Putnam County, New York

Putnam County is a county in New York, United States, in the Hudson Valley about 55 miles north
of New York City. It had a population of 97,668 at the 2020 census, an estimated 99,028 by 2025,
and covers 246 square miles (640 km2), of which 230 square miles (600 km2) are land, centred near
41°26′N 73°45′W.

Carmel is the county seat; its postal code is 10512. The county holds 3 incorporated villages
and 9 unincorporated hamlets and lake communities across 6 towns, and it runs on Eastern Time.
Its FIPS code is 36079.

Towns & Villages in Putnam County

Putnam County has 12 named places on record: 3 incorporated villages and 9 unincorporated
hamlets and census-designated communities with no local government of their own. CDP stands for
census designated place; Unincorp. covers hamlets recognized by name with no separate Census
count.

Two places on this list straddle town lines. The Lake Carmel CDP extends across both the towns
of Carmel and Kent, and its 8,069 residents split between the two; the table lists it under
Carmel, its larger share. The village of Brewster likewise straddles two towns, Southeast and
Patterson, though most of its area and nearly all its 2,508 residents sit in Southeast.

Towns of Putnam County

New York organizes Putnam County into six towns, each its own unit of local government. Sorted
by population:

ZIP Codes

• 10512 — Carmel and Lake Carmel
• 10541 — Mahopac
• 10509 — Brewster
• 10516 — Cold Spring and Nelsonville
• 10524 — Garrison
• 10579 — Putnam Valley
• 10537 — Lake Peekskill
• 12563 — Patterson

Putnam Lake and Kent Cliffs have no ZIP of their own; Putnam Lake’s mail runs through
Patterson’s 12563 and Kent Cliffs shares Carmel’s 10512.

Geography

Putnam County sits in New York’s Hudson Highlands, a rugged belt of granite ridges and glacial
lakes between the Hudson River and the Connecticut line. Of its 246 square miles, 230 are land
and 16 are water, about 6.5 percent, mostly in Lake Mahopac and Lake Carmel, the county’s two
largest inland lakes. The Hudson River forms the county’s western edge along Philipstown, and
Clarence Fahnestock State Park and the Appalachian Trail cross the county’s eastern hills.
Scofield Ridge, at roughly 1,540 feet, is the highest point.

Dutchess County lies to the north, Fairfield County in Connecticut to the east, and Westchester
County to the south. Across the Hudson River, Orange County touches the county’s northwest
corner and Rockland County borders its southwest tip near Bear Mountain. Dutchess County, Westchester County, Orange County and Rockland County all have posts on this
site; Fairfield County, Connecticut does not.

Demographics

Putnam County had a population of 97,668 at the 2020 census, and the latest estimate puts the
county near 99,028 residents. Carmel and Southeast are the two largest towns, together holding
more than half the county’s population. Median household income runs $126,257 (2024), well
above New York’s statewide figure of $82,095 (2023 ACS). Population density works out to about
425 people per square mile of land, among the highest in the mid-Hudson region outside
Westchester, reflecting the county’s place as a New York City commuter suburb.

Economy & Local Life

Health care and social assistance employs the most workers in the county, about 7,540 people,
followed closely by educational services at 7,488 and retail trade at 4,613. Nuvance Health’s
Putnam Hospital Center in Carmel is among the county’s largest employers, and many residents
commute south to Westchester County or New York City for work. Kent is home to the Chuang Yen
Monastery, which houses the largest indoor Buddha statue in the Western Hemisphere and draws
visitors from across the region. The county’s biggest annual event is the Putnam County 4-H
Fair, held each August at the fairgrounds in Carmel.

History

New York’s legislature created Putnam County on 12 June 1812, dividing it from Dutchess
County. It was named for Israel Putnam, a French and Indian War officer and Revolutionary War
general. The Historic Putnam County Courthouse in Carmel, built in 1814, is the second-oldest
working courthouse in New York.

Two Revolutionary War events mark the county’s early history. British troops burned the
Continental Army barracks at Continental Village, in Philipstown, in October 1777 after the fall
of the nearby Hudson Highlands forts. Decades later, in 1817, Gouverneur Kemble founded the West
Point Foundry at Cold Spring; it cast the Parrott rifled cannon used by Union forces during the
Civil War before closing in the 1890s.

Getting There

Interstate 84 crosses the county’s southeastern towns, Patterson and Southeast, connecting to
Interstate 684 in neighboring Westchester County. No interstate reaches Philipstown or Putnam
Valley, which rely on US 9 and US 6. US 202, NY 22 and NY 301 and the Taconic State Parkway also
run through the county.

• New York City — about 55 miles south
• Poughkeepsie — about 20 miles north
• Danbury, Connecticut — about 15 miles east
• Peekskill — about 12 miles south

Westchester County Airport, about 20 miles south in White Plains, is the nearest major
commercial airport. Metro-North Railroad’s Harlem Line stops at Brewster and Patterson, and its
Hudson Line stops at Cold Spring and Garrison, both connecting to Grand Central Terminal; the
nearest Amtrak station is roughly 20 miles north in Poughkeepsie.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Putnam County located?
It sits in New York’s Hudson Highlands, about 55 miles north of New York City, bordered by
Dutchess, Westchester, Fairfield (Connecticut), Orange and Rockland counties.

What is the population of Putnam County?
97,668 at the 2020 census, with a 2025 estimate near 99,028.

How big is Putnam County?
246 square miles (640 km2), of which 230 square miles are land.

What is the county seat of Putnam County?
Carmel, home to the 1814 county courthouse, is the county seat.

How many towns and villages are in Putnam County?
Six towns — Carmel, Kent, Patterson, Philipstown, Putnam Valley and Southeast — and
three incorporated villages: Brewster, Cold Spring and Nelsonville.

What ZIP codes does Putnam County use?
10512 for Carmel and Lake Carmel; 10541 for Mahopac; 10509 for Brewster; 10516 for Cold Spring
and Nelsonville; 10524 for Garrison; 10579 for Putnam Valley; 10537 for Lake Peekskill; and
12563 for Patterson.

What is Putnam County known for?
The Hudson Highlands’ hiking trails, the Chuang Yen Monastery in Kent, and Cold Spring’s West
Point Foundry, which cast Civil War-era cannons.

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