Columbia

Formed January 1, 1786 (13^th county)

Columbia County (61,567), Hudson (5,890)

A small dome sits on top of the 1908 masonry Beaux Arts and Classical Revival facility.  The courthouse is on Union Street at West Court Street.  United States Highway 9 is four blocks southeast of the courthouse.  The county was organized on January 1, 1786 from Albany County as the 13^th county.  Warren and Wetmore were the designers of the courthouse.  The building has been enlarged and renovated in 2014.  There was a 1901 courthouse earlier.  The county is named for explorer Christopher Columbus.  Hudson is named for explorer Henry Hudson.  Claverack was the first county seat until 1805 when Hudson assumed the position.  Columbia County was the birthplace for 3 New York Governors, Martin Van Buren, Samuel J. Tilden, and Martin H. Glynn. 

Columbia County government consists of an administrator, a sheriff, a comptroller, an attorney, an assessor, and a clerk (executive).  It has 28 Legislators (legislative.)  One County Court Judge and One Family Court Judge serve Columbia County (judicial.)  The county is on the southeast border with Massachusetts and Connecticut.  New York City, New York is south and Albany, New York is northwest of the county.  The Hudson River forms its western border.  The county center is 9.9 miles East-Northeast of Hudson nearer Philmont.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Rensselaer County and Massachusetts and Connecticut and Dutchess, Ulster, Greene, and Albany counties. 

The area of the county is 648 square miles.  It is 38 out of 62 in the state.  It ranks 40 out of 62 in population in the state.  It has a density of 95.0 persons per square mile making it 33 out of 62 in the state.  Columbia County has 19.4% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 90 passes southeast to northwest in the county from Massachusetts to Rensselaer County.  United States Highway 9 travels north to south from Rensselaer County to Dutchess County.  United States Highway 20 clips the northeast corner from Massachusetts to Rensselaer County.  Martin Van Buren, the 8^th President, was born and is buried in this county.  The county looks like a volcano lying on its left side.  Hudson is located on the western border.  Hudson is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 9.6% of the county population.  This county is in the Hudson Micropolitan Statistical Area.