Ulster County, New York | |||
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County | |||
County of Ulster | |||
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Location in the U.S. state of New York |
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New York's location in the U.S. |
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Founded | 1683 | ||
Named for | Ulster | ||
Seat | Kingston | ||
Largest city | Kingston | ||
Area | |||
• Total | 1,161 sq mi (3,007 km2) | ||
• Land | 1,124 sq mi (2,911 km2) | ||
• Water | 37 sq mi (96 km2), 3.1% | ||
Population | |||
• (2010) | 182,493 | ||
• Density | 162/sq mi (63/km²) | ||
Congressional district | 19th | ||
Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 | ||
Website | www |
Ulster County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 182,493. The county seat is Kingston. The county is named after the Irish province of Ulster.
Ulster County comprises the Kingston, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined Statistical Area. It is located in the state's Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley
The area of present-day Ulster County was called "Esopus" by Dutch settlers: it was then part of the New Netherland Colony. In 1652, Thomas Chambers, a freeholder from the Manor of Rensselaerswyck, purchased land at Esopus and began trading there. In 1654, Johan de Hulter, owner of 20% of the Killian van Rensselaer Company was granted a patent, together with the patents of Christoffel Davids, and Jacob Jansen Stoll, this supplies evidence of the first permanent settlement, that grows into the village of Wiltwijck, later: Kingston. In 1683, the Duke of York created twelve counties in his province. Ulster County was one of them. Its boundaries at that time included the present Sullivan County, and portions of the present Delaware, Orange, and Greene Counties.