Delaware

Formed January 1, 1797 (24^th county)

Delaware County (44,302), Delhi (2,790), Sidney (3,712)

A pleasant red brick Second Empire courthouse was built in 1869.  The structure is on Court Street at Main Street.  New York State Highway 10 is Main Street in this part of the town.  Isaac G. Perry provided the building designs.  A County Administrative Building was added in 1986.  The Clerk’s Office and Sheriff’s Residence are on the sides of the courthouse.  Delaware County was formed on January 1, 1797 from Otsego and Ulster counties as the 24^th county with Delhi as the only county seat.  The county is named for the Third Baron De La Warr.  The county seat is named for Delhi, India. 

Delaware County government consists of an administrator, a sheriff, a comptroller, an attorney, an assessor, and a clerk (executive).  It has 19 Legislators (legislative.)  One County Court Judge, One Family Court Judge, and One Surrogate Court Judge serve Delaware County (judicial.)  The county is located in eastern New York.  Albany, New York is northeast and New York City, New York is southeast of the county.  Its southwest corner borders Pennsylvania.  The county center is 7.6 miles Southwest of Delhi nearer Delancy.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Schoharie, Greene, Ulster, and Sullivan counties and Pennsylvania and Broome, Chenango, and Otsego counties. 

The area of the county is 1468 square miles.  It is 8 out of 62 in the state.  It ranks 53 out of 62 in population in the state.  It has a density of 30.2 persons per square mile making it 58 out of 62 in the state.  Delaware County has 30.6% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 88 enters the county from Otsego County, north, and exits into Broome County, west.  The county’s overall shape is a lounge chair.  Delhi is located north of center in the county.  Sidney is on the western border of the county.  Delhi is the county seat and Sidney is the largest city.  Delhi is 6.3% of the county population while Sidney is 8.4% of the county population.