Saratoga County, New York

Saratoga County is a county in New York, United States, at the gateway to the Adirondack Park along the upper Hudson River. It had a population of 235,509 at the 2020 census and covers 844 square miles (2,190 km2) centred near 43°07′N 73°52′W.

Ballston Spa is the county seat, and its postal code is 12020. The county has 2 cities, 19 towns, 9 villages and 6 census-designated places. Saratoga County is in the Eastern time zone, and its FIPS code is 36091.

Towns & Villages in Saratoga County

Saratoga County’s 36 named places split into 2 independent cities, 19 civil towns, 9 incorporated villages and 6 census-designated places (CDPs — unincorporated hamlets recognized by the Census Bureau). Villages and CDPs sit inside a parent town; the towns themselves also govern the surrounding countryside outside any village or CDP boundary.

Two place-name pairs recur here: Corinth is both a town and, within it, a separate village; Galway and Stillwater are the same way (a village of the same name inside the town). Malta and Clifton Park each name both a town and a census-designated hamlet at its center — the CDP is the built-up main settlement, the town is the full governing unit including its rural edges.

ZIP Codes

• 12020 — Ballston Spa (also serves the town of Ballston)
• 12866 — Saratoga Springs
• 12118 — Mechanicville
• 12065 — Clifton Park
• 12831 — Gansevoort
• 12019 — Ballston Lake
• 12188 — Waterford
• 12803 — South Glens Falls
• 12822 — Corinth
• 12170 — Stillwater
• 12833 — Greenfield Center
• 12027 — Burnt Hills
• 12148 — Rexford
• 12871 — Schuylerville
• 12074 — Galway
• 12835 — Hadley
• 12151 — Round Lake
• 12884 — Victory Mills (PO Box only)

Smaller hamlets such as Middle Grove, Porter Corners and Rock City Falls share a ZIP code with a neighboring post office town rather than carrying their own.

Geography

Saratoga County sits where the Hudson and Mohawk rivers meet the southern edge of the Adirondack Mountains. The Hudson forms much of the county’s eastern boundary, and the Sacandaga River and Great Sacandaga Lake reach into its northwestern towns. The south and east are gently rolling farmland and suburb, while the north and west climb into forested Adirondack foothills; Tenant Mountain, near 2,759 feet, is the county’s highest point.

Saratoga County borders Warren County to the north, Washington County to the northeast, Rensselaer County to the southeast, Albany County to the south, Schenectady County to the southwest, Montgomery County to the west, Fulton County to the northwest, and Hamilton County to the far north.

Demographics

The 2020 census counted 235,509 people in Saratoga County, its highest total on record and among the fastest-growing counts in upstate New York. Saratoga Springs (28,491) and the Clifton Park CDP are the county’s two largest communities. With 810 square miles of land, the county’s overall density works out to roughly 291 people per square mile, though it ranges from dense suburban tracts around Clifton Park and Halfmoon to sparsely settled Adirondack towns like Day and Edinburg. Median household income statewide in New York is $82,095 (2023 ACS); anchored by Tech Valley semiconductor employers and Saratoga Springs’ tourism and hospitality economy, Saratoga County ranks among the more affluent counties in the Capital Region.

Economy & Local Life

Saratoga County anchors the southern end of New York’s “Tech Valley” corridor: GlobalFoundries operates a large semiconductor fabrication plant in the town of Malta, and the county has drawn related suppliers and Micron/IBM-linked chip investment nearby. Saratoga Springs carries a separate hospitality-driven economy built on Saratoga Race Course, the oldest continuously operating sporting venue in the United States (opened 1863), plus mineral-spring spas, Skidmore College and the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. Agriculture and dairy farming remain active in the county’s western and northern towns.

History

Saratoga County was organized on February 7, 1791, split off from Albany County. Its name comes from the Iroquois, generally rendered as “the hill beside the river.” The county was the setting for the Battles of Saratoga in September and October 1777, fought largely in what is now the town of Stillwater; the American victory there is widely regarded as the turning point of the Revolutionary War, persuading France to formally ally with the Continental cause. Saratoga Springs later grew into a nationally known 19th-century resort town around its mineral springs.

Getting There

Interstate 87, the Adirondack Northway, runs the length of the county from Albany to the Adirondacks, with US Route 9, and NY Routes 29, 50 and 67 serving as secondary corridors. Amtrak’s Adirondack and Ethan Allen Express trains call at the Saratoga Springs station.

• Albany — 30 miles south
• Glens Falls — 10 miles north
• Schenectady — 15 miles southwest
• Troy — 25 miles southeast

The nearest commercial airport is Albany International Airport, about 25 miles south of Saratoga Springs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Saratoga County, New York?
It is in eastern New York, at the meeting point of the Hudson and Mohawk rivers, just south of the Adirondack Park.

What is the population of Saratoga County?
235,509 people at the 2020 census.

How big is Saratoga County?
844 square miles (2,190 km2), of which 810 square miles are land.

What is the county seat of Saratoga County?
Ballston Spa is the county seat.

How many towns and villages are in Saratoga County?
19 towns, 9 villages, 2 cities and 6 census-designated places.

What ZIP codes are in Saratoga County?
Major ZIP codes include 12866 (Saratoga Springs), 12020 (Ballston Spa), 12065 (Clifton Park) and 12118 (Mechanicville), among others listed above.

What is Saratoga County known for?
Saratoga Race Course, the oldest organized sporting venue in the U.S., and the 1777 Battles of Saratoga, a turning point of the Revolutionary War.

More counties in this state: Towns and villages in New York.