Hudson Valley
Region
Farm inBrunswick Downtown Ossining Hudson River atBear Mountain TheUnited States Military Academy Getty Square inYonkers Kykuit mansion Empire State Plaza inAlbany
Counties usually (green) and sometimes (gray) considered to be a part of the Hudson Valley region[a]
Country	United States
State	New York
Counties	Putnam,Rockland,Westchester,Dutchess,Orange,Sullivan,Ulster,Albany,Columbia,Greene,Rensselaer
Area
• Total	18,720 km2 (7,228 sq mi)
Population  (2020)
• Total	3,005,105
• Density	160.5/km2 (415.8/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC−5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)

Part ofa series on
Regions of New York
Downstate New York New York City Long Island Hudson Valley (Lower)
Upstate New York Hudson Valley (Middle and Upper) Capital District North Country Southern Tier Mohawk Valley Central New York Finger Lakes Western New York
Administrative divisions Counties Cities Towns Indian reservations Unorganized Territory Villages Census-designated places Places (including hamlets)
Timelines of town creation Downstate New York Hudson Valley Capital District North Country Central New York Southern Tier Western New York
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TheHudson Valley orHudson River Valley comprises the valley of theHudson River and its adjacent communities in the U.S. state ofNew York. The region stretches from theCapital District includingAlbany andTroy south toYonkers inWestchester County, borderingNew York City.^[1]

The Hudson Valley was inhabited by indigenous peoples long before European settlers arrived. TheLenape,Wappinger, andMahican branches of theAlgonquins lived along the river,^[2] mostly in peace with the other groups.^[2][3] The lower Hudson River was inhabited by the Lenape.^[3] The Lenape people waited for the explorerGiovanni da Verrazzano onshore, traded withHenry Hudson, and sold the island ofManhattan.^[3] Further north, the Wappingers lived from Manhattan Island up toPoughkeepsie. They lived a similar lifestyle to the Lenape, residing in various villages along the river. They traded with both the Lenape to the south and the Mahicans to the north.^[2] The Mahicans lived in the northern valley from present-dayKingston toLake Champlain,^[3] with their capital located near present-dayAlbany.^[2] The Algonquins in the region lived mainly in small clans and villages throughout the area. One major fortress was called Navish, which was located atCroton Point, overlooking the Hudson River. Other fortresses were located in various locations throughout theHudson Highlands.^[3]

In 1497,John Cabot traveled along the coast and claimed the entire country for England; he is credited with theOld World's discovery of continental North America.^[4] Between then and about 1609, exploration took place aroundNew York Bay, but not into the Hudson Valley. In 1609, theDutch East India Company financed English navigatorHenry Hudson in his attempt to search for theNorthwest Passage. During this attempt, Henry Hudson decided to sail his ship up the river that would later be named after him. As he continued up the river, its width expanded, into Haverstraw Bay, leading him to believe he had successfully reached the Northwest Passage. He also proceeded upstream as far as present-day Troy before concluding that no such strait existed there.^[5]

After Henry Hudson realized that the Hudson River was not theNorthwest Passage, theDutch began to examine the region for potential trading opportunities.^[6] Dutch explorer and merchantAdriaen Block led voyages there between 1611 and 1614, which led the Dutch to determine that fur trade would be profitable in the region. As such, the Dutch established the colony ofNew Netherland.^[7] The Dutch settled three major fur-trading outposts in the colony, along the river, south to north:New Amsterdam,Wiltwyck, andFort Orange.^[6] New Amsterdam later became known asNew York City, Wiltwyck becameKingston, and Fort Orange becameAlbany.^[6] In 1664, the British invaded New Netherland via the port of New Amsterdam.^[6] New Amsterdam and New Netherland as a whole were surrendered to the British and renamed New York.^[8]

Under British colonial rule, the Hudson Valley became an agricultural hub, with manors being developed on the east side of the river. At these manors, landlords rented out land to their tenants, letting them take a share of the crops grown while keeping and selling the rest of the crops.^[9] Tenants were often kept at a subsistence level so that the landlord could minimize his costs. Landlords held immense political power in the colony due to driving such a large proportion of the agricultural output. Meanwhile, land west of Hudson River contained smaller landholdings with many small farmers living off the land. A large crop grown in the region was grain, which was largely shipped downriver to New York City, the colony's main seaport, for export back to Great Britain. In order to export the grain, colonial merchants were given monopolies to grind the grain into flour and export it.^[9] Grain production was also at high levels in the Mohawk River Valley.^[9]

The Hudson River was a key river during theRevolutionary War. The Hudson's connection to the Mohawk River allowed travelers to get to the Great Lakes and theMississippi River eventually. In addition, the river's close proximity to Lake George and Lake Champlain would allow the British navy to control the water route fromMontreal to New York City.^[10] In doing so, the British, under GeneralJohn Burgoyne's strategy, would be able to cut off thepatriot hub ofNew England (which is on the eastern side of the Hudson River) and focus on rallying the support of loyalists in the South and Mid-Atlantic regions. The British knew that total occupation of the colonies would be unfeasible, which is why this strategy was chosen.^[11] As a result of the strategy, numerous battles were fought along the river, including several in the Hudson Valley.^[12]

In the early 19th century, popularized by the stories ofWashington Irving, the Hudson Valley gained a reputation as a somewhat gothic region characterized by remnants of the early days of the Dutch colonization of New York (see "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow"). The area is also associated with theHudson River School, a group of AmericanRomantic painters who worked from about 1830 to 1870.^[13]

Following the building of theErie Canal, the area became an important industrial center. The canal opened the Hudson Valley and New York City to commerce with the Midwest andGreat Lakes regions.^[14] However, in the mid 20th century, many of the industrial towns went into decline.^[15]

The first railroad in New York, theMohawk and Hudson Railroad, opened in 1831 betweenAlbany andSchenectady on the Mohawk River, enabling passengers to bypass the slowest part of the Erie Canal.^[16] The Hudson Valley proved attractive for railroads once technology progressed to the point where it was feasible to construct the required bridges over tributaries. The Troy and Greenbush Railroad was chartered in 1845 and opened that same year, running a short distance on the east side between Troy and Greenbush, now known asEast Greenbush (east of Albany). TheHudson River Railroad was chartered the next year as a continuation of the Troy and Greenbush south to New York City, and was completed in 1851. In 1866, theHudson River Bridge opened over the river between Greenbush and Albany, enabling through traffic between the Hudson River Railroad and the New York Central Railroad west toBuffalo. When thePoughkeepsie Bridge opened in 1889, it became the longest single-span bridge in the world.

TheNew York, West Shore and Buffalo Railway began atWeehawken Terminal and ran up the west shore of the Hudson as a competitor to the mergedNew York Central and Hudson River Railroad. Construction was slow and was finally completed in 1884; the New York Central purchased the line the next year.

During the Industrial Revolution, the Hudson River Valley became a major location for production. The river allowed for fast and easy transport of goods from the interior of the Northeast to the coast. Hundreds of factories were built around the Hudson, in towns including Poughkeepsie, Newburgh, Kingston, and Hudson. TheNorth Tarrytown Assembly (later owned byGeneral Motors), on the river in Sleepy Hollow, was a large and notable example. The river links to the Erie Canal and the Great Lakes, which allowed manufacturers in the Midwest, including automobile factories in Detroit, to use the river for transport.^{[17]: 71–2} With industrialization came new technologies, such as streamboats, for faster transport. In 1807, theNorth River Steamboat (later known as Clermont), became the first commercially successful steamboat.^[18] It carried passengers between New York City and Albany along the Hudson River. At the end of the 19th century, the Hudson River region ofNew York State would become the world's largest brick manufacturing region, with 130 brickyards lining the shores of the Hudson River from Mechanicsville to Haverstraw and employing 8,000 people. At its peak, about 1 billion bricks a year were produced, with many being sent to New York City for use in its construction industry.^[19]

Tourism became a major industry as early as 1810. With convenient steamboat connections in New York City and numerous attractive hotels in romantic settings, tourism became an important industry. Early guidebooks provided suggestions for travel itineraries. Middle-class people who readJames Fenimore Cooper's novels or saw the paintings of the Hudson River School were especially attracted to the region.^[20]

The Hudson River valley runs primarily north to south down the eastern edge of New York State, cutting through a series of rock types includingTriassic sandstones and redbeds in the south and much more ancientPrecambriangneiss in the north (and east). In the Hudson Highlands, the river enters afjord cut during previous ice ages. To the west lie the extensive Appalachian Highlands. In the Tappan Zee region, the west side of the river has high cliffs produced by an erosion-resistantdiabase; the cliffs range from 400 to 800 feet (120 to 240 m) in height.^[21]

The Hudson Valley is onephysiographic section of the largerRidge-and-Valley province, which in turn is part of the largerAppalachian physiographic division.^[22] The northern portions of the Hudson Valley fall within theEastern Great Lakes and Hudson Lowlands Ecoregion.

During the last ice age, the valley was filled by a large glacier that pushed south as far asLong Island. Near the end of the last ice age, the Great Lakes drained south down the Hudson River, from a large glacial lake calledLake Iroquois.^[23]Lake Ontario is the remnant of that lake. Large sand deposits remain from where Lake Iroquois drained into the Hudson; these are now part of theRome Sand Plains.

Due to its resemblance, the Hudson River often has been described as "America's Rhine". In 1939, the magazineLife described the river as such, comparing it to the 40-mile (64 km) stretch of theRhine in Central and Western Europe.^[24]

The Hudson Valley has a long agricultural history and agriculture was its main industry when the region was first settled. Around the 1700s,tenant farming was highly practiced.^[25] The farms' main products were grains (predominantly wheat), thoughhops,maple syrup, vegetables, dairy products, honey, wool, livestock, and tobacco were produced there. The region became thebreadbasket of colonial America, given that the surrounding New England and Catskills areas were more mountainous and had rockier soils. In the late 1800s, most farms transitioned from tenant farming to being family-owned, with more incentive to improve the land. Grain production moved west to theGenesee Valley, and so Hudson Valley farms specialized, especially inviticulture, berries, and orchard cultivation. Agriculture began to decline in the 19th century, and rapidly declined in the 20th century.^[26][27]

By the 1970s, the United States'culinary revolution began, and the Hudson Valley began to lead thefarm-to-table movement, thelocal food movement, andsustainable agricultural practices. The fertileBlack Dirt Region of theWallkill andSchoharie valleys also began to be farmed. Dairy farms are predominant, though fruit, vegetable, poultry, meat, and maple syrup production are also common.^[26] Orchard cultivation is common in Orange, Ulster, Dutchess, and Columbia counties.^[27]

The Hudson Valley is one of the oldest winemaking and grape-growing regions in the United States, with its first vineyards planted in 1677 in current-dayNew Paltz.^[26] The region has experienced a resurgence in winemaking in the 21st century. Many wineries are located in the Hudson Valley, offering wine-tasting and other tours.^[28] Numerouswine festivals are held in the Hudson Valley, with themes often varying by season.^[29] Rhinebeck is home to the Hudson Valley Wine & Food Fest, hosted at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds.^[30]

The region has sunlight, moisture, chalky soil, and drainage conducive to grape growing, especially grapes used in Champagne.^[27]

Tech Valley is a marketing name for the eastern part of New York State, including the Hudson Valley and theCapital District.^[31] Originating in 1998 to promote the greater Albany area as ahigh-tech competitor to regions such asSilicon Valley andBoston, it has since grown to represent the counties in New York betweenIBM'sWestchester County plants in the south and the Canada–US border to the north. The area'shigh technology ecosystem is supported by technologically focusedacademic institutions includingRensselaer Polytechnic Institute and theState University of New York Polytechnic Institute.^[32] Tech Valley encompasses 19 counties straddling both sides of theAdirondack Northway and theNew York Thruway,^[31] and with heavystate taxpayer subsidy, has experienced significant growth in thecomputer hardware industry, with great strides in thenanotechnology sector,digital electronics design, and water- and electricity-dependentintegrated microchip circuit manufacturing,^[33] involving companies including IBM inArmonk and itsThomas J. Watson Research Center inYorktown,GlobalFoundries inMalta, and others.^[32][34][35] Westchester County has developed a burgeoningbiotechnology sector in the 21st century, with over US$1 billion in planned private investment as of 2016,^[36] earning the county the nicknameBiochester.^[37]

TheHudson River Valley National Heritage Area promotes historic, natural, and cultural sites in 11 counties.

The Hudson Valley is divided into three regions: Upper, Middle, and Lower. The following is a list of the counties within the Hudson Valley sorted by region.^[38] The Lower Hudson Valley is typically considered part of theDownstate New York region due to its geographical and cultural proximity toNew York City.

Major interstates in the Hudson Valley includeInterstate 87 (part of theNew York State Thruway), a small section ofInterstate 95 in Southeastern Westchester County,Interstate 287 serving Westchester and Rockland Counties,Interstate 84 serving Putnam, Dutchess, and Orange Counties, andInterstate 684 serving Westchester and Putnam Counties.Parkways in the region include theBronx River Parkway, theCross County Parkway, theHutchinson River Parkway, theSprain Brook Parkway, and theSaw Mill River Parkway serving solely Westchester County, theTaconic State Parkway serving Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, and Columbia Counties, and thePalisades Interstate Parkway serving Rockland and a very small portion of southwestern Orange County.New York State Route 17 operates as a freeway in much of Orange County and will be designatedInterstate 86 in the future.

Hudson River crossings in the Hudson Valley region from south to north include theTappan Zee Bridge betweenSouth Nyack in Rockland County andTarrytown in Westchester County, theBear Mountain Bridge betweenPeekskill in Westchester County andFort Montgomery in Orange County, theNewburgh-Beacon Bridge betweenNewburgh in Orange County andBeacon in Dutchess County, theMid-Hudson Bridge betweenPoughkeepsie in Dutchess County andHighland in Ulster County, theKingston-Rhinecliff Bridge betweenRhinecliff in Dutchess County andKingston in Ulster County, and theRip Van Winkle Bridge betweenHudson in Columbia County andCatskill in Greene County. TheWalkway Over the Hudson is a pedestrian bridge which parallels the Mid-Hudson Bridge and was formerly a railroad bridge.

NY Waterway operates theHaverstraw-Ossining Ferry betweenHaverstraw in Rockland County andOssining in Westchester County, as well as ferry service betweenNewburgh in Orange County andBeacon in Dutchess County. Intercity and commuter bus transit are provided byRockland Coaches in Rockland County,Short Line in Orange and Rockland Counties, andLeprechaun Lines in Orange and Dutchess Counties. There are also several local bus providers, including theBee-Line Bus System in Westchester County andTransport of Rockland in Rockland County.

The Hudson Valley is served by two airports with commercial airline service:Westchester County Airport (HPN) nearWhite Plains andStewart International Airport (SWF) nearNewburgh.

Commuter rail service in the region is provided byMetro-North Railroad (operated by theMetropolitan Transportation Authority). Metro-North operates three rail lines east of the Hudson River toGrand Central Terminal in Manhattan, from east to west they are theNew Haven Line (serving southeast Westchester County), theHarlem Line (serving Central and Eastern Westchester, Putnam, and Dutchess Counties), and theHudson Line (serving western Westchester, Putnam, and Dutchess Counties). West of the Hudson,New Jersey Transit operates two lines rail service under contract with Metro-North Railroad toHoboken Terminal: thePascack Valley Line (serving central Rockland County) and thePort Jervis Line (serving western Rockland County and Orange County).

Amtrak servesYonkers,Croton-Harmon,Poughkeepsie,Rhinecliff-Kingston, andHudson along the eastern shores of the Hudson River, as well asNew Rochelle in southeastern Westchester County.

TheHudson Valley Renegades is a minor league baseball team affiliated with theNew York Yankees.^[39] The team is a member of theMid-Atlantic League and plays atDutchess Stadium inFishkill. TheNew York Boulders of the independentCan-Am League play atClover Stadium, inPomona, NY.^[40]

Kingston Stockade FC is a soccer team representing the Hudson Valley in theNational Premier Soccer League (NPSL), a nationalsemi-professional league at the fourth tier of theAmerican Soccer Pyramid. They compete in the North Atlantic conference of the NPSL's Northeast region, and began their first season in May 2016.

• Anti-Rent War

• Donaldson Eberlein, Harold; Van Dyke Hubbard, Cortlandt (1942).Historic houses of the Hudson valley. New York: Architectural Book Pub. Co.OCLC 3444265.
• Historic Hudson Valley (1991).Visions of Washington Irving: Selected Works From the Collections of Historic Hudson Valley. Tarrytown, New York:Historic Hudson Valley.ISBN 978-0-912882-99-4.
• Howat, John K. (1972).The Hudson River and Its Painters. New York:Viking Press.ISBN 978-0-670-38558-4.
• Jacobs, Jaap and L.H. Roper (eds.) (2014).The Worlds of the Seventeenth-Century Hudson Valley. Albany, New York: State University of New York Press.
• Levine, David (2020).The Hudson Valley: The First 250 Million Years. Guilford, Connecticut: Globe Pequot.
• Marks, Alfred H. (1973).Literature of the Mid Hudson Valley: A Preliminary Study. New Paltz, New York: Center for Continuing Education, State University College.OCLC 1171631.
• McMurry, James; Jones, Jeff (1974).The Catskill Witch and Other Tales of the Hudson Valley. Syracuse, New York:Syracuse University Press.ISBN 978-0-8156-0105-0.
• Mylod, John (1969).Biography of a River: The People and Legends of the Hudson Valley. New York: Hawthorn Books.OCLC 33563.
• Scheltema, Gajus and Westerhuijs, Heleen (eds.),Exploring Historic Dutch New York. New York: Museum of the City of New York/Dover Publications, 2011.
• Talbott, Hudson (2009).River of Dreams: The Story of the Hudson River. New York:G. P. Putnam's Sons.ISBN 978-0-399-24521-3.
• Vernon, Benjamin.The History of the Hudson River Valley (New York: Overlook, 2016. xiv, 625 pp.
• Wallkill Valley Publishing Association (1904).The Historic Wallkill and Hudson River Valleys. Walden, New York: Wallkill Valley Publishing Association.OCLC 13418978.
• Wharton, Edith (1929).Hudson River Bracketed. New York:D. Appleton & Company.OCLC 297188.
• Wilkinson Reynolds, Helen (1965).Dutch houses in the Hudson Valley before 1776. New York:Dover Publications.OCLC 513732.

• Hudson Valley Directory at hudsonvalleydirectory.com
• Hudson River Valley Greenway at hudsongreenway.ny.gov
• Hudson River Valley Heritage: digital collection of historical materials, at hrvh.org
• Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area at hudsonrivervalley.com

42°0′N74°0′W / 42.000°N 74.000°W /42.000; -74.000 (Hudson Valley)

• Hudson Valley
• Physiographic sections
• Upstate New York
• Regions of New York (state)
• River valleys of the United States
• Valleys of New York (state)
• Landforms of Westchester County, New York
• Landforms of Rockland County, New York
• Landforms of Putnam County, New York
• Landforms of Dutchess County, New York
• Landforms of Orange County, New York
• Landforms of Ulster County, New York
• Landforms of Sullivan County, New York
• Landforms of Columbia County, New York
• Landforms of Greene County, New York
• Landforms of Rensselaer County, New York
• Landforms of Albany County, New York

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