% Asian, and 3.1% from two or more races. 18% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.[20] According to the 2000 United States Census, 18.3% were of Italian, 18.1% English, 17.4% Irish, 10.2% German, and 5.0% Polish ancestry. According to the 2009–13 American Community Survey, 76.57% of people spoke only English at home, 13.39% spoke Spanish, 4.03% spoke Yiddish, and 0.83% spoke Italian.[21]

During the 2000 Census, there were 114,788 households, out of which 39.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.90% were married couples living together, 11.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.40% were non-families. 21.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.85 and the average family size was 3.35.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 29.00% under the age of 18, 8.70% from 18 to 24, 30.00% from 25 to 44, 21.90% from 45 to 64, and 10.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $52,058, and the median income for a family was $60,355. Males had a median income of $42,363 versus $30,821 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,597. About 7.60% of families and 10.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.80% of those under age 18 and 8.00% of those age 65 or over.

Despite its rural roots, Orange County has been among the fastest-growing regions within the New York City metropolitan area.[22]

2018

[edit]

Per the American Community Survey's 2018 estimates, there were 381,951 residents within Orange County.[23] 63.5% of the county was non-Hispanic white, 12.95 Black or African American, 0.8% Native American, 2.9% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 3.0% from two or more races, and 21.0% Hispanic or Latino of any race. 24.4% of Orange County's residents spoke another language other than English at home.

There were 126,776 households in 2018 and an average of 2.90 persons per household. The owner-occupied housing rate was 68.0% and the median gross rent of the county was $1,223. The median homeowner cost with a mortgage was $2,280 and $909 without a mortgage.

The median income for a household from 2014 to 2018 was $76,716 and the per capita income was $33,472. 11.5% of the county's inhabitants were below the poverty line in 2018.

2020 Census

[edit]
Orange County Racial Composition[24]
Race Num. Perc.
White (NH) 231,848 57.8%
Black or African American (NH) 41,341 10.3%
Native American (NH) 754 0.2%
Asian (NH) 11,665 3%
Pacific Islander (NH) 104 0.02%
Other/Mixed (NH) 25,854 6.44%
Hispanic or Latino 89,744 22.4%

Law and government

[edit]
The Orange County Government Center in Goshen, N.Y., designed by Paul Rudolph.

Originally, like most New York counties, Orange County was governed by a board of supervisors. Its board consisted of the 20 town supervisors, nine city supervisors elected from the nine wards of the City of Newburgh, and four each elected from the wards of the cities of Middletown and Port Jervis. In 1968, the board adopted a county charter and a reapportionment plan that created the county legislature and executive. The first county executive and legislature were elected in November 1969 and took office on January 1, 1970. Today, Orange County is still governed by the same charter; residents elect the county executive and a 21-member county legislature elected from 21 single-member districts. There are also several state constitutional positions that are elected, including a sheriff, county clerk and district attorney. Prior to January 1, 2008, four coroners were also elected; however, on that date, the county switched to a medical examiner system.

The current county officers are:

  • County Executive: Steven M. Neuhaus (Republican)
  • County Clerk: Kelly A. Eskew (Republican)
  • Sheriff: Paul Arteta (Republican)
  • District Attorney: David M. Hoovler (Republican)

The County Legislature and its previous board of supervisors were long dominated by the Republican Party. However, since the late 20th century, the Democrats have closed the gap. During 2008 and 2009 the legislature was evenly split between 10 Republicans, 10 Democrats, and 1 Independence Party member. In 2009, the legislature had its first Democratic chairman elected when one member of the Republican caucus voted alongside the 10 Democratic members to elect Roxanne Donnery (D-Highlands/Woodbury) to the post. At the November 2009 election, several Democratic incumbents were defeated. As of the convening of the legislature on January 1, 2022, there are 14 Republicans, 6 Democrats, and 1 Independence member.

Orange County Executives
Name Party Term
Louis V. Mills Republican January 1, 1970 – December 31, 1977
Louis C. Heimbach Republican January 1, 1978 – December 31, 1989
Mary M. McPhillips Democratic January 1, 1990 – December 31, 1993
Joseph G. Rampe Republican January 1, 1994 – December 31, 2001
Edward A. Diana Republican January 1, 2002 – December 31, 2013
Steven M. Neuhaus Republican January 1, 2014 – present
Orange County Legislature
District Legislator Party Residence
1 Michael Amo Independence Central Valley
2 Janet Sutherland Republican
3 Paul Ruszkiewicz Republican Pine Island
4 Kevindaryán Luján Democratic Newburgh
5 Katie Bonelli chairwoman Republican Blooming Grove
6 Genesis Ramos Democratic Newburgh
7 Peter Tuohy Republican
8 Barry J. Cheney Republican Warwick
9 L. Stephen Brescia Republican Montgomery
10 Glenn R. Ehlers Republican Chester
11 Kathy Stegenga Republican
12 Kevin Hines Republican Cornwall
13 Thomas J. Faggione majority leader Republican Deerpark
14 Laurie R. Tautel Democratic
15 Joseph J. Minuta Republican
16 Leigh J. Benton Republican Newburgh
17 Mike Anagnostakis Democratic Maybrook
18 Rob Sassi Republican
19 Michael D. Paduch minority leader Democratic Middletown
20 Joel Sierra Democratic Middletown
21 James D. O'Donnell Republican Goshen
2021 Orange County Executive election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Steve Neuhaus 38,845 80.31
Conservative Steve Neuhaus 9,072 18.76
Total Steve Neuhaus (incumbent) 47,917 99.06
2021 Orange County District Attorney election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican David Hoovler 36,837 80.00
Conservative David Hoovler 8,959 19.46
Total David Hoovler (incumbent) 45,796 99.46
2021 Orange County Clerk election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Kelly Eskew 33,012 53.32
Conservative Kelly Eskew 7,063 11.41
Total Kelly Eskew 40,075 64.73
Democratic Anthony Grice 20,141 32.53
Working Families Anthony Grice 1,676 2.71
Total Anthony Grice 21,817 35.24
2021 Orange County Legislature District 1 election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independence Michael Amo 1,849 84.66
Republican Michael Amo 323 14.79
Total Michael Amo (incumbent) 2,172 99.45
2021 Orange County Legislature District 2 election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Janet Sutherland 1,841 79.11
Conservative Janet Sutherland 477 20.50
Total Janet Sutherland (incumbent) 2,318 99.61
2021 Orange County Legislature District 3 election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Paul Ruszkiewicz 2,352 80.58
Conservative Paul Ruszkiewicz 560 19.18
Total Paul Ruszkiewicz (incumbent) 2,912 99.76
2021 Orange County Legislature District 4 Democratic Primary
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Kevindaryan Lujan (Incumbent) 319 59.51
Democratic Gabrielle Hill 216 40.30
2021 Orange County Legislature District 4 election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Kevindaryan Lujan 692 65.16
Working Families Kevindaryan Lujan 86 8.10
Total Kevindaryan Lujan (incumbent) 778 73.26
Republican Alfonso Ramos 230 21.66
Conservative Alfonso Ramos 50 4.71
Total Alfonso Ramos 280 26.37
2021 Orange County Legislature District 5 election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Katie Bonelli 2,170 82.95
Conservative Katie Bonelli 433 16.55
Total Katie Bonelli (incumbent) 2,603 99.50
2021 Orange County Legislature District 6 Democratic Primary
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Genesis Ramos 394 67.35
Democratic Roger Ramjug 188 32.14
2021 Orange County Legislature District 6 election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Genesis Ramos 816 48.20
Working Families Genesis Ramos 71 4.19
Total Genesis Ramos 887 52.39
Republican John Giudice 611 36.09
Conservative John Giudice 138 8.15
Total John Giudice 749 44.24
Nbg Leadership Roger Ramjug 55 3.25
2021 Orange County Legislature District 7 election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Peter Tuohy 1,925 80.88
Conservative Peter Tuohy 438 18.40
Total Peter Tuohy (incumbent) 2,363 99.29
2021 Orange County Legislature District 8 election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Barry Cheney 2,276 78.75
Conservative Barry Cheney 592 20.48
Total Barry Cheney (incumbent) 2,868 99.24
2021 Orange County Legislature District 9 election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Steve Brescia 1,806 46.71
Conservative Steve Brescia 398 10.29
Total Steve Brescia (incumbent) 2,204 57.01
Democratic Fran Fox-Pizzonia 1,491 38.57
Working Families Fran Fox-Pizzonia 164 4.24
Total Fran Fox-Pizzonia 1,655 42.81
2021 Orange County Legislature District 10 Republican Primary
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Glenn Ehlers 291 68.79
Republican Orlando Perez 131 30.97
2021 Orange County Legislature District 10 election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Glenn Ehlers 1,970 49.34
Orange First Glenn Ehlers 56 1.40
Total Glenn Ehlers 2,026 50.74
Democratic Susan Bahren 1,500 37.57
Working Families Susan Bahren 130 3.26
Total Susan Bahren 1,630 40.82
Conservative Orlando Perez 337 8.44
2021 Orange County Legislature District 11 election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Kathy Stegenga 2,119 56.12
Conservative Kathy Stegenga 484 12.82
Total Kathy Stegenga (incumbent) 2,603 68.94
Democratic Ryan Mayo 1,170 30.99
2021 Orange County Legislature District 12 election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Kevin Hines 2,003 42.47
Conservative Kevin Hines 490 10.39
Total Kevin Hines (incumbent) 2,493 52.86
Democratic Matthew Rettig 2,002 42.45
Working Families Matthew Rettig 219 4.64
Total Matthew Rettig 2,221 47.09
2021 Orange County Legislature District 13 election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Thomas Faggione 1,813 60.41
Conservative Thomas Faggione 441 14.70
Total Thomas Faggione (incumbent) 2,254 75.11
Democratic Seth Goldman 744 24.79
2021 Orange County Legislature District 14 election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Laurie Tautel 866 43.28
Working Families Laurie Tautel 138 6.90
Total Laurie Tautel (incumbent) 1,004 50.17
Republican Jennifer Gargiulo 813 40.63
Conservative Jennifer Gargiulo 184 9.20
Total Jennifer Gargiulo 997 49.83
2021 Orange County Legislature District 15 election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Joseph Minuta 1,422 45.13
Conservative Joseph Minuta 250 7.93
Total Joseph Minuta (incumbent) 1,672 53.06
Democratic Neil Fernandez 1,405 44.59
United 4NW Neil Fernandez 74 2.35
Total Neil Fernandez 1,479 46.94
2021 Orange County Legislature District 16 election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Leigh Benton 1,624 57.49
Conservative Leigh Benton 362 12.81
Total Leigh Benton (incumbent) 1,986 70.30
Democratic Pearl Johnson 836 29.59
2021 Orange County Legislature District 17 Republican Primary
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Mike Anagnostakis (incumbent) 732 72.26
Republican Patricia Maher 280 27.64
2021 Orange County Legislature District 17 election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Mike Anagnostakis 1,275 45.08
Democratic Mike Anagnostakis 996 35.22
Total Mike Anagnostakis (incumbent) 2,271 80.30
Conservative Patricia Maher 555 19.63
2021 Orange County Legislature District 18 election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Rob Sassi 2,001 56.77
Conservative Rob Sassi 456 12.94
Total Rob Sassi (incumbent) 2,457 69.70
Democratic Gail Jeter 953 27.04
Working Families Gail Jeter 115 3.26
Total Gail Jeter 1,068 30.30
2021 Orange County Legislature District 19 election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Mike Paduch (incumbent) 1,079 99.26
2021 Orange County Legislature District 20 election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Joel Sierra 970 67.69
Middle Pride Joel Sierra 43 3.00
Total Joel Sierra (incumbent) 1,013 70.69
Conservative Kevin Gomez 386 26.94
Ind Leadership Kevin Gomez 32 2.23
Total Kevin Gomez 418 29.17
2021 Orange County Legislature District 21 election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican James O'Donnell 1,941 57.12
Conservative James O'Donnell 456 13.42
Total James O'Donnell (incumbent) 2,397 70.54
Democratic Neal Frishberg 999 29.40

Transportation

[edit]
Short Line Bus provides most local and commuter bus service.

The county is served by Stewart International Airport, located two miles west of Newburgh, New York. The airport serves American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Allegiant Air, and JetBlue Airways. AirTran Airways stopped providing service to the airport in late 2008.

Ground transportation within Orange County is provided primarily by Transit Orange. Leprechaun Lines, Monsey Trails, NJ Transit, Short Line Bus, and Metro-North Railroad's Port Jervis Line also provide services, as well as amenities such as senior citizen & handicapped dial-a-bus and car services, which usually restrict themselves to their respective town or city.[25][26] Shortline also operates the Main Line of Orange County between Middletown and Monroe Woodbury (Commons), with stops in Walkill & (The Galleria), Goshen, Chester, Monroe & Harriman.

Major roadways

[edit]

Major routes in Orange County are freeways Interstate 84, Interstate 87, State Route 17 (Future Interstate 86), and the Palisades Interstate Parkway, and surface roads U.S. Route 6, U.S. Route 9W, and U.S. Route 209. There are two Hudson River crossings in Orange County: the Bear Mountain Bridge and the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge.

Politics

[edit]
United States presidential election results for Orange County, New York[27]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2024 90,880 54.08% 75,829 45.12% 1,335 0.79%
2020 85,068 49.30% 84,955 49.24% 2,516 1.46%
2016 76,645 50.42% 68,278 44.91% 7,098 4.67%
2012 65,367 46.48% 73,315 52.13% 1,946 1.38%
2008 72,042 47.40% 78,326 51.54% 1,614 1.06%
2004 79,089 54.67% 63,394 43.82% 2,190 1.51%
2000 62,852 49.66% 58,170 45.96% 5,535 4.37%
1996 45,956 40.12% 54,995 48.01% 13,587 11.86%
1992 53,493 43.66% 45,946 37.50% 23,081 18.84%
1988 65,446 62.44% 38,465 36.70% 899 0.86%
1984 69,413 67.78% 32,663 31.89% 337 0.33%
1980 51,268 56.67% 30,022 33.18% 9,180 10.15%
1976 49,685 54.80% 40,362 44.51% 626 0.69%
1972 63,556 71.00% 25,778 28.80% 181 0.20%
1968 44,955 56.09% 28,122 35.09% 7,072 8.82%
1964 30,610 38.78% 48,244 61.13% 70 0.09%
1960 48,646 60.67% 31,471 39.25% 65 0.08%
1956 57,739 77.54% 16,722 22.46% 0 0.00%
1952 51,217 71.23% 20,585 28.63% 98 0.14%
1948 38,351 62.84% 20,638 33.82% 2,042 3.35%
1944 39,041 61.71% 24,059 38.03% 162 0.26%
1940 38,913 58.35% 27,632 41.43% 145 0.22%
1936 34,428 54.41% 27,528 43.50% 1,320 2.09%
1932 30,687 56.39% 22,971 42.21% 765 1.41%
1928 37,334 64.10% 19,047 32.70% 1,859 3.19%
1924 29,184 67.74% 9,765 22.67% 4,134 9.60%
1920 24,558 66.13% 10,567 28.46% 2,010 5.41%
1916 13,619 56.06% 10,198 41.98% 478 1.97%
1912 10,364 43.14% 9,404 39.14% 4,258 17.72%
1908 14,414 57.03% 9,938 39.32% 924 3.66%
1904 14,222 56.93% 9,882 39.55% 879 3.52%
1900 14,137 57.12% 10,180 41.13% 432 1.75%
1896 14,086 59.52% 8,971 37.91% 610 2.58%
1892 11,081 48.70% 10,421 45.80% 1,252 5.50%
1888 11,261 49.49% 10,852 47.69% 640 2.81%
1884 9,968 48.32% 9,841 47.70% 822 3.98%
1880 10,088 50.65% 9,672 48.56% 156 0.78%
1876 9,430 48.96% 9,776 50.75% 56 0.29%
1872 8,471 52.23% 7,712 47.55% 36 0.22%
1868 8,129 50.78% 7,879 49.22% 0 0.00%
1864 6,784 50.56% 6,633 49.44% 0 0.00%
1860 5,898 49.53% 6,011 50.47% 0 0.00%
1856 4,274 41.12% 3,948 37.98% 2,172 20.90%
1852 9,968 50.28% 9,841 49.64% 17 0.09%
1848 4,172 47.54% 3,170 36.12% 1,434 16.34%
1844 4,626 46.42% 5,303 53.21% 37 0.37%
1840 4,371 47.41% 4,845 52.55% 3 0.03%
1836 2,242 38.77% 3,541 61.23% 0 0.00%
1832 2,884 40.52% 4,234 59.48% 0 0.00%
1828 2,586 40.54% 3,793 59.46% 0 0.00%

In recent years, Orange County has emerged as a swing county, mirroring the preferences of the nation as a whole in presidential elections, voting for the winner in every election from 1996 to 2016. The streak ended in 2020, however, as Orange County narrowly voted to re-elect Donald Trump, even as Democratic nominee Joe Biden of Delaware won the election overall. Bill Clinton won Orange County 48% to 42% in 1996. George W. Bush won 47% of the Orange County vote in 2000, and 54% in 2004. Barack Obama carried the county with a 51% vote share four years later and carried the county again in 2012. However, Donald Trump won the county in 2016, thus making it one of 206 counties across the country to vote for Obama twice and then Trump. In 2020, Trump again won Orange County, this time by just 312 votes out of nearly 170,000 votes cast, a margin of about 0.2 percentage points. Despite this, it was only the fourth-closest county in the state and one of five that Trump won by less than 500 votes.

Previously, like most of the Lower Hudson, Orange County had leaned Republican. From 1884 to 1992, a Republican carried Orange County in all but one presidential election. The only time this tradition was broken was in 1964, during Democrat Lyndon Johnson's 44-state landslide. County voters have shown a willingness to sometimes elect Democrats, such as U.S. Rep. John Hall. From 2007 on, when Hall represented the 19th district, which covered most of the county, Orange's representation in Congress was exclusively Democratic, as Maurice Hinchey had represented the towns of Crawford, Montgomery, and Newburgh as well as the city of Newburgh, all of which were in what was then the 22nd district, since 1988.

In the 2010 midterms, Hall was defeated by Nan Hayworth. In 2012, after Hinchey's former 22nd district was eliminated in redistricting following his retirement and all of Orange County was included in the current 18th district. Hayworth was defeated by Democrat Sean Patrick Maloney, a former adviser to President Bill Clinton and the first openly gay person to be elected to Congress from New York.[28] Maloney won a rematch against Hayworth in 2014; in 2016 he was again re-elected over Phil Oliva, and in 2018, despite running in the Democratic primary for New York Attorney General, he won re-election again over James O'Donnell. Maloney was re-elected in 2020, defeating the 2018 Republican nominee for US Senate Chele Farley. Due to redistricting, Maloney left the 18th District and the seat was left vacant. The Democrats nominated former Ulster County Executive and incumbent Congressman from the 19th Congressional District Pat Ryan, while the Republicans chose then-Assemblyman Colin Schmitt. While Ryan won the district as a whole, Schmitt won Orange County itself by 9,652 votes, or approximately 7.94% [29]

At the state level, Republicans had held onto both State Senate seats until 2018, when John Bonacic retired after 26 years, the 42nd district was then won by Democrat Jen Metzger, for 1 term. In 2020 it returned to the GOP, via Mike Martucci, who chose not to run for re-election in 2022. The 39th State Senate District was held by Democrat James Skoufis from 2016 through 2022, when statewide redistricting moved Skoufis to the newly drawn 42nd district. Skoufis was re-elected to this new district, consisting of most of the county. Newburgh and Maybrook, meanwhile, remained in the new 39th District, held since 2022 by Republican Robert Rolison.

Democrats have also made significant gains in the county's State Assembly seats. The 98th district, which includes the far western part of the county as well as the Town of Warwick, is represented by Karl Brabenec, and the 101st district, which includes the Towns of Crawford and Montgomery, was until 2016 held by Claudia Tenney, both Republicans. After Tenney left her seat to run for Congress that year, Brian Miller, another Republican, was elected to replace her. He held the seat until 2022 when redistricting moved him elsewhere, and he was replaced by fellow Republican Brian Maher. Colin Schmitt represented the 99th district until 2022 when it was redrawn and he left to run for Congress. The district was won by Chris Eachus, a Democrat. The other two districts are also held by Democrats: Aileen Gunther in the 100th district (Middletown) and Jonathan Jacobson in the 104th district (Newburgh).

Sports

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Delano-Hitch Stadium in Newburgh has played host to various professional and amateur baseball teams from various leagues since opening in 1926. The stadium was home to the North Country Baseball League Newburgh Newts for the 1st and only season, 2015.

High school sports

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High schools in Orange County compete in Section 9 of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association along with schools from Dutchess, Ulster, and Sullivan counties.

College sports

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The Army Black Knights of the United States Military Academy in West Point field NCAA Division I teams in 24 different sports. Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh fields 15 teams in the Eastern College Athletic Conference and the Skyline Conference of NCAA Division III. Orange County Community College Colts in Middletown compete in the National Junior College Athletic Association.

Motorsports

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The Orange County Fair Speedway hosts weekly series racing along with the Super DIRTcar Series along with monster trucks and demolition derbies. They also have a Dirt bike track located outside Turns 3 and 4 of the Speedway. Some notable drivers to race at the track include Stewart Friesen, Brett Hearn and Max McLaughlin.

Communities

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Cities

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Towns

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Villages

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Census-designated places

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Hamlets

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Education

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School districts include:[30]

Private 2ndary educational institutions:

Colleges:

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Points of interest

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Points of interest in Orange County include the United States Military Academy at West Point; OCGC, a Paul Rudolph design; Brotherhood Winery in Washingtonville, America's oldest (continuously functioning) winery (as it made legal "sacramental" church wines during Prohibition); the birthplace of William H. Seward in Florida; Museum Village in Monroe, an 18th Century Colonial town; the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame in Goshen; Bull Stone House, a NY Historical designated structure, built in 1722 and still used as a private residence (10 generations) by the Bull family, as well as the William Bull III House, built in the 1780s. The Historical, Art Deco style Paramount Theatre (Middletown, New York), built in 1930. Thrall Library/Middletown station (Erie Railroad), built in 1896, closed in 1983, refurbished (& expanded) into a public library in 1995. The multi-acre, Salesian Seminary, in Goshen, which trained NYC novitiates for the priesthood, was sold to the Village c. 2005 and a $4.5 million state-of-the-art library built on the grounds in 2018.

Three state parks: Goosepond Mountain State Park, Harriman State Park and Sterling Forest State Park. Sugarloaf arts community, which features the Lyceum Center theatre. The Times Herald-Record newspaper, the first cold press offset daily in the country, in Middletown Commercial centers of interest include the Galleria at Crystal Run, in Wallkill; Woodbury Common Premium Outlets in Monroe. The Orange County Fair in Wallkill is an annual 2 or 3 week summer event, dating back to 1808, but officially opening in 1841. Newburgh was the location of Orange County Choppers, 61,000 square foot, $12 million, custom motorcycle-shop facility featured on The Discovery Channel's reality television series American Chopper but it was closed and sold by 2020. The home and birthplace of Velveeta and Liederkranz Cheese in Monroe (village).

Notable residents

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See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ "Dating back to its formation under a colonial law of 1683, Orange is one of the oldest counties in the state. It was reëstablished in 1788, and had its boundaries finally determined April 3, 1801."[49]

References

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  1. ^ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Orange County, New York". Archived from the original on April 13, 2020. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
  2. ^ "Orange County's population soars".
  3. ^ "QuickFacts: Orange County, New York". Census.gov. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
  4. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 3, 2015. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  5. ^ "New York: Individual County Chronologies". New York Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. 2008. Archived from the original on April 10, 2015. Retrieved January 10, 2015.
  6. ^ United States Office of Management and Budget (September 14, 2018). "OMB Bulletin No. 18-04" (PDF). Retrieved July 11, 2019.
  7. ^ "Center of population of New York as of 2010 census (Google Maps)". Retrieved July 5, 2016.
  8. ^ Smith, John E., ed. (1899). "1. Descriptive of the Subject". Our country and its people; a descriptive and biographical record of Madison County, New York. The Boston History Company.
  9. ^ "About Orange County". Orange County Department of Parks, Recreation and Conservation.
  10. ^ a b c Boyd Cole, Julie (2017). Sarah, An American Pioneer. ISBN 978-1981483334.
  11. ^ McWhorter, Emma (1974). The History and Genealogy of the William Bull and Sarah Wells Family of Orange County, New York. Goshen Library: T. E. Henderson.
  12. ^ Public Papers of George Clinton, First Governor of New York, 1777-1795, 1801-1804. 1900, page 634
  13. ^
  14. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on May 19, 2014. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
  15. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on April 26, 2015. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
  16. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
  17. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
  18. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
  19. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 28, 2011. Retrieved October 12, 2013.
  20. ^ "QuickFacts - Orange County, New York". www.census.gov. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  21. ^ "Detailed Languages Spoken at Home and Ability to Speak English". Census.gov. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  22. ^ Urban Action Agenda (2015). Changing Hudson Valley - Population Trends (PDF). Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress.
  23. ^ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Orange County, New York". www.census.gov. Retrieved February 1, 2020.
  24. ^ "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Orange County, New York".
  25. ^ "COMMUTER BUS SERVICE". Transit Orange. Orange County. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
  26. ^ "Commuter Bus - Newburgh, Beacon & Stewart". Leprechan Lines. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
  27. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
  28. ^ Bolcer, Julie (November 7, 2013). "Gay Congressional Winner Makes History in New York". Advocate.com. Retrieved July 8, 2013.
  29. ^ "Orange County Board of Elections Detailed Results by Contest, 2022 General, Representative in Congress for 18th District". www.orangecountygov.com. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
  30. ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Orange County, NY" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved July 21, 2022. - Text list
  31. ^ Rothman, Robin A.; Tomcho, Sandy (April 9, 2007). "'Sopranos' hits the Hudson Valley again". Times Herald-Record. Retrieved July 8, 2013.
  32. ^ Michael Clayton (2007) - Trivia - IMDb
  33. ^ Lussier, Germain (April 13, 2008). "State budget brings films back to N.Y." Times Herald-Record. Retrieved July 8, 2013.
  34. ^ "M-W shines during filming of "The OA"". Monroe-Woodbury Central School District. Retrieved January 6, 2017.
  35. ^ Kendall, Joshua (2011). The Forgotten Founding Father: Noah Webster's Obsession and the Creation of an American Culture.
  36. ^ "Washington's Headquarters State Historic Site". New York State Parks Department.
  37. ^ "Survey of Historic Sites and Buildings. Washington's Headquarters (Hasbrouck House)". National Park Service. Retrieved October 10, 2012.
  38. ^ Glyndon G. Van Deusen, "The Life and Career of William Henry Seward 1801-1872"
  39. ^ "Biographies of the Secretaries of State: William Henry Seward". U.S. Dept. of State, Office of the Historian. Retrieved October 10, 2012.
  40. ^ "Hudson Valley Magazine".
  41. ^ a b Washingtonville Grads at Oscars
  42. ^ "David H. Petraeus". Central Intelligence Agency. Archived from the original on October 19, 2011. Retrieved October 4, 2012.
  43. ^ Allee, Rod (January 14, 2000). "The soul of an artist". The Record. Newspapers.com. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
  44. ^ Genovese, Peter (January 2012). "Hidden New Jersey: Greenwood Lake". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved October 3, 2012.
  45. ^ "Tiedemann Castle". dupontcastle.com. Retrieved October 3, 2012.
  46. ^ "Dee Brown". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved October 3, 2012.
  47. ^ "Dave Telgheder". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved October 3, 2012.
  48. ^ Scott Pioli Bio
  49. ^ Sullivan, James; Williams, Melvin E.; Conklin, Edwin P.; Fitzpatrick, Benedict, eds. (1927). "Chapter I. Orange County.". History of New York State, 1523–1927 (PDF). Vol. 2. New York, Chicago: Lewis Historical Publishing Co. p. 411. hdl:2027/mdp.39015019994048. Wikidata Q114149636.
  • Dray, Phillip. A Lynching At Port Jervis: Race and Reckoning In the Gilded Age. NY. March 2023.

Further reading

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  • Ruttenber, Edward Manning (1881). History of Orange County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men. Philadelphia: Everts & Peck. LCCN 16020351.
  • Sullivan, James; Williams, Melvin E.; Conklin, Edwin P.; Fitzpatrick, Benedict, eds. (1927). "Chapter I. Orange County.". History of New York State, 1523–1927 (PDF). Vol. 2. New York, Chicago: Lewis Historical Publishing Co. p. 411-20. hdl:2027/mdp.39015019994048. Wikidata Q114149636.
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Orange County, New York.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Orange County (New York).

41°24′N 74°19′W / 41.40°N 74.31°W / 41.40; -74.31

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