Putnam

Formed January 1, 1812 (45^th county)

Putnam County (97,682), Carmel* (7,538), Brewster (2,509)

A Modern tan brick 2008 courthouse replaced an 1814 structure in Putnam County.  It sits on County Center Avenue at Gleneida Avenue.  New York State Highway 52 passes in front of the facility.  The architect is Preiss/Briesmeister.  The old courthouse remains in use providing county offices.  Putnam County was created from Dutchess County on January 1, 1812 as the 45^th county with Carmel as the only county seat.  The county is named for American Revolutionary War General Israel Putnam.  The county seat is named for the Biblical mountain. 

Putnam County government consists of a sheriff and 9 Legislators.  One County Court Judge serves Putnam County.  The county is in the southeast part of the state on the border with 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 8.4 miles West of Carmel.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Dutchess County and Connecticut and Westchester, Rockland, and Orange counties. 

The area of the county is 246 square miles.  It is 55 out of 62 in the state.  It ranks 29 out of 62 in population in the state.  It has a density of 397.1 persons per square mile making it 16 out of 62 in the state.  Putnam County has 5.2% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 84 enters the county from the east, Connecticut, and exits to the north, Dutchess County.  United States Highway 6 comes from Connecticut, east, and goes into Westchester County, south.  United States Highway 9 travels north to south from Dutchess County to Westchester County.  United States Highway 202 is joined with United States Highway 6 from Connecticut, splits and goes south into Westchester County.  Putnam County is an overall rectangle slanting southwest.  Carmel is located in the eastern third of the county.  Brewster is in the southeast quarter of the county.  Carmel is the county seat and Brewster is the largest city.  Carmel is 7.7% of the county population although it is not incorporated.  Brewster is 2.6% of the county population.  This county is in the New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Carmel (unincorporated)